Pal Tanya Stone (P IS FOR PASSOVER: A HOLIDAY ALPHABET BOOK (Price Sloan, 2003)) wrote to ask if Kathi Appelt is my mentor because she was looking forward to hearing her speak at Vermont College, which by the way has an excellent program in children’s and YA writing. She is!

So is Jane Kurtz (THE FEVERBIRD’S CLAW (Greenwillow, 2004)), who is currently living in my previous home state of Kansas. And speaking of Kansas, I also should mention that Dian Curtis Regan (CHANCE (Philomel, 2003)) has recently revamped her site and it now includes the two first chapters of her long-awaited PRINCESS NEVERMORE sequel.

It was reported today in “Byline” that when suffering from writer’s block, I’m known to dance in the dark to Olivia Newton John’s “Xanadu” album. This is in fact gospel truth.

And finally, Lerner bought Millbrook at auction for $3.4 million dollars. I’m thrilled for the authors. Limbo is not a happy thing in publishing.

Off to watch “Monk” season one on DVD.