INTRODUCING New Monday Muse - Robin Fitzsimmons Meng

It is my wonderful pleasure to introduce you to our first NEW MUSE, Robin Fitzsimmons Meng.  I met her many years ago (we were very young) at the Vassar Children's Publishing Institute and her middle grade manuscript completely captivated me.  Life took us in different directions, but it's been so much fun to reconnect with Robin and her writing. I know you will love getting to know her and will welcome her warmly to the YAMuses blog.  - Donna

Hi, everyone! I’m Robin Meng and I am so grateful for the opportunity to participate in this wonderful blog with the incredible writers who bring it to life each week. When Donna Cooner approached me about lending my voice to this community, I felt like I was floating on air. So my deepest thanks to Donna, Veronica, Brett, Talia and Katherine and the universe for opening this exciting space and inviting me in. Greetings, too, to Jodi Kendall, Beth Hull, Aaron Bergh, Kristen Held and Lia Keyes who join with me as newbies.

I am the zany stepmom to three fantastic adults who make my life joyous.  I live in a 130- year- old house on a hill overlooking the Hudson River, just about 30 minutes north of New York City. My husband  is a superb cook and the best person to have with you in a crisis of any size. His advice is always, “Where’s your sense of humor?” I am crazy about animals, live with three cats and as luck would have it, I’m Development Manager for the SPCA of Westchester, a job that allows me to combine my passion for writing and animal welfare.

I've always loved animals.
Here I am with my first dog, Mindy, or as I refer to the photo:
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Beagle

I've been reading and creating stories all of my life. I was blessed with a very vivid imagination and the sense that the world always had an adventure or two tucked away to be discovered even on the most boring day.  As a child, I was the one who couldn’t sit still in class on the day that our book club selections arrived. If I asked the teacher once, I asked her a hundred times if she could hand out the books early instead of waiting until the dismissal bell. The answer was always no – and rightly so. She knew I couldn’t resist the urge to sniff the pages and take in the new book smell, even if I had promised not to read them during class. Books were and are my good friends. Writing was, and still is, my soul’s connection to the world.

I dropped off the path of pursuing publication only to pick it up again thanks to Donna Cooner, who told me, “a writer doesn’t stop writing.” I met Donna at a week-long writing workshop at Vassar College. Besides the invaluable information I gleaned from the experience, there was nothing to compare with the friendships forged and the sense of community. Writing is such a solitary activity in a world that craves instant social connection. Having friends who are also writers is invaluable. Having a writing community of which you are a part can make the journey easier. It can soothe the fears that you are going crazy, or you’ll never be good enough, or you’ll never have an original idea, let alone publish your book one day. I am thrilled to climb on board this blog to share and learn from its creators and readers. So I end this entry with the same sentiment I expressed when I started it: I am Robin Meng, and I am so grateful.