Leslie Eva Tayloe

Award Winning Picture Book Author

July – September 2025

Book giveaway winner for October is Natasha Hester from Virginia! Congrats.

Happy Book Birthday to The Attic Door! 🎉

The Attic Door was published in September, 2024. It’s a suspenseful, slightly spooky, and funny story that ultimately reminds kids that curiosity leads to discovery, and sometimes what feels scary at first isn’t scary at all.

My inspiration came from my 2nd grade bedroom, living in Chicago, where I had a full-length door that led into an attic. The door would shake during windy and wintery nights. I was happy to change room with my younger brother. But his room (my new room) had a window that stepped out onto the roof. My imagination continued! 

I’m so grateful for the journey that brought this book to life. It has won two awards: The Story Monster Approved Award and the Literary Titan Book Award. 

My Accomplishments This Quarter:

Drafted New Stories – 5
Revisions – 1 
Participated in Festivals – 5
Conducted Read Alouds/Crafts – 2
Critiqued Writers’ Manuscripts – 18 picture books plus one middlegrade story
Traveled to Italy for 10 Days! (Rome, Montepuliciano, Cinque Terre)
Oldest granddaughter visited in July for a week
Enrolled in a 2 ½ day workshop with Bushel and Peck Publisher
Free Book Giveaways – 3

My Upcoming Events in October, November (no events in December)

I hope to see you at one!

October 2-3, 2025, SCBWI MidAtlantic Participant at the Virginia Library Association’s Annual Conference, Richmond, VA.

October 4, 2024, Signing at Turn the Page Bookshop, Williamsburg, VA. 12-4. 

November 1, 2025, Brooke Point Craft Fair, Stafford, Virginia, 9:00 – 2:30. 

November 6, 2025, Speaker for SCBWI Pennsylvania West, Virtual, 7:00pm EST, Presentation includes: Preparing Submission: What a writer needs to do before submission; Record keeping: How to organize and track your submissions, Finding Publishers: Where to search, Submitting your work:  Best practices, The query letter. https://www.scbwi.org/events/scbwi-pa-west-presents-helpful-tips-on-querying-a-publisher-with-leslie-eva-tayloe

November 8, 2025, Bell Creek Holiday Craft Show, American Legion Auxiliary, 8700 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA, 9-4. 

November 15, 2025, Holiday Bazaar and Craft Show, Mechnicsville, VA 9-2. 

November 29, 2025, 2025 Small Business Saturday at Hardywood RVA, vendor booth.

            Until Next Month!          Best, Leslie