My Interview with Kirkus about STAR STUFF

I had the privelege of being interviewed by the wonderful Jules Danielson from Kirkus and Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (I am a huge fan of hers btw). Here is the interview. 

Watching Clouds Pass By

Such a long absence (again). I have been loving island life for the first time since getting here since we moved away from the sugar cane fields. 

Many mornings I go to the beach, since we live so close now, and I hop onto a stand up paddle board and head out into the inlets around this little island in the middle of the Indian ocean. Last week there was a particularly calm day and as I was navigating the bay out here, a stingray jumped out of the water just in front of me. It was nothing short of thrilling being out in these gorgeous turquoise waters under the billowy tropical clouds. 

My afternoons I work. I have a book I am writing and two that I am illustrating and I head up into my studio and close the door for a few hours and focus. 

We have found a way to do hot yoga here now too (if you remember I was missing that quite a lot before). There is a building that was used as an office during the construction of the houses in our developement and Fred and I cleaned it up and brought in some heaters and a fan. We call it Hot Dodo Studio. 

Right now we are having a ball over here- working hard, but for the first time, playing and relaxing. It's a good balance- I'm sure it won't last, but it is delicious right now and I am enjoying every minute of it. 

Happy Carl Sagan Day!

This is the first time in 3 or 4 years that I haven't been seeped in the world of Carl Sagan and recently I have been revisited my notes and photos from that time and remembering just how fun and interesting it was to learn about this man and his life. 

The book above is a book that I think is a likely candidate for the one that Dr. Sagan talks about in Cosmos- the one he read his local Brooklyn library when he was a kid. The wording in this is so very close to his description of the event- don't know for sure of course, but I think it is likely in any case. My friend Sharon Lovejoy had it in her book collection and reading it was a thrill because I imagined the young Carl reading it from cover to cover in one sitting. The language is beautiful and so similar to how he went on to speak, I wonder if it was a formative in his way of thinking about science - the prose has a lovely poetic cadence to it. 

Studied the Voyagers one and two and it eventually became clear that these would carry the narrative in a perfect open ended way- just like they carry the golden records. They became a representation not only for humanity and the Earth, but of Carl Sagan's big picture thinking and his ability to inspire. And even better, they actually left our solar system and entered inter-stellar space in time to include that event in STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos. 

As I was working on the book and looking around the internet and talking with people, I began to realize how Dr. Sagan's legacy continues. His ability to inspire I think was his greater gift- that inspiration shows up in having inspired generations to become explorers not only in science, but in a huge variety of fields and from all walks of life. So many random strangers I talk with smile broadly with the mention of his his name- they are remembering the feeling that they got from reading his books or watching him on tv- something that opened up their imaginations. 

HAPPY CARL SAGAN DAY!

 (Isn't this so awesome? I got it for my editor.) 

Carl Sagan Day Coming Up!

As we ramp up to Carl Sagan Day on the 9th, here is an image from a version of the dummy (there were many) for STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos and an image from my dad's stamp collection with some commemorative stamps from the 1939 World's Fair. 

My Mommkin Interview

Mommkin is this awesome blog about creative moms. I am honored to be featured in this piece that was published yesterday. 

Diwali Mauritius

This last Thursday was Diwali here. I was unsure of what to expect. We were told to put out lights in front of the house and to break and old dish and buy a new one. People go from house to house giving "cakes" which looked like different shaped doughnut holes and giving thanks. As we drove to dinner that night we say "chistmas lights" on houses and one cars and temples. The picture above (and sorry for the half image there- that's the window of the truck as we drove by)is of a temple on the way to Grand Baie. We had a meal at a South African joint- with a great view of the bay. Later that night there were fireworks and when we got home we say the best ones from people in the neighborhood firing them off. It's a happy, festive holiday- I love any holiday where people give thanks to each other and I like the lights.  

Other than the Infamous Dodo Bird, What do you Know About Mauritius?

The Huffington Post has this write up and series of videos about the island: here .

The True Size of Africa

I spent some time this summer at home (California) before heading back to our new place of residence- Mauritius, which  is part of Africa. Before leaving friends kept saying " be careful!"- referring to the ebola outbreaks in Africa. It is over 1,600 miles from here to mainland Africa and here is a relative scale map of Africa. Here on Mauritius, you are not allowed into the country if have been to one of the effected countries within the last 60 days- even Mauritian citizens are kept out- everyone is, until you have cleared the 60 days. The U.S., Europe- no place I know has such stringent rules. 

Waking Brain Cells Review of STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

Here is the link the the review- which I am grateful for. :).Thank you Waking Brain Cells!

The Balance of Things

I'm packing up the house this week -back into the 10 suitcases we moved in with- and then some...Tristam seems to have accumulated the most stuff- lots of found objects, toys and artwork he made. The kitchen came in second with a big coffee maker (which Fred has named Giselle) and additional pots and pans etc. 

Last night as I was closing the windows I said "hello" to the gecko residing in each room and wondered if we could take them with too- especially the one in the bedroom. That one is small and I actually leave the window open a bit longer at night in that room to make sure it has enough bugs to eat. I know that the minute we move that poisons will be set out for them and that will be that. When we moved in we had a pretty bad pest problem- the house was crawling with bugs. One day we noticed the gecko poisons removed all of them. Since that day, the bugs have been minimal to nonexistent. People here can't understand why we don't allow the previous poison spraying and poison traps to be in in our living space, and we cannot understand why you would poison your natural pest control...I imagine that we will go through the same process at the new house, but I'm hoping not as bad because we will be away from the sugar cane fields (YAY!!). 

I'm still considering how to capture at least the bedroom gecko to take with us. 

Early Book Art

Road Trip to the East, Lunar Eclipse, Birds and an Upcoming Move

Yesterday, Fred I headed out to explore the east of the island a bit. Most weekends, we spending catching up on work- especially right now. Fred is busy with solar projects and I have 3 books in the works- 2 that I am illustrating and 1 that I am both writing and illustrating. So, yesterday, we decided that we would take a rare day off and drive to Blue Bay. We stopped at a favorite restaurant in Belle Mare where we watched birds and enjoyed the warm breeze. Then drove the coastal road to Blue Bay. We were puzzled when we got to Blue Bay- or what the map and signage said was Blue Bay- because it was far from the pristine marine environment we expected. Instead, a crowded garbage covered beach with a trailer blasting techno music . Maybe there is another part of Blue Bay? Anyhow- the drive was beautiful and Mauritius is bigger than what I had imagined before. I'd like to go back to some of the villages and towns we drove through and spend some time. 

Last week we missed the lunar eclipse here, but caught it later via the internet. 

Here is a moor hen that hung out with us in Belle Mar yesterday. Watching birds is one of our favorite things to do and yesterday's feathered visitors did not disappoint 

Great news! This week we bid adieu to Piton. I will not miss it one little bit...maybe the neighbors, but other than that...nope. New digs are closer to the ocean- we are ocean people and I no longer eat sugar :) 

RSA Shorts - The Power of Quiet

Susan Cain: The power of introverts

NEW SLJ News Letter Featuring STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

What trip to open up my e-mail and find a newsletter from Kirkus and scrolling down and first seeing an image of Neil Gaiman talking about his graphic novel adaptation of Hansel and Gretel and scroll down more and see my book STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos! 

Here is the article that featured the STARRED books :))

Thoughts From a Speck in the Indian Ocean

 Something that didn't occur to me until recently- surprisingly- is how much being an introvert shapes my experience of the world. The picture above is of me with in Belgium when we were expats there. We lived in the country near Waterloo and our neighbor had rabbits and pigeons. It was a heaven of sorts for me- a quiet rural existence- not a lot of noise and activity. 

Flash ahead some forty some years and I move to Mauritius with a very different culture- loud, ueber social, constant activity and people  and noise everywhere- a big challenge to an introvert. 

So, I am learning to do things like go to less popular beaches and collect shells or read or do yoga- to schedule time in to do those things.  I hadn't realized how much a part of me this thing of being quiet is. I tried at first when we got here to take on the task of integrating, but it became over load. So, I backed away- I think that's the process - you try on a new thing and see how it fits and if now you try a different way...

You find the things that comfort you. My case- watching birds, sketching, food (ULTRA rare organic strawberries ), finding alone time...connecting with the ocean...

Here I am 15 years ago (when I first me Fred). I worked out ways of connecting with California (which is home in my mind) . I bought a quiver of surfboards and headed out into the waves. It was magical...working on creating a home away from home here on this speck in the Indian Ocean. 

ReaderKidz Interview about STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

This Friday Stephanie Greene- the wonderful author of the Princess Posey books  : ) will post an interview on the process of making the book. Here is their announcement about it. 

Here I am with Tristam when we were still remodeling our house taken  about 7 years ago. We would walk to the house in the evenings (we lived in a nearby apartment) and pull out the telescope my parents bought for me years before and search for things in the sky that are very far away and some very long ago. I don't think he really understood, but he memories are pretty great of that time. 

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos from Roaring Broo...

In searching for STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos- I came across this by ttmp :) 

Poem

It's no accident that we all lie nestled together in the curves of the universe. We are tugged by the forces of celestial tides. Time folds in on itself and outward again in gladness as we spin around, each of us an utter miracle in the sea of tiny white stars.

-Jamien E. Morehouse

Thank you to Sharon Lovejoy for the poem :) 

STARRED review (number two!!) for STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos this one from Kirkus!

Continued floating :)

STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos has earned a second starred review! This one from Kirkus. Here is an excerpt: 

"Young Carl Sagan looks endearingly like his grown-up self, with expressive dark eyebrows and a cheerful look of inquiry, in this warm account of the life of the notable scientist.

Sisson captures an important moment in young Sagan’s life. In a library, where he has been handed a book on stars, “Carl’s heart beat faster with every page he turned.” The next double-page spread offers a vertical orientation and a gatefold opening skyward, as if Carl himself were soaring into space... Sisson’s economical narrative and lighthearted illustrations convey Sagan’s regard for the power of imagination and his generous approach to knowledge..."

And here is a link to the full review. 

And here is a picture of me with an early story board a couple of years ago for the book attending a meeting got my wonderful critique group back in California. 

Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos STARRED Review from SLJ (School Library Journal)

Floating :) And no, I don't know this wonderful woman who gave the review. 

And excerpt from the review:

Told in narrative format, this beautifully designed and illustrated picture book gives readers a glimpse into the childhood wonderings Sagan experienced as he looked at the night sky and imagined the possibilities. ....  A gorgeous, informative offering for biography and science collections.–Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

A link to the full review here. 

Bill Moyers Put Together a Nice Summary of Climate Change Science

That you can see by clicking here. 

What I Did on my Summer Vacation Part Three

There was lots of work revamping my new website- which is scheduled to launch before October 14th. Our talented friend Robin Chilton helped with a mini-movie- which, thanks to his creativity and vision is going to be pretty awesome :)

Going to my favorite yoga studio on the planet with my favorite peeps as much as possible. 

Working on new projects and reviewing books. Loved the one on the table there - a new one coming out in December written and illustrated by the incredible Floyd Cooper. 

What I Did on My Summer Vacation Part Two

Enjoyed a bit of sun on our deck back home in California, watched pelicans dive for fish pulled weeds, trimmed massive vines invading the garden and planted new things. 

Clean up and properly stored some old friends I haven't used in awhile and probably won't in the near future ...I'm going to take up paddle boarding here in Mauritius. 

Here is a picture of the one made by Shannon McIntyre for me back in 1998- my first surfboard. I took this photo from the water in 2001 and it hangs in may parents' home. 

Being with Jane Goodall

What I Did on my Summer Vacation Part One

 Attended the SCBWI Annual Summer conference in Los Angeles for inspiration and to meet up with friends and colleagues .

 Ate oysters on the half shell, excellent sushi, kale, brussel sprouts, ate salad (dark green gorgeous organic salads) and haas avocados...things I have been unable to find in Mauritius.

Did some serious California connecting with  friends and attended as many hot yoga classes as possible. 

Dream Recipe

Beginning new dreams of faraway places...reading books about Africa and elephants. Tonight I went outside in the dark - we were fogged in. A  sound softening fog....gentle. 

The image above can be found in Isol's Dream Recipe book. 

Status Report

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the bus sky, is by no means a waste of time. 


                                   -Sir John Lubbock, The Use of Life


Here I am- back over on the other side of the world again for a short while. I'm connecting with my peeps and rereading the entire Calvin and Hobbes collection. I go out into the garden (which can only be watered on Tuesdays and Fridays) and I put my hands in that gorgeous soil that we have been working on improving for a few years now and I pull some weeds and I trim some things back and find a perfectly beautiful tomato there- the best tomato. 

There is much to do in a short time. Lots of appointments and business meetings and sorting and tossing...rethinking and shopping and retooling to head back to my other home on the exact opposite side of the world. 

Fred was in town for only 4 days. They were a good four days. We watched sunsets, went for walks...talked a lot and ate copious amounts of sushi and visited with friends and family. Now he's somewhere in the atmosphere heading for Dubai and then onto Mauritius. 

I'm joining him in just a short while. I am relishing being home for a little bit- before I head back and continue making a new home in a new place with a new language and culture and all that come with that. Adventure. It's good to be roving and learning and creating. 

Interesting TED Talk on Parenting

Percolating ....More Soon.

Back in the States for a little bit- finishing up some projects, checking in on the house, visiting family, just got back from L.A. and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference (it was great)- saw so many friends and made new ones, was inspired , laughed, laughed and saw Judy Blume- so great... now I'm in a mad rush to finish off some paintings before Fred gets here for a few days. He is at the White House tonight- no kidding...black tie. He looks goods thanks to the most charming tailer, Joseph. 

I'm doing a whole revamp of the website for the arrival of...

STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos- looks gorgeous doesn't it??!! Can't wait for copies to get here- this is my wonderful editor, Katherine Jacob's desk in the Flatiron Building in NYC. 

Walter Dean Myers

I had the great fortune of being able to meet this inspiring man - a rare person that made people think and created empathy and understanding. Sad to hear of his death.  

Antipode

There I am "A". I am almost exactly a week from going back to the other side of the world - literally the almost exact opposite. 29 hours en route back to California. 

I have been here in Mauritius for over 7 months. I haven't been someplace other that the U.S. for that long since I was a kid. This adventure has had its ups and downs, but lately, I have been finding a nice rhythm with it and have enjoyed being away from the politics and extremism of the U.S.. 

It's funny how when you step outside of a place and look at it from a different angle that the political messaging becomes stark. Mauritius is a tiny little speck in the Indian Ocean. To be honest, I had never heard of the place- aside from the sad tale of the dodo bird before coming. It is a place where no one can lay claim- it was uninhabited until the 1500's. Every human is an import- every human is an immigrant. The only native creatures were either driven into extinction, or hang on on a tiny little shred of the island. A small national forest - a mere 5% of what once was exists. Somehow the inhabitants of this place manage to live in relative peace- Hindu. Muslim, Christian etc...Mauritius is a microcosm of the earth. 

Anyhow- I am wrapping up projects, packing luggage and seeing friends and getting ready for the journey back to California. Then I will journey back to Mauritius again in a month or 2 or so after...then back again in December- a bi-antipodal existence on this tiny planet.  Home- the pale blue dot. 

STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos at ALA!!

My dear friend Sharon Lovejoy found STAR STUFF at the American Library Association's convention in Las Vegas and posted these images to FB. 

She is there promoting some of her books and her first novel called Running out of Night- which is one of those rare stories that truly transports you to another time in history. 

Thank you Sharon!

Jon Mooallem: The strange story of the teddy bear and what it reveals

I have been reading Wild Ones by Jon Mooallen. Fascinating...has me thinking about the lens I see the world through. This is one of those books you finish and think about. 

Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Bill Moyers Full Interview HD

Just brilliant...Always loved Bill Moyers- grew up watching him and his careful,no-nonsense clear reporting. Here he is interviewing another admired truth seeker...humility- a beautiful thing- a courageous thing. 

The Adventure

The adventure: date night watching the sun go down on a white beach with ghost-like crabs scamping into their homes- warm breezes, unfamiliar bird song, small creatures scampering up walls in the night chirping, a woman walking down the road in a brightly colored dress with a pile of wood on her head, a night sky with clear, countless stars and no light pollution to muddy the view. Friends from all over the globe on this tiny island trying to figure out how their story meshes with the one unfolding here.  

It's a good adventure...and it is just beginning. 

A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien

Happy Father's Day- from a Lucky Kid

Working on a Rainy Afternoon

Book 9 in the Princess Posey series is in progress. :)

Wes Anderson- Centered

Just stumbled upon this video collage of Wes Anderson films called Centered. I am blown away. I love his work even more now...

Quote

You are only free when you realize you belong no place - you belong every place - no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great. 

- Maya Angelou

Updating, Upgrading...Moving Forward

It's funny, well, not funny "ha ha", but the other kind- when we moved almost exactly to the other side of the planet, Fred thought that we would just simply "move". That it would be the simplest of things and we would just have a new life and that was it. 

Well...what was good that did happen, was that Tristam is having such and a life changing experience and he was probably the number one reason why we moved when we did. Last night we were at a friend's home just down the path here with other friends and Tristam had his 2 best friends there- Matteo and Matilde. Matteo has lived all over the world and speaks 2 languages and Matilde the same- and the parents were all carrying on in French and our kid understood what they were saying- he couldn't formulate his response in French, but he definitely understood. It makes me think of me when I was a kid and my parents were expats and us girls spoke French at school and with our friends, German with out mom and English with our dad. We were children of the world too then...

This weekend we also went o a baby shower for the loveliest people- our friends Jerome and Carole. We were there with another neighbor and only French was spoken. Little baby Liam will be another international child - French father, Mauritian mother- growing up in a fast changing world with many languages spoken around him- and he will be a lucky kid- 

In recent weeks, I have been struggling a bit. Being in Africa, we are removed from familiar surroundings. I have missed the smell of the Pacific in our Central Coast home. I have missed hot yoga with my friends ( we are now working on jerry-rigging a clothes iron and fan combo to heat up a room in our rental here so I can do Bikram). I so missed my critique group where I could read and hear educated feedback from my book peeps. I missed sushi and sauerkraut and kale and our neighbors and riding my bike and and and....on and on...but the thing is that I was missing the BIG picture...

That these few months are just a few months in the whole of our lives and they are an amazing opportunity to try things differently.  Most people when they hit middle-age, either settle into whatever they are doing with either resignation (they are getting tired and whatever they are doing is "as good as it's going to get"...dreams passed them by- that sort of thing) or they are happy with where they are at and proceed along or they reinvent and push the envelope with this idea that life IS short and while you are here, what are you going to experience and what are you going to contribute. We chose the latter. And because Fred and I have such a strong friendship- we don't mind stepping into other world apart from one another for a month or two or three to accomplish some our own personal goals- which is the next thing- he is launching his project and I am heading back to our home to launch a few of my own :) Then rendezvous in Mauritius before heading out again. Life is good. 

Bird

Gosh it had Been Awhile- so Sorry...Here is an Update

The days fly by here...we are nearing six months here on the other side of the globe. When we arrived in December it was hot and humid and the days were long. Now we are nearing winter (July/August!) and the days are shorter and the weather is cool enough for jeans or a long sleeve t. The sugar cane was barely up to the fence in the backyard when we arrived and now it towers over it and it is blooming (achhooooo!). Fred said that it is related to corn somehow. 

But with everything going on, my work has not slowed- and I love my work.  I have several books in the works and several under contract. I am looking forward to heading to the States and being able to do the research I cannot from here and to check in with my tribe of amazing and accomplished artists and writers before I return to the antipode. 

I keep a journal and these are some notes: the same birds come by every morning and our favorite is a scrappy looking Madagascar fody we call "Billy", the sky is ablaze with stars instead of light noise at night, most of the drivers on this island should not be allowed to drive, giant fruit bats hang from telephone wires during the day, I appreciate house geckos, I wonder what this place looked like before people arrived? , it's nice to take a break and sit outside (when that "gardener" is not here), the ocean water is an incredible blue, don't drink the powdered milk from India, those red flowers make me happy, ANOTHER holiday??? , I love exploring a new place with my Pookie , I wish I had a book that is not electronic here and Chilula hot sauce. 

How Lucky am I??? Mama und Papa- Liebe.

This picture was taken by my uncle Harvey George of my parents. I look at this (and many more pictures of them), read their e-mails and notes- think of the times when in a single word "Ohana", for example, where they brought the idea and the meaning of family and made it manifest because they ARE and I am one lucky kid. I love you Mom and Dad. We all do- love from me and Fred and Tristam. Fred has said many times that until meeting you, that he had never seen a healthy relationship before. You two are rare birds, xo. Keep dancing your dance.  

4 Months (or so)

I don't know if there is a kid or former kid out there who hasn't tried to dig all the way to the other side of the Earth. China is the usual assumed destination if you are in the U.S.. My agent told me that the word for the opposite side of the earth is an antipode. The almost (very nearly) antipode of where we live in California- is Mauritius. And so for four months now, we have lived here on the other side. 

You can't predict how a place is going to be from reading about it or looking at pictures. Before moving here that was what I had to go on- that and Fred telling me about Mauritius.  At first it was all so overwhelming. A van came to pick us up at the airport with our pile of suitcases and bicycle cases. The funny thing about the bikes- they are useless here. Riding on the roads is taking you life into you hands, but the cases came in handy during a flash flood where Fred and I had to divert the water away from the house. We used the bike cases as dams , along with some kitchen trash bags we filled with water and some others we filled with rocks. 

Many mornings, we wake up and open the accordion doors onto the back yard and let in the breeze. The birds have gotten used to that sound as the "breakfast is being served" sound and they all come; Madagascar Fodys- especially an orange colored one with spiky feathers on his head we call "Billy"- after Billy Idol. Billy hangs with a group of sparrows. He is with them, but keep to himself. At first he was terribly shy- didn't come near the house and sat out on the lawn- an orangish red dot out there- and gradually, he became pretty comfortable and now often times, he is the first bird waiting for breakfast and complaining if we are late to deliver it. I love Billy. There are red bearded bulbuls that travel in pairs and zebra doves...the Mynas have a complex and varied range of calls and the village weavers are family centered birds who build their nests in palm trees that they enter from the bottom . Clever birds. I never grow tired of the birds.  

I can't remember a time in my life without birds.  At home we have our little parakeets ( who are under very good care of their new flock leader)- parakeets are flock birds who are used to having their voices carry over long distances and the unsuspecting pet buyers who come into per stores are often unaware of this and so many birds wind up being abused or neglected because of their natural instincts. 

In California we have our hummers. They zip through the air in every which direction at high speeds, yet they are so small and delicate. During the day their hearts beat at 1260 beats per minute, but when they are sleeping, it drops to 50-180 bpm. Incredible creatures- and far older than us homo sapiens .

Birds have been around some 150-160 million years (present day estimate). Homo sapiens - about 200,000 years...we are youngsters compared to them...

So birds- they are making this place feel more like a home- not the people, not anything else- the  birds.  After I post this, I will cut up some baguette from our local boulangerie for the birds breakfasts. I look forward to opening the doors and seeing Billy- or the rest of our flock. 

Joni Mitchell-California (The Johnny Cash Show)

The Earth is a Very Small Place

I had meant to do an Earth Day Post last week, but that just didn't materialize. So, today, I found this to put our teeny weeny little dot into perspective. 

Carl Sagan once said that all of the biota on Earth was equivalent to the veneer on a classroom globe in relative scale.  That puts our place in the Cosmos in perspective and highlight the fragility of life... 

Me and my Pookie

Today we drove to the south end of the island. Tristam took this picture at a little Indian restaurant by the beach. 

Ahem...

My editor suggested that I start keeping a journal here. She thinks that something will come of it- a book in the future. So in the morning, I do some sketching, some writing- not all of it about Mauritius and our experiences here- some of it about another book I am writing (which I am SUPER excited about). 

You what is so interesting about the topics for these books? They seem to find me. My last book -STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos- (available in November- I will be plugging this labor of love for a long time, so get used to it :) ) started tapping me in the shoulder when I was 12...it took until just over 2 years ago for me to have the skill set and to see a need/opportunity to create it.  The next book has a similar pattern- I got my little tap on the shoulder when I was a kid too and the tapping has not let up. Now that we have gotten to Mauritius the tap has turned into a rather insistent, "you need to write about this." 

I've always been a little mystified abut writers' assertions that the characters of novels, for example, come into their lives. As they write the narratives, the events seem to surprise the writers- I am now having this happen to me... funny. 

Catching a GLIMPSE of the Milky Way

Quote

Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive.

                                            -Elenore Roosevelt

Bill Nye: I Took Astronomy From Carl Sagan

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos- Advanced Reader Copies!

Here they are! Sitting on my editor's desk in Manhattan, ready to go out to reviewers, book buyers and some special Carl Sagan fans. 

San Luis Obispo California Travel: "Roads to Romance"1949 Chevrolet

A time capsule from 65 years ago of our little neck of the woods- the opening sequence seems to show where our neighborhood is just off the 101.

COSMOS Introduced by President Barak Obama

Date Night

The sky last night was even more over the top gorgeous than this little image can convey

These little holes are the homes of crabs on the beach- tiny ones. 

The pattern of the waves on the beach

Fred took a picture of me taking it all in. 

Afterwards we went to a French restaurant and had a really lovely dinner. There was a saxophonist and the most charming woman singing jazz standards in French.  

It was the first night in many weeks that we truly relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. i finished another Princess Posey book last week, started another one and am working on my next biography (another surprise subject- another fascinating and impactful person- SO excited about!!)