Today’s the day that THE BUZZ ON HONEYBEES goes to press! I made the final edits yesterday and it looks beautiful with the soft, whimsical watercolor illustrations by Kathy Coates of Charlotte, NC. Itty Bitty Betty, she’s a honey of a bee, is the star of the book, sharing the news she’s collected. She’s a bit of a gossip, but an interesting one, full of facts and information told in a fun way about Georgia’s state insect and the state insect for 17 other states. Bee facts are called BEEZNESS in the book. BEEZNESS number one (not in the book, by the way): did you know that bees were brought into this country by some of the first settlers from Europe? Imagine bringing honeybees in hives on a several month voyage on a sailing ship. Bees are not native to the Americas. The native Americans called them white man’s flies. The settlers knew the importance of honeybees pollinating their crops.

More beezness to follow in other blogs. Am off tomorrow to Birmingham, AL for the Southern Breeze fall conference. They’re my region’s branch of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and illustrators.) Am hoping to come back with lots of marketing and social networking ideas for promoting a book once it’s out. Am also having a manuscript critiqued about Sowbelly, the largest wide mouthed bass on record, caught in Georgia during the Depression. So far no luck on finding a publisher. Maybe the manuscript is to blame? It’s difficult to hear anyone criticize your work. Perhaps it’s easier coming from a stranger. So I’m hoping to come back with some good ideas to make this story come across more effectively. It’s a fish tale that needs to be told once again and treasured.