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My writerly pals and I are sharing breezy summer hopes and dreams in the C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y Blog Hop - Summer 2016. Please have a read and enjoy. Then check out the other #Gr8Blogs listed at the end of this post for more C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y inspiration.
CURRENTLY Loving
Growing up on the New England coast and swimming since I could walk, I am in heaven when the outdoor pool opens for the season! Besides keeping in shape, swimming laps is major stress relief. My mind takes a holiday gliding through the water. Sometimes, story ideas pop into my head. The trick is to remember them when I get out of the pool, and write them down without dripping all over my trusty notepad.
CURRENTLY Reading
Usually, I read a couple books at once, but sometimes my library reserves become available at the same time, and I hit the jackpot. 
Trio of summertime reads
The Martian, by And Weir
...Super fun (though I skip over detailed, tech parts, like nailhead sizes, potato types, and such), and I love Matt Damon in the film. How did it win the Oscar in a comedy category?!? Cinder, by Melissa Mayer ...Fresh and creative, Cinder is the first of Mayer's awesome fractured fairy tale/syfy mash-up series, The Lunar Chronicles. I'm hooked. Just call me a lunar-tic. Cinder is a poor, lonely orphan, who also happens to be a cyborg. There's a mean stepmother, evil queen, and handsome prince, just like the original fairy tale. Cinder is a perfect audiobook for exercising --- wanting to hear the next chapter keeps me going longer. Seraphina, by Robert Beatty ...Nah, I'm not bias because Seraphina is set in Asheville's Vanderbilt mansion, one of my fave places in North Carolina AND written by another NC author. (Well, maybe a little bit bias.) This middle grade tale featuring plucky female protagonist Seraphina, Chief Rat Catcher at the mansion, is NOT for sensitive young readers. More like a Stephen King for kids, the book has downright scary encounters with other-wordly creatures, but it's a rompin' stomping' good yarn with a bit of 19th-century history thrown in.
CURRENTLY Watching
I quasi-watch season 6 of Game of Thrones, fast-forwarding past scenes of excess violence and skin. Sometimes deleting entire episodes.
Hey, how about that unexpected Jon Snow come back? And poor Hodor <sniff-sniff>.
CURRENTLY Thinking About My WIP is constantly on my mind these days. 
A fluke tech glitch wiped out my entire manuscript and its cloud backup Yep, months of research and writing all gone. Zip. Zilch. Zero. I spent weeks re-writing lost chapters and popping aspirin.
I learned my lesson - now quadruple backing-up and printing daily work (though I hate killing trees). I hope this loss never happens to you. Please, please please make multiple back ups of all that's dear to you.
CURRENTLY Anticipating
Spouse and I are motoring four hours west to the Blue Ridge mountains later this summer to celebrate his milestone birthday. We love staying in edgy Asheville. This artsy, outdoorsy community is a magnificent escape from summer's heat and humidity in our NC flatlands. Can’t wait to explore trails, eateries, and creative places. Just breathe that mountain air .... ahhhhhh! 
Edgy Asheville: street scenes, storefront
CURRENTLY Making Me Happy
This fall, I will be a great-auntie TWICE! Both boys....One in September and the other in November. You know I will be looking for sales on all things blue.
CURRENTLY Seeing in My Camera Lens
A Taste of the South
Pepsi Readers know the city of New Bern, NC, as the setting for Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember. (You can even take a W2R walking tour in New Bern of sites mentioned in his novel.) However, cola lovers know New Bern as the birthplace of Pepsi. You can still visit the corner drugstore where the pharmacist created the soft drink in the 1890s. 
New Bern - Corner Pharmacy: Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola
Gardens
Please enjoy a taste of my summertime North Carolina garden, too. 
Cat's summer garden
'Cue
Gotta have eastern North Carolina-style Barbecue for a true taste of the south for your mouth. Serve it up on a bun of fried hush puppies with a side of Brunswick Stew and sweet tea. 
Carolina 'Cue
Thanks for stopping by!
Now it's your turn: What are you CURRENTLY up to this summer? Big plans? Keeping it low with a stay-cation? Adding books on your to-read list? Please share in the comment section btw, Bloggers.... why not join us on the Currently - Summer 2016 Blog Hop! Just add your family-friendly Currently link below in the comment section. We’ll visit your blog and give you some blog love. And if you use #Gr8Blogs, we'll support you when you post Currently in cyberspace.
For more fun with the C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y Blog Hop - Summer 2016 Blog Hop, please visit these #Gr8Blogs next....
Auden Johnson, Dark Treasury Corrina Holyoake, Venturing Into the Unknown Julie Gorges, Baby-Boomer Bliss Jd Holiday, Jd's Writers Blog
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"If you’re going to doubt something, doubt your limits..."
Calling all dreamers and seekers of self-fulfillment. Author JayceC Jones and Illustrator Russ Hughes spin a tale about the power of following your heart and being true to yourself. 
About the Book
Title: Rupert Author: KayeC Jones | Illustrator: Russ Hughes | Publication Date: 2016 | Publisher: cozybearstudio.com | Pages: 51 | Recommended Ages: 7 and up 
What Kids Will Like Story Written in four-line rhymes, children meet likable young pig Rupert, who refuses to conform with his stuffy family's tradition of joining their banking dynasty. Kids will enjoy laughing at his silly, inflexible parents and root for Rupert. Rupert leaves home to find a bell in his heart that will chime for him. During his search, he tries everything from milking cows on land to swabbing decks at sea. Illustrations Hughes' stunning pen and ink drawings on every page are like mini works of art in themselves. His bold, cartoon-like images fill the screen with color and excitement. And since this is a story about art (oops, a small spoiler!), illustrations also serve to inspire young artists.
What Parents, Educators Will Like  Rupert follows his heart
Role model
Hard-working and kind, Rupert is a perfect role model for kids. As he follows his heart and travels the world, he throws himself into learning new skills and always tries his best. He never gives up on finding his true calling in life, despite his struggle to discover it. Digital Format The digital book I reviewed has an easy-to-follow fixed layout. Text is crisply displayed and artfully framed (No, really! Text displays as framed artwork) in colors that blend perfectly with images on each page. Age- Appropriate Vocabulary Although I favor sprinkling challenge words in children's books, Rupert's vocabulary is often better suited for older children. Some passages, such as the wink-wink nod to the blue period of a famous artist with a beard, will be over the heads of primary graders. However, as an adult reader and former career coach, I applaud the book’s theme of seeking a purposeful life and finding the passion ...that has to be in your blood. I can also see Rupert written in the guise of a children's story for adults --- like a motivational fable for grown-ups seeking personal fulfillment or searching for their life path.
Recommendation
I love this tale's theme and its whimsical drawings presented with joyful exuberance. While youngest children, the book's intended audience, will enjoy its drawings and simple adventures, I find Rupert better suited to upper-middle graders, and even teens or Millennials, as a sweet inspirational tale about about pursuing happiness on a life quest. 
Disclosure: I was given a free digital book in exchange for an honest review.
Connect with KayeC Jones and Russ Hughes
Husband and wife Indie team KayeC and Russ think the other is more talented. They both draw and write, but they work best together, bonking heads and scribbling on paper. Working on children’s books is what they want to do for the rest of their lives. The thought of bringing smiles to children and adults alike brings them smiles.
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On the lookout for a good middle-grade book? I came across a winner that combines fantasy with the natural world AND features multicultural characters.
Dive into Whispers of Trees, by Ben Woodard with a Book Blast and giveaway I’m coordinating with BeachBoundBooks.
Read on to learn more about the book, and meet its author.
To enter the Giveaway that runs until 19 June and your chance to win a $25US gift card or PayPal cash, click on the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post. Good luck!  About the BookBook Description: An ancient forest, a dark night, a strange woman—and whispers. What is going on in this eerie Irish forest? Ten-year-old Declan has to find out. His brother is missing and only he can solve the mystery. But why him? He doesn’t even like his always-yelling brother who his sister says was eaten by wolves. But there are no wolves in Ireland. Then a witch-like woman tells him the two of them have to go into the spooky woods to save his brother. But from what? The strange trees only whisper the answer and he must discover what they are trying to tell him. But he will learn much more than he ever dreamed. Whispers of Trees is a fun, page-turning thriller hinting of myth that delivers a multicultural adventure. This is the second book in the Mythic Adventures Collection. The first book is The Boy Who Flew With Eagles. You can preview it here: The Boy Who Flew With Eagles
What others have to say...
"This is a great story for young readers. It has a great sense of nature and a great feeling of listening to your heart. I love that the author combined fantasy with folklore to create this perfect length story." - Deal Sharing Aunt
"The author did a great job revealing a ten-year-old's inner struggle against fear, suspicion, and emotional distance from his father and brother." - Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest "It has the perfect amount of mystery and suspense as well as a wonderful lesson for kids and adults. " - Lizards Laughter and Love "Well written story that inspires your imagination." - Kay LaLone
Take a peek at the trees...
About the Author: Ben Woodard For more information about Ben, please visit BooksByBen.com. Book Blast Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: June 19, 11:59 pm, 2016Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Ben Woodard and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway 
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 Cat MichaelsBlogging about books, writing, family life, travel and more good stuff. Meet Cat
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