What I'm working on

I stayed up until 6am last night/this morning writing. Ethan was at Jen's, so it was just me and these loser dogs.

I finished revisions on Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath, which has already been sold and is scheduled for 2019 release.

Naughty Ninja emerged from the jungle after a long day of training. He was covered with river mud, smelly leaves, and beetle dung. Flies buzzed around him.

Crossing one last raging river in his backyard, he entered his secret ninja training camp.

"Ninja need food!" he announced.

“Pee-yew,” said Dad, holding his nose. “This ninja needs a bath first.”

I also finished a second draft of Hug One Another, which has not yet been submitted.

Kitty and Kong

did not get along.

Neither could ever admit they were wrong.

[art note: cat and dog]

“You bark at the moon.”

“You sleep until noon.”

“Your fleas drive me batty.”

“You’re bossy and bratty.”

Coming up:

I have an outline of a middle-grade novel called Noodle Boy, about a teen who works at a waterpark, and I need to write the first chapter.

I need to complete a polished first draft of a picture book called Husky & Mac, about father and son diggers. 

I need to revise a picture book manuscript called Bananasaurus Rex, which I liked but my agent Rachel didn't.

Finally, I need to turn a prose manuscript called Helicopter Parents into rhyme. It's a sweet story but didn't sell as a prose book, and I'm thinking maybe rhyme will make it work.

Ethan and I are going to sit next to each other tonight and write until 2. Let's see what magic we can each conjure up.