Started 6/7                                                           Finished 6/11
Anna’s story begins in 1530 when Katherine of Aragon was still queen. The first time I read it, I ignored the storyline in the first 2 chapters because they had Anna pregnant. This time I read the author’s notes that included a quote from Henry VIII. He said Anna wasn’t a maid when he married her, and evidently, he said it more than once. There’s no proof Anna was ever pregnant, but it’s an interesting theory.

By chapter 3, the story is historically back on track. It’s 1539.  Jane Seymour is dead, and Henry’s looking for a new wife. Anna isn’t interested. Europeans are shocked by Henry and his three wives. One royal said she’d marry him, if she had 2 heads.  

The Princess in the Portrait is the perfect title. Henry was so obsessed with Anna’s appearance that he sent his court painter to Kleve. Henry proposes after seeing the portrait, but he’s disappointed when he meets the real Anna. Enough that he doesn’t consummate their marriage. Within weeks he’s working on an annulment, and, seeking a new queen.
​
I’m amazed by the ending to Anna’s story. She kept her head, literally, and became Henry’s good sister. Odd, but true. Henry died in 1547. His last queen, Catherine Parr, died in 1548. As for Anna, she died in 1557. She lived longer than Henry’s other queens, except for Katherine of Aragon.
​

​ Amazon’s Description:
Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective. Entranced by the lovely image, Henry is bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England, and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her.

What follows is the fascinating story of an awkward royal union that somehow had to be terminated. Even as Henry begins to warm to his new wife and share her bed, his attention is captivated by one of her maids-of-honor. Will he accuse Anna of adultery as he did Queen Anne Boleyn, and send her to the scaffold? Or will he divorce her and send her home in disgrace? Alison Weir takes a fresh and astonishing look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone and fearing for her life in a royal court that rejected her almost from the day she set foot on England’s shore.

​

Started 5/30                                                    Finished 6/7
The Haunted Queen begins in the same place the other two did, with its main character as a teenager. It ends in the same place too, with her death. All three are historical fiction, but I got to know each queen and her character, enough to compare and contrast them.

Anne and Jane’s stories began during the reign of Katherine of Aragon, the true queen. Her value to Henry VIII – her dowry and connections to Spain. She was renown as a Christian, a devoted wife, mother and queen, but she couldn’t satisfy Henry . . . she couldn’t give him a son.

Both Anne and Jane started royal life as Katherine’s maids of honor. Jane arrived sometime during The King’s Great Matter, his obsession to divorce Katherine and marry Anne. Both were well educated, but Katherine remained Catholic. Anne turned to Protestant reformers, pushed to translate the Bible into English, and made the Church of England possible. She believed that women could rule. She might have kept her head and remained queen, if she’d only given Henry a son, and been a little nicer.

Jane stayed with Katherine until her family made her go to court, as Anne’s maid of honor. When Anne lost her fourth child, Jane’s family pushed her at Henry. It worked – they were engaged the day after Anne was beheaded. That’s when the haunting began, at least in this work of historical fiction. Jane would give him that all-important son, but die doing it.
​
Jane was a devout Catholic, but not educated like the others. She could read and write, but that was it. Her claim to fame – her obedience and kindness. She obeyed Henry and the Church of England. She brought his daughter, Mary back into the fold after Anne had her disinherited. Jane was remarkable.

​ Amazon’s Description:
Ever since she was a child, Jane has longed for a cloistered life as a nun. But her large noble family has other plans, and as an adult, Jane is invited to the King’s court to serve as lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. The devout Katherine shows kindness to all her ladies, almost like a second mother, which makes rumors of Henry’s lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn—also lady-in-waiting to the queen—all the more shocking.  For Jane, the betrayal triggers memories of a haunting incident that shaped her beliefs about marriage.
                 
But once Henry disavows Katherine and secures Anne as his new queen—forever altering the religious landscape of England—he turns his eye to another: Jane herself. Urged to return the King’s affection and earn favor for her family, Jane is drawn into a dangerous political game that pits her conscience against her desires. Can Jane be the one to give the King his long-sought-after son, or will she be cast aside like the women who came before her?
                 
Bringing new insight to this compelling story, Alison Weir marries meticulous research with gripping historical fiction to re-create the dramas and intrigues of the most renowned court in English history. At its center is a loving and compassionate woman who captures the heart of a king, and whose life will hang in the balance for it.
​

​A Tudor Family Portrait, circa 1545, from left to right: 'Mother Jak' (Edward’s nurse), Lady Mary, Prince Edward, Henry VIII, Jane Seymour(posthumous), Lady Elizabeth and Will Somers (court jester)

Do you have flower power? Test yourself with a few trivia questions . . .

1.    Which flower follows the sun across the sky? 

2. What makes them follow it?
​
Nectar      Water      Sunshine     Shadow

And the answers are . . . 
​

1. Sunflowers follow the sun across the sky.

2. Water helps them do it. 

​Did you know that as young plants, sunflowers actually follow the sun during part of their day. How? Why? Because of Heliotopism. Common sunflowers who are the same age, turn their petals in unison toward the sun. Before the flower opens or is pollinated, the young plants face the sun at dawn and follow it across the sky. At sunset they turn to the east and wait for the sun to rise again. Who knew sunflowers could tell time?!
 
 Heliotropism uses special cells at the bottom of leaves and flower buds. They’re called pulvinus. Those cells have tiny motors inside them, not the kind we have in cars, but they move the flower so it can follow the sun. Water inside the pulvinus creates turgor pressure. That means those cells get either bigger, or smaller. How do they know which way to go? That depends on the pressure, and it makes the stems bend toward the sun or away from it. Wow, who knew plants could measure air pressure too?!
​

Sources:
For More Info: homeguides.sfgate.com
Which flower follows the sun’s... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub
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                                                                                                    Part 2
                                         3.  Why do people plant sunflowers close to nuclear accident sites? 

                                                          To monitor radiation                             To suck it out
                                                           To decorate the area                            To increase crop yields
 
                                                                     4.  What are sunflowers better at cleaning? 

                                                                               Soil                                                         Water
                                  
                                                                                               And the answers are . . . ​

​3. Sunflowers suck the radiation out of the soil.
 
4. They can do it better with water. 

Sunflowers suck the radiation out, but how? They grow quickly so they’re known as hyper-accumulators. They need to gather lots of nutrients, and FAST! They’re not particular about what comes in, so they absorb minerals, both regular and radioactive ones. They pull the nutrients into their roots, stems, and leaves.  If you travel to Chernobyl or Fukushima, both nuclear disaster sites, you’ll find fields of sunflowers growing and cleaning the dirt.
​
Scientists studied sunflowers first at Chernobyl in the 1990s. They were surprised by how effectively they could clean water sources. Soil is trickier because radioactive elements get more time to bond with the minerals down in the dirt.  

​ Sources:
More Info: www.askqotd.com
Why are sunflowers planted in... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub

 5. The plant people eat . . . artichokes.
 
6. They’re from the Mediterranean. 
​

Sources:
More Info: en.wikipedia.org
https://quizzclub.com/games/bonus/which-of-these-plants-do-people-eat/answer/822763/
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​Photo: Hellabore Argutifolius: By Daderot - Self-photographed, Public Domain,
ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3760755

Started 4/24                                                                    Finished 4/28
I spent the 24th and 25th traveling, so I finished Willa and the Dark Hollow . . . Then I started all over again. There are things you see when you read something twice. Now I’m on chapter 46 out of 62, and I’m heading for that big finish, again.

In Book 1, I found out who Willa was as a character, how she dealt with the evil within her own world, then discovered a new family outside it.

I liked Book 1, but I loved Book 2! It’s how Willa saves the magical world of the Smokies. It’s a great fantasy with bits of history blended in. Willa discovers how the Smokies are a world of plants, animals, and people. Loggers and mountain folk, Cherokee and Faeran . . . It doesn’t matter who you are. No one can exist in isolation after 1901. The Smokies changed, and cooperation is key to everyone’s, to everything’s survival.

The world of the Faeran, whose wood witches communicate with nature, make this a truly original story, It isn’t a bit preachy. I was cheering for Willa from beginning to end. She’s the perfect hero. She even has a sacrificial ending. Personally, I wanted her to be happy, but this one fit the plot. Book 2 will stand alone, but it’s richer if you read Book 1 first.

PS – Book 2, with the loggers’ story, is part of how the Great Smoky Mountains’ National Park was created in 1934.

Amazon’s Description:
NOTE: Willa of Dark Hollow is a stand-alone story that does not require reading any of the author's previous books. Plunge into an exciting story of history, mystery, & magic from the best-selling author of the Serafina series. Loved by adults and young readers alike, Kirkus Reviews has awarded Dark Hollow the prestigious Kirkus Star, calling it "a captivating, stirring tale of family and friendship.
​
"The Great Smoky Mountains. 1901. Willa and her clan are the last of the Faeran, an ancient race of forest people who have lived in the mountains for as long as the trees have grown there. But as crews of newly arrived humans start cutting down great swaths of the forest she loves, Willa is helpless to stop them. How can she fight the destroyers of the forest and their powerful machines? When Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange and beautiful creatures, she comes to realize that it contains a terrifying force. Is unleashing these dangerous spirits the key to stopping the loggers? Willa must find a way to save the people and animals she loves and take a stand against an all-consuming darkness that threatens to destroy her world. For readers from 8 to 108.

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​Started 4/20                                                                      Finished 4/23
Next up, Killing Jesus. I didn’t plan to, but somehow it called out to me. It’s well done, but not my favorite book from the Killing series. Maybe it’s because I know so much about Jesus from years of church. Maybe it’s because the authors didn’t go into faith, which is the most important thing about Jesus, for me. But then, writing it from a purely factual, historical point of view makes sense for a broader audience, for people who don’t know or follow Jesus.

The story starts not with the birth, but with the killing of babies in and around Bethlehem. They were age two and under. It ends with the women finding the tomb open and Jesus gone. What did surprise me is how the disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ words or actions, how he was telling them that his death was coming. That fascinated me. 

The afterword goes into his story after death – how it was told by the disciples, and by other historians. It includes the fate of the disciples. They dreamed of glory,  but died deaths like Jesus. The Maries, Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother, they disappear after the crucifixion.

I was surprised to learn what happened to the villains . . . Emperor Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, and Herod Antipas. I never wondered about them, ever. Killing Jesus finishes with the influence Jesus had on the Roman world, and the effect he continues to have today.

Amazon’s Description:
Millions of readers have thrilled to bestselling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way we read history.

Now the iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God. Killing Jesus will take readers inside Jesus's life, recounting the seismic political and historical events that made his death inevitable - and changed the world forever.

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Started 4/14                                                              Finished 4/19  
I tried and failed to write last night so I’ll try, try again. I’ve read Killing Lincoln before, probably a couple times. It called me back again last week. No surprise . . . I’ve admired Abe since I was a kid, and each time I read this biography I learn a little more. The writing and research are that good.

It’s hard to write nonfiction, even harder to make it read like a story, and this biography has details I’ve never read anywhere else. Mary Todd Lincoln’s depression is in lots of places, but this is the only one that said the last time she saw Abe, she gave him permission to die. It was only a sentence or two, but it caught my attention, this time. I did the same thing for my dad the last time I saw him back in 2015. It’s something I’ll never forget.

The authors helped me get to know each character in Lincoln’s story . . . from Abe and Mary . . .  to Generals Grant and Lee . . . to John Wilkes Booth himself. It was like having a narrator feed me facts as I read, but only on a need-to-know basis. Lines like Abe, ‘the man who had five days to live,’ pushed the ticking clock, and the drama. They’re sprinkled throughout the manuscript. If you like history and you’re fascinated with Abraham Lincoln, you should pick up this book.
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Amazon’s Description:
A riveting historical narrative of the heart-stopping events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the first work of history from mega-bestselling author Bill O'Reilly

The iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased.

In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.

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​Started 4/6                                                   Finished on 4/13
​What did I read? A little bit of this, and a little bit of that! I had a couple writing friends with picture books coming out. I had another one with a middle grade novel. I took my time reading . . . until I discovered its debut date . . . the next day. I was on chapter 7, and I finished the whole book in the next day and a half. When I make a promise, I keep it!

I didn’t share them because they’re part of my business. Reading picture, chapter, and middle grade novels are what I do professionally. I reviewed each book, and those reviews are on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble. Eventually I’ll pull them up and put them into My Reads reviews.

BTW – the only books I review are ones that I can give 4’s or 5’s. If a score is less than that, I’d rather let the author know why I didn’t review it. I’ve read over 500 books so I have lots to choose from.

The books in this post are things I’m reading for fun. Sometimes I pick romance novels. Sometimes I pick fantasy or biography. I have over 300 books on my kindle so, I reread them. Then I buy a book or too. It’s like a treasure hunt finding new ones.

PS – I also finished Willa of the Woods. Would you believe it’s way more fun to read when it’s not business? Now . . . to buy the sequel!
​
PPS – I didn’t finish Harry Potter. I wasn’t in the mood. Maybe when I’m at the lake, I’ll take a couple weeks and read the whole series, just for fun. That’s my favorite kind of reading! 

Part 1 – Me and Storyworth:  Have you seen Storyworth in ads on TV? I have. I almost got it for my mother for Christmas. There were things I wanted to know about her, but my husband and I thought it would be too hard, even if I did the writing. Now I’m glad I didn’t. Mom died in early December, but I wish I’d been able to do this five years ago.

​It turns out someone in our family got Storyworth for Christmas. Me! It was from my daughter, and now every Monday, she gives me new homework . . . every Monday! That’s when I get a new email prompt from Storyworth. I’m 4 behind, and I’ve never been late on homework . . . ever!
​

​The first photo was from Storyworth’s Facebook page. This one is from the top of their webpage. I’d never seen it, until I started putting together this post. It’s a treasure! It’s a letter from the founder of Storyworth that tells their story. I’ll let it speak for itself. It’s worth reading!

​You can read the letter, but you can also listen to the video. I didn’t, but you can go to their website and listen. I believe that the young man is one of the founders, Nick Baum, and the older man is his father. I love their story, even though I didn’t listen (I had this blog to write).

​Meet the founders, Nick and Krista Baum. I love mom and pop businesses! I read that Nick’s from Stockholm and grew up in France. I bet he has some stories to pass onto his own family. I hope they find time to write them down. Their kids will love them!

Meet Sarah Christian, the customer care lead. Her team is easy to work with! I’m known for my questions, and someone from Storyworth answered within 24 hours.

Both questions were about formatting pictures. BTW – I learned the best strategy is to put all your photos at the bottom of your answer. If you have 2, 3, or 4 pictures, then take a screenshot. Put it at the bottom.
​
​

Part 2 – My Storyworth Account: This is my homepage for my year-long adventure on Storyworth. Normally I don’t see it. The question I’m answering has a link. I click on it, paste in my answer and a photo or two. Then I click save. But if I’m editing, or want to know where I’m at, this is where I go to check-in.  

​Here are the first five stories I wrote for my daughter. I answered them back in January. That’s when I was able to keep up with my Storyworth homework. 

​Post 9 is about my childhood pets. When I submitted it, Storyworth sent my daughter an email. She’s my editor. She started this project so I want her to be happy with the results, but I also want to make sure my writing is clear to her. And to anyone else who reads it.

She knows some things from my childhood but not everything. I wanted to make sure I wrote enough . . . not too much, or too little. When I wrote about my childhood pets, she wanted to include our dog Leia. I almost added it into post 9, but then I decided question 11 was a better fit.

#11 asked, ‘Who inspires you?’ I answered, ‘The characters in my work in progress (WIP).’ Then I wrote about Leia and her picture book story. It took 11 years to get it agent-ready. That’s super hard!

Then I added in Leia’s history with our family, like how she came to be Leia Millenia Beach. OOPS! I forgot about the name part for Storyworth, but I can’t tell everything! Even here. I don’t want this book to be Harry Potter long. Then my kids wouldn’t read it either!
​

​​

​Part 3 – How I Write and Edit My Posts: Here are the basic steps I take to answer a Storyworth question.
​
1. I jot down a list of things I want to write about. It’s quick, fast, and dirty. For Leia, I wrote picture book, choosing her, coming home, and best things.

2. Then I start writing, first sentences, then paragraphs, about each idea on the list. I don’t worry. I just put my answers into the computer.

3. Next, I edit. I listen to each paragraph on my computer. (I use narrator.). I don’t move on to a new paragraph until it feels right. I add and delete words. I move sentences around until I’m ready. It’s better, but not perfect.

​4. Then I do another round of revision. It’s never just right on the first round, or the second one either. Every time I make a change, it uncovers something else. When I listen to my writing, I hear my mistakes and change them. I’m done when those mistakes are gone, when I like how the words sound altogether.

5. Next I find photos to fit the post. Usually I pick one or two, and I take a screen shot of them together.

6. Now I’m ready to go into Storyworth. I find the right question, paste in my words, add in the photos, and click submit.
​
7. Storyworth emails my daughter, and she checks my work. If she finds an error, I do another round of edits until it’s just right.

​Here’s a finished question. It looks like a chapter book to me, but my daughter likes them this length. I need to go back and edit my early pictures. I couldn’t get them side by side the way I wanted. Now I know how – screenshot them together. 

If you want to remember your family’s history, I’d take a look at Storyworth. Your posts can be as short or as long as you’d like, and you’ll have your family history, plus photos, in one book.

Started 3/30                                         Finished 2nd Read 4/5 
I started this book on a Wednesday, and I finished it Thursday thanks to a long car ride. Love Practically came out in March so this was my first chance to read it. I love the way Nichole Van writes, the way she develops a story.

This time she introduced the two main characters in the Prologue. Then we meet them 20 years later in chapter 1. They’re dealing with all the things that have happened since that first chance meeting. I finished it in the car and started rereading. I love reading a book again. You notice things that you didn’t catch the first time.

Nicole wrote an author’s note at the end of her story. They fascinate me because they tell how an author developed a story from idea to finished book. You’re getting the inside scoop, straight from the writer’s keyboard!

PS – I’m looking forward to September. That’s when the 2nd book comes out.

​Amazon’s Description:
As a young woman, Leah Penn-Leith fell hopelessly in love with Captain Fox Carnegie—the only irrational mark on her decidedly sensible life. Fox, unfortunately, did not return her regard.

Their story should have ended there. After all, Fox left for India. And Leah returned home to Scotland to rear her much younger brothers.

But twenty years later, Fox appears on Leah’s doorstep—older, scarred, and world-weary—proposing a marriage of convenience between them. He needs a mother for his young ward, and Leah, with her capable good sense, comes highly recommended. What woman could say No to such a proposal? Not Leah. Fox has always wreaked havoc on her ability to think rationally.

After their marriage, Leah confronts the chaotic reality of Fox’s life. His castle, ten miles up a rugged Highland glen, is shambolic. His ward, Madeline, is a precocious handful. Fox’s time in India is shrouded in rumor and mystery. Worst of all, Fox himself is distant and broken, his personality as altered as his scarred body.

Throughout it all, Leah is left with two questions: What happens to a woman after her most-cherished fantasy comes true? And can a marriage, begun in practicality, transform into something deeper? Something like . . . love.

​

Started 3/23                                                          Finished 3/30
I read Shadow of Night back in July of 2012. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. How could I not love it when I got to time travel back to meet Elizabeth I? When I finished, I couldn’t wait to read the final installment.

Then 2 years passed. The Book of Life finally came out in August of 2014, and it was worth the wait! It wrapped up all the loose ends, and it finally answered everything I wanted to know about Ashmole 782. It gave me the satisfying ending that I was waiting for, plus a few surprises along the way. That’s why I’ve reread this series 3 or 4 times since 2014.

Amazon’s Description:
The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale--sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night, that sets up Time's Convert. Look for the hit TV series “A Discovery of Witches” airing Sundays on AMC and BBC America, and streaming on Sundance Now and Shudder.
 
After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
 
With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

​

Started 3/10                                                           Finished3/23
I just finished A Discovery of Witches. To my surprise I found a quote that helped me imagine the little girl in my bat story. She needs to show signs of becoming a baby witch, and now I can finally picture how that might happen.

Now onto Book 2, Shadow of Night. It’s my favorite, because I get to travel back in time to meet my favorite historical figure . . . Elizabeth I. The year is 1590, and Elizabeth has 13 years left to live. To meet her on the page, watch her interact with Matthew and Diana, it’s an incredible journey that you can only take in a book. 

​Amazon’s Description:
The #1 New York Times-bestselling sequel to A Discovery of Witches, book two of the All Souls Series. Look for the hit TV series “A Discovery of Witches,” streaming on AMC Plus, Sundance Now and Shudder. Season 2 premieres January 9, 2021! 

Picking up from A Discovery of Witches' cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes reluctant witch Diana Bishop and vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782--the lost and enchanted manuscript whose mystery first pulled Diana and Matthew into one another's orbit--deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew's past tightens around them. Together they find they must embark on a very different - and vastly more dangerous - journey.

"A captivating and romantic ripping yarn,"** Shadow of Night confirms Deborah Harkness as a master storyteller, able to cast an "addictive tale of magic, mayhem and two lovers."**

Part 1:   Have you ever wanted to escape? You can – if you’re in Wapakoneta, Ohio on April 2nd. Just stop in Riverside Art Center anytime from 10:30 – 1:30. I’ll be doing a brand-new activity for kids – Escape to the Lake. I’ll be their guide. Your kids will write and draw about how they’ll have fun, and best of all – it’s free!

If you can’t make it to Wapak, you can schedule an event with me. I can come in person, or I can zoom with you. I love to work with kids! It’s why I still substitute – to stay connected to kids, families, and schools.  If a visit isn’t possible, try one of my lake books. They both have a story with illustrations from me, and journal pages for you. You’ll get to be my co-author, my co-illustrator.
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Part 2 – Escape with Lake Fun for You and Me:  There are two ways you can escape to the lake, and your child can choose their own way to go, whether they meet me in person, on zoom, or in one of my books.
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Lake Fun for You and Me is one choice. It’s my lake picture book. My story and illustrations are on the left side of each page. The right side looks a lot like this journal page, except it includes the family scavenger hunt results. There’s room for you to write and draw about your escape. There’s also room to do your own family scavenger hunt too.  If you have a copy of my book, you’ll get to be my co-author and co-illustrator. 

I don’t know how many revisions I did to get Lake Fun ready to publish. I started in June of 2020 and finished in April 2021, so it was quite a few. I can help your child do a first draft and encourage them to keep working until it’s just right, whether they put it in Lake Fun or into a journal of their own.
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Here are a couple of the ideas that made their way into my book. Every one of them was something my family did whenever we escaped to our lake. They’re the things that Zoe and her family did in Lake Fun and in Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun too.

When Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun launched in 2021, I used my illustrations to make a top 10 list of ways to have fun at the lake. Take a peek at #8 Cannonballing off the Dock and #7 Kayaking. My family did both on our vacations, and I hope yours will too, when you get the chance to escape to your lake.
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Part 3 – Escape with Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun: This is the second way to escape to the lake with me – in person, on zoom, or in one of my books.
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Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun is my other lake book. The chapters and illustrations are at the front. I saved room at the back for you to write and draw your own escape. Your pages as co-author and illustrator are altogether. 

I don’t know how many revisions I did for Zoe either. I had an editor at BiblioKids. We started work in September and finished in November. First we converted my picture book into chapters. Then we did a couple rounds of revisions to make the story fit its new format. We did the same thing with the illustrations. I’ll help your child revise their first draft, and I’ll work with them until they think their story is just right, just like my editor did.
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Here are a few more ideas that found their way into my lake books. My family had fun with them and so did Zoe, in both stories. 

These illustrations came from that top 10 list of ways to have fun at the lake, and they were two of my kids’ favorites. #5 is Tubing. My husband used to play ‘Crack the Whip’ with the boat and the tube. The kids loved it.
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#4 is Wakeboarding. My adult kids and husband still do it. I’m their spotter. My job is to shout when they go down. Then we swing around to pick them up. Safety first – you don’t want another boat to get too close when they’re alone in the water.

If you’re free April 1st, I hope you’ll stop by Riverside Art Center in Wapakoneta, Ohio. You’ll find me at the kids’ table, helping them escape to the lake. I hope I’ll be busy!

If you can’t make it to Riverside, we can escape together in a zoom session. It’s the next best thing, but if that’s impossible, try out one of my books. Your kids can contact me on my website, and I’ll be sure to answer. I love to help readers, writers, and illustrators.
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                               PS – This is my family’s favorite illustration from the book. Mine too!
​                    Here’s the link if you’d like to watch this post as a video.       Link: Watch | Facebook

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​Part 4 – An Unexpected Ending:  I thought I was done with this post. I already did my video. Then after taping it, I realized I’d forgotten something you might want – my top ten list.

​My post from March of 2021 started with the chapter book version of Zoe’s scavenger hunt. Here’s the link to her top ten images to help you escape.                    Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach

Part 5 – Striking Gold:  I couldn’t believe what I found last night when I was updating my vault . . . a video of Zoe’s Top Ten list.  Here’s the link for a final escape.               Link: Watch | Facebook
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Part 6 – A Photo Finish: 
​Meet a few of the kids who came to Riverside Art Center to escape to the lake with me. 

All they needed was me, my lake books, and their imagination.
Riverside Art Center supplied everything else.

Now it’s time to send a big thank you to Riverside!
​They let me try out my new activity for kids, and they were the perfect hosts!

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​                     Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman)
A longtime member of parliament, Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain in May of 1940 as Nazi troops are spreading across Europe. As the battlefront nears closer to England and with the entire British Army trapped at Dunkirk, he is immediately faced with a daunting choice: attempt a peace treaty with the Nazis to save his citizens or rally the war-weary nation behind the continued fight against tyranny.

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         Clementine Churchill (Kristin Scott Thomas)
Churchill's wife of 31 years at the time is both his emotional support and his intellectual equal. His adored 'Clemmie' is his most trusted confidante as well as critic, and is essential in helping him shape his strategic policy.

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                   King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn)
King George reluctantly appoints Churchill to Prime Minister in May of 1940 as the threat of a Nazi invasion of Great Britain looms.

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                            Elizabeth Layton (Lily James)
Elizabeth is Churchill's extremely loyal and attentive secretary. She begins working for him early in his appointment to Prime Minister as he writes several extremely important speeches crucial to bolstering the morale and patriotism of the public as the war rages on.

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                             Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane)
Lord Halifax is Foreign Secretary of the U.K. when Churchill is appointed Prime Minister. Not trusting Churchill's instincts, he advocates for negotiating a peace treaty with Germany at odds with Churchill's belief that any treaty would endanger the U.K.'s sovereignty and would radically change the balance of power throughout Europe.

Since Covid reared its head in 2020, we’ve all endured so much. Now that Covid’s waning, there’s something else to endure . . . the Ukraine. It hurts to watch the news. I endure by praying, by keeping the faith, and by doing what I can for the people around me. So here’s my newest post – 3 quotes from 3 people. They endured, and we can too.

When I look at this photo, I see endurance . . .  living in a wheelchair, the rehabilitation they’ve gone through, and the workouts to build strength. This is what endurance looks like.

                   Quote #1 – At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.
                                                                                Who said it? Frida Kahlo
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Below are two images of Frida. The first was taken by her father in 1932. Frida was 25. The second is a self-portrait Frida painted in 1940 at age 33.
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Frida endured more than most people can dream of. At age 6 she got polio. It changed her forever. Her right leg was shorter and thinner than her left one. She had to be isolated from her classmates for months, and kids can be mean.

Frida almost died in a bus accident when she was 18. An iron handrail sliced through her body. Her friends pulled it out. Can you imagine the pain she endured? Or your spine broken in 3 places, your leg in 11, and your foot crushed and dislocated? It took her 3 months to get back to work, but Frida was never the same again.
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The accident took away her dreams to become a doctor, and later a mom. They gave her pain, illness, and surgeries for the rest of her life. A friend said she “lived dying,” but she endured. She found another dream in her art. When she couldn’t sit or stand, she rigged an easel over her bed so she could paint. You can find braces and hospital beds in her work. She not only endured. She used her pain to grow as an artist.

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​Sources:
Frida’s Quote: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes
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Her Self-Portrait: By Frida Kahlo - Lloyd, Brigitte Gastel. "Portrait of the Artists". artroots.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3518151
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Information: Frida Kahlo - Wikipedia



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Quote #2 – Ruptures almost always lead to a stronger project.
Who said it? Anne Carson

This is Anne’s photograph from Amazon. She’s hard to find. Anne is a very private person. She’s also a college professor who’s been teaching the classics, comparative literature, and creative writing in the US and Canada since 1979.

Anne specializes in teaching and translating the classics from Ancient Greece and Rome. She also works with more modern writers like Emily Bronte and Virginia Woolf. They’re all part of her teaching and writing. 

​Anne loves to mix different kinds of writing together, from poetry to essay, from fiction to nonfiction. She likes to collaborate with singers, dancers, and visual artists. I’ve never read her work, but she must have a style all her own. 

Mixing and collaborating made Anne’s work unique, but it also led to problems. That’s when she switched gears and did something new. When she returned, the problem had worked itself out.

​Ruptures happen all the time – to balls and fingers and pipelines. Have you heard a bone heals back together stronger than it used to be? It’s true for me and my work, and for anyone who has endurance. 
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​Sources:
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Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes
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Anne Carson - Wikipedia



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Quote #3 – What do you do when there's nowhere to turn? You drive straight ahead.
Who said it? Leslie Gordon

Meet Leslie Gordon, her husband Scott Berns, and their son Sam. They got the news he had progeria in the summer of 1998. Sam was 22 months old, but it meant he’d age rapidly and die by age 14.

​Leslie and Scott specialized in pediatric medicine, but they discovered little was known about progeria. That there was little support for their family. With nowhere to go, they started their own research foundation to fill in the gap.

The Progeria Foundation has learned a great deal since 1998. They discovered the gene that caused it. Produced medicines that give children an extra 2 ½ years of life. They’re working at the DNA level to edit the genes that cause progeria. Without Leslie, Scott, and Sam, none of this would have happened.

Sam Berns died in 2014. He lived three extra years thanks to the foundation. I listened to his 2013 TED Talk. It’s incredible! It’s about his philosophy to live a happy life. He found it in the important things, like band and good friends. 

​Here’s to the road ahead. There are problems out there, but we can face them, like Leslie, Scott, and Sam did. Who knows what we’ll discover? The possibilities are endless. For every problem we endure, something good can come out of it.
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Started 2/23                                                          Finished 3/10​
I started this book again! I bought it back in July of 2012, and I’ve read it at least a half a dozen times since then. Why? It’s everything I love in a book – a fantasy of witches, vampires, and daemons mixed in with Darwin, evolution, and the extinction of species.

All of these mythical creatures are looking for one book, Ashmole 782. They think it has their answers to extinction, but Diana Bishop stumbles across it first. She sends it back to the stacks, and that’s when the sparks fly as the creatures stalk Diana and the book. I’m a third of the way done, and there’s nothing better than reading one of your favorite books, again!

​Amazon’s Description:
Book one of the New York Times-bestselling All Souls trilogy—"a wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People).  Look for the hit TV series “A Discovery of Witches,” streaming on AMC Plus, Sundance Now and Shudder. Season 2 premieres January 9, 2021! 

Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar's depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, and concludes with The Book of Life.

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Started 2/17                                  Finished 2nd Time on 2/22
Lexie #2 was more fun to read than #1! This time I knew the main characters and the setting. Lexie’s back as a reporter covering a costume jewelry crime wave. But there’s more to this case than junk jewelry . . .

Each piece had a bit of crystal in it that could boost someone’s paranormal ability. Gather a bunch of them together, and you’d be super-powerful. How can Lexie find a handful of crystals in time to stop the criminal and save the day?

You’ll have to read to find out! I did twice! The first time I wanted to solve the case before Lexie . . . I didn’t! The second time, I watched how the clues were woven together. Maybe someday I’ll write a mystery!
                           
 Amazon’s Description:   
 Small-time Crime, Big-time Danger - Of all the crimes to plague the idyllic small town of Stirling Mills, Texas, Lexie Lincoln never expected jewelry theft. But thieves are breaking into local homes, stealing cheap costume jewelry and stirring up paranoia. When a ghost suggests that the jewelry may be more valuable than anyone realizes, Lexie finds herself delving into forgotten chapters of the town’s strange history.

It seems the jewelry might actually be valuable to those with the ability to use its power, and that poses a real danger as the crimes escalate. Lexie needs to track down the thieves before they can use the gems for nefarious purposes—and before the town tears itself apart with fear and suspicion. She can’t exactly tell local cop Wes Mosby that she’s getting hot tips from ghosts, so it’s up to her to crack the case, stop the thieves, and foil their sinister agenda in time to save the town’s spring festival. Another Lucky Lexie mystery by the author of the Enchanted, Inc. series.

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Started 2/13
I have the rest of the series so I’m glad I found this last book. Katharine Parr is the queen I know the least about. I’m halfway through, and I’ve learned so much already, like who Katherine was before Henry VIII.

I knew the bare bones of her story . . . that Katherine was married to old men. That she fell for Thomas Howard but found herself married to Henry the VIII. That she feared for her life. like at least two of Henry’s queens. And that Thomas Howard betrayed her for a chance at Princess Elizabeth.

The best part of this book – covering those bones with Katherine’s real back story. It’s historical fiction so the dialogue’s invented, but the basic history is true. 

​​Amazon’s Description:
Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir brings her Tudor Queens series to a close with the remarkable story of Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, who manages to survive him and remarry, only to be thrown into a romantic intrigue that threatens the very throne of England.

Having sent his much-beloved but deceitful young wife Katheryn Howard to her beheading, King Henry fixes his lonely eyes on a more mature woman, thirty-year-old, twice-widowed Katharine Parr. She, however, is in love with Sir Thomas Seymour, brother to the late Queen Jane. Aware of his rival, Henry sends him abroad, leaving Katharine no choice but to become Henry’s sixth queen in 1543. The king is no longer in any condition to father a child, but Katharine is content to mother his three children, Mary, Elizabeth, and the longed-for male heir, Edward.

Four years into the marriage, Henry dies, leaving England’s throne to nine-year-old Edward—a puppet in the hands of ruthlessly ambitious royal courtiers—and Katharine's life takes a more complicated turn. Thrilled at this renewed opportunity to wed her first love, Katharine doesn't realize that Sir Thomas now sees her as a mere stepping stone to the throne, his eye actually set on bedding and wedding fourteen-year-old Elizabeth. The princess is innocently flattered by his attentions, allowing him into her bedroom, to the shock of her household. The result is a tangled tale of love and a struggle for power, bringing to a close the dramatic and violent reign of Henry VIII.

Started 2/10                                                          Finished 2/13
I picked this book because I love Nora’s voice. I love the way she thinks, and the line she wrote, Everything Is Copy. It’s so true, and I was dying to read Nora’s take on it.

Except . . .  I didn’t look at the cover carefully enough . . . Nora didn’t write this one. Liz Dance did, and she did a good job of writing about Nora, but I missed her.

That said, I learned a lot from Liz’s research (she used footnotes and everything) that Nora might not have been willing to write about. Liz showed how from Nora’s birth, everything that happened to her was copy for her parents. Can you imagine private words you’d written in college, turning up in a movie where all your friends can hear them? OUCH!

From the moment Nora started writing, everything in her life was copy. Liz proves how in book after book, movie after movie, how her life was reflected in her work. Nora’s work was personal. (If you remember the line from YOU’VE GOT MAIL.)

The only thing that was off limits – her children. She kept their private lives private, unlike her parents. Everything IS copy for me too. It could be the start to a story, but I also need to remember that a story may belong to someone else, and to be sensitive to that. Maybe I need to find a different way to tell it, or, leave it for someone else to tell. 
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Amazon’s Description:
Nora Ephron famously claimed that she wrote about every thought that ever crossed her mind, from her divorce from Carl Bernstein (Heartburn) to the size of her breasts ("A Few Words About Breasts"). She also wrote screenplays for three of the most successful contemporary romantic comedies--When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You've Got Mail (1998). Often considered mere light-hearted romantic comedies, her screenwriting has not been the subject of serious study. This book offers a sustained critical analysis of her work and life and demonstrates that Ephron is no lightweight. The complexity of her work is explored through the context of her childhood in a deeply dysfunctional family of writers.

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Started 1/31                             Finished 2nd Read on 2/10
This is a fun easy read! I started yesterday, and I’m already halfway done. The first chapter was a little slow, but the second was a doozy! Lexie walked in for her interview and found the newspaper editor dead.

That was just the beginning! Lexie finds suspects everywhere . . . She’s even one. Thank goodness there’s a ghost who’s trying to help her find the real murderer. Sorry, I won’t know who it is . . . until I finish the book.

​Amazon’s Description:     Worst Job Interview Ever!  
Alexa “Lucky Lexie” Lincoln has always had a nose for news and a knack for being first on the scene whenever there’s a big story. Now her luck seems to have run out. First, she loses her reporting job. Then she gets an interview for a job at a small-town paper, only to find the editor dead on the newsroom floor. That makes her a suspect in the eyes of local policeman Wes Mosby.

To make matters worse, someone sabotages her alibi, and a freak ice storm strands her in town. That’s when she learns that this idyllic little town right out of a movie set is full of secrets, including people with uncanny abilities and the ghost who really runs the newspaper.

To clear her name (and get the job), Lexie will have to find the real killer—a killer who seems to think she knows a lot more than she does. If she’s not careful, she could be the next victim.

                                       A magical new mystery series from the author of Enchanted, Inc.

It depends! On whether I’m picking them out at the library, or buying them online. Some things are the same, but some things are different.
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Part 1 – Picking Library Books: If you take a look at my newest picks, I bet you can figure out why they called me. They said take us home. Take a guess what they said . . . then check to see if you’re right!

When I go to the library, I wander through the shelves, but I only look at the new picture books. They’re displayed at each end of a row of shelves. I might pick a book or two on that first lap, but I might not.
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What do I look at? The titles and the covers! They invite me to pick them up, or ignore them. Occasionally I look at the back, or the inside flap to see what they’re about, but mostly I use that front cover to make my decision.
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I picked Don’t Hug Doug because I like Carrie Finison. I’ve read a couple of her books, and I like the way she thinks. I picked Bright Star because I’ve met the author Yuyi Morales on a zoom class or two. I’ve also read a few of her books, and I liked them.
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I also loved their covers. Daniel Wiseman made the title big and bold. He added Doug beside his name. It’s nice and simple, and it tells me what it will be about. Yuyi’s cover intrigued me with its deer and cactus. I know it will focus on them, and I’m willing to pick it up to find out what’s at stake for them.
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With my other two picks, the title and the cover made me pick them up and take them home. For Henry at Home, I liked the two kids on the cover, and I wondered what was going on between them. I must have been missing home because I picked another book about it. The title, A Home Again, and the tiny red house made me curious. Curiosity is a good thing when it comes to book covers.

PS – when I finish reading each book, I add the title and author to my reading journal. I record what I liked and what I didn’t. They may/may not appear on My Reads. The best way to get a review is by matching up with the subject of my blog posts. There are books I read years ago that I loved, but never got to put on My Reads. If I sort of like a book/didn’t like it, I will never ever put it up. A bad review is devastating to the ego, but, it can also destroy a book’s chance to succeed and find readers like you.
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Part 2 – Picking Books Online:  I can’t look at real books online so I shop at Amazon. These came up when I clicked Kindle titles. They’re based on my browsing and purchasing history. 
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These books popped up first. I’ve read all three authors, but the one that’s calling me is the third one, The Jane Seymour Conspiracy. I’ve already read the other 3 books in the series.

The second book is from Alison Weir. I have her series on the six wives of Henry the VIII, except for his last one, Catherine Parr. She’s calling me back. I’ll pass on Jeff Wheeler for now, but his Druid is tempting. I love historical fiction!
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Here’s the next row from Amazon. It’s Young Adult fantasy. I’ve had Harry Potter, the ‘real’ books for years.

I don’t know K.M. Shea, but the cover isn’t calling me. I am curious about the books by Emily R. King. She has 2 series that came out after The Hundredth Queen. I’ll look at the titles, descriptions, and ratings to see if I want to check them out.
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Shanna Swendson came up, big time on my search list! She has more titles on my kindle than any other author. I found 5 here, plus 2 more! Before I pick any of them, I’ll check the titles, descriptions, and ratings to decide. 

This also came up on my search. I’ve never heard of Gaslamp Fantasy before, but here’s the Wikipedia definition – it’s a subgenre of both fantasy and historical fiction. It’s usually set in Victorian or Edwardian England. It fits – I love fantasy and historical fiction.
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If I don’t see what I’m looking for, I keep searching. I check my favorite categories, my favorite authors, but I only buy, if I like the description and ratings. I want to know what other readers think about that story.