Book Contests

What's In The Corner? A Muffin "Tail" is a semi-finalist in the Children's Book Category for Best Book Cover on the AuthorsdB .... please take a moment to vote ... this would be such an honor for my illustrator Greg White who does what my hands could never do!  THANKS!!!

authorsdb 2013 book cover semi-finalists

I really appreciate all your support this year! I have been truly blessed!!


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Voting for the Author's Show 50 Great Authors Contest is still going on as well. I can't believe I am a finalist and semi-finalist in two contests! If you haven't voted in this contest, please click on the link below and read my essay, if you like what you've read, please vote!  THANKS!!

The Authos Show Contest





COMMENT HERE and let me know you voted and I'll put your name in to WIN a complete set of all of my books! You can choose paperback or eBooks!  THANKS FOR YOUR HELP and SUPPORT

December Events

Well ... one more November event and then we'll move into December!

This Friday, I will be visiting Diamond Hill Elementary School to speak at their Career Day. They contacted me at the end of last school year, so I've been looking forward to this event for a long time! I can't wait to talk to the kids and share my love of writing.

 November 22nd
Diamond Hill Elementary
Career Day (closed event)

 

Rescue dogs are near and dear to my heart. It makes me feel really good when I can sell a few books and donate money to help them out!! Rescue dogs have been through some tough times and I find it fascinating that they can still show so much love! Muffin and I (and possibly Shadow) will be at A Christmas Walk In The Park For Homeless Animals .  I will be conducting a Coloring Contest at my booth and will donate $1.00 from the purchase of each book sold back to the organization! I believe I will be doing a story time, but sometimes that is tough at these kinds of events ... so we will play it by ear! I hope lots of my dog loving friends can make it to this event!

DECEMBER
7th
A Christmas Walk In the Park
For Homeless Pets
7th Street Pavilion
Fort Worth, TX
12pm - 4pm

After Walking In the Park, I will head on up to Texarkana, TX and set up shop at the Java Script Bookstore (FB page) Java Script Bookstore (website) with a few other authors. This is a great opportunity to pick up some. great books for gifts for Christmas and also meet and greet with some local authors. If you know anyone in the Texarkana area, please pass this along!
 

8th
Java Script Bookstore

1313 Hazel Street
Texarkana, TX
1pm - 6pm

 

 

Muffin's Shadow

I want to introduce you all to Muffin's SHADOW! Shadow is the newest addition to our family and was rescued from the Duck Team 6 Dallas rescue team ... Muffin and Shadow were very leery of each other Saturday and Sunday - but today something just clicked and they are now friends!  Here are a couple cute videos of them loosening up and having some fun with each other. I will post some pictures and Shadow updates and stories in the next few days ... but for now ... ENJOY the videos ...

In this first video, Shadow "stole" one of Muffin's treats. I think Muffin could have caught him, but he also is pretty smart - especially when he's outsmarting her around the plant ... or ... is she just being a good big sister and letting him keep the treat .... hmmmmmmmmm

Shadow "STOLE" Muffin's treat!


In this next video ... this is what happens when I am not home. Steven and Ashley had the roll of paper towels near (just in case) there was an accident. BUT, Shadow thinks it is much more fun to unroll the paper towels than use them to clean up accidents!

Muffin watching SHADOW being a PUP!

Hope you enjoy these!

Keepin' it FUNKY!

November 9, Patty Wiseman, author of The Velvet Shoe Collection, and I shared a booth at FUNKY FINDS! This annual holiday craft fair is filled with unique gift ideas for everyone young and old made by artists from all over Texas. I love being a part of Funky Finds because they partner with Toys for Tots and the North Texas Humane Society, both organizations near and dear to me. Many pets were lucky to find FUREVER homes and dozens of toys were donated for those sweet children who soon will be NESTLED ALL SNUG IN THEIR BEDS on Christmas Eve ... waiting for St. Nick to deliver that special gift!


If you missed their holiday event -- be sure to mark your calendar for March 8 and 9, 2014, for their SPRING FLING event! Patty and I will be back and we will love to have you visit our new and improved booth where we will revamp our booth to make it READER friendly!!!
I also will be revealing some new MUFFIN products! Can't wait to share them with you!



Also, if you have not voted, would you please consider visiting The Author's Show web-site and vote for me in their 50 Great Writers contest. Voting closes December 1. I appreciate your help and support! Please click on the link below to be taken to their site.
50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading CONTEST

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

17thTexas Authors Day
San Marcos Public Library
625 E. Hopkins Street
San Marcos, TX 78666
2:00pm - 5:00pm

 

DECEMBER7th
A Christmas Walk In the Park
7th Street Pavillion
Forth Worth, TX
12pm - 4pm

Click on the link below to visit their FB page

A WALK IN THE PARK FB PAGE

Bark FUR Life

On Saturday, Nov. 2, Muffin and I were honored to be a part of Tarrant County's FIRST ANNUAL Bark FUR Life! Fort Worth's Coyote Drive-In Theater hosted the event and it was a perfect place for canines and their human companions to spend time together raising money to take a BITE out of  Cancer!

 9

The dogs from K9 Direction

    Muffin will be starting training with them REAL soon so

she can get her good citizenship award

 

Muffin watching the dogs from K9 Direction!

Muffin sporting her Bark FUR Life Attire!

 

 

 

Loving on Muffin!!
I was excited to be able to donate $1.00 from the sale of each of my books
to Bark FUR Life!

Muffin reunited with an OLD friend!

Nicole used to work at Banfield and was there with Muffin

with her bout with mange and her hip problems!

She is now at a different Vet Clinic but Muffin remembered her!!!

It was a sweet reunion!

 

It was a LOOOOOONG day!

It's hard being so cute, sell books, do story time, be petted

a MILLION times, catch up with an old friend,

AND TAKE A BITE OUT OF CANCER!!!!!

Yes ... Miss Muffin fell asleep during her last 15 minutes at

BARK FUR LIFE!

 

 

On SUNDAY, November 10, 2013 from 12:00pm - 4:00pm

I will be at East Lake Pet Orphanage Pet Fair

10101 E. Northwest Highway

Dallas, TX

I will be donating $1.00 from the sale of each of my books to ELPO!

Hope you can come on out!

I will be doing a book singing at 1:00pm and MUFFIN will be at this event!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          

Duncan Public Library

Author's Day ...

Some book events are a joy to drive to - even when I have to get up at the crack of dawn to make sure I'm there on time. Today, November 2, I got up bright and early and set out to Duncan, OK to be a part of the Duncan Public Library Author Day. The drive to Duncan is spectacular - I took LOTS of pictures, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them! I stopped 3 times to take pictures of hawks - each time I began to snap the pics - they flew away! I would swear they were watching me!!!

Highway 81 - The sun just started coming up.

Lazy morning - it was 35 degrees! It felt pretty chilly out

 So cool!

I love trees!

Foggy morning ....

 

Made it to the library ...

Story time was awesome! But, once again I didn't get any pictures!

I truly need to remember to grab the camera and give it to

someone at Story Time!

Stephen Bagley   (click on his name to visit his blog)

haven't seen him in almost 4 years!! He should have a similar

picture of me - taking a picture of him!

 

The Librarian made a beautiful display

Stephen at lunch

Minestone Soup

Hopefully it won't be another 4 years!!!!

Parting is such sweet sorrow!

 

On the way home I stopped at an antique shop that I have driven by MANY times. Every time I drive by it's closed -- It's either too early or too late. I purchased a super cute MINI cast iron pan for Steven and for me I found this really cool glass jar filled with wooden dominoes. LOVE IT!  I started talking with the owner of the shop and she ended up buying all four of my books! That was a nice ending to my day.

Below is the outside of the antique shop -- they have some really unique things - I will stop there again next time I go to Duncan.

 I pulled over AND ....

 they came to see me!

 aren't they cute!

I saw this old house on the way there and thought it was really interesting!

The blue in the wall looks like glass - I wonder how old it is?

 

This tree was next to the above house

 

Highway 81 is so gorgeous!!! I could have taken a million pictures!

Hope you enjoyed my journey to Duncan and back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very MUFFIN - Halloween

Came home from school yesterday and started carving up the pumpkin! Muffin was really excited, she had a blast playing with the gourds! Check out Muffin being silly, Muffin JUMPING, and Muffin's costume ...







Who knew that gourds made such fun dog toys!

Gourd STEALER!!!!!

 

This gourd is yummy!!!
Hope I don't get caught stealing it--I don't want to go to jail!



A new chew toy!

  I love the eyes!!!!!!

 

Deep concentration - remember I'm not

good with sharp objects!

Thinking of how to steal another gourd

Stop taking pictures or the pumpkin will get it!
Me wielding a knife ... S C A R Y!

 Trying to steal an eye!

 READY!

 SET!

 GOOOO!!!!

 AWESOME JUMP!!!!!

 

COSTUME TIME!

JAIL STRIPES!

She loves her costume ... it was too warm

out for her RAM costume!

WHEN WILL THE KIDS GET HERE????

 

CANDY STEALER!!! 

JUST ONE PIECE - PLEEEEEEEZEEEEE!!!!

OH OKAY ... I'LL BE GOOD!!!!

WAITING FOR TRICK or TREATERS!

She had her picture taken with LOTS of kids!

the youngest was 2 months old!

YES ... that is a LINE of kids down my walk way

200+ trick or treaters at my house!

GOOFY GOURD PUMPKIN!

I put battery LED lights in it ....

hope you all had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!