Works In Progress

CURRENTLY WORKING ON:..

TOGETHER WITH AUNTIE, JUST THE TWO OF US

CHERRIES TO SHARE

THE CAKE

KNITTING MAGIC

ALONG FOR THE RIDE

A child with a mobility impairment can't access all the places she wants to go, even with her wheelchair. When an idea sparks, then ignites, family and friends join her in designing and building an off-road device so she can come ALONG FOR THE RIDE. #PB #DIS #OWN #STEM #SEL

This 324-word book will join other uplifting PBs that highlight and honor the challenges of living with a disability, like OUTSIDE AMELIA’S WINDOW by Nastro and Budisan (2023). ALONG FOR THE RIDE includes SEL and STEM themes, a strong family bond, a model of determination and an Author’s Note about my personal journey.

WELCOME TO ARCHES!

The beauty and science of Utah’s red-rock wonderland piques a young visitor’s interest. But an unexpected, mid-night BOOM! rumble, rumble ignites a passion for geology that will last her lifetime.

(Photo by friends, Tink & Laura Shepardson)

MY MAMA RIDES

Rumble-hum, Maddie’s mama rides a motorized mobility scooter everywhere they go…to the bus stop, along the riverwalk and even at the carnival. But, when a new kid asks too many questions, Maddie’s tummy flip-flops. Can she help him understand that her mama is extra special because she rides–her scooter and the Scrambler? A celebration of family, diversity and acceptance.

Shane Burcaw’s Not So Different meets Amy Webb’s When Charley Met Emma with a side of James Catchpole’s What Happened to You?

A RACE WITH THE RAIN

A young girl and her dad embark on a bike ride adventure in the desert southwest–past darting lizards, across sandy arroyos, and up, up, up hills, long and steep, and hard in the heat–only to find themselves in A RACE WITH THE RAIN as the afternoon monsoon rolls in!

A literary PB celebrating nature and family, reminiscent of Pete Oswald’s HIKE, told with a lyrical tone similar to Kristy Dempsey’s A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT: ONE BALLERINA’S DREAM. A dusty-dry, high desert nod to Jane Yolen’s classic, OWL MOON.

TWO TOGETHER: A BASEBALL DAY

A Lyrical, Atmospheric, Picture Book Manuscript

⚾️The "PITCH" ⚾️

Holding tight, staying close, TWO TOGETHER move with the crowd, past statues of legends, through twisting turnstiles, to emerge into stadium sun. The two, one young and one older, join hometown fans to chant and cheer, sing and celebrate as teammates dart and dash around the diamond dot-to-dot below. A lyrical, atmospheric story of shared first-experiences at the ballpark.

SNOW!

Facing a wintery playday filled with challenges (too slick, too tippy, too much!) and struggles (now chilled and chapped, now shaky and shivery, too long!), excited brothers celebrate the special moments they share playing together in the SNOW!.

#lyrical Goldilocks meets A SNOWY DAY

Picture book manuscript, sparse text

WHEELBARROWS DON'T GO TO SCHOOL

Picture book manuscript
When Zander starts school, he worries that his best friend, Willy Barrow (a wheelbarrow), won't be there with him in case of a school adventure emergency.

LOVE TO NONNIE!

This picture book manuscript traces Claire’s use of personal art and poetry as her Gran heals from surgery and spring arrives.

The story concludes with the following poem:

We Have So Much to Celebrate

One wish for Nonnie,

one for spring–

the seedlings and I

wait

together.

I plant a kiss,

give Nonnie time to rest and heal

and see her smile return

in a summer color explosion.

A picture, a poem, a present,

I am quite an artist.

Outside, all around,

we have so much to celebrate.

PSST, HEY YOU!

Picture book manuscript

Elevator pitch:

High energy and distractible, Oliver is working hard to stay focused and on track during library time. But, when he hears “Psst, hey you!” coming from the bookshelf, he can’t resist finding out more. He discovers Creative Spark who has come on behalf of an author, to get to know Oliver and figure out which literary genre would best tell the boy’s story. Together, the two consider possible genre options and imagine how Oliver’s story might look in each one.

Oliver ultimately suggests that a wordless picture book would be best—both to tell his story and to keep both of them out of trouble.

WIZARDS OF THE WEIMENUCHE

Middle Grade Fiction

LOGLINE:

A spunky but reserved girl finds her voice, confronts a shape-shifting marmot and changes the future for her family while adventuring with her quirky brother in the mountains of Southern Colorado.

FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER BIKES IN THE RAIN: THE IMPACT OF THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT TAMBORA

Middle Grade Informational Fiction

TIES TO EDUCATIONAL CONTENT:

Cause and effect
Primary sources
Vocabulary