May 21, (Serendipitously the birthday of my honey, the best step-dad, Curtis) Cynthia Leitich Smith posted my guest blog “Kelly Bennett on Celebrating Fathers: Daddy, Father, Pop, Son, Shel, Cash and Cole.” In asking me to write about what inspired my 2 new picture books, Dad and Pop, illustrated by Paul Meisel and Your Daddy Was Just Like You, illustrated by David Walker, she challenged me to undergo a little psychotherapy. Here’s the link to my guest post. And whatever you do, don’t stop there–Cynthia’s website, Cynsations is as rich and luscious and smart and funny as Cyn herself! Indulge!

Really, what can you do in 3 minutes? Brush you teeth? Check Face Book? Put in a load of laundry? Or…

The 4^th Round of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED NPR’s 3 Minute Fiction Contest is closed. The challenge this round was for writers to send original works of fiction that could be read in three minutes or less and to incorporate 4 words into their stories: button, plant, trick, and fly—used in any form.

With the help of 1^st readers from the Iowa Writer’s Project, Ann Pachett, author of the novels “Bel Canto” and “Run,” is judging the more than 3800 entries. While the reading/judging is underway, Ann tantalizes listeners with “interesting snippets” from entries each week on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. During, Sunday’s chat with host Guy Raz, Patchett noted that she is “pleasantly surprised” by the entries, “stories have a good shape, something happens in them…” Imagine all that in around 600 words!

Notable Round 4 entries are posted on the website: www.npr.org/threeminutefiction, along with finalist and winners from the 3 previous rounds of the 3 Minute Fiction Contest.

3^rd Round: Writers submitted original works of fiction inspired by this photograph.

2^nd Round: Submissions were original works of fiction that begin with this sentence: “The nurse left work at five o’clock.”

1^st Round: Submission rules were simplest: original works of fiction that could be read in three minutes or less.

Have 3 unscheduled minutes? Read some short fiction. You’ll be surprised, impressed and inspired!

GP Putman, Mar 18, 2010

It’s here! It’s here! Imagine me blowing one of those long, thin horns from Camelot with banners flying and  fireworks bursting because that’s how I feel! Happy Birthday to Your Daddy Was Just Like You!

On March 1st, I held my newest baby, a hard copy of Your Daddy Was Just Like You, in my hands for the first time. They shook as I turned the pages. This  mother/grandmother love story has been a long time coming–over 7 years. Thanks to Susan Kochan, my editor, who saw its potential, it’s born!

The idea for the book came from watching my son Max trying so hard to be a big guy and do all the stuff big guys could do, with his chubby cheeks red from exertion or frustration. It’s my way of saying, “don’t worry, you’ll make it….your daddy wasn’t always so strong, or smart or brave. He had to learn and you will, too!”

While the idea and words for a picture book may come from the author, it’s the pictures that bring it to life. David Walker is a master at showing emotion..joyful bubbles float up from the bathroom scene; pouty daddy bashes about during his wild days, sad daddy pouts in the corner during Time Out–looking so perfectly adorable you want to laugh and cry at the same time! David generously shared sketches and discussed the illustration process during an interview last year. Check it out!

For me, the great joy in being an author comes from seeing kids and their people enjoy my books. My girlfriend Teri gave me sweet taste of that joy when she brought her nieces, Sofia and Isabella,  to a recent book signing in Tulsa. I only had the review copy of Your Daddy then, but they wanted to read it and so we did. At the end of every “Just Like You,” Isabella pointed to herself and said, “Just like me!” with a huge smile, “I do that…and that…or that!. The best birthday gift a book could receive:

Happy Birthday! Your Daddy Was Just Like You …and you and you and you!