I’m woefully behind on my blog posts. There’s good stuff on the way, I promise.

For now, I’m pleased to share that, at the recent 2012 Houston SCBWI conference, I was humbled and flattered that multi-award winning author/illustrator, and TV show creator/producer Dan Yaccarino nominated my picture book biography manuscript for the Joan Lowery Nixon Memorial Award. Wow! Honestly, I was thrilled enough with a fabulous critique with Dan. The award nomination was icing on the literary cake especially when he described the work as “very engaging,” and “fantastic.” Thank you, thank you, Dan Yaccarino!

I’m doubly excited because my dear friend, the talented author Samantha Clark, was also nominated- by Dial editor, Heather Alexander. It was a happy coincidence that Sam and I are great friends, and happened to drive together from Austin, along with Carmen Oliver. Carmen’s prize came a week later when she signed with agent Erzsi Deàk of Hen & Ink: A Literary Studio. My hearty congratulations to my two amigas.

Here’s the Austin SCBWI announcement about the JLN award nomination.
Here’s the Austin SCBWI announcement about Carmen’s agent news.
And here’s the award blurb from the Houston SCBWI site:

The Joan Lowery Nixon Memorial Award was established to honor the writer who so generously shared her time and talents with our members. Joan volunteered to mentor a writer whose manuscript submitted for the SCBWI-Houston conference was deemed nearest publication. Following Joan’s death in 2003, Kathi Appelt, Newbery honor winner for The Underneath, graciously took over the role of mentor.

Each speaker will choose one manuscript that they think is closest to publication. Kathi Appelt will select one of the seven manuscripts and mentor the writer for a year. This is an incredible opportunity! To learn more about the Kathi, please visit www.kathiappelt.com.

The award winner won’t be announced for a while, but it’s truly an honor just to be nominated.