Snacks: You have so many great books and high profile articles to your credit!  What has been key to your success?

Jo: I think my secret has been to always say "yes" to opportunities. Perhaps you've read the best-selling book by Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers? He says that the best way to achieve success in anything is to spend 10,000 hours honing your skills.  His research revealed that ability is just one factor in success. A person's work ethic, support base and luck all play a larger role. SCBWI and my critique group, along with my wonderful husband Rick, have provided the support base. I've tried to put in the hours. Luck sometimes slips through a cracked window of opportunity.

Snacks: Non-fiction seems to be a good fit for your talents.  Tell us a little bit about how you go about researching.

Jo: I love learning, so nonfiction is wonderful! First, I have to admit, I Google and wiki-check my subject. (Isn't the internet wonderful?) That provides a foundation of information. I build on this with deeper research, checking out every book on the subject I can find through my library and inter-library loans. I follow with deeper online research and talking with individuals that might be able to add to my information. I am always on the lookout for bits of information that I think have the WOW factor -- anything cool that I think kids will love, or that I never knew before. I learned the hard way, with my first non-fiction book, DEAD LOG ALIVE!, to keep a footnoted copy of my manuscript. When the editor called and wanted to know where I'd gotten one fact, I had to spend a couple of hours scouring through my scribbled notes to find the source!

Snacks: You have two new books coming out- fill us in on what they are about and when we can get them!

Jo: I'm very excited about my two picture books that are currently in the works. The first, THE HOUSE ON DIRTY-THIRD STREET, with Peachtree Publishers, was actually contracted almost four years ago, but was just placed with an illustrator earlier this year. This fiction story is about a mother and child who must start over in life and the only home they can afford is a dilapidated house on a very run-down street. The reason for their life-change is left open, so any child reader might identify with the main character, whether in the situation of a divorce, natural disaster, or other upheaval. I am thrilled that Thomas Gonzalez, who illustrated the beautiful book, 14 COWS FOR AMERICA, by Carmen Agra Deedy, has agreed to illustrate this story. I think he will bring a wonderful, personal touch to the book. I can't wait to see his art! I am hopeful that the book will be out in the fall of 2010, although no pub date has been released.

ROSA'S BUS is a nonfiction picture book with Boyds Mills Press, the book arm of the Highlights for Children family. It has been one of my goals to publish a book with Boyds Mills, since they always do a beautiful job. Larry Rosler, my editor there, has been a delight to work with. This book is a biography of a bus -- the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man. The bus is now in the Henry Ford museum after spending years rusting in a field. My approach with this story allowed a fresh look at the Civil Rights movement while highlighting one of our National Treasures, in the same league as the Liberty Bell. I'm pleased that Steven Walker is working on the illustrations for this book. He works primarily as a fine artist and I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to this book. As with my other book, no release date has been provided, but I'm hopeful for fall 2010 or Spring 2011. The long waits for book releases sure teach patience!

Snacks: I know that you provide presentations for both children and adults.  What kinds of instructional support and advice do you give to writers?

Jo: I love speaking at schools and to writers at conferences! Speaking with kids always energizes me and I hope excites them as well. When I speak to adults about writing I target my talk to the needs of the event -- sometimes talking about writing nonfiction, sometimes providing an overview of the children's literature industry, or perhaps discussing the structure and demands of picture books. It doesn't take long for a writer to discover the difficulty of publishing. I hope that whatever direction I can provide will offer a balance of practical advice, hard truths, helpful tips, and encouragement to stay the course.

Snacks: You do such an amazing job as Co-Regional advisor for the Southern Breeze chapter of SCBWI.  Tell us a little about your work there and how writers can get involved.

Jo: The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a wonderful international professional organization with chapters/regions around the world. Our Southern Breeze region consists of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. I've been an active member of our region since its inception in 1992. Joan Broerman, our first Regional Advisor, was in my critique group, so she naturally recruited all of us. I helped out in small ways at first, then became a conference organizer. Joan asked me to be her Assistant RA and then I became a Co-Regional Advisor when she retired. Without a doubt, SCBWI has played a crucial role in my success. Not only in what I've learned at the 35 conferences we've put on over the years, but also through the contacts I've made as a result of being actively involved. The path I took within SCBWI -- starting out with small volunteer jobs -- is a great way for anyone to step in. We always ask on our registration forms if you are willing to help. Volunteers move up the ladder, taking on more and more responsibility, as they are able. Some jobs possibilities, aside from helping at conferences, include Local Liasons, Webmaster, and Newsletter Publisher. If anyone is interested in any of those jobs, please let us know! Everyone in SCBWI, aside from a few folks at the headquarters in LA, is a volunteer. We do what we do because it is a joy to help one another along this bumpy road. And when one of our Southern Breezers gets a book published, we all get to celebrate.

Snacks: What are your favorite writing snacks?

Jo: Ummm -- roasted nuts, almond M&Ms, seedless grapes and cheese :)

(But anything chocolate is great!)