This week, I am participating in the Children’s Author Blog Hop. On this journey, you will have the opportunity to “hop” across the internet and discover some fabulous authors — who I am lucky enough to call my friends, as well. I was invited by my good friend, Robin Newman, who is both talented and adorable.

ROBIN NEWMAN writes a blog, “LET’S TALK BOOKS,” www.robinnewmanbooks.wordpress.com, covering kidlit, where she interviews authors and illustrators of books for all ages.  She recently sold THE CASE OF THE MISSING CARROT CAKE, the first book in the WILCOX AND GRISWOLD MYSTERY SERIES to CRESTON BOOKS (release date TBD), www.crestonbooks.com.  She writes picture books, chapter books and more!  She would love to have coffee with the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs!  You can follow Robin on Twitter @robinnewmanbook and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/RobinNewmanBooks/339179099505049

Here are my answers to the Blog Hop questions.

What are you working on right now?

I always have several projects going on, and now is no exception. Right now, I am mostly working on revisions. First, there is a picture book biography of Jackie Robinson that will be published by HarperCollins that I am working to clean up and flesh out and make as fabulous as Jackie was. Next, I am working on the first two novels of a new series that I will launch in 2014 called the SPECTACLES OF DESTINY. Finally, in terms of new projects, I am working on a picture book about a know-it-all girl and her adventures in life. I also really want to write a new chicken book, but that has not gone too much beyond a desire.

How does it differ from other works in the genre?

To answer this question, I am going to focus on the Jackie Robinson book. This is a picture book biography of a baseball player that barely mentions baseball at all. That makes its pretty different, don’t you agree?

Why do you write what you do?

That is a tough question. I think I write about the things that move me. I don’t just write in one genre, so I can’t say I write for 6-year olds because 6-year olds are sweet and I love them (even though that’s absolutely true). For me it is much more about finding a story the touches me as a person, and then figuring out a way to make that story relevant for a child.

Another answer to this question, though, is that I write what I write because my books are a conversation between the people I love most and me. Those people? My 12- and 13-year old daughters and my 6-year old son. I try to write things that they will want to read, that will speak to their concerns, and that they will be proud to associate with their mother.

What is the hardest part about writing?

The hardest part about writing? Oh, I think that is probably the coming up with ideas part, the sifting through the ideas to figure out which ones are good part, the creating a story with an idea that sounds different and fresh and interesting part, the revising that story part, the submitting to publishers part, and the hoping for a good response part . Okay, so maybe all of it. Writing is hard. It’s supposed to be. Do you know why? Because writing is art, and art that comes easily is worthless.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my writing process. Thank you, again, Robin, for inviting me to the Blog Hop! (If you haven’t heard of Robin yet, I’m sure you will soon — I’ve read a lot of her work and I am a fan!)

I am also a fan of my invitees to the Blog Hop, Anna Boll and Joyce Shor Johnson.

ANNA BOLL is an author, illustrator and educator with an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and MSEd from University of Southern Maine. She runs a boutique booking agency called Creative Bookings that arranges school, library, conference, and event bookings for select children’s authors and illustrators. In addition to the triathlon of life (writing, teaching & mothering), Anna is also a sprint triathlete. For Anna’s blog or more information about her creative writing, freelance editing, and curriculum writing services visit CREATIVE CHAOS. You can follow Anna on Twitter @AnnaWriteDraw

JOYCE SHOR JOHNSON lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two children, seven ducks, two cats, and a pug named Thor. She grew up in the small, historic town of Suffern, N.Y. Her love of history, technology, traveling, and arts and crafts all contribute to her daily writing. She teaches learning skills to high school students at a private school in New Hampshire. Joyce writes middle grade and young adult novels. She is fascinated by ancient technology and loves to travel the world. Some of the amazing places has been to includes her honeymoon trip to Africa, going to the top of the Schilthorn, in Switzerland where the James Bond Movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was filmed, exploring the salt mines in Saltzburg, Austria, embracing her Celtic past in Ireland, and boating on a crocodile infested river in Costa Rica. To learn more about her books go to her author site http://joyceshorjohnson.com and visit her blog http://thewritejoyce.blogspot.com. You can follow  @thewritejoyce