11/6/09 -- A busy day writing and getting ready to leave for Nebraska on Sunday. My arm is in a sling from the shoulder surgery, but I'm doing fine. Traveling will be a challenge. Nothing I can't handle, though, as long as I can get some help putt...

11/5/09 -- For those of you who use Facebook, I now have a Facebook page and love getting to know new friends through it. Consider yourself invited!

11/2/09 -- A day late with this news, but November is National Novel Writing Month, in which writers attempt to pen 50,000 words (roughly 200 pages or so) within the 30 days of the month. Which I calculate to be 1,666.66 words per day. Lots of wri...

10/29/09 -- My head has finally cleared enough from the post-op medications to actually make some progress on REVENGE OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR. Also, a fun realization:at a fundamental level this story is really about the main character, Cody, tryi...

10/27/09 -- Typing a bit slowly today, as my right arm is in a sling. Yesterday's shoulder surgery went well, but the doc found more damage than predicted: torn rotator cuff in two places, and a torn bicep tendon, as well as the suspected labral d...

10/25/09 -- Great weekend: Dinner with the Chilis (a book club we've been part of for 16+ years), family time, a bit more rock climbing, a literary fundraiser for the local food bank, a hike at Findley Wildlife Reserve, a run, and a bike ride. Plu...

10/23/09 -- A fantastic opportunity came up this week -- a chance to climb a huge rock spire called the Monkey Face in Smith Rock State Park in central Oregon. Since I'm having shoulder surgery on Monday and will not be able to climb for at least ...

10/19/09 -- Back in Oregon again. (Thanks to all the great folks in Missouri that made my recent trip so much fun). Here in the Northwest I was greeted by beautiful fall colors; witness the maple tree in our front yard. That combined with cool tem...

10/13/09 -- At the end of my presentations I like to give kids an opportunity to ask questions. This morning at an elementary school in Kearney, Missouri, a third grade girl asked me a great one: "When you write," she said, "is it like going on an...

10/10/09 -- Five days of school visits done in MIssouri. Since I'll be in the area until next Thursday (one more day in Lee's Summit, then three in the Kearney area), I'm spending the weekend away from home. Today I'll do laundry, write a bunch, r...

10/6/09 -- I'm in Lee's Summit, Missouri, enjoying school visits with great kids and teachers. Not to mention the librarians! They are wonderful hosts, and dedicated booklovers who are turning kids onto the joys of reading every day. It's a pleasu...

10/2/09 -- Today marks the end of a week at home, which has been extremely busy, but productive. I made some good progress on REVENGE OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR. And am filling my calendar with school visits. Some sad news came my way, too, though: M...

9/28/09 -- Nothing like a well-rounded weekend: Ran a 5K race with Kelsey, rock climbed with Amy and her boyfriend Alex, got to spend lots of great catch-up time with Debbie, AND was able to do some more work on REVENGE OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR.

9/26/09 -- Went to t he orthopedist and found out I'm going to have to have surgery on my right shoulder (rotator cuff). I'll go under the knife October 26, the week after I return from author visits in Missouri. Best case scenario: 6 weeks of rec...

9/24/09 --Back in Oregon, I've got nine days to reconnect with family and friends, then it's off to Missouri for two more weeks of author visits. In the meantime, I'm trying to get as much writing done as possible, even over the upcoming weekend. ...

9/20/09 -- I'm still in Grand Island, Nebraska, with the weekend off before two more days of school visits. Early this morning I went for an 8-mile run on a nearby bike path. Very few people were out and about. The rhythm of my feet on the pavemen...

9/14/19 -- Lots of video footage shot on Mt. Hood this past weekend. Now I'm attempting to edit it into a coherent book trailer for STORM MOUNTAIN. As with much of life, it's more complicated than I'd imagined. And I'm already wishing I had more s...

9/13/09 -- I'm off to Grand Island, Nebraska for seven days of author visits -- my first of the 2009-2010 school year -- and looking forward to meeting lots of young writers from the cornhusker state. REVENGE OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR is going along...

9/8/09 -- Just back from a wonderful Labor Day weekend of rock climbing with family at Smith Rock State Park in the central Oregon desert.Climbing is one of my favorite sports. I love the physical nature of it, and the intimate connection with the...

9/4/09 -- I just heard from a former student who was in my 4-5th grade class in Lincoln City, Oregon way back in the early 1980s. Seems she was recently at her 20th high school reunion and ran into other students from that same class. Later, she w...