Happy New Year!

In only a few hours 2010 will become part of history. I hope it will hold many pleasant memories for all of you. 

If you are a writer, I hope the New Year will prove to be a productive one, one where you get to spend as much time as you want putting words on the page.

For me, I'm sure I'll be working on the Mary Pickford biography right up to the March 31st deadline. But look for me to post something here weekly. At least, that's one of my resolutions for 2011.

Write on, with joy! 

Holiday Gift Idea

If you're looking for a holiday gift for a young person, someone in Grades 6 to 9, I would like to suggest a copy of my latest novel, Growing Up Ivy. It is the story of two teenagers -- a girl, Ivy, and a boy, Charlie, growing up in the 1930s. Unbeknownst to either of  them when they first meet, is a secret connection that they share.

I'm finding the book is also popular with readers over 50, especially those who enjoy fiction with an historical setting, in this case, the Great Depression.

I was asked by the publisher's Sales and Marketing department to tell them, in a few words, what the book is about. This is what I came up with:

Ill-prepared for life in the real world by a mother who plays games of make-believe, teenaged Ivy Chalmers learns some hard truths about some members of her family. Loving them just as they are shows that she is the real grown-up.

In its review of the book, The Record.com says, "(Peggy's) inclusion of crisp, historical details makes this book believable. It is a suitable read for a middle grade (Grades 7 & 8) reader who enjoys a sweet story about an intelligent girl."  http://news.therecord.com/article/785789

Happy Holidays to you from me!

Joyful Writing

I want to write with joy and abandon. I want to write purely for the love of it, the way much of Growing Up Ivy was written.

I don't want to care if what I write is ever published, or if the right people find it worth reviewing. I want to write to satisfy something inside me, and I call that JOY.

The business end of writing can be miserable. Everyone knows it's not for the the easily-discouraged. But it is also competitive and can destroy optimism. There are aspects of the business that bring out the worst in me.

 Be gone, I say! Who wants to be mean-spirited? Life's too short for that.


Write on, with joy and abandon!