Hope to see you at Denver ComicCon!

I'm going to Denver ComicCon! This is my first ComicCon of any kind, so it'll will be extra fun. I'll have to keep my inner fangirl in check, because there will be two Doctor Whos there.

On a more professional note, I'll be speaking on these panels; come find me if you're there:

80s Resurgence in Books and Movies - Friday, 6/15, 11:00am, Keystone City Mile High Ballroom DCCP4

Creating Believable Monsters - Saturday, 6/16, 12:30pm, Room 405

Why You Should Have Villains of All Stripes - Saturday, 6/16, 4:30pm, Room 405

Not Just Novels - Saturday, 6/16, 5:30pm, Room 405

I promise to try to remember to take pictures...

Where to find me this Fall

Fall! I know, aren't you irritated when you see fall-themed decorations in the store when it's eighty-plus degrees outside? Let us have our summer, people... I'm looking at you, Hobby Lobby: Christmas décor is just not on in August.

But I did want to share some places I'll be speaking/signing this fall, plus a podcast. In case you're looking for some writing inspiration, as most of these events are for writers. I'll be cruising around on my trusted ol' Honda Element.

Sept. 8-10, 2017, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference:  I'll be talking about marketing plans for writers, the kidlit market (everything you need to know if you want to write for kids), and I'll show you how to outline your novel using plot points.

There's even a podcast of me talking about all this stuff, in case you're interested...

Sept. 16th: I'll be signing books at the Lone Tree Library (Denver), along with all my Rocky Mountain Chapter Sisters in Crime friends. If you're into mysteries, this seems like the perfect way to get the scoop on your local mystery authors.

Oct. 7-8, 2017, Rocky Mountain SCBWI Conference: This is a conference for kidlit writers, so if this is you, come on and join in on the fun! I'll be talking about how to write a MG/YA mystery, and how to put together a marketing plan (yes, you need one). There are some awesome speakers there, including Matt De la Pena...

Okay, so this is where my self-promotion ends. Although to tell you the truth, these events are pretty awesome for all the other speakers and stuff...

Hope to see you there! Seems like Denver is the place to be this Fall.

Where you can find me this Fall for the Code Name 711 book tour

I'm so excited about this month's release of Double Vision: Code Name 711...! Those fans who've been patiently waiting since they read the first book can finally read Linc's next adventure.

And I'm hitting the road to tell everyone all about how cool Linc is. For Fall, I'm mostly roaming around the South, but in April/May, I'll be in the Washington, D.C. area, where Code Name 711 is set. If you want me to come visit your school or venue, shoot me an email!

Here's where you can find me for Fall 2013:

OCT. 11: SCBWI Wik conference—signing Double Vision (Birmingham, AL) 

OCT. 17 : Mississippi Library Association annual conference—hosting presentation on reaching MG/YA reluctant readers (Biloxi, MS)

OCT. 26: Signing: B&N (Gulfport, MS) 

NOV. 2: Signing: Louisiana Book Festival (Baton Rouge, LA) See me at the SCBWI booth from 2-3 p.m.!

NOV. 9: Signing: Bay Books (Bay St. Louis, MS) 5-7 p.m. 

NOV. 15/16: Signing: Christmas Jubilee sponsored by B&N (Mobile, AL) 

Hope to see you there! 

For those of you not in my neck of the woods, stick around for the Code Name 711 blog tour! There will be interviews, reviews, and giveaways.

Stay tuned, more news on that in the next few days...

Why Birmingham Is Where It's At

I've been a bit quiet around here lately, as you may have noticed. I'd like to say that I'm off having summer fun, but it's more like I've been hiding out from the HEAT. July is hitting me full force here in ol' Mississippi. I'm catching myself saying things like, "Lord, have mercy," and "It's a scorcher, y'all."

It's a little frightening, I know.

But I thought I'd come out of air-conditioned hiding for a moment to tell you about a cool event in Birmingham this October: the Southern Breeze chapter of SCBWI is having their annual fall conference (Writing and Illustrating for Kids) October 19-20.

And I'll be on the faculty with a workshop on YA and MG mysteries. It'll be fun, so I hope you'll consider coming to Birmingham. I know, it's hot in Alabama too, but I hear it's lovely in October...

Get the scoop on the Southern Breeze Writing and Illustrating for Kids conference here.