November 2020 updates

I realized it's been a while since I posted any updates here on my website, so this seemed a good time for a recap post to share what I've been up to in recent months and what's in store for the future.

Cat Winters as Madame Leota.

First of all, thank you to everyone who attended Haunted House Paint & Prose: A Virtual Halloween Workshop! 

I love Halloween and really wanted to organize some sort of event that could be done safely and virtually during this incredibly stressful pandemic era. I was thrilled my sister, Carrie, wanted to join me in hosting an art and writing workshop held over Zoom on October 31. I materialized in costume as Madame Leota from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion to teach an atmospheric writing lesson, and my sister instructed participants how to paint haunted houses as Edvard Munch's The Scream. 

Click here if you'd like to see a video clip of my Madame Leota-style intro to the workshop.

More workshops are coming soon! Carrie and I enjoyed hosting this event so much that we've decided to teach combined workshops on a fairly regular basis. We're preparing for a wintry art and writing workshop right now and planning to have registration details available in the coming week.

In other news, I'm auctioning off one signed copy of The Uninvited in the Romancing the Runoff fundraiser to support the Georgia Senate Runoffs. All funds raised during the auction will go to the organizations Fair Fight, the New Georgia Project, and Black Voters Matter. 

Bidding is open until November 24, 9:00 pm EST. If you can afford to bid and donate, please go to https://www.32auctions.com.

I've been booking virtual school visits lately and really enjoying this chance to share my presentations with schools and libraries I normally might not get to visit in person due to financial restrictions or time constraints. 

If you work at a school and would like to book one of my virtual talks for Winter or Spring 2021, please contact Lisa Nadel at Lonni Lane Marketing. 

As far as upcoming books are concerned, I do have a project in the works, but I'm not able to announce anything publicly about it yet. I may be able to share that news sometime in 2021. 

Behind the scenes, I've also been working for publishers and a literary nonprofit as a fact-checker, proofreader, cold reader, and editor. It's been a nice, rewarding break from the intense pace of writing a historical novel a year, plus these opportunities have allowed me to contribute to the world of books—especially children's picture books—in ways beyond writing. After dealing with breast cancer amid a pandemic this year, escaping into the realm of books for younger children has been a balm to my soul.

Speaking of the cancer, I'm done with all my hospital treatments! I need to be on a daily medication for the next five to ten years, but, fingers crossed, the worst is over. Thank you for all the well wishes and encouragement during that ordeal.

Please stay safe and healthy, dear readers.