March Madness

And my March Madness has nothing to do with basketball, just the crazy business that 2016 has brought.

So far, we had to dig our way out of a blizzard, had some family emergencies (now mostly resolved), and the whole house had a bonafide, nasty, more than two-week long flu. Get your flu shot, people, and don't be like me.

In any case, this year (and the end of last year, since I have some catching up to do...) did bring me some pretty cool books, so I thought I'd share.

First, I highly recommend The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson. It's such a cool, fun, classic MG mystery, my kids have already snatched it up and passed it to their friends. And I hear there's a sequel in the works... Go read this one, buy it for one of the kiddos in your life (or just for you :-)

In YA, I have to shout-out to great Alabama friend Carrie Dalby Cox, whose YA novel Fortitude came out recently. I've just started reading it, and it's really good...

One of the coolest parts about being an author is all the books I discover just by making friends. I also try to read beyond my friend book list (it's big!), and I try to keep up with what's written for adults too, so I don't completely stay out of touch...

In the for grown-ups department, I recently read The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood. The cover was so-so, made me think it was a cozy, or maybe not...? But the book is one of the best crime novels I've read in a long time. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

In the writing department, I'm working on crime novel for adults, as well as brainstorming something new for the younger crowd. 2016 will be the year I curl up in a corner and write, which is very nice. I kind of feel like my cat Chloe in this picture; she's hiding in a paper bag, which is sort of the same thing. We're both observing the world from a safe spot.

How about you? What has been happening in 2016 so far for you?