A Mime in Times Square

Lee's a middle-kid who finally expresses his frustration (for him, it's with a guitar and blues riff) in a big way. Now it's your turn. Middle kids near and far, come stand on your soap box. What's the worst thing about being a middle child, and how did you survive? Or...what do you notice about your middle child/ren that is interesting? Watch The Middle-Child Blues trailer! Click here.

It happened on Friday night. (Mission Impossible music starts now.) My Ford Flex slowly hummed as it approached the airport pick-up curb, and there she was... my agent, standing in her black trenchcoat and dark sunglasses. (Okay, she wasn't really wearing dark sunglasses, but I thought they might add to the general effect.) "Have you got them?" she asked after I rolled down my window. "Got them," I said. Then she scanned the area with her mini-binoculars and climbed into her seat. She slammed the door. We were off -- off to the Patrick Moore Gallery in Salt Lake City. But first, we took a detour to discuss the plans. We stopped at a Rumbi Island Grill, and over two chicken and shrimps over rice, we plotted out a strategy. A strategy for me to disassemble and reassemble my novel. It was going to be a very tricky, complicated process. After going over the plans, we put on disguises and crept into the art gallery, where dozens of chic authors dined on cupcakes and ...

Near the end of October, I attended the Utah Book Award Ceremony, where my picture book COOL DADDY RAT was a nominee in the children's division. The other two nominees in this category were Alison Randall, author of THE WHEAT DOLL, and Shannon, Dean, and Nathan Hale, Authors and Illustrator of RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE. Shannon and her husband were running a tad late (no doubt due to her UBER busy schedule) , and Nathan had a last minute work deadline. but I was able to stand beside Alison as our books were recognized. The winner turned out to be the Hale trio for RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE. Alison and I were bummed we didn't get to stand beside them on the stage and bask in their glory. But we still received cash awards and a nice plaque for being nominated. Afterwards there was a catered reception with live music, and overall, it was a very nice evening. All Hail, Hail, Hail (Hale, Hale, Hale) RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE!