According to the Scholastic Book Clubs blog, Dragon Run was ranked #2 in Middle Grade novel sales for February – right behind The Underdogs, by Mike Lupica.

Hey everyone, I’m starting to do appearances at book fairs and schools. Lawton Elementary is on 2/6, with lots more to come. If I’m not at your school, and you’d like me to be, just drop me a line!

Here’s a fun idea for your next book or short story: try connecting with the reader through fiction!

We’ve all encountered it: the dreaded writing prompt. Even my kids, who are in the third and fourth grade, have had to deal with it. Somewhere, some time, some person has stood up in front of a group of people and produced a writing prompt.

When washing a Labrador retriever there’s always a moment when the dog suddenly has the upper hand. You know it. The dog knows it. It doesn’t matter how fast you run, or how loudly you shout, the dog will shake, covering you with foam, water, and all the nasty-smelling muck you were trying to wash […]

The Advanced Reader Copy of Dragon Run arrived not too long ago. Here’s a pic of my number one fan reading his way through it!  

Everyone has heard the saying “art imitates life,” but what exactly does that mean to a writer? More headaches.

When is a book too challenging for a reader? I don’t know. This one treads the line, but the result is something so amazing that it’s worth the challenge.

Including phones in a novel has proven to be a bit tricky. On the one hand, I want the book to be timeless. On the other, phone technology is advancing so quickly, how do I keep it accurate?

Whether you’re pitching a novel, a picture book, or a magazine article, it’s absolutely vital to have a 30 second pitch figured out so well that you can give it in your sleep. When I say “figured out,” I don’t mean memorized. No one wants to hear someone recite their pitch, even if it is only […]