Dear Readers,
I just received word today via Twitter that my book Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is being read in a Michigan teacher’s virtual book club with her students. How awesome is that?!
I provided the books in a Twitter giveaway contest, and this was one of four winning teachers.
Next, I was invited to join the club during the last session to surprise the kids.
So get a clue, Readers. Let’s keep the kids reading. This is why I write.
Dear Readers and Dog Lovers,
Recently, I fostered an adorable, lovable poodle-bichon mix named Dante. He was a mini version of my own dog Jimmy Lambchop. I had been in the market for a friend for Jimmy for some time, and I was sure Dante was the one.
I will never learn if the person who named Dante admired the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), best known for the epic poem The Divine Comedy. Since I had been a literature major in college, that possibility struck me immediately . As a result, I found myself calling Dante “Mr. A” for the nine days he called my house his home.
Dante was a rescue from Mexico who, at the age of seven, deserved a forever home. Sadly, mine just didn’t turn out to be the one. You see, Dante and Jimmy just didn’t “click.” No sparks. No interest. No engagement. Returning Dante to the rescue owner was heartbreaking for me. Perhaps for Dante as well. He had gotten very comfortable at my house. I had gotten very attached to him.
So get a clue, Readers. I miss Dante but know that the right loving home awaits him soon. (Thankfully, I’m told there is a long list of applicants for him.) As difficult as returning a foster to a shelter or rescue can be, stepping up and fostering an animal can be so rewarding. Just think about all the love and security you can give them, even if it isn’t forever. Fostering teaches you to live and love in the moment, regardless of the outcome. That’s one powerful lesson.
Dear Readers,
I just got back from the Post Office. I mailed four boxes equaling twenty-four copies of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets to my Twitter raffle winners!
Twenty kids and four teachers in four different states will soon be reading my book in their #VirtualBookClubs. What a great feeling I have that I’m doing something constructive for kids and teachers during this Shut Down!
So get a clue, Readers. Keep looking for ways to bring a smile to others during this unusual time in everyone’s life. You’ll get back much more than you give!
Hello, Kids, Teachers, Librarians, Parents, and Other Readers,
I just received word today from Tom Jordan, my narrator with ACX, that the Audiobook for Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is almost finished!
After I do the final proof and hit the approve button, we bring the Botanic Hill detectives and the rest of the cast to life. Release date is tentatively set for mid May on Audible.com.
So get a clue, Readers. Audiobooks are great for classrooms, libraries, in the car, at home for reluctant readers or any readers, and whenever you just want to hear the characters’ voices. Get ready to listen!
Dear Readers,
While out walking my dog Jimmy Lambchop yesterday, I came across the following evocative poem that a neighbor had taped to her front yard’s Little Free Library box.
I was so moved by it that I came home and Googled the poet so that I could present her poem to you. You might have already read it since, apparently, it’s gone viral–an ironic term these days.
It was written in March 2020 by Kitty O’Meara, a former teacher and chaplain from Wisconsin. She and her husband live with five dogs and three cats. She wrote this poem “while trying to process the catastrophic news surrounding the spread of the coronavirus.” Here is her poem:
And the People Stayed Home
And the people stayed home.
And read books, and listened, and rested,
and exercised, and made art, and played games,
and learned new ways of being, and were still.
And listened more deeply.
Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.
Some met their shadows.
And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed.
And, in the absence of people living in ignorant,
dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways,
the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again,
they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images,
and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully,
as they had been healed.
So get a clue, Readers. I hope many of you have “create[d] new ways to live and heal the earth fully” as you continue to wind your way through this unprecedented time. Please be safe, stay home, and stay well.
Hi, Kids, and those who love you (teachers, family members, godparents, friends, neighbors, etc.),
My goal as a writer continues to be getting my stories into kids’ hands and hearts. Since most schools are closed, we all need to help KEEP THE KIDS READING!
For my part, I have reduced the price of my eBook on Amazon to $2.99 through April 30. (If you’re reading this, my Thursday blog, for the first time in my April 30 Newsletter, it isn’t too late! The sale doesn’t end until midnight.)
Please click on the following link to order and upload your copy of my eBook right now: Nutmeg Street eBook
Then, to KEEP THE KIDS WRITING, please encourage them to leave a review of my book on Amazon. Click on the same link above, scroll down as you look left, and click on “Write a Customer Review.” Write as little or as much as you like. Submit. That’s it!
So get a clue, Kids and Adults. I would love to see what you kids are thinking about Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets. Please post a review. I’ll be on the lookout it! Thanks so much.
