And Now a Word From My Editor...

You may be able to tell from the infrequency of my posts that I'm a bit of a reluctant blogger. The writing I enjoy is fiction and in particular, fiction for children. I've been fairly quiet here, just waiting for some action to write about since I'm not a big fan of writing just to "hear" my own voice.

Fortunately, I have a few things to share now, so here I am! First of all, the publishing process has picked up a bit and it is starting to feel like the wheels are really in motion! My manuscript was handed over to my editor, Leslie Martin, who wrote an incredible review of my book which she posted on my "fan page" on Facebook. I am sharing it here, with Leslie's permission. As I responded to Leslie after she posted her review, even my ever-present thesaurus is not helping me to find the words I want to say! I am honestly humbled by what she wrote. So, here it is, my first "official" review!


Readers, you will be in for a treat when Dori's book is published.

As an editor for many years, I've had occasion to scrutinize manuscripts, news and feature articles, college entrance essays and more. Trust me, the poorly written vastly outnumber those with finesse.

This experience has been a "first." I found myself reading only a few pages at a time, often with days in between, because the manuscript captivated me so. I wanted to savor it, didn't want the pleasure of reading it to end and certainly didn't want the book to end!

Dori's theme, story, characters, dialogue and details are so--and I keep using this word over and over--fresh. Her creativity shines in her characters' unexpected comments and thoughts, all true to character but so surprisingly...fresh.

Finishing the manuscript came as a mixed blessing. As mentioned, reading it was such a joy that I didn't want the book to end, which remained true through the very last page. More important is that the end wrapped up everything so skillfully. For a first-time author, or any author for that matter, Dori has achieved something wonderful here. What a talent. It's a gift that she has chosen to share it with the rest of the world. I can't wait for the second book.

Leslie Martin