Hello, All Readers. Autumn and its magic approach! Being a shy kid, I made good friends with books. But I was also lucky enough to grow up with fog-shrouded castles, moonlit forests, prowling creatures, and times when every night and day felt like Halloween. Please journey with me, and I will lay all the magic…
Hello, Kids, and All Readers, Alert readers may remember that in my May 31 newsletter, I shared that our four Botanic Hill detectives declared a summer moratorium on mysteries following their exhausting eighth case, Bougainvillea Street: Stolen Tiara, to recuperate and explore personal passions. They promised to share their experiences with us in late summer.…
Hello, All Readers, especially Educators, Families, and Kids, Feel like you’re getting hit over the head daily—maybe hourly—by social media noise, conflicting news about world events, and the rapid rise of AI? Like me, you might find yourself wondering whether the truth is actually out there. What’s real, what’s false, and what sits somewhere…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, When I was growing up, summer meant that I suddenly had more time to read. What a gift! I hope children everywhere feel the same way. My TBR pile included Nancy Drew, Phyllis A. Whitney mysteries, and a sprinkling of the Hardy Boys adventures, along with any other whodunits I…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, It’s late May. In the Northern Hemisphere, that means–HERE COMES SUMMER! How will you spend it this year? After months of cracking codes, sneaking through shadows, and outsmarting adults who really should know better, our four young Botanic Hill detectives have declared a summer moratorium on mysteries. (Or so they…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, Are you familiar with this quote? “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” ~Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time Quintet My interpretation of this famous quote is that children…
Hello, Adult Readers, Are you aware that today, March 15, is called “The Ides of March“? So, what are “ides,” and who really cares? Well, I do, having an inquiring mind for interesting historical tidbits that my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries might embrace! Turns out that “ides” refers to the first full moon in a…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Here comes March! It is a month in motion. Birds take flight on long journeys, chasing the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, nests are built. Animals emerge from winter slumber. Even the weather seems to migrate—drifting from cold to warm and back again in a single afternoon. (Though here in Southern…
Hello, Kids, and All Readers, As I write this, I’m finishing a bowl of my neighbor’s delicious vegetarian pozole rojo, garnished with avocado and crispy corn tortilla strips, while listening to Andres Segovia play Joaquin Rodrigo‘s Concierto de Arnajuez. It’s arguably the most famous guitar concerto ever composed. For me, the piece is a gorgeous Spanish landscape, evoking Moorish images and Flamenco rhythms.…
