Phew! A lot has happened so far this month. First, I got to see the almost-finished art for my 2026 picture book, A SONG FOR JUNETEENTH. Noa has created a vibrant book that feels very summery and is sure to appeal to kids. Purple is working on final sketches for the interior illustrations for THE MAP OF DOORS (see left), and almost every morning I wake up to find she has sent me amazing new drawings or finished work. I got a lovely portrait of Jaxon from my artist in Hungary, my designer in Indonesia has started working on the cover, and I signed with a new agent on Monday!

I haven’t had representation for a couple of years, which means I lost a third of my income. I never stopped writing, but nothing I wrote could be submitted to editors at the Big 5 because they only accept agented submissions. If you can’t submit to editors, you can’t get offers that pay the biggest advances…and when I submitted to editors at small presses, they rejected my stories or just ghosted me. But things will hopefully change now that Andy Ross is representing me; he came highly recommended by my friend in Berkeley and I trust her implicitly. Still, it will be up to me to be a good partner-client. Having an agent can be challenging unless you share values and goals. I’m hopeful that I’ve finally found someone who respects me as a writer and understands that making money, though important, isn’t my top priority.

On the home front, I’ve been writing a thousand words a day and finally have reached the last chapter of this novel. Last week the electricians came to install updated wiring for my dryer; I love living in old buildings but there’s definitely a price to be paid when it comes to 21st-century renovations. Had some trouble with the plumber but my woman electrician recommended someone else so I might be set…it’s a hassle but a good exercise in advocating for myself.

I tend to eat a lot when I get near the end of a novel so there have been a couple of Instacart orders that contained more than one pint of Ben & Jerry’s (it was on sale!)…but I’m back to running, too, which feels good. I’m going to try hormone therapy to manage some of my perimenopause symptoms and I’m forcing myself to spend time outside with friends even though summer isn’t my favorite season.

I think those are all of my updates. Hopefully the MAP OF DOORS cover will be ready to reveal soon, so stay tuned!