I was a guest speaker last week for the fabulous Victoria Jamieson during her Children's Book Intensive, at  PNCA. The students were friendly, everyone was patient and attentiive and asked brilliant questions. And get this, I actually had fun. A lot of fun. 

If only you could peek inside my brain and see how far I've come in the speaking-in-front-of-people department, you would stand up and give a little cheer. Or, at the very least, a tiny high five. 

Just a year or two before The Secret Circus came out, the thought of getting up in front of a group of folks and speaking for an hour, (an HOUR), was unthinkable. Totally impossible, like eating fourteen saltines in a minute.

Slowly but surely, when more and more bookish opportunities started popping up, public speaking became something for me to consider. I started doing events, and did just fine when it was just kids. But once a few adults were in the mix,  I transformed into a sweaty and nervous ferret with a shaky voice. 

Me and my sweaty-public-speaking-ferrett ways have come a  long way over the last two years, and I have the fine folks at Toastmasters, to thank for it. For those of you who don't know what Toastmasters is, you can read more about it right here. Basically, it's a really supportive and gentle place to practice public speaking. You get better and better at talking by assuming different roles within the meeting every week, speaking spontaneously on different topics, working your way through various speech manuals, and being evaluated by others in the group. 

As a matter-o-fact, a few weeks ago I actually finished my first Toastmaster's manual, and got a signed certificate that said I was a Competent Communicator.  Me! ME! A Competent Communicator. Yes! 

How many times in your adult life do you get a certificate for something big and scary that you've faced and become better at? Not many, my friends. Not many. 

So here's the thing, I want to make you a certificate, for anything at all. Seriously. Email me your achievement and mailing address, and I'll make a special certificate just for you. You can hang it on your fridge, or wave it in the air, or stuff it in a scrap book, or recycle it with your cereal boxes. Whatever you want! You deserve it!

Happy last days of July!