​Part 1 – Where I Was in 2019 and 2020

I wrote about my sleep journey back in September of 2019.  The link is below. Back then I was struggling, like now. I tried to set good sleep habits by going to bed and waking up at the same time. I took short naps when needed, but tried to keep them short, 15 – 30 minutes. I finished that sleep journey December 2nd. My sleep wasn’t perfect, but it was way better! Unfortunately, the journey wasn’t over . .
Link:  http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/a-sleep-journey
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​Over the summer of 2020 my sleep troubles worsened. I was back to sleeping 10 – 11 hours a night, with naps too. I knew something was wrong so I set up my first sleep study on August 11, 2020. The link is below.

I discovered that my bi-pap sleep machine wasn’t working so September 2nd I went in for a second study. It’s amazing how many wires they needed to tape and paste onto me. The results – I discovered it was time to leave my bi-pap machine behind and return to a c-pap.  Link: 
http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/my-two-sleep-studies

My machine came in, and I was happy with the way it worked. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. I checked back with my doctor in November, and she was happy with my results.
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She said I was on the right track with my machine, but she also said I needed to work with the Cleveland Clinic on my sleep habits. I thought I was doing fine. I was heading to Texas for Christmas. Everything went well until mid-January. Then I had no choice. I had to do something . . . again!


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Part 2 – Cleveland Clinic Says Go To Sleep 
And I listened! Well, after 2 months! I was taking longer and longer to go to sleep. I had a few nights when I was awake until 7AM. Finally, I gave up and clicked the link to the Cleveland Clinic. I signed up for the program on January 21st.  

​                                 Here’s the link: https://clevelandclinicwellness.com/pages/GoToSleep.htm

​​​I got an email from them on the 22nd. I logged in and answered some questions. The questions are the same everyday, but the answers change. Here are yesterday’s:

- What time did you wake up?                                                                        - Did you turn off the lights right away?   
- How long did it take to fall asleep?
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​- Did you use a relaxation technique?                  - Did you exercise?                     - Within 3 hours of bedtime?
- Did you have caffeine?                                      - Within 6 hours of bedtime?              - Did you drink alcohol?
                                                                            - Did you take any sleeping medications?
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​ Cleveland Clinic takes all those answers and quantifies them. My Sleep Efficiency was 93 out of 100. I’m happy whenever it’s over 85, and usually, it is! WOOHOO!!!
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​Part 3 – Let’s Chart it Out – Remember those questions and answers from yesterday? My 93/100? The Cleveland Clinic took those numbers and converted them into a chart. It shows my weekly average. Look across the bottom. I’m on Day 56. The blue bar is my Sleep Efficiency, 93 for today. The green bar is Slept Hours, almost 8.  I got up early at 9:30. Otherwise I would have had my favorite sleep number . . .  9 hours.

Day 54 was a bad night. I didn’t get to sleep until 3 in the morning, and I still got up at 10:30AM, but those days are getting fewer. I had 5 nights with 9 hours of sleep, and 5 out of 7 is really good for me!
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​The next graph shows every night I entered my sleep data. I love to look for patterns. Here’s what I discovered - 

- I slept 7 hours – 14% of the time (8 nights)                                  - I slept 8 hours – 14% of the time ( 9 nights)
                                          - I slept 9 hours – 70% of my time in the study (39 nights)
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Note – Math doesn’t always make sense . . . The nights add up to 56, but the % total is 98. Where did the other  2% go?   The best news – almost 40 out of 56 nights, I got 9 hours of sleep. WAHOO!

 
So, what have I learned over the last 56 days?

1. I go to sleep about the same time every night. I get up about the same time each morning.
2. If I don’t get to sleep within 15 minutes, I get up for about that much time. I’ve learned I need to redirect my brain. Reading books lets me calm down. Getting on the computer ramps me up. I don’t go there at night!
3. I stop drinking caffeine around 8PM. I stop exercising around 10.
4. I only nap on those days when I get 7 hours of sleep, but I try not to. I also try to nap for 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 30, but I’m still a work in progress.

​So far, so good! I’ll let you know how I’m doing this summer. The portal is no longer live, BUT the best part about Cleveland Clinic . . . I can still input my sleep data to check on how I’m doing. ​

​Here are the events, interviews and podcasts that launched Zoe. I like to keep them together in one post. It makes it easier to go back and find interviews and photographs. It all started back in February of 2021.
 
1.  A Video Interview and a Book Reading – This was my first event, from February 2nd. Kala Williams from The Author’s Voice interviewed me. The best part – teachers across the pond in the UK could listen in, to my writing journey, and to a page from my book. It was fantastic!

You can still listen in. Here’s the link for my book talk:
             Read Aloud & Book Talk with Rinda Beach - YouTube

Want to skip the interview and go straight to the Read Aloud? Here’s the illustration for the page I picked. Now take a Cheeky Jump, like the kids and teachers in the UK do:
              Read Aloud & Book Talk with Rinda Beach - YouTube
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​ 2. A Presale & Author Event – Zoe and I went to one of our favorite places – Riverside Art Center. It was February 12th, Galentine’s Day.

Melissa welcomed us in and took a couple pictures so we could remember our day. If you look at the 1st picture, at the top right corner, really carefully, you’ll see my copy of Zoe. Back in February, it was the only copy.

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3.  An Online Interview with Angelika On the Move – Read this interview to learn a variety of things about me as a writer. It went live on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, but it’s still available online.

4. An Online Interview with Helen H. Wu – Check out this interview and its illustrations. I shared the details that got ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN ready for readers like you. It went live on February 24th, but you can still open it  with this link: Interview with #Kidlit Author, Rinda Beach - Helen H. Wu


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​5. An Online Interview with June McCrary Jacobs – Check out this interview and a couple illustrations. One of them is Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt – the real one – from the book! I know! FREE! You don’t have to buy the book, BUT, you can use my ideas as is, OR as an inspiration to design your own hunt.

​Would you like to listen in? Brooke asked a couple of questions about publishing and writing. Then I got to do my favorite part – read to you, my audience. Click this link and you can hear the whole first chapter, FREE! Link: Facebook

Did you like what you heard? Order a book from me. The cost includes shipping, BUT you’ll get an autographed book. I’ll email you so I can personalize it to your family.

 Teachers, buy a book, and I’ll do a zoom call with you and your class. I’ll read a chapter AND answer a few questions. Interested? Click my buy link Zoe's Scavenger Hunt Fun - Rinda Beach. You can also contact me, and I’d be glad to work with you to set this up.
              Link: Rinda Beach - Contact Me - Rinda Beach



​7. Zoe’s In-Person Launch – Zoe and I celebrated at Riverside Art Center. They welcomed us in, introduced us to lots of new people. I pasted in some photos for you. This is my favorite – I signed a book for a lake-loving family! If you find yourself in Wapak, stop into Riverside. They sell my books, and lots of other great things too!

8. A Podcast With Connie B. Dow – If you missed the podcast on St. Patrick’s Day when it went live, I have the link below, and it still works! This was my 3rd interview with Connie, and we chatted about my third book and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. If you’re curious about publishing, or you’ve thought about writing, click on Connie’s links. I hope I can help you!
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Link: http://bookechoes.com/2021/03/17/episode-94-lessons-from-3-books-with-rinda-beach/
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​9. The Books on rindabeach.com 

To the right of the book, I have the description, and REVIEWERS SAY. Below it is a small part of the Readers’ Favorite Review. The full review is too long to post (about 300 words).  I got ZOE’s review in 11 days. Neil’s took almost 3 months, and I gave up on one for LAKE FUN.

Two fun facts – 1. Emily-Jane Hills Orford reviewed both books. I didn’t notice it until I saw the reviews on my web site. 2. I got a surprise review on LAKE FUN a month after I got Zoe’s, 9 months after I submitted it.
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Below the review is a yellow PayPal button. Order your book here, and PayPal will notify me. Then I’ll email and ask how I can personalize it for you.

​My bookmark has a small scavenger hunt on the back. The journal page is straight out of my book, and they’re both free for you to download and enjoy.

                                                               Part 1 – High Hopes - Sung by Frank Sinatra                              Written 2/28/21
If you’re my age, you might know this song. If you’re young, like my kids in their 20/30’s, or even younger, you’ll have to click on this search link:       high hopes song frank sinatra - Bing
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I didn’t realize Frank recorded it the day after I was born, May 8th, 1959. It came out a month later. I was about a month old too.

This screenshot is from the 1959 movie ‘A Hole in the Head.’ And no, I’ve never seen it. The kid with Frank is Eddie Hodges. He was born in 1947 so he’s 12 years older than me. If you want to figure out our ages . . . do the math!

I remember loving this song as a kid. I can’t copy the lyrics, but it’s basically about when life is tough, bring out your inner ant. Then the lyrics go on to sing about that ant wanting to move a rubber tree plant. I have no idea why, but the point of the song is that ant CAN! Why? Because he has high hopes.
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The composer, Jimmy Van Heusen certainly did. So did the lyricist, Sammy Cahn. They got Frank Sinatra to sing their song, and it won the Oscar for the best original song at the 32nd Academy Awards. And this song, was also John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s presidential campaign song back in 1960. No wonder so many people were inspired by that little old ant! 

Source: High Hopes (Frank Sinatra song) - Wikipedia
 
Tomorrow – more recent High Hopes – do you know which group sang it?

​I planned to write this tomorrow – That should have been March 1st, but it took me 18 tomorrows to return to this post. Instead I was busy launching my 3rd book,  ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN.

I had high hopes, and I’m happy with Zoe’s launch. I learned so much! But now it’s time to return to old habits – writing my blog, revising manuscripts, or looking for a new story to write.
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So now the answer – who sang the newest version of High Hopes?
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​Part 2 – High Hopes - Sung by Panic! At the Disco
I love their name, and their version of the song! Do you remember it? It wasn’t long ago, back in 2018. Here’s the link if you’d like to hear it again:       high hopes panic at the disco - Bing
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It peaked at #4, but it was one of the few songs to stay on the charts for a whole year.  It also won 5 awards that are listed below. Congratulations to the team – Jake Sinclair, Jonas Jeberg, Brendon Urie, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lauren Pritchard, Sam Hollander, William Lobban-Bean, Taylor Parks, Ilsey Juber, and Jonny Coffer. They were the village who wrote this song!

High Hopes was also part of the presidential campaign in 2020. Several Democrats used it at campaign events, without problems. President Trump used it once, and Brendon Urie replied with a rude tweet, and a cease-and-desist order. I’m disappointed. It makes me wonder if I want to listen, or switch the station the next time it comes on the radio. 

Source: High Hopes (Panic! at the Disco song) - Wikipedia

​Part 3 – Compare and Contrast The Two Songs
Here’s what I thought of.  I was hoping for more similarities, but I found lots of  differences.

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​What’s the same? Think . . .
1. Title
2. Theme
3. Awards*
4. Politics*

​ What’s Different? Think . . .
1. Artists
2. Songwriters
3. Verses
4. Chorus
5. Awards*
6. Politics*
* Look for the astericks. They mark categories where you can find both similarities and differences.

My Top 10 List of Ways  . . . How to Have Fun at the Lake:
#10 – Make Your Own Scavenger Hunt. Or, use Zoe’s!
​Then get out and have fun exploring the lake.
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​#9 – Go Fishing! Early morning or late at night!
On the shore or in a boat! Here’s to the catch of the day!
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#8 – Cannonball, anyone? Go traditional, with a BIG splash!
Be creative – leap like a dog and land on all fours!
Or, be graceful, with ballerina-style.
But most of all – have fun!
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#7 – Go kayaking! Get out in a boat, and paddle the lake.
Go early in the morning or late in the day.
That’s when the big boats return to the dock,
​and the waves shrink back to kayak-size!

#6 – Meet the Local Wildlife – LEAPING LIZARDS!
I’ve met deer, a snake skin (minus the snake), a skink (lizard),
frogs, turtles, and some teeny-tiny fish. All at the lake!
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#5 – Tubing, anyone? When my husband drove, the kids would play
‘Crack the Whip,’ with the boat! It would fly this way, then that.
Eventually the kids went flying too, but they’d clamber back aboard.
Ready to go tubing again!
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#4 – Wake Boarding! Think skiing, on water.
And, more and more people do it on one board, just like skiing.
Imagine flying across the water, but be careful when you cross the wake.
​That’s the ripple behind the boat, and it’s hard on new skiers.

#3 – Marinas! They’re the perfect place for a bite to eat, or something cold and sweet.
My kids always went for ice cream, and the souvenirs!! 

#2 – Wake Surfing! Surf’s up, Dude! Can you imagine –
surfing on a board, a couple of feet behind the motor?
You hold tight to a rope as the boat pulls you out of the water.
Then when you’re ready, you throw it away. WAHOO!

#1 – Read ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN.
Then head out on a scavenger hunt of your lake.
Record your results on the activity pages at the back of the book.
By the end of vacation, you’ll have a story, and a souvenir.
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#ZERO! It’s time for some R&R at your lake.
Rest and Relax! Enjoy the view, and a lake family vacation! 
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Part 1 – Trivia Question:  What was the name of the group of University of Munich  students who used pamphlets to resist Hitler and the Third Reich?
White Rose        People X       Black Charcoal      Black Sky
 
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Answer: The White Rose (German: Weiße Rose)
Source: More Info: en.wikipedia.org
What was the name of a non-violent... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub

​​​Part 3 – How Did the White Rose Operate?
​This is the Monument to the White Rose in front of the University of Munich.  It is a perfect tribute – do you see the leaflets?

Hans Scholl and Alexander Morell had to do something after serving on the Russian front. They wrote the first four leaflets, starting at the end of June, then stopping mid-July of 1942. They left them in telephone booths or mailed them to professors and students. They sent some by courier to other students at other universities for distribution there too.
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​Here are the 1st three leaflets:
Isn't it true that every honest German is ashamed of his government these days? Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes—crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure—reach the light of day? 
                                       — 1st leaflet of the White Rose

Since the conquest of Poland, 300,000 Jews have been murdered in this country in the most bestial way ... The German people slumber on in dull, stupid sleep and encourage the fascist criminals. Each wants to be exonerated of guilt, each one continues on his way with the most placid, calm conscience. But he cannot be exonerated; he is guilty, guilty, guilty!                                                                                                                                    — 2nd leaflet of the White Rose.

Why do you allow these men who are in power to rob you step by step, openly and in secret, of one domain of your rights after another, until one day nothing, nothing at all will be left but a mechanised state system presided over by criminals and drunks? Is your spirit already so crushed by abuse that you forget it is your right—or rather, your moral duty—to eliminate this system?                              
                                                                                                                                                                   — 3rd leaflet of the White Rose
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Willi, Hans, and Alex were sent back to the Russian front from July 23 to October 30th of 1942. The leaflets stopped, until they returned.
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Sophie discovered during the fall of 1942 what her brother Hans was up to, and she joined in. They continued to spread their leaflets until February 18, 1943. That’s when the Stolls got caught. They brought a suitcase full of letters to the University’s main building. They dropped stacks in the empty hallways for students to find when they came out of class. ​
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The Stolls should have stopped when they were ahead. They didn’t. They spotted some leftover letters so they went to the top floor and threw the extras down to the atrium. The maintenance man spotted them and called the Gestapo, the German police. You may think American police are bad, but they are nothing, NOTHING like the Gestapo. They were PURE evil. This is the Atrium, where the Stolls were arrested.
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Sophie got rid of her evidence. Hans had one last leaflet, their seventh. He tried to swallow it, but the Gestapo stopped him. They identified the handwriting in the letter, Christoph’s. He was arrested, along with Hans. Sophie could have gotten away. The police thought she was innocent at first, until she confessed . . . Sophie was trying to protect the other members of the White Rose.
 
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Part 4 – The Trials and their Results
​Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were tried 4 days later, on February 22, 1943, in the Volksgerichtshof. The court was known for being unfair, and for its frequent death sentences.
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​This is where this post should end, with the final resting place of Hans, Sophie, and Christoph. It’s next door to the prison where they died. My hope – that they rest in peace, knowing they stood up for what was right, and they did it peacefully.

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​German Democratic Republic stamp from 1961.
2,000,000 went into circulation.

Photo Sources
-Hans Scholl – By stadtarchiv-crailsheim.de, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58900954
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-Alex Schmorell – By Angelika Knoop-Probst, Nicoasc (talk · contribs) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18328905

-Christoph Probst – By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58916181
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-Willi Graf – By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58900161

-The Atrium – By No machine-readable author provided. Cfaerber assumed (based on copyright claims).

-The Courtroom - By Richard Huber - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5526257
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-The Grave Site - By Rufus46 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2870213
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​Part 1 – The Two Hardest Ones
There are two things that are super hard for me to write – first drafts and the business posts on my blog.

First drafts are easy to explain. Duh! It’s hard to figure out what to write on a blank page. I started thinking about the Zoo Scavenger Hunt in December. Last week I  finally wrote the first words.

What was I doing for 2 months? Figuring out what to write! I had the idea, but I needed more. I had to design a plot with a problem, 3 tries, and a happy ending. That doesn’t sound so hard, but it is!

I also spent time researching the zoo. I googled information and watched videos. I even went to the zoo, and I took tons of pictures. Some were of the animals, but I made sure I took lots of pictures of their homes. I need to be able to picture both to write this story.
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I did all that . . . Then I could finally write chapter 1. I haven’t started chapter 2 – I need to figure out what the inciting incident will be and how to head toward the first try. Stayed tuned!
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​​Business posts for my blog are also hard, unless I have a book coming out. Then I have lots to say. I’m doing events and reporting them to you. That’s easy!

But when there’s no book, it’s HARD! I have to think of something. There’s nothing worse than a blank page.

I have to stop, go back, and  think about what I’m doing to move forward as a writer. It also has to be something new. Duh! I can’t write the same thing over and over again!

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​This is one of the worst ones . . . Ideas can be like eggs. Do you see the chick inside? It has to fight its way out one peck at a time. It’s hard work! Chicks look exhausted when they’re done. Sometimes I do too.
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​With a post, I start with images, but I struggle with how to explain them. It’s like taking peck after peck at that shell, but it won’t crack. It’s frustrating! I keep pecking, trying to find that daylight. Eventually I do. I tap and tap until I find the way out.
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​​Have you ever started with an idea, rejected it, and thrown it away? This is how people used to do it, by crumbling up paper. It is so satisfying!

It’s almost the same on the computer.  I write something, delete it, and try, try again. It’s frustrating to be stuck, unable to move forward.
​I’ve learned to stop deleting. Now I add space between the obstacle and what I want to delete.

I pull that passage back up  again and again, or I retype it. Eventually I find the right way over the obstacle, or a new and better idea comes through. There’s something about that  space that helps me push through.
​​

Sometimes, I just get lost in ideas. I lose my bearings, and I feel like I can’t write my way out of a paper bag.

One of the best ways to find your way is to retrace your steps. Go backwards in time, step by step. Usually you find your way.
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When I’m writing, I go back and read over what I’ve written. Usually I can pick up the thread and find my way into the next sentence. If that doesn’t work, I jot down ideas for what might come next. That works too.
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Sometimes I just take a break. This is me at the lake. I always sit in a comfy chair, in a room with a view. When I get stuck, I look out the window. Other times I need to get up and do something else. Taking a break helps me move on.
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My best advice – don’t let the obstacles throw you. Listen to your words and to yourself. You’ll figure out how to move past those blocks. 

Part 1 – Going Live on a Podcast
I can’t believe I went live today at 3PM (London Time). I never thought I’d be doing anything in the UK, let alone live!

I was on the Author’s Voice with Kala Williams. She sent me 5 questions before Sunday’s taping on January 23rd. It took about 30 minutes, but they cut it down to 16.5 to keep it short and sweet for busy teachers.
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The Author’s Voice also has its own Facebook page. Here’s a screenshot.

I love the name READMASTER! It’s what I wanted my 2nd graders to be – reading masters!
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I’m retired now, but I want to write stories that help kids become reading masters too.
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​READMASTER and Bright I’s Education Consultancy had 3 different posts up for me today.
Here’s the first one, announcing that I’d be on at 3PM London time.
What an opportunity! To have teachers and kids in the UK take a peek at my books!
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​Here’s the second announcement to let teachers know when to watch the video. Teachers are busy people. I’m glad they had another chance to find me and my three books.  The third one said I was live, AND, it gave teachers links to find me, to find the things they could use. I’ve been retired for 5 years, but I still love finding easy buttons and links!
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PS - If you’re reading this in the US, don’t use the Amazon Purchase Link – It’s for the UK!
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My favorite link is the Cheeky jump ahead to the Read Aloud. ‘Cheeky,’ that’s definitely a British word. If you click on it, you can hear me read one of my favorite pages. It’s about Zoe, her brother Nick, and a lizard. If you’d like to listen, it’s the first one. The other links are from this side of the pond, from Wapakoneta, Ohio.
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                                 Cheeky Jump: Read Aloud & Book Talk with Rinda Beach - YouTube
                                       My Purchase Link: Zoe's Scavenger Hunt Fun - Rinda Beach
                  Follow me on Instagram: Rinda Beach (@rindajbeach) • Instagram photos and videos
                                                               Virtual Visits: Rinda Beach | Facebook
                                                    Bonus Book Resources: Rinda Beach - Rinda Beach
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​Part 2 – Zoe and I are Front Page News!
Extra! Extra! Zoe and I are on the front page of the Wapakoneta Daily News! I’m below Jim Jordan and the anti-solar group. I’m beside the story on the Ammunition shortage. My headline – Local Author pens 3rd book. We’re also on the 2nd page, at the bottom.. I used the whole newspaper page so I could preserve this memory.
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​Part 3 – Phone Calls and Camera Shots
Newspaper articles usually start with an interview. Mine did! Alex Guerrero called and asked to talk to me. He asked questions about me and my book, about being a writer, the things that he thought his readers would want to know.

He also told them where they could find my books, at Riverside Art Center here in Wapak, on my website Rinda Beach - Rinda Beach , and on Amazon. It took about 25 minutes for him to gather the information he needed.
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The photo shoot was even shorter. I met Alex at Riverside where he took 2 sets of shots. One with me and my 3 books. The other with me and Zoe. That’s the one he picked for the front page. Alex was done in 5 minutes flat!
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 Part 4 – A Couple of Lovely Surprises!
Here are 2 hints! Can you guess what I found in my inbox yesterday?

Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun got 5 Stars from Readers’ Favorite, and it only took 12 days to get it. That’s amazing!

It took a couple months for Neil to get its 5-star review, and Lake Fun never got one – at all. To get reviewed, one of their reviewers has to pick your book. I waited 3 months, but no one was interested. I could have resubmitted it, but by that time Zoe was in the works so I let Lake Fun go.
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​Click on the link below, and you’ll find yourself at Readers’ Favorite. If you search ‘Rinda Beach,’ this is what you’ll see.       Link: Readers' Favorite: Book Reviews and Award Contest

I tried it and found this – I was surprised. And thrilled to discover two of my books are 5 Star Favorites! WAHOO! In the words of this song title by Meatloaf, “two out of three ain’t bad.” I agree!

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You can only read the first 4 lines of the review on this page, but don’t worry! The full review’s below. I’m so grateful to Emily-Jane Hills Orford. She picked my book and gave it a great review.
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                                            BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
The Roberts family is off to Norris Lake for some summer fun. Every year, Mom creates a challenging scavenger hunt for the three children. It encourages young people to have fun at the lake while still working on different skills, like math and map reading. Zoe’s the youngest; she’s never won the scavenger hunt. Now that’s she’s in grade 3, she’s determined to win. But her older siblings are so much better at so many things. Can she really beat them at the annual Roberts’ Family Scavenger Hunt Fun?

Rinda Beach’s early chapter book, Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun: A Lake Vacation Activity Book, takes the young reader on a journey to a summer cottage on Norris Lake. They follow young Zoe’s adventures as she improves her map-reading skills, becomes more observant of the natural life around her, tries different dives into the lake, and manages to swim deeper than her older siblings. As Zoe plows her way through her mother’s scavenger hunt questions, recording each answer as she completes the challenge, the plot thickens and the young reader will be cheering her on. At the end of the vacation, Dad tallies the points earned by each child. It’s a tense moment. Who wins? And will there be another challenge next year? At the end of the book, the author provides the young reader with the opportunity to record their own scavenger hunt, complete with challenging questions and activities. A great interactive learning tool – summer fun can be learning fun as well.
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​This was the second surprise! My friend Linda commented on my Facebook post about the Wapak paper. She told me I was in the Lima News too. SURPRISE!! I didn’t know they’d written anything about me.
I asked her to send it to me, and look what I found on Messenger this morning. It’s a small article, but it’s hard to get into the Lima News. All three of my kids have been in the Wapak paper, but only one has been in the Lima News. 

The headline – Author appearance planned in Wapak. That’s the Galentine Sip & Shop event. I’ll be at Riverside Art Center from 6-8 to chat, sell, and autograph my books. I’ll have presale slips for people who want to get Zoe right away. She comes out March 9th. I can’t believe it’s almost here!
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Riverside is also doing a few raffles for a local charity. I’m donating a set of autographed copies of my three books. I hope I sell some tickets!

This is the house I grew up in. I took this picture for my Mother. She decided to sell her home in August. I was shocked! My Mom  loves this house. I never thought she’d let it go, but she did last August.

I took this picture on October 15th. It took me 2 months/60 days to empty out my childhood home.
The first week was awful. Most days I cried as I cleaned things out. Then I cried when I got home from the sheer emotions running through me.
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After that first week it got better. I knew I was doing my Mother’s work. I knew that whatever money we got from the house would pay for Mom’s new home in assisted living, but it was hard.

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We moved in after I finished Kindergarten. I would have been about 6. We closed with the new owner on December 5th. Now I’m 61. This house has been a huge part of my life, but I have lots of great memories.

​Their house looked like this when it was first built. Then Dad added a white fence along the edge of the sidewalk. There used to be a stone beside it that said my parents established their home in 1959. That was the year they got married. Now it’s gone. My husband buried it in their backyard.
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We spent a lot of time in those 2 months getting the house ready for a new owner. That meant we pulled out all traces of my parents and the lives they’d lived. That left a blank slate for the new ones.  It makes me happy that this house belongs to a new family, but it also makes me sad that my Mother had to leave.

This is Mom’s backyard. When I was little, the trees were tiny, but there was a swing set. It's gone now.

Part 2 - Take a Tour of My Old House
Come in the front door. This was once my parents’ living room. The TV was its main feature. It went beside the coat closet, and the Christmas tree stood by the window. Couches and chairs ringed the room.

Later my parents put couches on either end. They added in some comfortable chairs to make room for all of us to return – On holidays there were 12 of us – my two parents, their 3 children, the 6 grandkids, and eventually 1 great grandchild. ​

​Let’s start in the front yard. The last window was mine. My brother had the middle one, to the left of the door. I don’t have a picture of his room, but it could be the one below. Our bedrooms were pretty much the same. Small – with enough room for a bed, dresser, and desk. The only difference – I had 2 windows. He had 1.

The other bedroom belonged to my parents. It was on the back side of the house. It had 2 windows, like my room. It also had a little bathroom, but no shower. We all shared the big bathroom, and that single shower.

Let’s go back down the hallway, through the kitchen and into the dining room. I’d rename it the Pass-Through room because we mostly passed through it to get somewhere else. We only ate there for ‘BIG’ occasions – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. Every other meal was eaten at the kitchen table. It was the heart of the house.

The clubhouse was added on after we kids were grown up. Do you see the brick, the back door? That used to be the back side of their house. The floor was once our concrete patio. My parents added the patio when I was in middle school. All the grandkids loved the clubhouse!
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Do you see the stairs in both pictures below? They led from the garage/the dining room, down to the basement. Dad partially finished it, but not completely. In the first picture, there used to be a playroom beside the stairs. Most of our toys were down there. When the weather was bad, that’s where we played. My kids too!

The basement belonged to Dad. It was once one HUGE space where we kids played, and Mom did laundry. A few years later Dad divided it into sections. The huge space that went all the way back to the wall – That was my Dad’s pride and joy. It had a big combo ping pong/pool table, then another tiny table for pool. He loved them!
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The opening closest to the stairs was another family room. When big screen TV’s came out, Dad had one, and this was another of his favorite rooms. It was also the most finished one in the basement. My Dad did it all. 

​ The last room on the tour was my Dad’s workshop. He spent years accumulating equipment. He used his tools to work on the basement, to build shelves around the house. He also made me a dollhouse, a hutch, and a doll bed. The dollhouse and hutch are at the lake house. That’s because we have more room for them. I can’t wait for my granddaughter to visit and play with them.

Images from We Care. These were the photos used by Binkley Real Estate in Wapakoneta, Ohio.  I’m grateful to my Mom’s realtor, Macy. She made this difficult process move smoothly. Thank you, Macy.

Part 1 – Zoe’s Release Date, and One Small Mistake
​Zoe has a book birthday! It’s March 9th! That’s in a month and a half! Time has flown since I signed my BiblioKid contract in September. Now – my job is to learn and apply marketing skills. My first small job – to put a presale buy link on my website. Here’s the screenshot. I got the information. My web designer and friend, Lisa Amstutz added it to my site. She’s brilliant!

I have 200 copies ordered for the presale and for after March 9th. They’ll be a little more special than the later copies, a tiny bit different. Why? Because of one small mistake. Something’s missing. Can you see it?

Compare my old paperback with the new hardback. Do you see what’s missing? No? Let’s compare them. I see a title and a subtitle on LAKE FUN. ZOE doesn’t have a subtitle, but SCAVENGER HUNT FUN is definitely there. It’s not that!

There are 3 small pictures on the LAKE cover, but 1 huge illustration for ZOE so it’s not that either!

LAKE has my name as the author, but ZOE doesn’t! Bingo! That’s it! Can you believe that small detail got past me, past everyone at BiblioKid? I can’t believe it either!

​ Now I have 200 books coming without my name on them! Did I throw a fit? NO! It was a small mistake, and no one meant for it to happen . . . so I took a deep breath and stayed calm. I didn’t get mad. It’s not the worst thing ever . . .  so I let it go!

But, Brooke at BiblioKids had a plan ready when she told me about the mistake. She designed special stickers for those first 200 books. I love it!
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I think I’ll put it in the right-hand corner. If you’d like one of these special books with an autograph, click on this link, and reserve your copy! I love when a mistake becomes something new and interesting.           Link: Zoe's Scavenger Hunt Fun - Rinda Beach

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Part 2 – Packages That Arrive in the Mail
There’s nothing better than finding a package in your mailbox, especially when you’ve been waiting and watching for it every day! Brooke at BiblioKid put my book in the mail, and it finally arrived! I made sure I was careful with those scissors . . . It’d be terrible to damage my brand-new book!

​Inside . . . a yellow card . . .  and my book! Can you see it through the protective wrap? It’s exciting to hold a brand-new book. It’s like holding a new baby. I worked on the words and pictures for 3 months to get it just right for you, and for me too. Best of all I didn’t have to birth this baby by myself. Self-publishing is hard work. Brooke and her team of professionals at BiblioKid made it easier. Fun too!

​And here it is . . . in my hands . . . the real book. It makes me happy to see my words and illustrations updated from LAKE FUN. It’s exciting to see the new ideas from BiblioKid come alive on the page! There’s something about the real book in my hands that’s richer than the original computer artwork it came from. 

Part 3 – Peek Inside My Personal Copy of Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun
I believe mistakes can be turned into something good. So I opened the front cover and wrote this note inside . . .   

My name may not be on the cover, but it’s still here. Tiny mistakes like this one are the things that something unique & valuable. Here’s to the unique!  Rinda Beach   1-20-21
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OOPS! Author lesson #1 – Proofread! I forgot. Again! I should have written. . . things that MAKE something unique and valuable. Don’t worry! I fixed it, in another color. Now I wonder – will it make my book even more unique and valuable?

Remember that yellow envelope from the box? It had a card inside. I hate to throw memories away.

Ask my family! So I taped the card into the back of the book. Now I’ll always have the card, and the memory.  PS – the envelope went into the recycling. 

​My card was from Brooke, my editor and publisher at BiblioKid. She wrote . . .

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Congrats on your almost book launch, Rinda! Thank you for entrusting us at BiblioKid Publishing to help you make your dream a reality. Just a few more weeks before Zoe’s out in the world. Can’t wait to celebrate! 😊 Enjoy reading the first copy.
                                    Brooke Gansemer

This note says something wonderful about Brooke. It’s why I feel blessed to work with the BiblioKid family.

Stay posted! I’ll have more to tell you as Zoe’s book birthday gets closer.
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​​PS – My daughter reminded me about March 9th.  I forgot – it’s her birthday too. OOPS again! Two mistakes in one post. YIKES!

​I did Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days for the New Year again. I needed it – 2020 was a rough year!. On the last day, my assignment was to pick out my song for 2021. This year with Covid, and everything else, I picked two. The first one is a song that pops in my head on a bad day, a sad day. I may have even sung the words to my 2nd graders back in the day.
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Part 1:  The song . . . TOMORROW.
It speaks to me, and I remember its message . . .
 
    The sun will come out tomorrow.
    You can count on tomorrow and the sun.
    Life will get better. You just have to hang on.

It always makes me feel better, just to hear those words in my head. I hope they’ll help you too.
If you’d like to hear it, click on this link, and you can listen in. I picked the one with the girl and her dog. They were in Annie back in 2012, and she was wonderful!
Link: the sun will come out tomorrow annie - Bing
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​Did you notice Annie in the link above this? It’s there because this song came from the musical Annie, and it came from the comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE. It’s been around since 1924. I wasn’t born until 1959.
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In 1972 Martin Charnin talked to Thomas Meehan. Martin wanted Thomas to write the words for a musical about the comic strip. I was in 7th grade.

​Thomas looked back over prints from the comic strip, but couldn’t find a story so . . . he made up his own. Charles Strouse composed the music, and Martin wrote the lyrics, the words.

​The musical came to life in 1977, the year I graduated from high school. The photo is of the original cast. Andrea McArdle was Annie, Reid Shelton was Daddy Warbucks, and the dog was Sandy. That same year Columbia Pictures bought the rights to ANNIE, and in 1982 the movie came out. I was a brand-new teacher. There are other versions, but the one from 1982 is still my favorite, all these years later.

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​Sources:
Tomorrow (Annie) - Wikipedia
Annie (musical) - Wikipedia

​The second song played on the radio the summer of 1988. It was upbeat. It felt like the disco music I loved in college. I was 29 and it made me feel young again.

​Part 2:  The song . . . ROLL WITH IT.  The first lines captured my mood, but the music made my feet dance.    
             When life gets to be too much
                      Just roll with it. Life WILL get better.

Steve Winwood and Will Jennings put the words and music together. Steve recorded and released it during the summer of 1988. ROLL WITH IT held the #1 spot for a month.
Here’s the link:    roll with it steve winwood - Bing
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That summer I celebrated 3 years of marriage, finished my 2nd year in 2nd grade, and kept tabs on a 1-year-old. Life was too much . . .  with so many good things, but some stress too. No wonder I loved this song!                       Source: Roll with It (Steve Winwood song) - Wikipedia