What's this? A post?

So I've been a bad blogger of late, and I'm going to try and be better, but we'll see how impending fatherhood (WOOHOO!) treats me and my hit-or-miss blogging habits. Since giving this interview to the so very nice Shelli Wells earlier this month, I've been trying to kick myself into gear in regards to blogging. I mean, I kind of made a pledge there to the Blog-gods, and I don't need their vengeful ways hunting me down, so here we go.

Before I get into what I've been up to, I should note that the above painting is the kind of stuff I'm going to try and do a bit more of as a warm-up (**EDIT: I should correct that and call it an "exercise" or "practice piece" rather than a warm-up. While this didn't take me hours and hours or anything, it didn't fly off in a few minutes either**), and also to keep my traditional-media chops intact. There's definitely a different sort of "reward" feeling (for me at least) in doing a piece completely by hand instead of with digital aid. So anyhow, I'll be trying to do more of this kind of piece for myself and my blog in the coming weeks.

As for what I've been up to, Laini and I had the AMAZING honor of attending the annual BEA (Book Expo America) convention in New York late last month to promote some buzz for our upcoming book with Arthur A. Levine Books (a division of Scholastic) entitled LIPS TOUCH: Three Times. Here we are with (the too nice to be real!) Arthur Levine himself in the Scholastic booth with my cover illuminated (which was a thrill to see!)


We had a fantastic time visiting the offices of Penguin/Putnam, Scholastic, Scholastic Educational, and Simon and Schuster. It was really a day the likes of which I'd dreamed of earlier in my career and almost had to pinch myself as we went from place to place meeting everyone involved with various projects that I've been a part of both with Laini and on my own. Here are a few pics from those visits and NY in general:










and last but certainly not least, a pic of me with my mother, sister, and 2 (beautiful!) nieces when we were visiting them in CA (thanks for dog-sitting Mama! xoxo:)


Now if the small house-remodeling that we're having done (and me re-finishing our hardwood floors later this week! Woohoo!) doesn't distract and absorb all of my time, I'll be posting once again very soon.