Yep, It’s ANOTHER Book!

by

You know those people who release a book and then you turn around, and they’re releasing ANOTHER book, and you just want to yell, “HOLD ON A TIC! Didn’t you JUST release a book?” But then you remember that “Comparison is the thief of joy” so you smile and say, “Good on you.”

Get ready to smile, friends, ’cause here is book two:

around-the-world-cover

I’m not sure why that poor little girl seems to be frightened out of her wits by the Russian nesting doll…and the boy on the far end looks as if the little girl has just released the Bell Witch into the classroom.

Anyway, there is nothing at all scary about this book. It’s lots of fun and full of information about five different countries. I hope the Korean children will like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

(And I really hope I don’t find that Korea decides to ban Matryoshka dolls because of Cathy C. Hall’s latest release, Around the World in a Single Day!)

 

Just Saying No

by

no-1532789_1920Gosh, it’s hard to say no, isn’t it?

I don’t mean when your three kids are little and you’ve dragged them all to the grocery store and you’re only in the first aisle and already, each of them have asked at least ten times for Gooey Candy Bars or Krispy Chocolate Cereal or Saturated-with-Sugar Soda. It’s pretty easy to say no then…well, until you get to the last aisle and your head’s about to explode from the 5,769th question and you scream, “Fine. Get the candy! Get the cereal! Get the Coke! I don’t care as long as you don’t ask me ANY MORE QUESTIONS!”

Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway, for writers, saying no is a whole ‘nother story. We take jobs we really don’t want to do, or we get involved in jobs that are so demanding that we’re losing money with all the rewrites, or we commit to a project that we know we don’t have time for. And then we’re miserable and wishing and wondering why we didn’t just say no.

I don’t have all the answers, but I had a couple of ideas that might help you the next time you want to say no–when you should say no. Take a look over at The Muffin at “Just Say No: When It’s Time To Give Up A Writing Gig.”

I mean, if you have time to take a look. Or you want to take a look. You can always say no and I won’t mind a bit!