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Debbie’s Blog

Welcome to my new blog, which now includes content from many of the blogs I’ve created over the years. You can now also access content via category from this one page instead of having to search for my individual blogs, which were scattered over various platforms and websites.


Tips for SCBWI-LA conference newbies, second-timers, plus a CHALLENGE for the many-timers

(Updated version of a post I made earlier this year before the SCBWI-NYC conference) I’m leaving this week for the SCBWI Summer Conference! If you haven’t yet registered, you’re out of luck….the conference is sold out. However, you can follow along virtually via the #LA15SCBWI hashtag on Twitter as well as the SCBWI conference blog. Here’s . . .





Writer Tip: Set Realistic Goals

Theresa MacPhail has some great tips for A Realistic Summer Writing Schedule with which you can be productive AND relax.



#BookADay: CONNECTING DOTS by Sharon Jennings (Second Story Press)

#‎BookADay‬: CONNECTING DOTS by Sharon Jennings (Second Story Press, 2015). Just finished this last night. Fell in love with Cassie, the main character, and how she and her relationships developed through the story. If you enjoyed Katherine Paterson’s THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS (one of my faves), you should definitely check out CONNECTING DOTS. But . . .



#BookADay: EL DEAFO by Cece Bell (Abrams)

EL DEAFO by Cece Bell (Abrams, 2014). This has been on my To Read pile for a while, and I finished it on the weekend. TOTALLY lives up to all the hype. I’ve been a fan of autobiographical comics for a while (thanks to Rand Bellavia) and have become especially intrigued by graphic . . .



Scorpion Petting and Book Reviews

I love this Liana Brooks quote so much I decided to illustrate it. 🙂 And on the topic of helping the authors whose work you enjoy, here are some ways to help authors even if you can’t afford to buy their books. Also see Debbie’s Reading Journal as well as Debbie’s Bookstagram.



Gratitude Post: David Diaz, mentoring, found object art inspiration

Many thanks to my friend David Diaz for his friendship and mentorship. I got to know David through the SCBWI, when I was chosen for the SCBWI-LA Illustration Mentorship program in 2010. David has been recently touching base with many of the Mentees, past and present, to find out how they’re doing…he . . .