Introducing Middle Grade Author Nancy J. Cavanaugh

I've been a published middle grade author since April 2013, but I've wanted to be a published middle grade author since the 90's.  Yes, the 90's.  And yes, the 90's were a LONG time ago.  That's why being asked to join the ranks of the very talented bunch of authors known as Smack Dab in the Middle is a huge thrill for me.

I thought I'd take this opportunity in my first post to introduce myself a bit.  I'm a former elementary and middle school teacher, and I have also spent time as a school librarian.  Not only did my years spent as an educator inspire me to create the characters who fill by books, but those years also prepared me for the work I now do as an author when I visit schools speaking to students, librarians, and teachers.  And even though I've been a published author for almost five years now, I am still so excited that I get to live the life of an author.

So what does my life as an author look like?  A little bit like a rough draft of one of my novels - kind of messy.  I wish I could say that I keep regular "office" hours and write for hours every day and keep myself and my schedule super organized, but the truth is I don't.  I'm actually a super organized and methodical person in my "real" life, but my "author" life is not quite so neat.  I think that's what allows me to be creative because for me, creativity on the way to becoming a finished product often isn't very tidy.

So what else feeds my creative soul besides my messy work-in-progress author life?  Well, Chicago pizza would be one thing - either super thin cheese and sausage or thick pan pizza with lots of cheese.  Gelato and ice cream help the muse as well.  Thankfully I like to walk a lot, either on the treadmill or outside, but lately I'm not sure I'm walking far enough or fast enough to stay ahead of the pizza and gelato calories I enjoy consuming.  I also love to watch old TV reruns with my daughter, and I love to sing in the car.  And of course I love to read, especially middle grade books.

I'll look forward to sharing my post with all of you each month!
Nancy
www.nancyjcavanaugh.com
@nancyjcavanaugh

Nancy J. Cavanaugh's books: