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Part 2–Island Times Three to Be Published Next Month
The First in the Raymond Gray Mystery Series As I wrote in Part 1, Island Times Three takes place in two locales in 1952. One question I was asked is: If the story takes place in two locales, why is the title Island Times THREE? Good question! It’s such a good question–and I applaud the…
Island Times Three to Be Published Next Month
A Raymond Gray Mystery My newest book, Island Times Three, is a historical mystery with two different locales. The novel opens in 1952 Manhattan where Raymond Gray, a private investigator, first learns about his newest case. And it’s a dandy! When we catch up with Raymond in Chapter 2, he’s on a mail boat, the…
The Art of Cruel Apathy
My daughter is an amazing person. She has overcome so much, and for those who think it cruel to have implemented a behavioral program for her, even though she could not speak or understand the world around her, well, this post is not for you. As I have written in the past, my daughter is…
Historical Mystery Soon To Be Published: Island Times Three
According to masterclass.com, a supporting character is a person who plays a role in the life of a story’s protagonist (the main character). The story is not about supporting characters, but they are important and help move the story forward. The reader should get a pretty good idea of each supporting character’s point of view…
My Interview with SCBWI-MI About My Just-Released Book, “An Amazing Manatee* Journal!”
Read my Book Birthday interview with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators about my just-released book, An Amazing Manatee* Journal!
Gardening Gumption: 5 Things I Will Do Differently in 2023
Summer is not quite over, but for my garden, the signs of an impending autumn are already apparent. The zucchini plants had stopped producing a few weeks ago, except for a few scraggly nubbles, so I pulled them. In addition, the tiny cucumbers have stopped growing, and the obelisk is now covered with dying vines.…
Just Published and Available Now!
An Amazing Manatee* Journal has just been published! This book is so much more than a lined journal! Inside you’ll find planners, puzzles, to-do lists, manatee facts and graphics, and more!! The sea cow is an important character in Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, and for this reason I decided to create the manatee…
Garden Update 2022-Flowers and Vegetables
I can’t believe it’s already July! When we planted the cucumbers, squash and Brussels sprouts (mid-May), we had to then cover them in plastic for the next few weeks due to chilly nighttime temperatures! They are doing quite well now, and I just picked our first cucumber and should be able to pick zucchini in…
An Amazing Manatee* Journal
I am excited to announce my newest book, An Amazing Manatee* Journal, will be available soon on Amazon.com! It’s more than just a lined journal! Of course, An Amazing Manatee* Journal is filled with dozens of lined pages to record your thoughts. But you’ll also find: ● Bookmarks● To-Do Lists● Graphics about manatees● Daily Planners●…
A Supportive Garden Post
This year I’m trying out new ways to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. In addition, I’ve planted potatoes for the first time. The potatoes required an investment in bags made of a felt-like material. This allows water to drain through, and they’re light enough so that even when filled with dirt and mulch, I’m able…
My First Garden Update for 2022-Part 1
The weather in my part of the US has not been friendly to many of my seedlings. Too many cool (and sometimes cold) days since the middle of May have stunted their growth. In fact, I lost cucumber seedlings, the first time ever. We constructed a hoop enclosure after a few days of this weather,…
Busywork and the Consequences of Low Expectations Part 2
In my last post, Busywork and the Consequences of Low Expectations Part 1, I chronicled my daughter’s journey from a special education resource room to adult camps geared towards those with special needs. Along the way, I highlighted the missteps by adults who should know better—those professionals who either assumed my daughter was capable of…
Busywork and the Consequences of Low Expectations Part 1
Busywork. It’s everywhere and it takes many forms. This definition sums it up nicely: “Busywork is an activity that is undertaken to pass time and stay busy but in and of itself has little or no actual value.” It’s used in the military, in business (attending useless meetings), and, especially, in education. My daughter has…
What Has Happened to Library Etiquette?
My family and I have been enjoying some holiday films, all courtesy of our local library: Because my daughter works in the local library system, she can easily put a “hold” on a few family favorites, and we usually receive the film in a few days. I want to make sure others have an opportunity…
Garden Adventures 2021—3 Things I Have Learned
It’s been a strange gardening year for me. We started out with little rain and then experienced more rain than usual during mid-summer. This caused the squash and tomato plants to explode in size. Then the weather changed again, and I had to constantly water, using the spigots attached to soaker hoses my husband set…
Open to Interpretation
A while ago I was asked by a Twitter user to offer my thoughts about one of his poems. I had done the same with previous works, and my interpretations had been embraced. However, this time things were different. This poem held different meanings for me, and, according to the poet, the one I offered…
Author Q&A: Hooked From Page One
Hello Everyone! Following is another interview I did for the Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery book tour. This interview was with Hooked from Page One. The First Page: The first page is perhaps one of the most important pages in the whole book. It’s what draws the reader into the story. Why did you…
B for BookReview Qs & As
I wrote several “interviews” in preparation for my book tour for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery. Here is one published by Bforbookreview.wordpress.com. 1. When and where do you prefer to write? I will usually write starting mid-morning. I write at my desk in the family room, with the TV at low volume so that there…
One Very Wet Flower Garden Update!
It has been a wet 24 hours or so, and we expect the rain to continue here until well into next week! We have had a good amount of rain so far this year (yet not enough for the farmers–the next few days should help remediate the drought-like conditions for crops) and the flowers and…
First garden update for 2021: Is it June already?
I can’t believe it’s June already. As usual, Michigan weather has taken us on a roller coaster ride. The outdoor thermometer will hit almost 90 degrees today, but just about a week and a half ago the weather was cool, and the lows were in the 30s. A few days before my surgery (about 3…
Watch the new Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery video!
Watch my amazing video for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery! If you’d rather watch it on Youtube (it’s a little clearer), please like and comment!
The Writer’s Life Interview-Part 1
This interview was published in the blog The Writer’s Life. Welcome to The Writer’s Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? When did you come up with the idea to write your book? My family and I…
One Writer’s Oath
This is the first interview I gave for the Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery Book Tour with Pump Up Your Book. Blog: http://www.bloggingauthors.blogspot.com One Writer’s Oath: Inspiration is Truly Where You Find It My family and I had made Sanibel Island our vacation destination for 20 years when it hit me. The “it” in this situation was…
It’s That Time of Year Again!
For what, you might ask? Why, gardening, of course! As I fondly look back at the images of my garden last year, I am still amazed at the abundance of vegetables and beautiful flowers that adorned each deck planter. Amazingly, most of my Pinterest pins saved by others have been of my zinnia and cosmos…
Virtual Book Tour Ends Friday for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery!
Hello to you all and thank you very much for following me! My book tour with Pump Up Your Book will be ending soon, and that means I will be able to spend more time writing posts! Seven readers have left excellent reviews for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, and I hope you will…
Days 4, 5 and 6 of My Virtual Book Tour for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery
Both the print and e-book versions of Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery are available at Amazon! Don’t forget to sign up for my giveaways–ENTER at any of my book tour stops! Depending on the interest, I plan on setting up more giveaways here! Day 4- Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery Book Tour Check…
Days 1, 2 and 3 of My Virtual Book Tour!
Both the print and e-book versions of Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery are available at Amazon! My latest review: Day 1–Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery Virtual Book Tour I hope you have been able to visit the Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Club Page! There you will find the first chapter of…
Blog Tour Stops for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery with 2 Giveaways!
Here are the VBT dates for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery from 4/5 to 4/16! I will post the weeks of 4/19 to 4/30 soon! The tour has been organized by Pump Up Your Book and you will be able to sign up for the giveaways soon! Click the link to find out about…
This Spring
The Twitter Universe I have spent a fair amount of time on Twitter lately, and yesterday I wrote and posted this poem after a grocery store run. From what I have read so far, many poets on Twitter think little of rhyming poems and consider them amateur and “easy.” I received no feedback, so I…
Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery is now LIVE!
Have you ever had a really really good day? Today is my daughter’s birthday (Yay!), and once again I am a published author. I’m excited to announce that my debut novel, Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, is now live on Amazon! See my Pinterest Story Pins for information on the characters, reflections on the…
Look Who’s Still My Hero!
While pulling off a bit of spring cleaning, I came across two file boxes filled with programs that I had created for my daughter’s home behavioral therapy program in the 90s. These directives are about twenty-five years old, and as I pull out random cards, I am taken back to a time when my daughter…
April Virtual Book Tour for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery-Part 2
Moira, Muireall, the sea cow and the springers
April Virtual Book Tour for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery-Part 1
I am excited to announce my virtual blog tour with Pump Up Your Book. The tour is scheduled for the month of April for my middle-grade novel, Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, and will include reviews, interviews, blog posts and a couple of giveaways. Elanora’s Beginning I started writing the book five years ago…
Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery
In this chapter of Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, Beathas struggles with the fact that the future of the colony is uncertain. Her hesitation alarms Elanora, who is convinced that without the elder’s support, the colony will ignore her bold plan–a plan she believes is essential for their survival. Interested in a free proof…
The hunt for the elusive Golden Travel Guide to Italy comes to an end
I admit my years-long hunt for the rare Golden Travel Guide to Italy was at once tedious, disappointing, suspenseful and thrilling. I started searching for this scarce book in 2012 when I was in the process of adding to my collection of Golden Guides. Over the years I have occasionally input the same Google keywords…
Autism Resource Guide
Parenting a child with autism can be challenging, and even though I have not done so, I suspect that parenting a child with autism during a pandemic brings a whole new set of issues. With classes oscillating between virtual and in person, routines are disrupted while the future seems to be in a constant state…
A 3-Hour Leap Back in Time
John K. King Books, Ferndale A few weeks ago, we traveled to John K. King Books in Ferndale. This store is much smaller than the bookstore we visited in Detroit, and just as I was about to leave empty-handed, I spied an enormous book. It looked like a scrapbook, but upon closer inspection, it was…
He asked me. We’re dating.
November 15th is an important day in our household. Next to Veterans Day (the 11th—my husband is a navy veteran), November 15th is a day of reckoning of sorts, a celebration that signifies an achievement: for the past eight months two people, through no fault of their own, have had to embrace each…
A Halloween Tale
Between the ages of 9 and 11, I lived with my parents in a crumbling home in a tiny town in southern Michigan a few miles from the Ohio border. The home itself would be an appropriate reference to Halloween, as I would always hear sounds in the attic (maybe the squirrels?) and that…
The Picture Dictionary-Part II
In my last post, I wrote about the two volumes I had purchased of The Picture Dictionary, which were published in 1952. I had thought about using these dictionaries in my book, Island Times Three, but when I received them, I realized the size and weight of the books would not make sense in the…
The Picture Dictionary-Part I
For the past several weeks, I have been editing my mystery novel, Island Times Three (A Raymond Gray Mystery), using an online editing program. While it has done a good job of pointing out poor sentence structure, questionable grammar and repetitive words, in the end I will send the manuscript to a professional editor…
A Final Garden Update
Well, it’s that time of year again. At least for gardeners in the north.And while we usually don’t experience a frost until the beginning to the middle of October, this year our first frost occurred three nights ago. A few days before that, my husband and I tore out all of the spent plants. I…
A Birthday Trek
NOTE: I have been busy editing my book, Island Times Three, and have fallen behind in my posting schedule. Another one of my birthdays occurred last week, and to “celebrate” I told my family I wanted to visit a bookstore. More precisely, a used books bookstore. Candidates included shops in Ann Arbor, Novi and Brighton. …
Lisa Morningstar and…
The ring was nowhere to be found. Lisa had searched every logical place, and after an hour it occurred to her that Glen might have taken it. Which would have been fine since he bought it, but what she really wanted was to give it back to him. A kind of token ceremony representing…
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Kathleen Jae 
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