I just wanted to post a quick note to say: I’m back from the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles! Now, for those that don’t know, SCBWI is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. If you are a children’s author and/or artist, or aspiring to become one, the SCBWI is a must. There are chapters all over the world and the conferences are full of information and networking opportunities.

The LA conference I attended is the big one they hold every August. I heard a ton of awesome speakers: Gary Paulsen, Mary Pope Osborne, Libba Bray, Laurie Halse Anderson – just to name a few. I came away with tons of new friends, a wealth of inspiration and, yes, BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My one disappointment was that John Green had to cancel – he had to have emergency surgery – but he didn’t just send anyone in his place. He sent JUDY BLUME! So, while I was bummed not to see John Green, I totally forgave him 🙂

Don’t worry though. If you were hoping to win a John Green book in my current giveaway, you still can! And speaking of which – thank you to all who have visited my new website and left comments, signed up for my newsletter, or followed me on facebook and/or twitter – some of you have have even tweeted or blogged about the giveaway. THANK YOU!

For those who do not know: to celebrate my new website design, I am giving away three books! I am randomly selecting three people (click on the post WELCOME and GIVEAWAYS for details) to receive: John Green’s Looking For Alaska, Libba Bray’s Going Bovine, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Twisted.

The deadline is August 30 so get your name in now!