Celebrating Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos with Stephanie Wildman

I’m so excited that we will be celebrating Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos with Stephanie Wildman, one of the authors of Ghost Writer, along with Cecilia Populus-Eudave and illustrated by Estefania Razo from Lawley Publishing. (also available in Spanish as Escritor Fantasma)

Me: Welcome Stephanie and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey. As we begin to enjoy the cooler fall weather, thoughts of Halloween, pumpkins, and goblins enter my mind. I always enjoy a good Halloween story, especially one that shares traditions with us. I can’t wait to hear more about this story and how it came about. Speaking of the Halloween season, do you have a favorite season? Is it Fall?

Stephanie: While fall would be a better answer for this post and for the sake of the book, I confess spring is my favorite season because that’s when my birthday occurs. But my half-birthday is in October, and I celebrate that too!

Stephanie Wildman

Cecilia Populus-Eudave

Estefania Razo

Me: How long have you been writing?

Stephanie: I did create a pen name for myself in fourth grade, so it’s fair to say I’ve always wanted to be a writer. And I wrote a lot in my day job as a law professor – books, articles, op-eds. But I didn’t start writing for children until 2018, when I took a class from Maxine Rose Schur.

Me: What or who inspired you to write this book?

Stephanie: Several inspirations came together to create Ghost Writer. The initial idea came from my grandson asking me repeatedly over months, “Grandma, did you know Julio died?” Julio was their beloved Boston Terrier, and I knew he was trying to process his sadness and the death itself. At the same time, I was working with illustrator Estefania Razo on the second Flor, Roberto, and Luis story – Breath by Breath. I love Estefania’s artwork, and I thought what fun it would be for her to illustrate a story about Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. I interviewed her about her own family customs. I also interviewed Cecilia Populus-Eudave, who has been the Spanish translator for the series about how her family celebrated Dia de los Muertos, and that’s how we became co-authors in telling the story.

Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication, were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly lol, or not.

Stephanie: The publication journey was smooth, because Ghost Writer is the third book in a series – so we had all worked with the team at Lawley Publishing before. But a wonderful aha moment came when Kid Lit author and blogger/podcaster Gina Soldano interviewed me. One of the headings on her website said Ghost Writer and that’s how this book found its title!

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?

Stephanie: I always beat the drum about rejections. I think many writers get devastated by bad news, but honestly, there are so many opportunities for rejection in this business – not just from agents and publishers, but from bloggers who don’t want to interview you or bookstores who won’t carry the book. So I urge writers to embrace the rejection – it means you are out there doing what you love – being a writer.

Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc.

Stephanie: I’m happy to share that another Flor, Roberto, and Luis book is in the works. It’s coming on October 14, 2025, and is titled Story Power! and the co-author is my grandson Simon Wildman-Chung (because the book was his idea). And I have another book coming out in November – Miri’s Moving Day, coauthored with Adam Ryan Chang and illustrated by Dream Chen from Kar-Ben Publishing.  Maybe next time you interview me, we will talk about co-authoring.

Me: Yes, that sounds like a plan! I love that your grandson is a co-author of a book with you; I’m looking forward to hearing all about that. I’d love for you to share a recipe with me. I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours, as well as share it with my readers.

Stephanie: I’m happy to share my chicken soup recipe, which combines my grandmother’s recipe with a NY times recipe.

Not My Grandmother’s Chicken Soup

(Although my grandmother Lena Sokol did tell me she put beef short ribs in her chicken soup.)

Place in a large pot & barely cover with water (I have a little of the chicken not covered in water):

1  3 ½ to 4 ½ lb. chicken (whole) – (take any chunks of fat out of body cavity opening &include all inner parts, if available)

1.5 lbs. beef short ribs (optional if prefer no beef)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

bunch of cilantro (washed and tied with string)

1tbsp. dried oregano

1 large yellow onion, chopped

Before adding water, season with pepper, paprika, and turmeric – a few healthy shakes of each

Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours until chicken is done. Remove chicken and parts, ribs, and cilantro with string.

Add to the pot and bring back to a boil before lowering heat to simmer:

handful of diced ginger

1 large yam (peeled and cut)

8-10 small red potatoes (cut in half)

2 – 3 ears of corn — broken into halves or thirds

cubed Butternut squash (I use about 3-4 cups, often sold pre-cut)

1-2 jalapeno chili(s) – seeds removed and diced

After another ½ hour to 1 hour stir and add to the pot:

2-3 large tomatoes – chopped

2-3 zucchini, cubed

Return diced chicken (I don’t use the innards, except the liver) and beef to the pot and let simmer for at least ½ hour, but the soup is very forgiving as to how long.

About 15 minutes before serving stir and add 1 bag of washed spinach to the pot. Stir again before serving.

Serve with these garnishes:

capers

sour cream

chopped avocado

This recipe combines my grandmother’s recipe with inspiration from this recipe in the NY Times food section for Columbian-Style Chicken, Short Rib and Potato Stew.

Me: Thanks for taking time to chat with me during this spooky Halloween season. It’s always fun getting to know writing friends! I look forward to interviewing you again, and, I plan on making your chicken soup recipe, I like that it has a little ginger in it to spice it up.

You can learn more about Stephanie at http://www.stephaniewildman.com/

You can connect with Stephanie here:

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You can purchase her books here.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Maritere Rodriguez Bellas

I’m so excited that we will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Maritere Rodriguez Bellas, an award-winning author and bilingual parenting mentor and expert.

Me: Welcome Maritere and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey. I think it’s great that you write stories that highlight your language and the Latinx culture. I’m a retired Bilingual/ESL teacher, and it always seemed like there weren’t enough books to celebrate the Latinx culture. I can’t wait to hear more about your stories!

So, do you have any special plans for Hispanic Heritage Month? Or are there any activities that you participate in related to this time of year?

Maritere: For me every day is Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month. I usually do book related events and speaking engagements. This year, starting September 18th and for the next seven weeks, I am hosting an IG Live Hispanic Heritage Month Series every week with Latino mom entrepreneurs from different Latin American countries including Peru, Colombia, Puerto Rico, México and Venezuela. It is also the 10th anniversary of my first book, Raising Bilingual Children, published in English and in Spanish by Simon and Schuster in 2014. I am going to do some posts about it during the month and a host a giveaway to celebrate.

Me: Hispanic Heritage Month begins at the end of the summer and takes us into fall. Do you have a favorite season?

Maritere: I grew up in Puerto Rico. I am a spring and summer girl!

Me: How long have you been writing?

Maritere: Since 1995. I started with a weekly column in La Opinión newspaper in LA. Then came Exito Chicago and magazines like Ser Padres (still around today!), Healthy Kids en Español, HipLatina, Siempre Mujer and other online magazines. Until my first parents’ book in 2014.

Me: I really connected with your book I Have a Secret/Tengo un Secreto. It brought back memories from when I taught bilingual kindergarten. What or who inspired you to write this book?

Maritere: I Have a Secret/Tengo un Secreto is a bilingual children’s book for ages 4-8. I wanted to write a story that would highlight language and culture, with my late brother as the main character. To honor him. He grew up in Puerto Rico and was a strong advocate of Spanish.

Me: I think it’s beautiful that the story honors your brother. Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication, were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly lol, or not.

Maritere: From beginning to end, the book took about three years to get published. It was my second bilingual children’s book, and the idea for the book came to me after talking to parent groups and finding out that when kids are being raised with Spanish and they start school, they don’t want to speak Spanish anymore. It is very common and something that frustrates parents. Children don’t want to feel different or be criticized, judged or shamed by speaking a different language. I wanted to write a story that would foster and instill language pride in children. Yet, the road to publication was not easy. Not having a literary agent, it was hard to find a publisher that would be interested. In 2019, I found an indie publisher that said yes, and now the book is four years-old, and we are celebrating with a hard cover edition!

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?

Maritere: I am still in the query trenches…. It is a long process. One has to smile… and keep smiling, keep the faith.

Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc. 

Maritere: My next bilingual children’s book is being released in 2025 by a popular indie publisher.  And I am bound and determined to sign with a literary agent by the end of this year!  That was my goal in late 2023, and why I have been writing like crazy for the last nine months. 

Me: That’s a great goal, I hope you find the perfect literary agent, and they will be happy to have you! I’d love for you to share a recipe with me, I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours, as well as share it with my readers.

In my book, Arroz con Pollo and Apple Pie: Raising Bicultural Children, I shared my recipe for arroz con pollo.

Maritere’s Arroz con Pollo

2 ½ lbs of chicken, drumsticks, breasts, thighs with skin

2-4 Tbsp of sofrito* (sorry, I eye ball it..)

3 cups of long grain rice (I prefer Uncle Ben’s)

1 Tbsp Spanish alcaparrado* (a mixture of olives, red peppers, capers)

3-4 Tbsp of tomato sauce

5 cups of chicken broth (For fluffier rice, less water)

1 cup of peas

1 4oz can of pimientos morrones, sliced. (soft red peppers)*

1-3 big cooking spoons of olive oil

2 Tbls of Sazón Goya powder Culantro y Achiote*

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with adobo (a dried rub by Goya found in Latin markets) and wash with juice of 1-2 lemons

In a deep pot (caldero grande, like Le Creuset type) sautée olive oil, chicken and sautée for a few minutes, until brown in both sides. Take chicken out and set aside. Add sofrito and sautée for a few minutes. Add chicken back in and sautée some more. Add rice and blend in. Add tomato sauce, alcaparrado, achiote powder and chicken broth. Move around a bit. Let it boil and don’t touch again until the liquid is dried. Cover and change temp to low for about 20-25 min. If rice and or chicken is not cook then, add a bit of water and cover and cook for another 5 min. Turn off, add peas and pimientos morrones and set aside until time to serve. Serves 4 people.

*Sofrito- a mixture of onions, garlic, green peppers, cilantro leaves: In a blender, crush 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 3-4 garlic pieces, 4 Tbsp cilantro leaves. (Can omit cilantro leaves. Can use culantrillo leaf, if you can find at Latin market) Can be made ahead and frozen and defrosted before using.

* Alcaparrado bottle is found in Latin markets

* Sazón Goya packets found in Latin markets

*Pimientos morrones found in Latin markets

Me: Thanks for taking time out of your very busy schedule. It’s always fun getting to know writing friends! Have fun hosting the IG Live Hispanic Heritage Month Series, I know you’ll enjoy chatting with the Latino mom entrepreneurs. And, the recipe for Arroz con Pollo looks delicioso!

Maritere: You’re very welcome, thanks for letting me be a part of your blog.

You can contact Maritere here:

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Celebrating the Back to School/Harvest Moon Season with Ronni Diamondstein

I’m so excited that we will be celebrating the Back to School / Harvest Moon season with Ronni Diamondstein, the author of Jackie and the Books She Loved.

Me: Welcome Ronni and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey. I can’t believe it’s already back to school time! Where has the summer gone? Well, I do look forward to cooler days, and of course, hearing all about your wonderful book and getting to know you more. So, tell me, you have any special plans for the fall?

Ronni: Thank you for having me on your blog, Pat. The fall is always a fun time and I’m looking forward to attending the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on Saturday, September 28th. It’s a spectacular event. I have been involved with the festival as a volunteer since it started in 2013 as well as a board member. I’ll be signing copies of my picture book biography JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED. There will be over 160 authors and illustrators and lots of activities for kids. I’m looking forward to a special celebration of my book’s birthday on November 7th, and I’ll be having a book signing on Small Business Saturday, November 30th at Susan Lawrence in Chappaqua.  Check out my website for all that information and to sign up for my newsletter on my website. www.ronnidiamondstein.com

Me: How long have you been writing?

Ronni: I have been writing since I was a child. I wrote stories and wrote for my high school newspaper. As a school librarian I was surrounded by books and had many ideas for books of my own. I plugged away, participated in writing workshops and was fortunate to have an Op Ed published in The New York Times that got me accepted into the Breadloaf Writers Conference. I wrote for some magazines when I lived in the Netherlands and when I came back to the States continued to write. 

Me: What or who inspired you to write this book?

Ronni: JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED is my debut picture book biography and it truly was a labor of love. I was eight years old when John F. Kennedy was inaugurated. I remember Jackie, especially how she led the country in mourning her husband. I was always interested in her style and admired her for becoming a book editor. After she passed away, I had an idea for a novel about her and started researching her and talking to people who knew her. I started to interview people who knew her. When I was talking to Margot Datz, the illustrator of Carly Simon’s children’s books that Jackie edited, she suggested that I write a children’s book. I have an extensive library of books about Jackie and the Kennedys. I first wrote a long chapter book that got no traction and then about five years ago I thought a book about how reading and writing were a thread through her life. I knew that picture books bios were a great genre and began to work on this book. 

Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication, were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly lol, or not.

Ronni: At first, I sent JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED to editors and agents I knew and got rejections. Finally in 2021, I signed with Lary Rosenblatt and Barbara Stewart of 22 Media Works. I did lots of revisions of it before it was sent out and it didn’t take long for Sky Pony Press to acquire it. I was thrilled. It was a pleasure to work with my editor Nicole Frail. We were very much in sync during this process. I was very lucky to have a say in the illustrator. I was shown samples of Bats Langley’s work. In addition to giving illustrations notes, because I have so many books about Jackie with lots of pictures, Bats and I collaborated a lot. I attended the Sotheby’s auction preview of Jackie’s possessions and have the catalog that has photographs of the interior of her Fifth Avenue apartment. For example, on the cover of JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED there is a horse statute. Jackie had a statue like that on her piano. There are many details throughout the book like that. One day Bats wanted to know about Jackie’s favorite birthday cake was. I had a book called Cooking with Madam in my collection, so I sent him pictures of Jackie’s birthday cake that you’ll find in our book. It was a marvelous collaboration! I also had a say in the endpaper design. I love quotes and had many of Jackie’s quotes about books that I wanted included in the book so I suggested we use them on the endpapers. And I also knew her personal stationery was Smythson powder blue, so that was the color we chose for the endpapers. I always felt I had a voice and that it was heard.

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?

Ronni: I have more than one piece of advice: read and write.

Read lots and lots of books. I was fortunate to have spent my life reading children’s books, starting with my job in college in the children’s room of a library to becoming a teacher and school librarian.  

Join writing groups, take writing workshops, find a writing community. Write every day, even it’s your shopping list or in your journal.

Another suggestion I have is to read like a writer. Find mentor texts and analyze how they are constructed and why they are successful.

And read your writing aloud!

Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc.

Ronni: I’m working on some manuscripts, and I also have a column, Portraits and Profiles in a local magazine. It’s like Jackie Bouvier’s Inquiring Photographer column that she had, but I work with an artist who does a portrait of the interviewee. The latest question was about books that influenced you as a young person. https://www.theinsidepress.com/what-book-from-your-childhood-had-a-strong-impact-on-you/

I’m always updating my website daily with inspiring quotes about writing. And I have lots of fun activities on the EXTRAS page of my website that kids and teachers and librarians can use. And if you are a dog lover, you’ll love my page MAGGIE MAE’S CORNER about my dog Maggie Mae Pup Reporter, the canine journalist. https://ronnidiamondstein.com

Me: I’d love for you to share a recipe with me, I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours, as well as share it with my readers.

Ronni: This cake was served at Susan Lawrence in Chappaqua, New York for my National First Ladies Day celebration book signing in April 2024. It was the cake at Jackie’s wedding and served at JFK’s inauguration in 1961.

Jackie’s Wedding Cake (Montilio’s Baking Company)

FOR THE CAKE:

  • 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1 tablespoon milk 

FOR THE FROSTING AND ASSEMBLY:

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • seeds from one vanilla bean pod 
  • 1 (12 oz) jar seedless raspberry preserves

FOR THE CAKE:

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light in color. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, stirring between each addition. In another bowl combine flour, and baking powder. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, then stir in milk.
  2. Line the bottoms of 2 8”-cake tins with parchment paper and grease the sides. Split batter between the pans and bake for 20-22 minutes or until knife inserted in center of each one comes out clean.
  3. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Place in refrigerator until ready to decorate. While cake is cooling work on frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING AND ASSEMBLY:

  1. In a large bowl beat butter with electric mixer until light in color, about 5-8 minutes. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and vanilla extract and seeds to butter. Mix until fully combined. Add remaining sugar and cream and beat again until fluffy.
  2. Using electric mixer incorporate 1/4 cup raspberry preserves into frosting. If desired reserve some plain frosting before mixing raspberry in to create 2 colors of icing to decorate with.
  3. Place first cake on serving dish or platter. Cover with remaining raspberry preserves. Then pipe on a layer of raspberry frosting.
  4. Add second cake on top and cover entire cake in a layer of raspberry frosting. Use a frosting comb to decorate or pipe on rosettes on top using plain or raspberry frosting.

Me: Thanks for taking time out of your very busy schedule. It’s always fun getting to know writing friends! I hope you have a wonderful time at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival and I look forward to seeing more of your books out in the world. I also can’t wait to bake the cake recipe you shared with us!

Ronni: You’re very welcome, thanks for letting me be a part of your blog.

You can contact Ronni here:

www.ronnidiamondstein.com

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Ronni Diamondstein has spent her life surrounded by books and immersed in the world of children’s literature. An avid reader since childhood, libraries, books, and writing have been her life’s work. As a school library media specialist and teacher in the United States and abroad, Ronni has nurtured her students’ creativity by sharing her love of reading with them. She is also a freelance journalist and has published many articles, and her dog Maggie Mae Pup Reporter had a column in a local magazine. She has always been fascinated by Jackie Kennedy’s love of books and her career as an editor and was inspired to tell her story. Ronni lives in Chappaqua, New York, with her toy poodle Maggie Mae.

Links to buy Jackie and the Books She Loved

Personalized signed copies: Scattered Books Chappaqua, NY

Amazon

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble

Celebrating Summer Solstice with Jeanette Fazzari Jones

I’m so excited that we will be celebrating Summer Solstice by interviewing Jeanette Fazzari Jones, the author of MEATBALLS FOR GRANDPA, which was released in March of this year by Two Lions Press.  In this sensory-rich picture book, a little girl and her grandparents make the family’s traditional spaghetti and meatballs recipe together and hope to jog Grandpa’s fading memory.

Me: Welcome, Jeanette and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey. It’s hard to believe that summer is upon us, it seems like just yesterday that the trees were beginning to bloom, and now we are in full swing barbecue season!

Jeanette: Yes! I just returned from a short trip out of state and arrived to find my garden had tripled in size! My pumpkin plants seem to be ready to overtake our back yard, and my tomatoes are threatening to burst out of their cage-stands!

Me: Do you have any special plans for the summer?

Jeanette: Our big trip this summer just wrapped up. We returned to my hometown in New Jersey to see family and do a few book visits. One of them was my own elementary school—a special, sweet little place nestled in one of those towns you think only exists in Hallmark movies. Seeing how it’s both changed and stayed exactly the same over the years was definitely a highlight. Of course, while I was in town we went to the beach and got our fill of the best pizza in the world.

Me: Are there any activities that you participate in related to the season?

Jeanette: As for summer activities—I’d love to lie and say that I’m enjoying lazy-days, but actually I’m zooming around the house cleaning and organizing all the things I didn’t get to during the school year. People ask how I take on so many things—teach, write, bake, and be a mom. I tell them to look at the state of my living room and that will speak volumes!

Me: Do you have a favorite season?

Jeanette: I don’t have a favorite season, honestly because I love how they are constantly changing and offering us new ways to appreciate nature. The vibrant greens of summer with the smack-you-in-the-face heat; the crisp evening air during the fall; watching a silent blanket of white cover the earth during winter; and the spring morning smell of dew on grass. There’s always something to look forward to!

Me: How long have you been writing?

Jeanette: I’ve always enjoyed writing and found little ways to hone my skills over the years. Truly learning how to be a children’s author came about when I started back to work as a kindergarten teacher. I wanted a new hobby, I LOVED reading to my own young children and students, and I loved how books could transport you through any time, place or topic. So, writing seemed like a good fit. Then, the pandemic hit. While locked inside with nothing but time, I decided to look into the publishing industry. Fast forward 4 years, and here I am!

Me: What or who inspired you to write this book? June is Alzheimer’s Awareness month, and I understand that is one of the themes in your book. Can you tell me about that?

Jeanette: Yes! MEATBALLS FOR GRANDPA is based on my real grandfather. Sadly, he passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease when I was 17. The book was also inspired by the spaghetti-sauce and meatball recipe in the back. One day, I set out my sauce to simmer, then took a walk. I was playing around with words that sounded and smelled like my kitchen in those moments. So, it started as a poem. One my critique partners suggested adding a layer from my family history, and one of them showed me a similar story she was working on. Combining the concepts really helped me hone in on the big why behind the story—the little things we do can have a big impact on those we love.

Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication, were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, amazing, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly, or not lol.

Jeanette: This book actually had a pretty quick turn around when it comes to the snail-paced publishing industry… about three or so years from start to finish. There were a few false starts—a R&R from one publishing house that became a no. When Marilyn, my editor at Two Lions Press got a hold of it, she helped me develop the vision for the story even further. Then, Jaclyn Sinquett came on board and pure magic happened! My aha-moment was definitely in there—the collaboration process and the little tweaks everyone brought to the project made it so much stronger than I could have ever done by myself.

My other aha goes hand-in-hand with the first… There is always another revision. Even after publication! Every time I read MEATBALLS FOR GRANDPA, I think of a sentence I can change or a word I can remove. I’m thankful for my editor and critique partners who tell me that it’s time to stop, haha!

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?

Jeanette: It’s the same advice that I give myself:

One – Figure out what you want to say to the world and don’t give up. Your voice has value, even if an editor or an agent says you’re not the right fit right now.

Two – Find a way to make it fun. Writers invest a lot of time and even money into our craft. We all get in slumps; we all wonder if there is any point to pushing forward. BUT—if we can shift our thinking and enjoy the different aspects of the writing community, then it’s never a waste! I love my critique group, entering writing contests, playing with words, and coming up with concepts that make me chuckle. Sometimes we just have to take a step back and embrace those moments.

Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc.

Jeanette: I have a second book, DUCK, DUCK, GROOVE(The Little Press), coming out in Fall, 2025, so that’s super exciting! Hopefully there will be more down the road as well! By day, I’m a kindergarten teacher and by night I’m a chauffeur to my amazingly extroverted daughter and base-ball playing son. I also accidentally started a mini-bakery out of my kitchen a few years back when my friends suggested I sell my decorated cookies…so in my spare time, I take on orders.

As for writing, right now I’m back in the query trenches. Sadly, my sweet agent, Dawn Dowdle, passed away last fall from a sudden heart attack. I’m a member of SCBWI and 12×12, so I’ve been using all their resources to build up my portfolio. I’ve sent a few queries out, and I think I’ve wound up in some “maybe piles.” But I really want to have about 6-8 polished, amazing, ready-to-wow manuscripts to present to a prospective agent before I get serious about querying. I plan to do that next year, so for right now I’m writing-revising-rewriting and revising some more!

Me: I’m sorry to hear about what happened to your agent. I know it’s tough to be in the query trenches, but it sounds like you’re on the right track. SCBWI and 12×12 are full of helpful resources for Kid Lit authors, and the 12×12 community offers a lot of friendly help and support for its members.

Me: I’d love for you to share a recipe with me, I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours, as well as share it with my readers.

Jeanette: Well, since MEATBALLS FOR GRANDPA has a recipe in the back, I’ll give you all some desert! I mentioned I love baking, and everyone loves a good story, so this one even comes with a little laugh.

When my husband and I were dating, he told me that he once said he’d marry the first girl that baked him his favorite cookies—Snickerdoodles. Well, I took that as a challenge! I’d been baking cookies for as long as I could remember, and Snickerdoodles were one of my favorites. I wanted him to have his fill so I doubled the recipe… all except the butter. He was away at grad school, and so I mailed him cinnamon flavored bricks! It worked out for me though; we’re celebrating our 16th anniversary this year and have two beautiful children!

Snickerdoodles (or Cinnamon Cookies … but not Cinnamon Bricks!)

1 c. butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 ½ c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon sugar

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs.

Combine the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients.

Refrigerate the dough for 30+ minutes.

Roll into balls and dip in cinnamon sugar. (I make them about the size of a golf ball, but you can make them bigger or smaller based on your preference. Just adjust the cooking time).

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Let sit on the warm tray for about 2-3 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

Me: Thanks for taking time out of your very busy schedule. It’s always fun getting to know writing friends! I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer, and I look forward to seeing more of your books out in the world. 

Jeanette: You’re very welcome, thanks for letting me be a part of your blog.

You can contact Jeanette here: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Bluesky

Spring Fling Kid Lit Contest 2024

This is my second year participating in the Spring Fling Kid Lit Contest. Sidewalk Chalk Garden was inspired by my love of drawing with sidewalk chalk. It continued into my adult years as I enjoyed watching my daughter and students create their own sidewalk art. The possibilities are truly endless…

4 year old child drawing flower on sidewalk with chalk.
Sidewalk Chalk Garden

by Patricia Brown


I begin my garden

with yellow circles,

bright like the sun.

Then I draw

one, two, three, 

four, five, six, seven 

swirls for the petals.

This one is pink,       

like cherry blossoms.

This one is yellow,

like marshmallow peeps.

This one is purple,

like my favorite Easter egg.

This one is white

like little soft bunnies.

This one is green,

like shamrocks and leprechauns.

This one is orange 

like monarch butterflies.         

This one is blue

like the sky.

I draw long green lines

and add the stems.

Then I scribble streaks

of purple for the grass.

As I dust the chalk off my hands

I notice a fluffy dandelion

growing through a crack on the sidewalk.

I pick it up,

close my eyes 

and blow.

I wish that one day,

I will have a real garden.

I open my eyes and realize I already do.


Spring Fling Kid Lit Contest 2023

This is my first time participating in the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest, and I’m very excited about it! My recent experience of having my beautiful flowers eaten by a not-so-darling deer served as the inspiration for this story. Having lived in a city most of my life, deer were certainly not a part of my urban garden experience. Despite the curious creatures in my new yard, I enjoy my time outside gardening, reading, and playing with my dog.

I want to thank all of you who have made this contest possible and hope you will enjoy reading my story.

Doomed Blooms

by Patricia Brown

Dear Deer,

Shame on you! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? My mom was so excited to have a real garden with dirt, and grass. Don’t get me wrong, we had a fine garden. Beautiful begonias, gorgeous geraniums, and pretty petunias adorned terracotta pots in our concrete yard.

When we moved here, we planted dazzling dahlias, lovely lilies, and radiant roses in the soft soil. We stepped back to admire the splendor, and Mom beamed like the sun.

Then one not fine day, you snuck into our garden and munched and crunched on the tasty, fabulous flowers, leaving nothing but stems and disappointment. And we learned, that you naughty, greedy, greenery eating deer munch and crunch on a variety of doomed blooms.

So now, we’ll only plant flowers that you DON’T like in our soon-to-be magnificent garden.

Sincerely,

Not your neighbor

PS: Don’t come sniffing around!

Cardinals – 50 Precious Words

I was happy that my story got an honorable mention in the Stem/Non-fiction category in the 2022 50 Precious Words contest. This is the second year I have participated in this event, in which you have to write a story of 50 words or less. I enjoyed writing several different stories and chose the one I wrote about my favorite bird.

Cardinals 

Winter

Cardinals fluff their feathers to keep warm.

Dazzling red against the snow.

Spring

Cardinals build their nest in a cedar tree.

They feed and protect their young.

Summer

Cardinals enjoy insects and summer breezes.

Babies learn to fly.

Fall

Cardinals feast on berries.

And prepare to hide in evergreens.