Just finished two books and am finishing up an article for Sun News.
Peter Mayle's slight but fun wine mystery kept me busy for a couple of hours this weekend--an interlude while Joe watched football--but a real find is Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures about female fossil hunters on the beaches of Lyme and the things they found and discovered about themselves in mid 19th c England. She continues to grow as a novelist. Wonderful work. Very different from girl with a pearl earring in subject matter -- shows off the breadth of her talent. This chick (Chevalier) is no one trick pony--She can WRITE! It is a pleasure to read her.

Wow. I have been bad--no posts for a while. Been working on a young adult novel as well as two articles for the Sun News. Those are in research phase but the young adult novel is coming together. Recent highlight in my writing--appearing in the Brunswick Beacon today with my co-author Edith Edwards--co author of a collection of short stories about women in the south.
See the story at www.brunswickbeacon.com for today, January 20
Local authors!

Wednesday January 6
Working on a story on health and doing some writing on short stories--sort of performance on paper.
Looking for grant money for stoires on health and food--healthy eating.

Healthy Stories

Heard from a number of people on the storytelling list serve--got some great ideas for what to include in my compilation but of course I need to find three sources for each folk tale and then put together my own version, cultural notes to be included, before I can claim anything--unless I use original material. I do have several original food tales and poems that I will include.
Right now am considering the re-working of one of my novel to make the plot a bit more interesting--so many projects and so little time. Still need to take down my Christmas tree!
Neighbors have begun to pay homage to my birthday--January 10--one dear friend brought over some home made rice pudding yesterday--good friends, good food--see why I am doing food stories?

Joan Leotta Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating is important--much of what I have done in performance and writing has promoted healthy eating on the side. This year I am committed to bringing healthy eating programs to children, schools, libraries in a way to engage children and get them interested in eating right!

I'd like to approach the topic from the point of view of science, history, art and literature. If anyone out there has something to contribute, let me know!