This is the fourth winter Hub and I stopped at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia during the grueling trek from North Carolina to visit family in cold-weather country.  Our tradition started by accident.  Or, rather, to avoid accident as a much-needed break from the 500-mile drive through evil I-95 traffic.
 
But our stay has evolved into a much anticipated two days of history, nature, hiking and CANDY!  Lace up your walking shoes, find your mittens, and join me on a winter photo walk to see for yourself.

HISTORY

Our first year at Harpers Ferry, we immersed ourselves in the park’s history.  It centered on abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 bloody evening raid on the arsenal located in Lower Town.  Brown's actions escalated pre-Civil War tensions between the North and South.  He was captured, tried, and hanged outside the courthouse in nearby Charles Town.

Photos: Harpers Ferry/NHP

Pass by the church, 
and
keep taming
the steep incline
for just a few more yards
until you reach
Jefferson Rock.

​This natural structure, reinforced by four stone pillars in the mid-1800s, is a large mass of Harpers shale, with each piece of shale slabbed on top of another.  It’s named after Thomas Jefferson, who commented on the remarkable view when he reached the outcrop in 1783.

​Pinky promise: Jefferson Rock overlooking the Shenandoah River as it flows into the Potomac at the tip of Harpers Ferry is worth the climb.
​

Heading down from Jefferson Rock is a snap, but don’t zip by the fieldstone ruins of St. John’s Episcopal church that you were too tired to see on the trek up.  Built in 1852, the church was also used as a hospital and barracks during the US Civil War in the mid-1860s.

Lucky you!  
​
There’s more eye candy ahead as you catch the Potomac River churning alongside Lower Town. 

CANDY!

Speaking of candy ...

​Of the many enchanting restored buildings, restaurants, and shops ringing Harpers Ferry's High Street, we always stop at True Treats Historic Candy.  The store is easy to miss, so follow me down an indistinguishable set of wooden steps into an unremarkable old building.  Then open the creaking door and step inside to be gobsmacked by a sweet tooth chronicle from biblical times though the 20th century.  
 
True Treats is more than a written record.  It offers freshly made, hard-to-find CANDY to purchase, taste, and rave about! 

​Be ready for olfactory memories to jump out at every display to whisk you away to a happy place.  

For instance, we buy black licorice pipes for Hub’s mother because she enjoyed them as a kid.  You may stumble on tasties like those Grandma kept, and you'll feel like a youngster, who’s back in her kitchen, dipping into her candy dish once again.

HIKING

To walk off those sweet treats, let’s hike the historic C&O canal path along the Potomac River.  This towpath was originally built in the 19th century for mules to walk beside the now-drained canal as the animals “towed" canal boats through the waterway.

Hey, you can even brag that you walked the Appalachian Trail because the C&O shares this flat stretch of the App Trail!

​Normally, we’d reach the C&O path after crossing the Potomac via the pedestrian bridge attached to the exterior of a busy railroad trestle..  
 
But not this year.  

​However, the day before Hub and I visited, seven cars of a CSX freight train derailed over that Harpers Ferry railroad bridge, and two cars spilled into the Potomac.  
 
Fortunately, no one was injured, and since the cars were empty, no hazardous materials were involved, either.

By the time Hub and I arrive in Harpers Ferry 24 hours later, equipment and personnel from CSX and the National Park Service had already pulled the cars from the river, towed the freight train away, and closed adjacent structures in order repair the bridge and keep visitors at a safe distance. 
​

​While we miss our walk--and feel for true Appalachian Trail warriors, who now must arrange for transportation across the river to continue their trek--Hub and I are grateful the accident was not worse.

​The sun is waning.

It’s time to catch the bus back to the visitors’ center
​and
​call it a day. 

​Thanks
for your company
​ on my winter photo walk -:D.  

​If you’ve been to Harpers Ferry, what was your experience like in this place?  What favorite historic site or hiking spot do you enjoy?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section.  Let's explore new places together!

The first day of school can be both exciting and scary for young children.  My Lil' First School, the third book in Toby Williams’s Brooke Lynn Adventure Series, addresses this issue and helps you get your child ready to step inside the classroom.
 
Join me on a Cat's Corner Book Spotlight  ....

• Preview this delightful new picture book
• Meet the author and illustrator (a dynamic duo!)
• Enjoy an excerpt
• Catch my interview with author Toby Williams
• Find my Catly review of My ‘Lil First School​

​About the Book

 
Title: My Lil’ First School | Author: Toby Williams | Illustrator: Corrina Holyoake |  Publication Date: October 2019 | Publisher: Toby A Williams | Pages: 21 | Recommended Ages: 4-8

* Amazon US *

​My Lil’ First School is the third book in Toby Williams's Brooke Lynn Adventure Series.

​The story follows Brook Lynn walking through the big front doors of her new school for the first time.  When she looks for her seat before the teacher comes in, she notices butterflies in her tummy.  After a warm smile from the teacher, being brave, meeting new friends and being kind to others ease her uncomfortable feelings of this new environment.  

​Hurry, there’s the school bell!
 

My backpack was full of goodies,
maybe too much just for me?

I noticed a boy had no lunch,
so I shared my sandwich and tea.
​
Excerpt_My Lil' First School

Q & As
with author Toby Williams
​

Cat:       Is Brooke Lynn based on anybody you know?  
Toby:       My great-niece, Ava, was the main influence of Brooke Lynn’s character development.  I also see a lot of my younger self in Brooke Lynn’s antics and personality.

Cat:       What inspired you to write this book?
Toby:       My great-niece, Ava, had just turned 4 and was already talking about going to school (Pre-K) in the Fall.  When my niece, Jessica, sent a picture of Ava dressed up in her new outfit, backpack donned and looking like she just might keel over, it was exactly how I envisioned Brooke Lynn heading to her first day of school.  My Lil’ First School (Book 3) is dedicated to Ava.

Cat:            What will Brooke Lynn be celebrating on December 15th?  
Toby:       This series will have its one-year milestone!  Since my first Brooke Lynn books was published December 15, 2018, a total of three books in my series hav been published to date.

​Cat:           What’s your next project?
Toby:        Ava is growing up quickly, and so is Brooke Lynn.  Being responsible with chores, following through on promises and thinking of others (selfless) will be the focus in the upcoming fourth book in The Brooke Lynn Adventures: When an abandoned puppy is left at the doorstep, will Brooke Lynn be able to keep her? What will it entail to show that Brooke Lynn is ready to care for a new member of the family?
​
Cat:            If you could be a Disney character, who would you be, and why?
Toby:         Cinderella – she not only overcomes adversity but learns to find happiness in the smallest of tasks; her positive attitude throughout shines through as the Prince chooses her genuine, kind nature over pretentious, self-seeking young ladies.  It is the epitome of a fairytale!
 
Cat:            What’s your favorite dessert?
Toby:            Rocky Road; crazy for chocolate, marshmallows & nuts.   
 
Cat:            Favorite book you read as a child?
Toby:           Blueberries for Sal by Robert McClosky.  “Ka-plunk” – the sound of the blueberries hitting the empty bucket; I, like Sal, ate more berries than I brought home.  Growing up in New Hampshire, this book is a New England favorite classic.  And to this day, blueberries are my favorite berry.

 
Cat:               Favorite genre to read OR last book you finished?
Toby:            I read quite a bit – mostly fiction.  It’s a tie between historical romance such as Rhys Bowen’s The Tuscan Child, and suspenseful thrillers.  I just finished Robert Duggins’ The Eighth Sister, which was an excellent contemporary Russian-conspiracy thriller.         

Cat:              What else might readers like to know about you?
Toby:          As an avid golfer, I enjoy weekly competition with my two women’s golf groups.  The combination of being outside while while walking the golf course with girlfriends adds to the fun-loving competition of the game.  Every Friday, however, is dedicated to my husband as “our golf day” – something we have done together for years. 

​My Review

My Lil’ First School by Toby Williams is the perfect picture book to help youngsters prepare for their school experience. Using a series of 4-line rhymes opposite charming illustrations by Corrina Holyoake, the book addresses uncertainties youngsters face as they transition to the classroom.

With Brooke Lynn as a role model, children learn how she prepares the night before and wakes early on her big day to catch the bus.  At school, her teacher’s warm smile eases the way, with art class  and making new friends further dissipating her worries.

Comprehension  questions at the end of the book help children process what they read.  Highly recommend My Lil’ First School for early readers, a delightful tale that instills confidence and positive attitudes for those crucial first days of school.

Meet the Illustrator

CORRINA HOLYOAKE is a children’s illustrator and artist based in the seaside resort, Bognor Regis, in the South of England. 

​Facebook  |  Instagram   
​

Meet the Author
​

TOBY A. WILLIAMS, born and raised in Nashua, New Hampshire, currently resides in the San Diego area of Southern California with her best friend, who also happens to be her husband of many years.  They enjoy travel, golf, helping out in the community and of course, reading and writing.  

​Her inspiration to write children’s stories was borne from her mother’s childhood reflections of a kind neighbor in New Hampshire.  This woman had a magical name, Tasha Tudor (1915-2008, American author & illustrator of children’s literature).  Toby’s mother spoke about the uniqueness Tasha Tudor had as a storyteller in capturing children’s imaginations.  Mother would say fondly to Toby, “Look at the cow-cow-moo-caddities.  That’s what Tasha Tudor calls cows!”

Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Book Series Page  |  Author Page
​

Your Turn  

Thanks for stopping by Cat's Corner and meeting Toby and Corrina.  I adore both these talented women, who brilliantly work together despite being separated by thousands of miles and living an ocean apart.  

​Brooke Lynn was ready for her first day!  What else helps a child succeed at school?  Please share in the comment section.

Was 2019 a bumpy ride for you? Or full of smooth turns and gentle curves?  
 
My #Gr8Blogs writerly pals and I are diving deep into a year-end blog hop, December Dreamin’. I’m looking back at my moments and lessons learned from challenges this past year on the writing road.
 
Check out my personal reveals, meet Critic Cat and Confident Cat, and then visit the #Gr8Blogs linked at the end of this post for more shared recollections and smiles. We hope you'll be inspired to dive into special December Dreams of your own.

Bumpy Roads
​

Stalling
The conflict between Critic Cat and Confident Cat was brutal the first half of 2019.  Their arguments spun round in my head and wore me down.
 
I put it down to winter blues on top of moving from our beloved neighborhood of 20 years to our cozy yellow cottage.  While grateful for the new home, I felt overwhelmed and inexplicably sad.  
 
Didn’t post much on my blog or newsletter. 
 
Stalled on my adult fiction novel.  
​
Wanted to quit writing altogether more than once. 

​Sigh.  The battle raged …

On the Come Up
​

I recognized I was burning out and struggled to shake off my funk.  It wasn't easy, but here’s what got me going:

• Less is better
  Cut back on social media and authoring from what felt like24/7 at 100mph to half-days, five days a week, and only occasional weekends
• Move it!
  Sandwiched my work between yoga flow during mornings at the gym and long walks in the afternoons. Added morning laps once the pool opened.  Also loved meeting new friends from the gym and neighborhood pool (especially the 5-yo cutie, who paddled alongside and chatted during my cool-down laps).
• People who need people
  Stayed in touch with friends and sought new connections in person and cyberspace.  Volunteered more in the community.    
• Great escapes
  Turned off my brain. Dreamed about my new garden. Downloaded light reads.  Binged two seasons of Outlander. Caught reruns of Downton Abbey (Mercy, how my problems paled compared to what these characters endured, especially Lady Mary dealing with poor Mr. Pamuk and dead Matthew!) 

Makin' It

Exploring New Ways
Author/Illustrator Rosie Russell and I began collaborating on a new middle-grade book. (We’re up to chapter 22 in our tale about a shy 5th grader who must stand up to a mean girl to keep her friends and reach her dream of entering her horse in the county fair). 

Co-writing is a special challenge when working with someone who lives 1,500 miles away.  But Rosie is a joy to work with, just as her name implies, and being accountable to another author nudged me back to writing.  

​Plus, I finally had drafts to share with my local writers’ support group.  It was way better to share our chapters instead of berating myself when another month went by without having written a jot for our feedback sessions.  

Taking Chances
By mid-year, Critic Cat still hounded me, but Confident Cat convinced me to enter the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Contest.  Waffling until the the deadline, I submitted Sweet T and the Turtle Team.

Six months later ...

Turtle Team scored its third writing award and received a silver medal for children’s books, animal category 
 
PLUS 
 
Turtle Team won the Wind Dancer Films competition!  

That meant my book was being considered for a film or TV movie adaption by a major Hollywood production company.   I am still over the moon and goose-bumping! My book adaptation may never come to pass, but I was 99% ahead of other authors, who only dream of getting their books on the silver screen.  

Celebrating Success

​As my 2019 roller coaster winds down, Confident Cat has been keeping Critic Cat in the corner.

But I want to be ready when Critic Cat strikes again. That’s the writing road, after all.  Having doubts. Constantly striving to be better. Navigating bumps and curves mingled with smooth rides.  Keeping going when everything feels hard and progress is slow.
 
Here’s to more of Confident Cat and readers like YOU, who keep me company on my writing road. Your support means more than you'll ever know.  Beyond grateful!
​
 
Your Turn
Thanks for stopping by.  What are you dreaming about this December as you look back over your year? Please share in the comment section.

But before you go, find more inspirational recollections from my blogging buddies at these #Gr8blogs, coming to you from California and all the way to New Zealand and in between -:D!
​

Remember how you loved getting mail as a kid (the type found in your post box, not digital delivery to your device)?

And you usually knew who sent it, right?

Well, author/illustrator Rosie Russell takes a spin on that childhood delight in her ninth picture book, Maggie, Millie and Merrie's Mystery Mail.  Packages arrive daily to brighten their long midwestern winter, but the triplets don't know WHO is sending them!

Join me on a Cat's Corner Book Spotlight to preview of this sparkling picture book and meet author Rosie Russell.  Promise - she's just as effervescent and charming as her first name implies.

About the Book
​

Title: Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Mystery Mail | Author: Rosie Russell 
Publication Date: November 2019 | Publisher: Books by Rose
 Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 7-10
* Amazon US *  Barnes & Noble  *  Rainy Day Books 
​
​

The triplets are back, and my, have they grown.
 
The Midwest winter strikes with a vengeance.  
Stuck in the house with too many snow days,
    they turn grumpy with nothing to do.  
​That is, until a mysterious package is delivered. 
 
Will the trio be pulled from boredom
​as mail arrives each day? 
​

​Q & As with Rosie Russell

Cat:      What inspired you to write this book?
Rosie:   Hands down, the art project in this story. I learned how to make this project last year and became obsessed over the possibilities on what they can become. 

Cat:       Are the triplets based on anybody you know?
Rosie:    The idea came from my mother, Mary, and her 1930s singing trio, Margret, Irene, and Mary.  She also loved art projects, and she handed down the love of art to me. I changed the original names of Margret to Maggie, used Millie instead of Irene, and modified the spelling from Mary to Merrie. 

Cat:     Can children read your book as a standalone, or do they need to read the other two books in this series first?
Rosie:    This book can be read as a standalone. I made sure to include instructions and ideas from the other two stories.  I think readers will enjoy it even more once they read the first two books.  

Cat:   You feature fun kids' crafts  in your book. What craft do you most enjoy doing?
Rosie:   Oh my!  That’s a tricky one because I love them all.  I am fascinated by turning a plain object into something different or useful.  Once I find a craft I enjoy, I make it non-stop.

 ​
​Cat:     Your illustrations shimmer on the page! How do you create them? 
Rosie: Thank you for your kind words, Cat. When I started illustrating, I had to teach myself everything you see on the pages. I have learned so much along the way. I studied what other illustrators do with digital drawing and learned many fun tricks in Photoshop and a program I use called Photo Explosion.

This past year I learned about drop shadows in Photoshop. It has made a world of difference and gives the images dimension, so they don't look so flat on the page. My illustrations have evolved greatly since I started drop shadow. I can’t wait to learn more. 

​Cat:   Have you ever met a gnome? (just kidding!)  
          What inspired you to write a gnome into your tale?
Rosie:  I think we all love the thought of little gnomes in a little world. When the triplets go on their “Magical Adventure” in the first book, I wanted to create a fun gnome for them to meet.

​Cat:    What’s your next project? (tee hee…I know about one of them!)
Rosie:  Besides working on my middle-grade chapter book with you, I have another picture book that's mostly written. However, I put it aside for the past year because I'm still looking for animal characters to add to the story. That’s all I can say about the book for now <wink>.

​Cat:     If you could be a Disney character, who would you be, and why?
Rosie:  If Mary Poppins is considered a Disney character, then it would be her. I loved the movie as a child and still do.

​Cat:     What’s your favorite dessert?
Rosie:  I blog a lot about sweets, but I don’t eat many sweets. Sure, I'll taste them when available.  A bit of ice cream with a crunchy topping is always my go-to dessert. ​

​Cat:    Favorite book you read as a child?
Rosie:  This is a hard one because I loved them all. “Naughty Bunny” was read to me by my mother. I truly think it became a favorite because of the loving voice she used when reading it to me. 

Cat:     Favorite genre to read OR last book you finished?
Rosie:  I’ve been reading many middle grade books to get a feel for how they are written and what readers at that age enjoy.  I also enjoy contemporary novels and non-fiction books for adults. 

Cat: What else might readers like to know about you?
Rosie:  Funny you ask because I was just talking to one of my author friends about this, Cat. It made me laugh!  ​

Growing up and even today, food has been an important part of my life.  Dinner always means an array of foods and special times gathering with family and friends. Although I often talk and write about food, people are surprised to learn I’m not a big eater,  I also have an uncanny ability to remember everything I’ve eaten: the time, place, and  person I was dining with (and often what they ate, too!).  

Who knows! Maybe someday I’ll write a cookbook. If I do, each recipe will include a story about the person or history behind the food.  ​

About the the Author/Illustrator

​Rosie Russell is the author and illustrator of children’s books for early readers.  Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Mystery Mail her ninth book.
 
Rosie studied Early Childhood Education and taught students in elementary and middle school for fifteen years in the Midwest.  She now writes and illustrates full time.  She enjoys sharing her books with students, and encouraging them to write and illustrate their own stories.  

​Rosie donates a portion of her books to different charitable organizations that help children or animals. 

Connect with Rosie Russell
​
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Website  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest  |  Instagram  

Crunchy leaves.  Cozy sweaters.  Hearty supper soups.  Yep, autumn is here in central North Carolina, a welcome relief after five months of heat and humidity.  Join me for inspiration and smiles as I search for autumn bliss and reveal what I’m reading, watching, getting excited about, and more to enjoy this season.
​

Reading

​How can a book be well-written, witty, delightful and heart-breaking all rolled into one?  

Dunno, but Elizabeth Gilbert pulls it off.  
 
The author’s clever narrative revolves around an elderly woman, who writes to a younger woman about her then-young life with a theater company in New York City in the 1940s.  We’re surrounded by rich characters supporting this coming of age story told in flashbacks to keep you guessing as Gilbert slowly reveals the protagonist's bittersweet secret.  

The audiobook is narrated by another one of my faves, Blair Brown, Tony Award-winning stage actress and star of television and film.  A must-read for Gilbert fans in print or audio!

Getting Excited About

I'm not attending the Readers' Favorite Book Awards for Sweet T and the Turtle Team's silver medal in Miami this fall.  But it's all good.  

Spouse JM and I had already earmarked our travel budget on a bucket list trip to Arizona in the American southwest. We're pumped about taking gentle hikes around Sedona's red rocks country, discovering native peoples' ancient dwellings in national parks, enjoying Flagstaff's laid-back lifestyle at 7,000 feet/2.1 km. elevations, and exploring The Big Kahuna .... the Grand Canyon!  

I'm also looking for literary influences in this land of stark beauty and rugged landscapes.  I can only think of Barbara Kingsolver's Bean Trees..  Any  suggestions for me?

And I must see landscapes immortalized on the silver screen where John Wayne and other Hollywood cowboys giddy-upped into film legend.  

Oooooo....feeling another blog post coming on! Stay tuned for a photo walk about my Arizona discoveries here on Cat's Corner..

Loving

​What an adventure co-writing a middle-grade book with author Rosie Russell .... especially since we live more than 1,000 miles apart.

But regular phone convos, emails, and chapters drafted and uploaded to a shared cloud drive keep us connected.  We’re about 25% into the book.  Hoping to finish by spring.  
 
Hey, if you have a minute, can you have a look at our *draft log line* below?
​

"A shy 11-year-old farm girl
​just wants to survive fifth grade.  
​But the new girl in school is out to take her down
and crush her dreams
​of entering her horse at the county fair."

What do you think?  Rosie and I would be most grateful for your feedback.

​Does the log line tell you enough about the story without giving too much away?
Might it draw fifth grade readers (likely girls, although we have boys as secondary characters)?  
* log line: a 1 or 2 sentence description of a story's central conflict and plot synopsis

Thinking About

It's a waiting game until December.  

I submitted my 3-page summary of Sweet T and the Turtle Team to Wind Dancer Films for the producers to consider for a movie or TV adaptation. 

I get tickled thinking about what actor could play which character in my tale.  I wonder how  the turtles and nests would be shown?  What about the bullying scenes?  And the tropical storm?  I'd love for it to be  filmed on location in North Carolina.

It's fun to think about possibilities, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.  My research says a a book pitch has about a 4% chance of actually making it to the screen.  Plus, there are production technicalities and values that I don't understand, so it's more than just the book's quality..

You’ll be among the first to know if anything comes of this opportunity.  Please cross your fingers for Sweet T and me! 

Making Me Happy

​I’m finally putting down a garden around our cozy yellow cottage.  It's been begging for one since we moved here last summer.  Major soil amendments coming to sweeten our red Carolina clay that’s brilliant for making pottery but brutal on plants.  

Thinking a country cottage look, but not too unkempt.  I want a child's garden along the sidewalk where kids pass on the way to the bus stop or pool.  Maybe dinosaurs and painted rocks there.  But low maintenance and lots of native specimens everywhere.  Definitely lots of color and garden art for whimsy, too.  Can't wait!

Watching

Buckle your swashes!  Captain Poldark and Mistress Demelza are back for the fifth and final season of Poldark.  This season, its set in the power halls of London as well as on the Cornish coast.  Are you watching the series?  Read the books by Winston Graham? Lucky UK folk have already seen how our fave 19th-century couple fare.  

Fingers crossed here for a happy ending for the idealistic hunky Poldark and his sterling wife (ditto for Drake and Morwenna, Jeffrey-Charles and Cecily, and the Despards).

Anticipating
​

Hard to imagine anything sweeter than a holiday book festival held in a town called Holly Springs.  

If you’re in central North Carolina, please stop by the cultural center in downtown Holly Springs, North Carolina, between 10 am and 2 pm., to say hey! and meet more than two-dozen other writers of books for kids and adults. I’ll be rolling out silver medal stickers for Sweet T and the Turtle Team and bundling toy stuffies for both Turtle Team and Finding Fuzzy.

​Seeing Through My Camera Lens
​

I'm passionate about capturing nature and landscapes with my iphone or Lumix GX7 digital camera.  Photography is in my genes, as my great- and great x2 grandfathers were professional photographers in the late-1800s in Minneapolis, MN, and Everett, WN.

Please enjoy fall scenes from my part of the world.  
(disclosure: taken last year because fall tints have not arrived yet in central North Carolina)

Your Turn

Thanks for keeping me company as I share my autumn happy places.  How are you finding   your autumn bliss (or springtime happiness Down Under)?   Please do tell in the comment section.
​

When fellow Tarheel Christine, The Uncorked Librarian, sent out a call for reviews of books set in the south, I jumped at the chance.  My pick?  

Guests on Earth, by awesome North Carolina author Lee Smith.  

The novel is set around an Asheville neighborhood that’s now a stately avenue of historic homes.  But there's a grassy field down the road!  Peaceful now so hard grasp its heartbreaking significance to literary giant F. Scott Fitzgerald.
 
Explore this Asheville tragedy and read my review of Smith’s Guests Here on Earth.  Then click over to The Uncorked Librarian for Christine’s juicy list of southern books to add to your reading stack.

About the Book

​

Guests on Earth
by Lee Smith
Algonquin Books  | 2013  | 326 pages  |  historical fiction

​Here's how author Lee Smith describes her novel: 

​"Guests on Earth is set at Highland Mental Hospital in Asheville, N.C., during the years 1936-1948, including the terrible 1948 fire in which Zelda Fitzgerald perished along with eight other women patients in the locked ward on the top floor. Her body was identified only by her charred ballet slipper---for the brilliant Zelda was still a talented dancer and choreographer as well as a writer and a visual artist.

Deep Dive
Asheville Literary History
 
I’d love Lee Smith’s books even if I didn’t live in her North Carolina home state, a frequent backdrop for her tales. Freely disclosing here that her local-to-me tales are especially enticing, but they will hook you, too, no matter where you live.  
  

Guests on Earth is a brilliant historical fiction.  Its centerpiece, Highland Hospital for Nervous Disorders, was built in Asheville, NC, in the early 1900s, was run by psychiatrist Dr. Robert Carroll.  A mental health innovator, Carroll removed then-standard chains and straight jackets, offering his ‘guests’ instead fresh air, exercise, and creative arts along with counseling.  

​Dr. Carroll’s wife, Grace Potter Carroll, was a world-famous concert pianist who operated a music school in their adjacent home, Highland Hall.  Mrs. Carroll sponsored many concerts, often featuring Highland patients, at their home that still stands proud on Montford Avenue on the historic register of homes.

Highland is forever linked to the literary world by F. Scott Fitzgerald and his Zelda. ​

​The novelist resided at the Asheville at the Grove Park Inn during the summers of 1935 and 1936 to rest from tuberculosis and find writing inspiration.  His wife Zelda, a brilliant creative in her own right, was treated at nearby Highland Hospital (for what doctors now suspect was a bipolar disorder) for months at a time during their marriage and after his death in 1940.  

The hospital has the sad distinction as the place Zelda where perished. Trapped on the top floor with eight others when Highland burned to the ground in 1948, Zelda was identified only by her ballet slipper.

One hot summer afternoon as I wandered around Asheville, I stumbled across the historical marker commemorating that tragic night. 

​My  Review

Smith’s main character, Evalina Toussaint, unravels the mystery of Highland in her compelling first-person narrative  Admitted as a delicate child of a New Orleans courtesan and a wealthy aristocratic father, Evalina is a reliable narrator as far as her innocence and vulnerabilities allow. She becomes a student of Mrs. Carroll’s, finding her identity and stability by playing  piano at the Carroll’s nearby residence, Highland Hall.

As Evalina accompanies Highland’s patients at musicals, she befriends a tapestry of fellow women patients. Smith portrays these characters with richness and empathy, and you feel their despair.  Eventually, Evalina’s life intersects with Zelda’s at the clinic ... two creative, wounded spirits who develop a peaceful coexistence across Zelda's mood swings. 

​Much of the plot revolves around Evalina’s failed attempts at finding love and untangling dark family’s secrets that trap her.  Bouncing in and out of Highland into adulthood, she feels at home there and eventually recovers enough to land a staff position as pianist.

​Despite healing, Evalina remains haunted by that terrible night of the fire.  As she explains in the opening chapter:
​

​“I bring a certain insight and new information to that horrific event which changed all our lives forever, those of us living there upon that mountain at that time. This is not my story, then, in the sense that Mr. Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby' was not Nick Carraway’s story, either---yet Nick Carraway is the narrator, is he not?

​And is any story not always the narrator’s story, in the end?”

With Evalina as narrator in Guests on Earth, Lee Smith seamlessly weaves fact and fiction for a compelling read.

More Southern Titles
​

 Hankering for more novels set in the south?  

Click over to The Uncorked Librarian  for the complete juicy list of Christine's “deep fried and delish tales” to add to your reading stack.

​Your Turn

What are your favorite books set in the south?  Fave Southern writer?  Please share in the comment section to keep book love strong, y'all.


Research Credits
NC Department of Cultural Resources
National Public Radio
National Park Service

I can't resist a rollicking-good ghost story, and neither will your middle-graders when they open author Sandra Bennett's newest Australian adventure, A Lighthouse in Time.

This second book in Bennett's Adamson Adventures Series can be read as a stand-alone tale. But you'll also want to check out her first book, Secrets Hidden Below. This book is shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Book of the Year Awards 2019 and long-listed in the children’s category of the 2019 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards.

Scroll down to learn about the author's new middle-grade adventure, meet Sandra (you'll adore her!), read excerpts from her book, catch my interview with her, and find my Catly review of A Lighthouse in Time.  Happy tales!
​

​About the Book
​

Title: The Adamson Adventures 2: A Lighthouse in Time  |  Author: Sandra Bennett |
 Publication Date: August 2019  |  Publisher: Elephant Tree Publishing Pty Ltd  |  
​Pages: 168  | Recommended Ages: 8-12

*  Elephant Tree Publishing   |  ​  SandraBennett.com *
​

​
Zac doesn't believe in ghosts.  He's never seen scientific proof of their existence.

Clare is skeptical but open-minded to the possibility. She likes the idea of ghosts and fairies, even angels.

Luke is convinced they encountered a ghost at Caves Beach.  He's determined to lead his brother and sister on a ghost hunt through the ruins of an old lighthouse on the point at Cape St George.

Join the three Adamson siblings on their second adventure as they discover a ghost desperate to save her father and an evil spirit just as determined to do anything to stop her ... and the Adamson kids!

Follow clues along with Zac, Clare and Luke, as you learn about shipwrecks that crashed off the New South Wales South Coast.  Stay close as they search for a long-lost ship's manifest, a lighthouse keeper's journal, and dark secrets within a lighthouse lost in time.
​

Q & As
​with Australian children's author, Sandra Bennett
​

Cat:          What inspired you to write this book?
Sandra:     Inspiration came from camping holidays on the South Coast of New South Wales when my boys were young. We discovered the old lighthouse, Caves Beach and Wreck Bay, perfect backdrops for an irresistible ghost story.

Cat:          Are the Adams kids based on anybody you know?
Sandra:   The Adamson children are based on my own three boys, but the story changed as I wrote. For instance, I initially had three brothers; however, I decided to add a girl, so I developed Clare as the second sibling.

Cat:           Is your ghostly lighthouse legend based on local lore?
Sandra:  Very loosely.  I was inspired by local stories about people who lived near the old lighthouse during the 1800s. For instance, Wreck Bay got its name from the many ships that crashed along its rocky shores, confused between the bay’s two lighthouses.

Cat:     You write convincingly about spelunking. Do you explore many caves?
Sandra:    I love exploring caves, particularly ones with stalagmites and stalactites. The caves at Caves Beach do not go back very far. Weathered from storms, you can walk into them, but not nearly as far as you can in my fictional caves.

Cat:         Ever had a close encounter with a shark?
Sandra:   Only in an aquarium. I like safety glass between me and a shark, thank you very much. Even though our beaches are patrolled daily for sharks, I have never seen one. That doesn't mean you should take safety for granted.  Sharks are out there, especially at feeding time, dusk and dawn.
       
Cat:          Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Sandra:    Cannot resist Pavlova or chocolate mousse. Pavlova is a meringue topped with cream and fresh fruit, typically strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, or kiwi fruit), and sprinkles of grated chocolate. Yum!

 Cat:         Favorite author?
Sandra:   I'm reading Pirate Boy of Sydney Cove, by Jackie French, one of my favorite Australian authors. It's a swashbuckler set in the early 1800s and stretches from England to Australia and the giant waves of the Southern Ocean in between.

Cat:           Favorite book read growing up?
Sandra:   I treasure my box set of C S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. I dreamed of finding a wardrobe that would to lead me to a magical world like his.

Cat:  What one place would the Adams siblings take American children on a first visit to your home town in Canberra?
Sandra:  Since the Adamson kids like exploring, they would take American kids out of the city into the surrounding mountains to visit waterfalls and the remains of old satellite tracking stations.  Plus, they’d explore bush walking trails and perhaps bump into some of our amazing wildlife.
​

Cat:  What one place would the Adams siblings take American children on a first visit to your home town in Canberra?
Sandra:  Since the Adamson kids like exploring, they would take American kids out of the city into the surrounding mountains to visit waterfalls and the remains of old satellite tracking stations.  Plus, they’d explore bush walking trails and perhaps bump into some of our amazing wildlife.
​

Cat:           What else might readers like to know about you?
Sandra:    During school visits, students frequently ask why I want to be an author. Teaching literacy has always been my passion, and reading aloud to my class was the highlight of my day. Sharing that love of reading by writing my own stories was a natural progression for me. Through writing, I can help kids build reading skills, share wonders about the rest of the world, and develop their imagination in fun and creative ways.

About the Author
​

Sandra Bennett is a Canberra-based children’s author.  She has published four children’s books, and her stories have been featured in several anthologies.  
 
In late-2019, her work will appear in two more anthologies, and her new graphic novel will be featured in Library For All’s literacy program that serves children in remote and rural South Pacific communities.  

Her first book in The Adamson Adventures, Secrets Hidden Below, has been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Book of the Year Awards 2019 and is long-listed in the children’s category of the 2019 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards.
 
When not writing, this retired Primary School teacher and mother of three boys is often seen walking her dog, roaming the hills around her country property outside Canberra, and having fun plotting her next story.  One of Sandra’s newest pastimes is playing with and reading to her new grandson, who is her greatest and most lovable distraction.

Connect with Sandra Bennett
​
Website  |   Twitter  |  Facebook  | Goodreads

My Review
​

The second in the Adamson Series by Sandra Bennett, A Lighthouse in Time is a ghostly mystery set in an exotic-to-me Australian National Park.
 
Narrated in first person by the eldest Adamson, Zac is the impatient, no-nonsense brother, who clearly leads the siblings.  Bennett enriches each child with distinct personalities and tosses in just enough good-natured bickering to make thetrio’s relationship realistic and fun. I wish Claire were portrayed feistier rather than as the mothering sister, who is often afraid as her brothers forge ahead, but she holds her own as the mystery unfolds.
 
The author imbues Time with an intimate sense of place of its oceanside Australian setting:
​

"Out the back beyond the break,
the bay was almost like a pond.
White fluffy clouds floated across the sky,
with no sign of any storm brewing...
A pod of dolphins played in the distance."

North American readers also learn delightful new words, like brekkie (breakfast) and swimmers (swim suits), as well as how to surf a boat to safety on stormy waves.  Bennett thoughtfully provides a glossary of special terms at the end of the book.

​The author shines as she adds layers to the ghostly mystery the kids must solve to lift an ancient curse before their vacation ends.   No spoilers, but action accelerates and frightening apparitions appear to heighten suspense, but they won't give young readers nightmares.
​

​Stylistically, I prefer shorter paragraphs for young readers, especially for breaking up long narrative passages and separating them from dialogue.  This is a minor distraction I overlook because of the story’s strong action and engaging plot.

​A Lighthouse in Time is a crackling-good ghostly yarn that will keep kids turning pages to uncover the identity of a long-dead baddie and lift a century’s old curse.  Highly recommend Sandra Bennett's adventure for both boys and girls ages 8-12.

Have I got a middle-grade, fantasy/adventure for your Friday the 13th here on Cat's Corner. (But discovering this exciting new tale is nothing but good luck for kids, promise!)

I'm pleased to partner with Sage's Book Tours and introduce you to the Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God, by Tyler H. Jolley.  Love that this story's protagonist, a feisty girl who's sucked into an action-packed quest through one of the most unique portals you'll find.  

Read on to discover our plucky heroine's five companions, read an excerpt from the book, and meet the author.  Happy tales!
​

About the Book
​

Title: Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God  Author: Tyler H. Jolley | Publication Date: September 2019 | Publisher: Tyler H. Jolley | Pages: 61 | Recommended Ages: 8-12

* Amazon US * 

After Alison Liv Isner is sucked into an old globe that sat on her father’s desk, she wakes beside a campfire in a lush jungle, surrounded by five talking animals. She quickly realizes these are the same friends her mom wrote about in her expedition journal. Now, at only eleven-years-old, she has the opportunity to complete her deceased mother’s unfinished expedition in the Temple of the Monkey God.
 
With her new found friends, a monkey, a fat rat, a bat, a burro with a piranha in a mason jar tied around his neck, Ali decides to face the treacherous booby traps inside of the temple and save the monkey idol from an evil group called The Geese.
 
As she learns more about her deceased mom through her adventure journal, Ali and her friends realize the book is the key to lead them through the tunnels of the dreaded Temple of the Monkey God. If not, their lives are at stake and Ali will be trapped in the expedition realm forever.
​

Excerpt

“Here we go.” Ali stepped into the dark opening. Cool, damp air tickled her nose. It reminded her of the inside of a trunk her dad had accidently left in the rain. The next week when they’d opened it, the moldy smell was pungent.  
            
Just a few feet in, light from the entrance cast itself at an angle on the opposite wall. 
            
Everyone had sidled up next to Ali.
           
“What are you thinking, human?” Figgy asked.
           
Ali shrugged. Chicaletta rummaged through the pack on Figgy’s rump and produced a metal-handled flashlight. Ali tripped just as Chicaletta flicked on the light. Ali looked down at what she’d fallen over. A skeleton with rotted clothes. She screamed.

Suddenly, a huge, square stone as wide as her father was tall and at least two times her height crashed from the ceiling and blocked the entrance.

Trapped.

Glenda’s high-pitched scream nearly deafened Alison Liv Isner. Chicaletta whipped around and pointed the flashlight at the stone blocking the door. Ali tried to speak but couldn’t find her voice. Adrenaline surged through her veins. The stone wasn’t just blocking the door, but it was also a weapon. Spikes of varying lengths jutted out at them from the rock. 
           
Ali shook her hands, trying to calm her nerves. “What now?”
           
“We’re trapped,” Tristan said. “We’re going to die.”
            
“Never mind him,” Bait said.
           
“Ignore me all you want,” Tristan said. “But one day I’ll be right. Probably.”
          
“Chicaletta?” Ali walked toward Figgy’s pack. “Do you have another flashlight in there?”
            
“Yes,” Chicaletta said. “But we should save the batteries.”
           
“Just light one of those bones on fire,” Tristan yawned.
            
“What?” Ali nearly yelled.
         
“It’ll be fine, watch,” Tristan said. He scurried over to the bones. “Hey, skeleton, do you mind if we use your femur?” He held his pink hand up to his ear. “Skeleton, if you don’t want us to use your leg and clothes, speak now.” The skeleton didn’t move. Tristan turned back to the group. “See? He doesn’t care.”
            
Ali looked to the others for guidance.
            
“I’ll fish out the flint,” Tristan said. “No offense, Bait.”
       
Ali walked toward the skeleton with trepidation. But, Tristan was right, after all. Any adventurer would wish to be useful, even in death. 
            
“I guess,” Glenda swallowed hard, “it should be okay.”
            
Chicaletta blinked and nodded at Ali. “Hurry.”
            
Ali knelt next to the skeleton and wrapped her hands around its leg; she closed her eyes and cringed. The femur was the largest bone and came free easily from the hip joint. She wrapped the tattered clothes around the end just as Tristan scurried back with a flint and steel.
           
Ali struck the U-shaped steel against the flint, and sparks fell toward the old cloth. It smoldered, and she blew on the embers. Flames encompassed the cloth. It cackled to life, illuminating a modest space in front of her.

Between Ali’s torch and Chicaletta’s flashlight, the tunnel was still fairly dark. The temple felt more like a cave. Musty air permeated the ten foot high stone tunnel. A hideous scraping sound of stone on stone grabbed their attention. The large block with spikes slid toward them. Slowly, at first. Then with momentum. 

“Run!” Ali waved her torch toward a tunnel. “This way.”

The block slid forward with spikes inching closer to Ali and her friends. But then it momentarily stopped, caught on the dry skeleton. Bones crunched and twisted. The skull had become wedged. The spiked stone lurched, and the skull exploded, filling the room with white dust behind them.

Meet the Author

,The author's debut novel, EXTRACTED, came out in 2013 with Spencer Hill Press, and has been a Spencer Hill Press Best Seller, as well as an Amazon Best Seller. PRODIGAL and RIVEN, the second and third books in The Lost Imperials Series, were released in May 2015.

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News Flash
 
Beyond excited to share with YOU...

Sweet T and the Turtle Team
​is one of 10 finalists

being considered by
Wind Dancer Films
​
for adaptation as a movie or TV film.
 
AND

 Turtle Team
scored its 4th award
for excellence in children's books

with a silver medal - animals category -
from Readers' Favorite Book Awards.

Excited and proud
to be recognized by
Readers’ Favorite and Wind Dancer Films!
​

Still feeling numb here.  
I was catching up on emails after being off the grid on vacation
when the Readers’ Favorite announcement unexpectedly popped up on my screen.    
​

I’d been hopeful I might place in its book awards division ... 
​

​,,, but I
never
expected the additional honor
​of being a finalist
in its Wind Dancer Films contest. 

​Couldn’t stop my hands from shaking all morning!  
Sweet Hub had to scrape me off the chandelier -:D

​For me, entering a writing contest 

is usually a last-minute decision
after an exhausting convo with myself.

 Confident Cat:      You should definitely enter your book.
 Scaredy-Cat:        I don’t know.  So many writers enter.  What chance would I have?
 CC:                            You won't even place if you do nothing.  What’s the problem?
 SC:                           Too many deadlines. No time to pull it together. Cost factors, too.
 CC:                            Prioritize and make it happen.  
 SC:                            Maybe I could try.
 CC & Yoda:             “No! Try not! Do or do not, there is no try.”

Sweet T and the Turtle Team​​
has scored 4 accolades to date
for
excellence in children’s literature.
 

It has taken me
4 books, 6 years, stacks of rejections,
and countless hours of ...

blogging
writing
editing
re-writing
marketing
wanting to quit
sleepless nights
and burning out more times than I care to admit

to reach this point.

For you, dreamers, lonely and toiling to away.
Wondering if anyone is paying attention
Ever noticing what you're doing....

Don't give up!

​Beyond grateful to YOU
for reading my books 

and 
​
keeping me company
on my writing journey!
​

Before you go.....

• Check out my book's silver medal review on Readers’ Favorite. 
• I'd be honored to have you learn more about Sweet T and the Turtle Team and where to order your copy on my website HERE.  

Many thanks!

What I know about horses: 

1. They are BIG!
2. Kids (girls especially) love them.
3. The only time I rode a horse, I was sore for days.
4. The 11-yo protagonist Rosie Russell and I introduce in our middle-grade work in progress (WIP) dreams of entering her beloved Palomino in the county fair. 

To soak up horsey facts and associated fun sensory tidbits that make a book come alive, I checked in virtually with our horse whisperer at Dancing Horses Farm in Port Orchard, Washington. 

I also spent a weekend at Tanglewood, a working horse farm in Southern Pines, North Carolina.  Join me on easy hour’s drive down US1 from my writing den to explore that unique equine community and discover juicy factoids for Rosie’s and my WIP.  

Horses are BIG animals.

They can sense energy from humans around them.

And

still

others

like

to

laugh.

Horses often wear

fly masks
​
for protection from pesky insects that plague them.

Mischievous horses even figure
​ out how to remove those masks!

Horses don't like to be petted
on the front of their faces.

Would you like it if somebody pat you on your nose?
​
Since horses can't see your hand if you pet their nose,
you will startle them, too.  
​

​Horses

are
​
exhilarating animals.
​

​And caring for them

is a

joyful

labor of love.
​

Putting it All Together

Now for the synthesis of researching and writing! 

Have a peek at how Rosie and I
weave our discoveries
into this draft scene from our work in progress:

Our protagonist, Olivia, and her friend, Isabella,
introduce new girl Candace to Olivia’s horse, Lucky.
​
​***

“I was explaining the best way to pet a horse,” Isabella said, “but before I could finish, Candace reached over and petted Lucky in that small blind spot in front of his face.  It startled him, so he bucked sideways.”

“There now, boy,” Olivia crooned, moving to Lucky and stroking him gently alongside his neck.  “Candace is just trying to be friendly.”  

“Your horse doesn’t like me,” Candace blurted. “He’s mean.” 

“He’s just not used to you.  It’ll take time for him to know you, that’s all,” Olivia said. 

“Yeah, right.”

“Try a friendly horse handshake like this, Candace.” Olivia suggested. She stuck out her hand with fingers held down and slightly bent.  “Hold your hand like this near Lucky’s nose. That way, he can smell your hand and get to know you.”
​
Unconvinced, Candace kept her distance, hands clasped securely behind her back.  

​Draft scene excerpt from Cat and Rosie's WIP
***

Your Turn
What's your experience with farm life or horses?  What tidbits might you share about rural living and equines that Rosie and I could use in our tale?  Any feedback on that draft scene above? (Hey, please contact me if you'd be interested in being a beta reader once our 150-page book is done this winter.)  
​

Credits:
All photos by Cat  Michaels or Hub except where noted
Most grateful to Tanglewood Farms, Southern Pines, NC, and Dancing Horses Farm, Port Orchard, WA, for generously sharing their equine knowledge.