Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a better year. As some of you may have heard, I had foot surgery last March that kicked by butt and had me down for the rest of the year. But no more! Goodbye 2023, I’m moving on!

January started out with mild temperatures and then just a hint of snow here in my neck of the woods, meaning about six inches. Tuco got to wear his winter jacket and he was ok with that, for he loves to eat snow. As we near the end of the month, we are super excited for warmer weather in the forty degree range. Rain, you are welcome, but snow you have to go. Though if you live in Utah, you know this could just be a teaser.

I’m going to jump right in and let you know what we are up to.

The annual book fair at the Excelsior Academy in Erda, Utah started our year out with a bang. We were so grateful they invited us back to join in the fun. It gave us a fresh start and a positive outlook to get back in the saddle, so to speak.

What we love about this school is that the kids and parents love it. One can also tell that the faculty love what they do, it really shows. The students are treated with respect and encouraged to learn, and they get rewarded for their efforts.

We were there with other authors, the Tooele City Library, and a publisher last week to show off our books and meet the children. The theme this year was Dr. Seuss, featuring THING 1 & THING 2. There were lots of giggles and smiles; some were shy and some were not afraid to talk with us. It was a great feeling to watch the little ones run up to our table, pick up a book, and start reading. The fact that parents were there to help them pick out books was a great incentive. I’m proud of our educational system for emphasizing the importance of reading.

The Scholastic Book area had an array of books for all ages. (I know, I bought some!) I started being a bookaholic at a young age. To this day I can’t walk by a bookstore, book fair, or a “meet & greet” author event without looking at or buying books. I find that holding a book in my hands and smelling the pages brings me great pleasure. And now, I write children’s books!

Next month we will be at the St. Olaf Catholic School in Bountiful, Utah to kick off National Read Across America Week. Tim and I will be one of the author/ illustrator “meet & greet” duos to share our story with the students. And Tuco will be with us to meet the kids as well! I know he is going to love this.

This is a short news letter this month, but as things get going, I’ll have more to share soon. We are planning our summer trips and events right now which is always exciting to go to new places and meet new people.

Until next time, keep reading everyone. Enjoy where a book can take you, teach you, or entertain you. God bless and stay safe.

Skip’s mom, Cb