Finding the Way with Moana

Well, hi everyone. It's been a little while, hasn't it. I'm still in Philadelphia and if anything I love this city even more. My sons apparently love it as well, because they've both now moved in with me. So here all three of us are, rather snug in this apartment but reasonably stable in this gritty-but-kind city. I've found tremendous community, good friends, and perhaps at last some proper roots. Go birds, as they around here.

It was an unexpected sequence of events that got me to Philly. Almost as unexpected as the events that have gotten me to this point in my career. Pivoting from YA to epic fantasy to middle grade to writing comics for a Youtuber to... well there was a period of time where I didn't know what I was going to do. Or could do. Honestly, I felt a bit lost and unsure if I even still had a career in publishing anymore.

And strangely enough it was Moana who helped me take those first steps out of the wilderness. Or perhaps not so strangely. She is a wayfinder, after all.

I don't mind telling you that I spent a great deal of time pondering how best to write the sound of a chicken falling. Is it feeeeeeew or fwoooooooo or... Well, you get the idea, and I don't want to spoil my greatest achievement in onomatopoeia to date.

But this is only the beginning of what I have coming, both for kids and for adults. I can't wait to share more.

Love, Kelley in Philly