this page features WRITERS i HAVE MET AND ADMIRE.
tHE CHILDREN'S BOOK COMMUNITY
IS SMALL (and friendly!),
and i believe we must all support each other.
​Check them out!

gary d. schmidt

Gary was the keynote speaker at the writers' retreat I attended in Fort Lauderdale. He is so inspiring and friendly! If you ever have the opportunity to get a critique from him, DO IT! I attended the conference because I had just read all of his books I could get my hands on. Read his work!

jANE FRIEDMAN

Jane was the keynote speaker at the Las Vegas Writers Conference this year. Oh, my, what invaluable information she gives! All writers, of any genre, must follow her!

DARIA PEOPLES

Daria is my go-to Las Vegas author when I have questions. Her debut children's book, This is It, comes out in February 2018! So exciting! And I love hearing about all the other projects she is working on.

erica silverman

I bought Erica's book at LA SCBWI '17, and we had a nice conversation about why Chapter books and Early Readers aren't discussed very much at the conferences. Hers are the kind of books I always search for in the library and quickly exhaust their supply.

donna gephart

Donna spoke at the writers' retreat I attended in Fort Lauderdale. Well, actually she had laryngitis but she did her best! Such a nice lady, and I bought her latest book, In Her Shoes. Can't wait to read it!

Ivor davis

I had a lovely lunch with Ivor after we met in line at SCBWI LA. Such a delightful man! We had so much to talk about, even before I heard about his book, The Beatles and Me. I can't wait to read it!

linda whalen

My five-year-old son really enjoyed Linda's book...who could resist a barn being picked up and moved to a new location...I mean, it has animals and trucks and lifting with cranes...all a boy could wish for.

KAREN J. MOORE

Karen's book is great for kids, but it would also make a great gift for a writer friend.

MORT ROSENBERG

Imagine my surprise when I searched online for my Uncle Mort and discovered that he is an author. So of course I had to order his book online. He laughed when he saw it...it was his dissertation from back in 1972. But yes, I have an author in the family!

allyson levitt

Allyson is the owner of Edit and Get It Literary Services, and it was her writers' retreat in Fort Lauderdale that I attended. She is awesome! If you want to get published or want to improve your craft, go to one of her conferences! And being on the beach doesn't hurt...

kwame alexander

Kwame is the rock-star of Children's Literature. His keynotes are amazing, and he gives so much information in his breakout sessions. I can imagine how enthralled all the kids are when he visits the schools!

STEPHEN SHASKAN

Such a nice man! His book, Max Speed, was a great addition to my son's ever-growing library. It's one that we'll read over and over!

Andrea davis pinkney

Hers was the first breakout session I attended at my first SCBWI conference, and I was immediately a fan. One of her nuggets of advice led to one of my first picture books.

ELLEN HOPKINS

I have met Ellen several times, and she is very inspiring and has helped so many teens through her work. She lives in Nevada, too. GO, Nevada Authors!

JUDY schachner

I love hearing the creative process used by various authors, and Judy's is especially inspiring. She uses scrapbooks...you must hear her speak about them sometime!

C. Alexander london

This signing was at the UNLV Children's Literature Conference, where I bought his book for my son and was thoroughly entertained by the story of his path to becoming an author.

Erik brooks

At the SCBWI annual conferences, current members can sell their books. I love meeting the authors and buying the books for my son! Erik's book deals with moving away, saying goodbye, and making new friends...perfect for my son who is starting Kindergarten.

peter brown

Not a very smiley man, but a great author/illustrator. I met him at the Children's Literature Conference at UNLV. It was interesting to learn how his ideas evolved while working on his book, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild.

kirk jay mueller

I met Kirk at SCBWI LA first when he was awaiting the publication of his book and again when I was able to buy it from him. He graciously had a video chat with my son to tell him about the book I was about to bring home.

candace fleming

Candace and her illustrator husband had a breakout session that I attended. And coincidentally, I had just bought her book. Of course I had to get it signed.

eric rohmann

The illustrator for Candace Fleming's book (and her husband), Eric signed my book and added a quick illustration.

rotem moscovich

Rotem is an editor at Disney-Hyperion, and although she didn't edit the book in this photo, she was the one who gave it to me at her breakout session in LA. And it is an incredible book, about adoption, without being so sappy-mushy. It made me cry!

Richard peck

We met at the elevator at the Biltmore at SCBWI LA 2016. I didn't recognize him, which amused him greatly. (I should have known him, since he was scheduled to be the final keynote speaker of the conference! Hee hee.)
What an elegant, lovely man.

tim mccanna

I bought Tim's book for my son, since he loves anything about trucks. And I was happy to discover that I didn't mind reading it aloud over and over. For a tired parent, that is a super big deal.

jamie a. swenson

This book is so fun to read aloud! It has great words  that help sound-effects-challenged moms like me sound like a truck horn without sounding silly. And the illustrations by Ned Young add so much.

dana j. sullivan

How can you resist a book about a dog who loves to draw? Dana's illustrations are so fun...check them out on his website. 

erin dealey

Erin was the first SCBWI author I ever met when I landed in LA for my first SCBWI conference. She graciously chatted with me as we waited for our hotel shuttle. Of course I had to buy her book that weekend, called Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox.

sue fliess

We have read Sue's Robots book so many times that my son has it memorized. And it was a bit nostalgic buying a Little Golden Book. When I met her, Sue had only published one book, but now she has many. Go, Sue!

marcia berneger

I had to buy Marcia's book when I saw it was about garbage trucks. 

cindy jenson-elliott

What a fun book, full all of all the great stuff you find in the dirt. Every time my son heads out the back door, he returns covered in dirt, so this book was a must-buy.

Deborah hopkinson

Deborah graciously signed my book at the UNLV Children's Literature Conference. Her book, Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, is so clever because of its interactive component of the illustrator, who is a character in the story.

laura purdie salas

While Laura has great books for children, I bought this one for me, because it's full of poetry about books and reading. I also subscribe to her newsletter, which is available through her website.​