Welcome to my blog (scroll down to see individual posts), which was originally on a separate site at Inkygirl.com. I also have a separate Inkygirl newsletter on Substack at debbieohi.substack.com.
Also see: Inkygirl interviews – Resources
Thanks to Renee Kurilla for interviewing me on Simply Messing About, a wonderful blog about creating children’s books. Topics covered include: – How I ended up selling my website for writers and moving to Philadelphia for six months (away from my husband!) – How Inkygirl.com got started – Time management – Why I . . .
Claire M. Caterer was born in the Motor City and raised in the suburbs of Kansas City with a large assortment of cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, mice, and other creatures. Her childhood was spent reading about and inventing fantastical worlds. Today she is a full-time writer of books for all ages. . . .
Can you see that tiny soccer ball in the middle of the wave? As some of you already know, my sister Ruth Ohi (photo to the left) is an experienced children’s book writer and illustrator who has been encouraging and supporting me over the years. She has TWO new picture books coming . . .
I’ve been gradually updating a list of children’s and YA books being affected by the dispute between Simon & Schuster and Barnes & Noble. For more info and to find out how you can help, please see http://inkygirl.com/bn-dispute. If you’re a Simon & Schuster Children’s author or illustrator affected by the . . .
Thanks to my sister Ruth for the heads-up: Stella, the star of Marie-Louise Gay‘s picture books and a television series based on her stories, is being featured in a series of stamps issued by Canada Post. I must get some!
Reading KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by @StephanieBurgis. Fun MG, Downton Abbey-esque w/ mystery & magic. I am in love with Kat. TITLE: KAT, INCORRIGIBLE Written by Stephanie Burgis Published by Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2012 Grades 5-9 ISBN 9781416994480 See my interview with Stephanie Burgis about her creative process, childhood wonder and her . . .
Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light. The S-Word is her . . .
I just had my first phone meeting with Maria Modugno and Cathy Goldsmithabout illustrating author Lauren McLaughlin‘s MITZI TULANE, PRESCHOOL DETECTIVE. The first MITZI title comes out from Random House Children’s Books in 2016. Only just found out that Cathy will be my art director, and I’m especially thrilled because she used to work with Dr. Seuss (!!!). . . .
Photo: Sonya Sones.Justin Chanda is my amazing editor at Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. I will always be grateful to Justin for being the first editor to believe in me and my work enough to offer a book contract (see this post for Justin’s explanation of why he chose me to illustrate . . .
Stephanie Burgis was born in Michigan, but now lives in Wales with her husband, fellow writer Patrick Samphire, and their children. Before becoming a fulltime writer, she studied music history as a Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, Austria and worked as a website editor for a British opera company. Her first novel, Kat, . . .