Tag Archives: Books

Sep20

TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #6

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TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #6

The Y KNOT Gets a NEW Name!      yknewbottompaint

Husband and Prairie Girl just didn‘t like the name of their new (old) boat. The Y KNOT was just a little too common, even though they could justify it as a cheeky response to their impulsive sailboat purchase, in the first place. They’d had several brainstorming sessions over the winter months, trying to find the “just right” name, but to no avail.

Finally, their scheduled two week cruise mid-summer arrived, and the Y Knot had been provisioned, complete with a new shower bag to use while in anchorages. The crossing from West Van to the Gulf Islands was smooth and everything seemed perfect. (Seemed is the key word here.) They had … Read the rest

Sep12

TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #5

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TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #5

THE FIRST OVER-NIGHTER at ANCHOR

                   … How did he get Prairie Girl back onboard again?

Well, let’s just say, husband didn’t get Prairie Girl back onboard for that entire fall and winter- and not just because she was still traumatized from moving marinas! No it was too late in the season and husband had a TO DO LIST 3 pages long to deal with before setting sail. He was anxious to have the boat updates done before next summer when they’d be ready to go cruising – of course they would be!

yknewbottompaint

So the kinds of projects that husband took on brought the reality of boat ownership home quickly to Prairie Girl. Mooring fees were one thing, but … Read the rest

Aug23

TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #4

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TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #4

YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT ON THE WATER!

Sailboat ownership was new territory for Prairie Girl. She was so busy getting the new school year launched, that she barely had time to perseverate on the fact that they now owned their very own Catalina. Warm, fuzzy feelings descended upon her whenever she’d mention to her colleagues and parents at her school that they were now proud sailboat owners! (Oh yeah, she was still locked into her rosy vision of the beautiful people sailing in white, flowing nautical clothing, sipping champagne in the evening under the stars.) Obviously not grounded in reality! DUH! Instead of seeing a Catalina 27 that had had better days, she was transporting herself … Read the rest

Aug19

I Am What I Read: 5 Ways to Nurture Reading Identity by Paula Bourque — Nerdy Book Club

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I Am What I Read: 5 Ways to Nurture Reading Identity by Paula Bourque — Nerdy Book Club

Over the past few years as a K-8 literacy coach I’ve worked with students to help them create and connect with their writing identities. I wanted them to live “writerly” lives and explore what it meant to be a writer. I wrote a book about that exploration (Close Writing). I know, as writers we […]

via I Am What I Read: 5 Ways to Nurture Reading Identity by Paula Bourque — Nerdy Book Club… Read the rest

Jun28

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

MEET INSPIRATION #2

I’m finally getting back on track after a chilly Spring Cruise with SCYC (our yacht club), an overhaul landscaping job of our front yard, a trip to Portland, setting up publishing files for my picture book, WHO’S the CAPTAIN? … just to name a few distractions from TENDER TUESDAYS!

On FREAKY FRIDAY, I explained how meeting Dave Alavoine (the cartoonist for COCKPIT CONFESSIONS in PACIFIC YACHTING MAGAZINE) and starting our collaborative process together was inspired. I had already written this repetitive language picture book with a sassy nautical glossary, and had prepared notes for what the action in the cartoons would look like and the dialogue that the sailing family on vacation would be … Read the rest

Jun23

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

MEET INSPIRATION

AN APOLOGY TO MY FOLLOWERS: I know this isn’t Tender Tuesday or Wacky Wednesday, and not even Theatrical Thursday… Please accept my apology for publishing this on Freaky Friday! (I’ve been a little busy….)

Many of you may not be aware that I’m in process of publishing my first Picture Book! I waited for months to have the carefully chosen publishers respond to my query and tell me how anxious they were to get the project to print. I dreamt of bidding wars over my manuscripts- seriously! You’re shaking your head right now, thinking another disillusioned novice gets a dose of reality. Not exactly! I have had some experience with publishing in a former … Read the rest

Feb22

Say Your Name

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Say Your Name

Say Your Name

One is constantly barraged with requests to “SAY YOUR NAME”. The problem is that some of us have had a few name changes over the years, and on a distracted day, one could inadvertently blurt out one of those previous names… I’m saving those stories for another post!

My first “change of name” experience happened on the first day of school.  The teacher was confronted with 2 MARY LYNNE students.  She made an on the spot judgement call, announcing that I would be MARY from that day forth, and the other little girl would be LYNNE.  It stuck.  I lost my dual name that day and never looked back. Albeit, my mom continued … Read the rest

Dec20

Free Holiday Book Package Contest

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Free Holiday Book Package Contest

The Holiday Season is upon us and I wanted to thank my readers by offering Books 1 and 2 of my Frenchie Series as a Contest Give-Away.  Frenchie’s Best Friend-Follow the Blog is a Middle Grade novel that connects to Christmas in a humorous way.  Families are enjoying the series as  contemporary novels about family relationships,’tweens’, and French Bulldogs (and many other breeds…).  The novels appeal to anyone who has ever owned a pet or is a ‘pet-owner wannabe’.  You will “crack-up” when you meet Ethan’s Grandma Sis.  This 13 year old main character describes this quirky, eccentric woman as “not your typical let’s make cookies kind of Grandma”…  … Read the rest

Nov30

Buy Local for Christmas Reads

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Buy Local for Christmas Reads

X'mas photo-1

If you’re looking for a X’mas special on some humorous family reads over the holiday season (Middle Grade Novels -Grade 5-8), please consider the FRENCHIE SERIES (Books 1&2) on sale locally in NANAIMO’S CHAPTERS (local author section)and at the X’mas Bazaar at the Nanoose Bay Library on Saturday, Dec.8th between 10:00 -3:00.

Parents/Grandparents are choosing this humorous Frenchie Series (Books 1 &2) as a contemporary fiction choice with characters that all can relate to:

  • Ethan, the 13 year old who is “gaga” over French Bulldogs and determined to own one of his own
  • Grandma Sis,  the quirkiest, most eccentric and devious grandma,
  • Mel, an overwhelmed, single working mom who has no interest in adding a pet
… Read the rest
May18

Purchase the First Two Books of the Frenchie Series- visit CHAPTERS

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Purchase the First Two Books of the Frenchie Series- visit CHAPTERS

 Frenchie’s Best Friend- Follow the Blog

                                     

Frenchie X2- Follow the Blog     

 Who would enjoy these humorous reads?

  •    pet owners or “pet owner wannabes”
  •    those who read novels that are hilarious enough to give you belly laughs
  •    anyone “gaga” over their pet
  •    all age groups – Grade 5+ and any walk of life (students, parents, grandparents, pet groomers, pet trainers, pet care                                        professionals, families who love animals, teachers, librarians)

How would the series benefit middle years students?

  • excellent novels for inspiring students to extend writing skills to blogs
  • stories that addresses leadership and fundraising initiatives in a school setting to reinforce the concept of MAKING A DIFFERENCE
  • novels that captures the attention of the most reluctant readers through the humor and
… Read the rest