This was the year I thought I’d get monster “beefsteak” tomatoes in three colors. I started plants in January. They were trees, I tell you, trees, by the time I put them in the garden.

Surprise!

I got two. Count’em: 2. Not what I’d hoped.

But, in the garden, something always does well.

The story harvest wasn’t bad at all . . . there’s a collection of fairy tales with the first three books in one volume.

SEVEN KINGDOMS FAIRY TALES: Books 1-3

You never quite know what a year will bring. It’s worth collecting your wins and celebrating them. When you start digging, there’s always more to be thankful for.

I wrote every weekday for about five years.

Suddenly . . . 🙂

practically overnight . . . 🙂

Three books about a world that didn’t exist before.

Where did they come from?

I was there every day. I know. But the finished, 752-page book still takes me by surprise. When I read some passages to proof the final version, sometimes I even laugh out loud.

Those are the same surprises that jolted me when I was writing.

I hope these stories fuel the dreams of the kids in your life!

Here’s to you! To the things you make and the growing people you support–every day–without noticing.