The Bravest of Us All is one of 150 "Best" Kansas books

I received wonderful news from Julie Branstetter Krehbiel this morning.  She works as a librarian in Kansas, so is up on all things librarian.  

Two of my books are on the 150 "Best" Kansas Books selected by the State Library for the Kansas sesquicentennial: Prancing, Dancing Lily and The Bravest of Us All. Both were inspired by my Kansas family, so I'm delighted.  If you want to read about the "story behind the story" you can find it at my Book Gallery on my website, www.marshadianearnold.com.

Let me show you a picture of part of the family who inspired The Bravest of Us All. This is my father and his brothers.  Velma Jean and Ruby Jane weren't born yet here.  There were 8 in all, but only 7 in the book.  I felt 8 was one too many to make my illustrator, Brad Sneed, deal with.  And 7 is my lucky number. :-)

The Bravest of Us All is one of 150 "Best" Kansas books

Creative Spaces

I am delighted to have been asked by Jennifer Bertman to be part of her Creative Spaces.  Jennifer has a wonderful blog, which I find visually stunning.  You can find her at www.writerjenn.blogspot.com.  I'm the interview for January 10th, 2011.  What a lovely way to begin the New Year.

I think the space in which we live and work is very important.  Beauty begets beauty.  That's why I feel so lucky to have a beautiful space to work and a beautiful garden to look out on.

Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler suggests finding a place and objects where you go and engage with only when you're writing fiction.  It's a way to help writers get into the zone.  Good idea, I think.  But he cautions that if you're traveling or somewhere else that doesn't excuse you from writing every day (with maybe one day off.)

So here's my creative space, my writing room.  Thank you, Jennifer, for coming to visit.

Marsha Diane Arnold's Creative Space

Creative Spaces