I can't say enough wonderful things about my latest book, Owl's Rump. It's a heartwarming story about a young possum (or opossum, if you prefer,) nicknamed Owl by his siblings because he is nearsighted and spends all his time reading, so as a result he knows a great many things about a great many things, but he is sorely lacking in experience in the great big world, so when he finds himself through a series of missteps wandering about in the Dark Woods after dark, he relies on his wits and the knowledge he has gleaned from his reading to puzzle his way through adventures and, ultimately, to home and a new sense of identity, maturity and self-respect. Without giving too much of the plot away, I can reveal that the rump refers to Owl's own tuckus, which is subjected to repeated explorations by increasingly large and frightening Night Creatures who, again, without giving too much of the plot away, have their way with our poor possum, often more than once, bringing him to the unwonted and unexpected realization that the Great Big World is not always as benign as Owl's books would have him believe, and also the realization that the Dark Woods in the dark are not a good place, especially for a naive and nearsighted possum, and, of course, also to the realization that – well, perhaps that should be left for the reader to discover when he or she buys this marvelous book! We must keep one surprise, at least! Owl's Rump does not yet have a publisher, though I have submitted it to all the big names in young adult publishing, and in spite of its cute and yet shining prose and insightful allegory, and I have to say I've been a little surprised by how quickly most have expressed their lack of interest. With the right publisher, and perhaps with some delightfully ambiguous illustrations, this book is sure to fly off the shelves faster than you could say "Watership Down meets Coming of Age means The. Next. Blockbuster!" I've already started to lay plans for the book tour, and I'm starting work on a screenplay – I've never written one before, but with a story like this it just writes itself. I picture Daniel Radcliffe in the title role, with considerable makeup to make him look like a possum, and a variety of actors as the creatures in the Dark Woods. It's going to be a major movie hit, I just know it.