What was it like getting that first “yes” email from your agent. How long was the process from email, to contract?

I am still pinching myself about this experience.  I spoke very briefly with Stephen Fraser at the fabulous SCBWI IL Prairie Writers Day where he was a speaker.  I had always understood that it was harder to find an agent than a publisher and as finding a publisher was proving a tough nut to crack, I had not even contemplated this avenue.  However, after submitting seriously for a couple of years without success – although I have to say, I am very glad that some of those early subs are not floating around as books now! – I decided that I would explore this option.  One of the other motivating factors was that so many publishers are not accepting unsolicited manuscripts either.  After hearing Stephen speak, I was instantly impressed by his editorial background and by the fact that he had a sensitivity about the fact that his audience were working hard, against the odds to fulfill their dreams and goals of writing meaningful books for children.  I found him realistic but inspiring and he seemed to have an innate ability to understand that hope is essential for unpublished authors, which was quite an accomplishment!  Well, I wrote out my list of top agents that I was going to submit my work to and put Stephen’s name on the top.  Ten months after that conference I took a deep breath and mailed out one of my manuscripts and he contacted me the same week and offered to represent me about a week later.  His e-mail is one I will always keep and has restored my flagging faith in a process that usually moves at the speed of molasses!  I know that I am very lucky and really appreciate having the opportunity to work with him as I have a lot to learn.

Does where you work provide you with ideas for your writing?

Yes!  I am working on the development and operation of an educational and cultural center set in a beautiful Tudor Revival style building on a historic estate within 88 acres of prairie, woodland, wetland and two lakes.  I see gargoyles and griffins every day and if I am short of inspiration, I can take a short cut up a secret staircase.  No wonder I am passionate about writing stories for children!  Come and learn more about this fabulous place at www.mayslakepeabody.com

You are so busy, working in the home and out. And you always, in spite of that busyness keep up with your writing and critiquing. Do you sleep?

Now if I could find a way around having to sleep, I would be all set.  I wrote my middle grade novel with my newborn son sleeping in my lap!  It is very hard finding time to fit in all of the things that I want to get done, but I remind myself of the great quote that I have the same amount of hours in the day as Louis Pasteur, Helen Keller, Einstein et al.  I would also point out that my children think that dust bunnies are their pets ;)  I only write after they are in bed and have found that joining SCBWI and finding my fellow marbles has been a huge antidote to lack of sleep.  I am motivated!  Haggard, but motivated!  I think that
working for several years as a night nurse also was a good training ground.

What is one of the times you have been really disappointed as a writer? How did you overcome that and move forward?

I have come to consider disappointment to be one side of a coin that writers toss into the air when they submit a manuscript.  As you gaze at that coin as it drops to earth, you see flashes of disappointment alternating with flashes of hope.  My policy is to work continuously on improving my manuscripts and to submit carefully – now to my wonderful agent, so that as soon as the coin lands, I flip it back into the air.  It is hard to be too disappointed when you are driven to succeed and still have hope twinkling out there in the ether.

What is the very first book you ever attempted as writer? Possibly a childhood endeavor you’d like to share.

I feel like I have been writing forever and thankfully don’t remember the first book I attempted to write.  When I began writing seriously as an adult, I collaborated with a friend on a story and although I hope it never sees the light of day, it was a lot of fun.  I knew then that I would never stop writing and the thirst to write has never been quenched.

Tell us something about yourself that your readers (and your fellow Marbles) would be surprised to know.

I am English but as soon as I speak, I give the surprise away!

Are you a multi tasking writer?

I am definitely a multi tasking writer and am working on several picture books, two middle grade novels and a young adult novel.

Who is one of your favorite writers and why?

I have so many favorite writers it is hard to choose just one.  I love the many classics like A.A. Milne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Marcel Proust and of course Dr. Seuss and  authors like Jane Yolen, Jon Muth and Kate DiCamillo.  I like authors who use beautiful language, have believable characters, an original story, quirky humor and who respect their readers.

Do you and your children have a picture book/s that is a particular favorite/s that
you read over, and over and over again? What gives it that re-readability?

We have many!  It is interesting to see which books my children gravitate towards, often books that had left me baffled at first, but after multiple readings I usually finally get it!  Re-readability is usually driven in our family by something funny, or by the book having a theme that is applicable to something significant to them.

When did you know that this was going to be your work. Being a writer, that is.
It is interesting to me that when you passionately pursue your goals it really doesn’t feel like work, so I am not sure if I will ever quite feel like writing is work.

How do you gather and manage the ideas you get for books?

I store them in my addled brain and wait for them to stew until one of the characters tells me what to write.  I do my best to write what I am told and then have to go back and rework all the places where I got in the way of the story by trying too hard.

How long does it typically take you develop a picture book, from idea to submission to a publisher, what is the process for you. Or, tell us the shortest
and the longest time it’s taken.

Because I write in such short snatches, I try to write as much as I can as quickly as possible and often get the first draft down in one sitting.  I then go back and try to correct all of the mistakes I seem compelled to make.  I then sit on it for anything from a day or two to a year or two and then revise.  More often than not, whole stories are dropped into my head and sometimes it takes a little while to work out what to do with them. My picture books are usually too long, so I spend quite a lot of my time sorting the chaff from the wheat.  The longest time by far is
the time that I am waiting for a response!

Did you play Marbles when you were a kid?

No but like a magpie, I stole my brother’s beautiful ones!