The publishing world is difficult to understand. I love to write - rejections will not force me to play dead. Furthermore, I may return to painting and designing artistic items. I love to create even if it is another room in my woodland Mulberry Garden. This is my time to unwind while several manuscripts are out.

It is up to me to enjoy each day.. Miracles do occur. All I have to do is look around me. Last year my husband received a pacemaker, and I am blessed to have him with me.

I have been redesigning and doing spring cleaning in my garden filled with dogwoods, redbuds and spring bulbs in bloom. I feel at peace in my garden surrounded with angels perched on columns. As I labor I block out the negatives, focus on the positives knowing God has blessed me with another day.

Read Breakthrough in the April issue of The Writer magazine under "A writer's success story" by Pat McGrath Avery. Pat has written several military books for adults and children, plus she is an editor for Salute, a military newsletter(It is more like an e-zine).

Author Joyce Faulkner was named the secretary of the Military Writers Society of America. The MWSA, a non-profit organization of 800 members was founded by veteran Bill McDonald. The MWSA will hold their yearly conference this year at Branson, Missouri in November. Watch for updates.

Bev Walton-Porter's book Sun Signs for Writers can be found through the Writers Digest Book Club or your local bookstores.

You can learn more about the above authors and MWSA at www.redenginepress.com

Mountain Home Hastings Entertainment Center kindly donated bags needed for our AR/SCBWI Conference in April. The bags will be stuffed with publishers' catalogs, guidelines, bookmarks and other items of interest to hand out to each attendee. For more information go to http://members.aol.com/ddpattison/scbwi/spring.html

Important websites & conferences: I titled my blog "Life's Beautiful Path" to remind me when I write to try to be optimistic and be thankful God allowed me another day and not to waste it no matter what I do. Busy mornings will be marching with an hour less. I needed that precious hour when my eyes are open. By mid-afternoon they appear to be at half-mast.

There are two websites I will be reading for encouragement and how to be more creative in my writing for the children's market. Jane Yolen at http://www.janeyolen.com/ is one of my favorite authors and I will be re-reading Guide to Writing for Children 1989 and Take Joy 2006.
Cynthia Leitich Smith at http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/ website and blog is packed with helpful information and editor interviews. I will stick with them for the next couple of months as I write cover letters and submit manuscripts. Please don't forget to check with updates at CBC The Children's Book Council at http://www.cbcbooks.org/ for the latest books, news and a list of CBC members (publishers) where the list is updated twice a month.

Don't forget April 13-14, is the Arkansas Chapter of the Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). Speakers: Alexandra Cooper an associate editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Lin Oliver, SCBWI Executive Director, CEO of Lin Oliver Productions and co-author of a series of books co-authored with Henry Winkler (Penguin Putnam), Darcy Patterson (Arkansas) author of picture books and novels and Liz Waniewski, editor at Dial Books for Young Readers.

Books in Bloom is Sunday May 6, from noon to 6 pm in Eureka Springs, Arkansas with guest speakers are Velda Brotherton, Pat Carr, Laura Parker Castoro and Katie Estill. You will find the complete list of speakers and schedule at http://www.booksinbloom.org/.

Go to http://www.redenginepress.com/ under newsletters check on March issue of Yarnspinners & Wordweavers page 3 and read my poem - Anxieties of Kite Flying. Thank you

Remember to look up beyond the dark clouds for the sun waits to renew your day.

Hope is hanging on to what you love to do and not allowing it to make you a prisoner. My strength to keep going is provided by my favorite fan at http:lifeiswonderfulandbeautiful.blogspot.com/

NELL THE HEN

Nell is a silly farm hen.

She wants to be a tiny wren,

to sing and dance in the glen.

Nell has only feathers ten.

(c) by Mary Nida Smith

Dream of improving yourself

before dreaming to be someone you are not.