Though tempting to hit the malls on Black Friday here in the U.S., I am hunkering down at home today and getting in the Holiday spirit by setting up Christmas decorations   (True Confession: I couldn't resist scoring a cyber-buy earlier this morning!)

Rediscovering special pieces from boxes tucked in the attic is the best part.

We still treasure:
Decades-old, tiny wooden sleigh Grandpa Jerry made.  A box of Grandma Ethel's miniature glass balls, with thin metal wire used before today's curved hooks came along.  Granny Chris' jolly red-and-green knit stocking to hang by the fireplace.  Paper ornaments crafted in second grade by nephews.  Sweet Christmas notes from nieces Krissy and Blair when they were just learning to print.

Amazing how simple gifts are priceless! 🌠

Mark your calendars for Small Business Saturday on 30 November and consider taking part in Shop Small. This movement celebrates small business and is a day to rally people to shop at local businesses.  Plus, American Express cardholders will get $10 back when shoppers spend at least $10 in a small business that day.

Indies First is also celebrating on November 30 with a bonanza for book lovers … more than 1,000 ‘celebrity’ authors will be guest-bookselling at local, independent bookstores.  Click here for a map to find a bookstore with a participating author in your part of the USA.

Happy shopping and reading!

Many of us in the United States are heading into the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend, already dreaming of feasts with family and friends.
Take a moment to have fun and exercise your noodle with this Thanksgiving Quiz from this National Geographic Kids by clicking here.

Alrighty!!! 

Nearly 200 readers hope to snag a free, signed copy of Sweet T on Goodreads by clicking here on this link.  The UK, Canada and Australia are also included in the giveaway...it would be very cool for T to travel across the pond!

I am excited about trying out a new photo/voice over app, Shadow Puppet, for this post! I'd love to know what you think about it ... And learn what autumn is like where you live.

When I need a break from writing, nothing clears my brain like a walk on a beautiful day.  Last weekend was exceptional where I live in Carolina ..... warm temps, blue skies, and oodles of fall colors.  I grabbed my camera and snapped away, so I could share the beauty of this day with you. 

So, please strap on your virtual comfy walking shoes and join me to catch the last of autumn's tints in my part of the world.  Just click the link in the tree above, and off we go!

Taking a break from writing this weekend and getting our garden ready for winter. Even in mid-November, we still enjoy flowering plants in the southeast U.S......like this fall-blooming camellia named Chansonette bursting with big pink blooms. Mr. Doodlebug keeps watch. 

I'm excited to let you know about the official launch of my new chapter book for middle-grade readers, Sweet T and the North Wind. 

You’ll find Sweet T on Amazon here.

You can download a free preview and learn more about the book on my website.

Please consider adding Sweet T and the North Wind to your Goodreads To- Read list here.

The book’s themes of family, fantasy and learning mean a great deal to me, and I’ll return to them in my next book, Finding Fuzzy: Journey of a Lost Friend.  This illustrated chapter book for early readers features T’s youngest sister, Jenna, and the difficult decision Jenna makes after losing BFF Fuzzy during the family’s Carolina beach vacation.

I hope you enjoy meeting Sweet T and her family.  I’ve been preparing for their debut for the past five months, and it’s been great fun collaborating with artist Irene Jahns to bring this story to life. 

Thinking of buying a print book from Amazon?

With Amazon's newly launched Kindle Matchbook Program, it’s now possible to get an e-book version of that book, too, for $2.99 or less.  You can even obtain the matching e-book if the print edition was purchased from Amazon back when it in opened in the 1995. And have you noticed the new Kindle Matchbook search criteria in the search drop-down box?

Learn more about the Kindle Matchbook program here

According to numbers disclosed by Mashable,  nearly one in five children under age 8 uses a mobile device every day. That's one-third the number of children reading books on a daily basis.

The only activity competing for the popularity of books among children under 8 is watching TV, which 58% do on a daily basis.

Plus, CNET reports that Common Sense Media, a nonprofit focused on educating families about technology and media, has found that 38-percent of toddlers and babies under the age of 2 have used a mobile device.

The study also delved into screen-time versus reading-time. "Even among infants and toddlers, screen media use dwarfs time spent reading. In a typical day, children under 2 spend more than twice as much time watching television and DVDs (55 minutes) as they do reading or being read to (19 minutes)," the study finds.

Opportunity knocking.....great chance for authors and educators to experiment with learning and writing in new ways for mobile devices. 

My mind was too full of technical requirements for formatting epub digital books, so it was time to take a break.  Amazing what a stroll around the block on a beautiful autumn day can do!