None of my words would ever have appeared in print without my amazing critique groups. Yes, I have two. Today I want to tell you about the Critical Mass: we’ve been meeting for over a dozen years and though our membership has shifted a bit, the current group has held steady for several years. We recently snuck away to Shangri-Lar where we did some work but mostly ate, laughed and made s’mores.

Bonny Becker, me with a bored Winston, Dave Patneaude, Kathryn Galbraith, Sylvie Hossack

 I’m so honored to call these wonderful writers my friends. And I wanted to brag on them a bit:

Of course, Bonny Becker ends up winning some prize or another about every other day but I was especially excited that her The Magical Ms. Plum won the Scandiuzzi Award Children’s Book Award, which is a category of the Washington State Book Award. Ms. Plum is like a contemporary Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and everyone should read it.

Kathryn Galbraith‘s newest — and lovely — picture book, Arbor Day Square, won a Parent’s Choice Award, in history. Inspired by the first Arbor Day, this warm story celebrates relationships and community.

Dave Patneaude‘s latest novel, Epitaph Road, a thought-provoking dystopic, made the YALSA Best Fiction for YA list.

So you can see I am very lucky to have this fine crew to help shepherd my stories from rough drafts to finished manuscripts.