Birthdays: Philip Barry (1896), Gail Godwin (1937), Russell Ash (1946), Chris Van Allsburg (1949), Vivian Vande Velde (1951), Richard Powers (1957), Angela Johnson (1961), Lidia Yuknavitch (1963),

Chris Van Allsburg is a two-time winner of the Caldecott for “The Polar Express” and “Jumanji”.

Quote: “I write for what’s left of the eight-year-old still rattling around inside my head.” – Chris Van Allsburg

Tip: Don’t be afraid to promote your books in unconventional places. Link your story to something or somewhere special and use that for promo purposes. I have a friend whose cozy mysteries center around a funeral home. She’s made friends with them and they have been promoting her work. Do you have dogs or cats in your book? Go to vets, animal shelters, pet stores and see if they’ll promote your stuff.

Jumpstart: It is the middle of the night and your phone rings. The voice on the other end says: “You won’t get away with it. I’ll see that you pay.” There is a scream and a loud crack… and the line goes dead. Caller ID is “unknown”. What if anything do you do? Did you deserve the call? Why?