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I "met" Barbara Techel a number of years ago when I connected with her Facebook page dedicated to her sweet dachshund, Frankie, whose back legs became paralyzed after a fall. Through Barbara's persistence and love for Frankie, she found "wheels" that allowed her sweet furbaby to zip around, carefree, for many more years. She even wrote an award-winning book about the adventure. Frankie, The Walk 'N Roll Dog. Two more books soon followed, and Frankie became an instant favorite among the Dachshund-loving crowd, and pet lovers, everywhere.

Her deep love of animals and the amazing lessons she’s learned from them encourage and inspire her to listen to her inner voice, and live a more meaningful life with integrity, intent, and joy.

Now, Barbara has a new rescue, Gidget, and has embarked on a new quest. Art, Altars, and Animal Guides: Understanding the Connection between Animal Teachers, Ourselves and the World

As an author, animal advocate, SoulCollage® Facilitator, and founder of Joyful Paws, LLC and National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day, she enjoys encouraging and inspiring others to pause, listen and capture what it is that matters most to them.

Exploring how everything is connected can have a profound effect on our lives. All it takes is the willingness to pause, listen and be open to the powerful connections that are with us all the time. In this workshop we will engage our animal guides, discover meaningful links between inner and outer worlds, and learn how to gain deeper levels of awareness through self-exploration and creation.

Dawn Brunke and Barbara Techel will be your guides into this intuitive excursion of art, altars and animal guides.

Barbara and Dawn.

This workshop consists of three weekly interactive sessions beginning Feb. 27th.

• Meet your animal guides.
• Learn to invoke assistance and advice from your guides.
• Design a SoulCollage® card of your animal guide.
• Create a personal altar.
• Deepen your relationship with animals, yourself, and the world.

Please note: You don’t need to be an artist. Anyone can do this.

Barbara’s Wolf SoulCollage card and altar

For more information about the workshop, click on the link

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How excited am I?

I get to visit Mason Creek Elementary School, and experience the awesomeness of media specialist, Ms. Diereshe Collins!

It's been about eight years since I met Diereshe and had to ask three or four times, "Now, how do you pronounce your first name?" For those still wondering, it's DURshee.

80s Day at Mason Creek

I guess what I love most (there are so many to choose!) about Diereshe is her creativity. Her library/media room, is always an adventure into the wonderment of reading. She even did a pirate theme one year and showcased the third book in the "Cynthia's Attic" series, Curse of the Bayou! She is supportive of anyone and anything that encourages reading and writing. If you're an author who supports this same agenda, you are her friend for life.

Just one of the perks of being a published author is being able to recharge those creative writing batteries visiting schools like Mason Creek Elementary!



Mason Creek readers are the best!

Cynthia's Attic paperback and Kindle on Amazon

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"Mama? Papa! Where are you?"

The child turned in all directions, searching, calling, but no one called back. The sun was setting, swiftly behind the tall pines, and a late afternoon chill signaled a cold, life-threatening December night, unless the child found shelter, soon.

Her long cotton dress, and tattered wool coat, would help, but her teeth were already chattering from cold, or maybe from fear. At this point, it didn't matter which. Both could spell her death.

Their attempted escape had begun the night before from the rural Georgia plantation; the only home the girl had ever known. That much she could remember. Then sometime, just before sunup, they'd heard the dogs. Vicious sounding, braying madly, having caught scent of fully focused prey—a family trying, desperately, to distance itself from the oncoming battle between the North and the South.

Annabelle had panicked and run in the opposite direction of the fearsome howling, believing her mother, father, and younger sister were heading in the same direction.

She was wrong.

Her voice, barely audible from strain, she stumbled through the thick undergrowth for hours, calling, "Mama? Papa? Where are you?" She slumped to the ground beside the trunk of a Georgia Pine, nestled her exhausted, frightened body into a pile of dry leaves and closed her eyes,


Download on your KINDLE, today!


All books by Mary Cunningham

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Unlike 112 years ago, when the Conyers Civic League was founded, the written word has fierce competition winning the hearts and attention spans of today's kiddos. With a unique roster of inter-active author presentations, the League aims to engage youth with a book's possibilities during The Irene Irwin Children's Literary Day on Sunday, Sept. 28, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. at the Olde Town Pavilion. The day will also serve as tribute to Irene Irwin, a former teacher and CCL member whose generous legacy continues to fund League endeavors today.

"We are excited about our slate of accomplished authors," said Event Chair Julie Rogers. "We've planned for it to be an engaging afternoon activity for families."

12:45 - 1:30  Chris Rumble, artist, musician and author of "The Adventures of Uncle Stinky" series

1:30 - 1:45 Susan Rosson Spain, author of "The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia," as well as "Deep Cut," a historical fiction work for middle-schoolers set against the back drop of the Civil War

1:45 - 2:30 Michael P. White, illustrator of many award-winning books including, "The Library Dragon," involves audiences in the illustration

2:30 - 2:45 Mary Cunningham, author of the award-winning five book 'tween series, "Cynthia's Attic"

2:45 - 3:30 Danny Schnitzlein, author of "The Monster Who Ate My Peas" and "The Monster Who Did My Math"

The event is free. Authors will have books on hand to sell and sign, cash or checks only accepted. Mellow Mushroom pizza will be available for $1 per slice. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please visit the Facebook page ~ Irene Irwin Children's Literary Day.

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It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

And, just in case you're not sure how to Talk Like a Pirate, here are some key words ye be 'wantin' ta r'memberrr.

Ahoy! - "Yo!"
Avast! - "Check it out!"
Aye! - "Yes."
Arrr! - "That's right!" (often confused with arrrgh...)
Arrrgh! - "I'm VERY miffed."

So, weigh anchor. Hoist the mizzen. It's a terrrrrific day!

And, in case yer hankerin' ta read about me mis-adventures, ye be a'clickin on this link to Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou! 

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The best advice I ever got, as an author was, "Write what you know." Kerry Madden-Lundsford takes that to a whole new level with her debut novel (republished - 2014), Offsides.

The daughter of a college football coach, Kerry Madden-Lunsford grew up in a series of hometowns, transplanted from one place to the next with the changing of the football season, uprooted from childhood friends with almost no warning. It is this hectic, whirlwind lifestyle which Madden-Lunsford draws upon in writing her first novel, Offsides.

The first thing Kerry will tell you is, "No, my father isn't John Madden." She does, however, pull memories-some good, some bad-from her days as the oldest child of a football coach, being uprooted from one football-crazy college town, to the next.

I found Madden-Lundsford's characterization of an awkward, self-critical, defiant Liz Donegal, refreshing and believable. While she protests every move, we know she will eventually give in and pick up roots, once more, in order to follow her father's never-ending search for that elusive head-coaching job.

On the surface, Liz appears to be an island; never quite fitting in, even with her family, but in between the lines, you feel the love and loyalty the Donegal family possesses, even when her closest confidants, her mother's sister and her father's brother, appear to leave her behind.

While I'm a dog lover, and cringe at the thought of losing a beloved dog, Madden-Lundsford writes an especially vivid scene in which the grave of "Bear Bryant" is dug up by his replacement, "Halfback". Equally traumatic is that all this takes place during Liz's boyfriend's first meeting with her family.

I highly recommend this book for YA and mature teens.

Further proof that Offsides is written from experience? Check out this picture from one of the author's latest booksignings.


Kerry Madden-Lundsford with Lynn Majors, wife of famed Tennessee football coach, Johnny Majors

Offsides: Amazon Kindle
Kerry Madden Books

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The best advice I ever got, as an author was, "Write what you know." Kerry Madden-Lunsford takes that to a whole new level with her debut novel (republished - 2014), Offsides.

The daughter of a college football coach, Kerry Madden-Lunsford grew up in a series of hometowns, transplanted from one place to the next with the changing of the football season, uprooted from childhood friends with almost no warning. It is this hectic, whirlwind lifestyle which Madden-Lunsford draws upon in writing her first novel, Offsides.

The first thing Kerry will tell you is, "No, my father isn't John Madden." She does, however, pull memories-some good, some bad-from her days as the oldest child of a football coach, being uprooted from one football-crazy college town, to the next.

I found Madden-Lunsford's characterization of an awkward, self-critical, defiant Liz Donegal, refreshing and believable. While she protests every move, we know she will eventually give in and pick up roots, once more, in order to follow her father's never-ending search for that elusive head-coaching job.

On the surface, Liz appears to be an island; never quite fitting in, even with her family, but in between the lines, you feel the love and loyalty the Donegal family possesses, even when her closest confidants, her mother's sister and her father's brother, appear to leave her behind.

While I'm a dog lover, and cringe at the thought of losing a beloved dog, Madden-Lunsford writes an especially vivid scene in which the grave of "Bear Bryant" is dug up by his replacement, "Halfback". Equally traumatic is that all this takes place during Liz's boyfriend's first meeting with her family.

I highly recommend this book for YA and mature teens.

Further proof that Offsides is written from experience? Check out this picture from one of the author's latest booksignings.


Kerry Madden-Lundsford with Lynn Majors, wife of famed Tennessee football coach, Johnny Majors

Offsides: Amazon Kindle
Kerry Madden Books

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I haven't blogged in awhile. You know how life gets in the way. But, this is too important not to share.

Two years ago the children's writing community lost a dear friend, supporter, and fabulous writer.

Chris Eldin wanted, more than anything...well, other than spending as much time as possible with her two boys...to be a published author. In working toward her dream, she established a blog called The Book Roast. I had the privilege to be roasted, on more than one occasion, and never tired of reading her wonderful interviews that included many, diverse books and authors.

A year ago, a small group of her friends decided to honor her contribution and her passion. We've created the Christine Eldin Memorial Fellowship, designed to:

1. Honor the memory of Chris Eldin.

2. Provide recognition and financial assistance to an unpublished middle grade fiction writer whose work-in-progress reveals potential for a successful writing career.

In order to make this an annual event, however, we need to raise funds. The Eldin Memorial Fundraising Page accepts contributions for this worthy cause, and also give you the opportunity to snag autographed books, by a group of excellent authors, writing courses, SKYPE visits, and even a video with Travis Erwin (founder of Lettuce is the Devil), actually eating a leaf of lettuce! What more could you want?
Whether you're a writer, aspiring author, or an avid reader, please consider donating.

You'll also find a link to the submissions page, so get those manuscripts ready!

Two things I know, for sure. The world was a better place with Chris in it, and how proud she'd be of the fellowship created to carry on her work.

Hope we're making you proud, Chris!

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My grandmother lived well into her 70’s, but in my family, that’s like being struck down in the prime of life. She should’ve lived at least ten more years, but a freak auto accident was responsible for her early decline in health. My main regret is that, because she died when I was in my teens ― I wasn’t able to truly appreciate and enjoy her company in my adult years.  Still, I learned some valuable lessons. For instance, the best piecrust is made with vinegar. Yes…vinegar. And if we’re persistent, the true bingo professionals, like us, will beat the socks off the amateurs every time.
 
 

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Buried Treasure: The Adventures of Max and Maddie, was recently showcased on Reading Recommendations Blog, created by Susan M. Toy, author, publisher, and overall champion to writers of all genres.

So, I decided to do a little promoting for Susan! Here's a little about Susan and her "many hats."

About Susan Toy:

I  have been a bookseller, an award-winning publishing sales representative, a literacy teacher, and a promoter of fellow authors and their books through my company, Alberta Books Canada. I am also an author and publisher, under my imprint, IslandCatEditions.

Through Alberta Books Canada, I have represented authors directly, helping them find promotion for themselves and their books, seeking out new readers, and assisting them in making wise career decisions. I champion Alberta authors in particular, singing their praises throughout the province and online to the rest of the world, and I have displayed books for authors and publishers at Alberta library conferences.

I created the writing contest, Coffee Shop Author, have sat on the Board of Directors of the Fernie Writers' Conference, served as a member of the Calgary Distinguished Writers Program steering committee, and was a member of the board of directors for the Writers' Guild of Alberta.

I have made the decision to temporarily suspend operations of Alberta Books Canada in order to concentrate on my own writing and publishing, but my friends know this is just a cunning plan to spend several months at my home in the Caribbean, avoiding yet another Calgary winter ... I promise to return to Calgary in the spring with even more ideas on how to promote and market Alberta books.  Susan M. Toy

Also visit Susan's Blog, Books, Publishing, Reading, Writing.

Island in the Clouds: [Amazon] [Amazon CA]

And, don't forget to check out Buried Treasure on Reading Recommendations!

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Mary

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Imo, that should be the title.

The summer before my brother entered 5th grade, he trotted to the library, just two short, small-town blocks from our home. His purpose? To check out a book he desperately wanted to read, Charles Major's classic about the adventures of a young boy, Balser, growing up in Southern Indiana.

The Blue River was a huge part of our childhood days. Before the public swimming pool, or the local country club, we spent many weekends, camping on the banks, and swimming in the ol' swimming hole above the dam in the picturesque little river a few miles south of our Corydon, Indiana hometown. I'm sure that's why Tom was so eager to read the book.

Georgia Stockslager Fisher had been head Harrison County librarian since 1911. It would've been around 1951 when my older brother strode, confidently, through the doors, and up to the huge wooden desk to check out the book he'd heard his friends talk about. The great adventure story set, almost, in our own backyard!

Ah, but, not so fast, young man!

Miss Georgie refused to let him check it out. Said it was 5th grade reading level, and since he wouldn't be in 5th grade for another three months, he'd have to come back then. Tom flushed, bright red, turned and walked out of the library, never to return. My mother was incensed! She stormed in to the library and confronted the imposing figure sitting on her all-empowering library throne. To no avail. I don't believe my mother or brother entered those doors again until Miss Georgie retired, or died, or both, and my brother stopped reading, except for mandatory homework selections.

I've held that story in my memory for well over a half century. Always curious to read the book that caused so much controversy. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure my mother would've let me read it. No matter. My elementary school days were spent devouring sports biographies (Aaron to Zaharias), not history.

So, it's 2013, my mother has long passed. So, regrettably, has my brother. But, curiosity got the best of me and I downloaded the Kindle version of The Bears of Blue River.

The story starts innocently enough. Young Balser Brent and his family moved from North Carolina to the banks of the Blue River when he was five or six and his father received eighty acres, at the huge sum of one dollar an acre, in a deed from President James Monroe, no less.

At the time of the story, Balser is thirteen or fourteen, with a nine-year-old brother and a one-year-old sister. During a trip to the "drift" to catch a mass of fish (yes, the book says, mass, although I wonder if it's one of many misprints in the Kindle version), the trouble begins with Balser's first bear encounter. Bam! One bear down, a couple dozen to go, I reckon.

Before you think I'm a squeamish, gun-hating, Peta-lover, I do understand, especially in the 1800s, that killing was a necessary way of life, for food, clothing, and protection. In most cases, Balser and his friends did just that. From the legendary fire bear, who blazed up when he was angry, to deer, wolves, fox, and beaver, no animal was sacred, or without purpose.

I was, however troubled when a male wolf, looking after two cubs was killed, and then the mother was, subsequently lured out of the den, and shot, too. The only reason given for killing the pair was the boys wanted the cubs as pets. During another gruesome scene, one of Balsers friends is burned alive, along with the fire bear mentioned above. The final killing scenes includes a fawn and its mother. The fawn is shot in order to lure the mother to its side. Bam! Another one bites the dust. The coup de grâce, an especially brutal fox-trapping scene, which I won't describe, ends the book on a sickening note, at least for this reader.

So, back to Miss Georgie. I have no doubt her authoritarian manner instigated my brother's reading reluctance, at least for a few years. I wonder, however, how his townie, wouldn't kill a bug, psyche would've been affected by Balser and his, kill anything that moves, mentality.

Guess I'll never know. While I don't agree with the reasoning, or the method, the librarian may have had a point.

I appreciate the historical nature of the book, and the vivid pictures the author paints of early Southern Indiana history, but am disturbed by the fact that killing is portrayed as easy, frequent, and with no regrets. Not my kinda book, nor, I suspect, my brother's.

Thankfully, my mother continued to let me check out books, even under the watchful eye of Miss Georgie, but only when my beloved aunt, Gertrude, became head librarian, did my mother go back through those massive doors.

I'd recommend The Bears of Blue River, for sixth grade and beyond, and only then if the reader is comfortable with killing, and the raw brutality of living in the wilds of a Southern Indiana woods.

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Cheryl Malandrinos is not only an author, she keeps extremely busy posting interviews and reviews at The Book Connection and The Children's and Teens Book Connection where she has generously reviewed my previous series, Cynthia's Attic.

Welcome to Cynthia's Attic, Cheryl!

1. What are you working on right now?

I’m participating in 12×12. Authors write one picture book each month for a year. So far I’m five for five. Having compiled a set of 30 ideas last November as part of Picture Book Idea Month certainly helped.

2. How does it differ from other works in its genre?

It’s not so much that my projects differ from other books in their genre, as committing to writing on a regular basis has made me more comfortable writing diverse stories. My first two books, plus the next one that is currently under contract, are message-driven fiction. They are meant to educate and entertain. The last two books I’ve written for 12×12 have been stories solely meant to entertain. One is Cinderella’s story as told from the point of view of one of her stepsisters. The other is about a turkey who keeps making new costumes to disguise himself from Farmer Jones so he doesn’t end up on the Thanksgiving Day table.

3. What experiences have influenced you?

Reading is a huge influence for any writer. My children and my faith also inspire my writing. Cheryl Malandrions Guest on RRRadio-RFK: Stories for Children –January 3rd.

4. Why do you write what you do?

I’ve been a Sunday school teacher for over 20 years. My message-driven fiction comes from that background. I’m always looking for new ways to teach familiar lessons. I also like to make people laugh. With my most recent projects, I feel I can do that.

5. How does your writing process work?

Since I am writing shorter pieces of fiction right now, there isn’t a ton of research and I don’t outline. I’ve had a few months to consider the ideas I committed to working on for 12×12, so the starting point is usually easy. It’s hard to control my desire to describe everything, but with picture books the reader has a visual aid, so you don’t have to paint as much of the picture for a reader as you do in middle grade or young adult fiction. If I’m having a busy month, I will write longhand while sitting at softball practice or the girls’ dance lessons. Most times, though, I sit down and type away. Most picture books take me three full days of writing to develop. That’s not to say it’s easy. Before I sit down to write I’m fairly certain of where I am going with a project. That means writing less often than I would like, but I need to be comfortable that I know enough to prevent me from staring at a blank screen for hours. I am also a firm believer in the practice of write now, edit later. Once I type “The End,” I can take my time pondering what works and what doesn’t before sending it off to my critique group for feedback.

6. What is the hardest part about writing?

For me it is definitely the waiting. Right now, I have no less than nine picture books completed. One is with my publisher awaiting an illustrator to be assigned to it. Another is with a local artist who I’m working with because we might self-publish. Two are ready for me to write query letters so I can submit them to publishers. The others are in various stages of editing. Sometimes it’s tough waiting to hear back on queries or holding out to see the cover art the illustrator designs. But it’s part of the process. You can’t experience the successes without the wait.

7. What would you like to try as a writer that you haven’t yet?

I would love to write an inspirational romance or a cozy mystery. I’ve been a mystery lover since I was kid. My largest problem is creating villains. They never come easy to me.

8. Who are the authors you most admire?

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Lucy Maud Montgomery were superb writers. Before I began reviewing so many books on my blogs I read the Little House and Anne of Green Gables series annually. These authors both had a keen eye for detail that should be studied. Christian authors Jerry Jenkins and Kathi Macias have wonderful ministries. I try not to miss any of their books. Southern fiction authors Karen White and Rhett DeVane are excellent at blending past and present and uncovering family secrets. What surprised me is how much I enjoyed The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Dystopian fiction has never been my thing, but Collins helped me develop a taste for it. I also love historical fiction from C.W. Gortner. I’m staring at one of his recent books now and it’s crying, “Read me.” If you love historical fiction with strong female characters, you have to pick up one of Gortner’s books.
 
9. What scares you?

My list of phobias would scare you. :) From a writing point of view, I’m afraid of making bad choices. When my second book came out, I decided to write it under a pen name. That’s not proving to be the wisest choice. I can handle two websites and multiple social media accounts–though they take a lot of time and are an extra expense–but if I had truly thought about my work as a whole, I would have realized releasing my second book under my actual name would have been just fine, even if it wasn’t a faith-based project. Please check out Mary’s answers to the questions on her blog at Cynthia’s Attic Blog.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer, children’s author and editor. Her first children’s book, Little Shepherd, was released in August 2010 by Guardian Angel Publishing. She is a member of the SCBWI, a book reviewer, and blogger. Cheryl also writes under the name of C. C. Gevry. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She also has a son who is married.

Visit her online at: Website

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I received unexpected "fun" packages from her part time home, Dubai, on more than one occasion, and looked forward to her Dubai Chronicle postings. She even arranged a baby shower package that circulated among our critique group until reaching its final destination in the hands of the new mom.
I began to suspect her life was taking a dangerous downhill plunge. The spark and energy I'd come to know, love and expect, were absent from her e-mails and communications. Not long after, she cut all ties, only to resurface on rare occasions. Her fears won out on August 9, 2012, when she took her own life.  

I've missed you these past two years, Chris, and I struggle with exactly why. Someone remarked that it's not like I'd ever met you, and I hadn't…not in person although we often talked about meeting somewhere, sometime. You're simply one of those rare spirits that barges into one's life and never leaves.

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Last week I was invited by my friend, Cheryl Malandrinos, to participate in this “blog hop interview.”

Cheryl is not only an author, she keeps extremely busy posting interviews and reviews at The Book Connection and The Children's and Teens Book Connection where she has generously reviewed my previous series, Cynthia's Attic.

The idea is this: I answer interview questions, then tag another writer at the end who will in turn answer the same questions on their blog next week. Okay, so let's get started!

What are you working on, now?

Ghost of Pine Mountain: Adventures of Max and Maddie was released in April, 2013. I'm working on a new middle-grade series. Ghost of Pine Mountain is the first Max and Maddie adventure, with 4 more to follow. The first four stories will be released as Ebooks until the final. Then, all five stories will be combined in print. How does it differ from other works in its genre? The whole Max and Maddie series combines supernatural elements with historical fact and fiction. The thirteen-year-old best friends travel back in time and have adventures with Native Americans and gold miners (Ghost of Pine Mountain), along with pioneers settling regions east and west of the Mississippi River.

What experiences have influenced you?

The biggest influence in my life was my dad. He was a journalist for a large city newspaper for forty years, and he also nurtured my love of fantasy. When he ran out of typical bedtime stories, he made up one of his own. He was an amazing writer, and I would sometimes go with him when he interviewed a subject for his human-interest column, Around Indiana, for The Louisville Courier Journal. Seeing the story process from beginning to publication had a great impact. Unfortunately, he died before I started writing my series, but, on occasion, I feel him looking over my shoulder as I write.

Why do you write what you do?

I've always been a time-travel buff beginning with H.G. Wells and The Time Machine. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to travel back in time and meet some of my characters. A previous series, Cynthia's Attic, sends main characters, Cynthia and Gus, back in time where they meet and solve mysteries with many of their (my) ancestors.

How does your writing process work?

I wake up and have some coffee. Turn on my computer. Have another cup of coffee. Open my e-mails. Hit delete 75 times, or so. Have another cup of coffee…well, you get the idea. I try to write every day. I don't like to force it, though. If the words aren't flowing, I do something else and then go back to it. I love writing when my brain is working so fast, my fingers can barely keep up. I guess my only ritual is that (oh, this is going to sound really weird) I must have my shower and be dressed before I can write. I have a friend who writes in her jammies. Not me! Don't get me wrong. I don't have to be in black dress slacks and white cashmere sweater! Jeans and a t-shirt will do quite nicely. Just so I'm dressed.

What is the hardest part about writing?

The hardest part, for me, is to stay focused and disciplined. I simply don't have the ability to write every day whether I want to, or not. I'd much rather be in the mood to write "good stuff" than waste my time when I'm simply not feeling creative.

What would you like to try as a writer that you haven’t yet?

I've started an adult mystery that I really want to finish. Writing for adults is a little more "freeing" than writing for younger readers, although no more challenging.

Who are the authors you most admire?

I'm a big Tolkien fan and have great respect for J. K. Rowling. In fact, it was Rowling who gave me permission to "write outside the box." My favorite book: To Kill A Mockingbird. Perfect story, perfect characters, perfect writing. That's the gold standard, as far as I'm concerned. What scares you? Since I'd have to write a book about extremists at both ends of the spectrum threatening world peace, I'll make it simple and say, snakes.


That about wraps up my answers…I now tag these three authors to answer the same questions next week. Please try to take a look at their blogs as well. We are all Independent Authors trying to support one-another – and you are the first responders in that fight! As always – thank you for reading!


Now, I tag Becky Heishman, who will answer questions on her Blog, The Misty Neighborhood next week, June 24, and take a peek at Strands of Thought Blog, today! Kai Strand is winding up her month-long blog tour with great giveaways and discounted copies of Beware Of The White!


And, don't forget to check out the new Adventures of Max and Maddie, along with Cynthia's Attic time-travel/mystery series on my website:

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To celebrate the launch of BEWARE OF THE WHITE, Kai Strand has awesome book related prize packages. Be sure to enter to win. And return again and again to claim entries as you qualify. Kai will also have Spontaneous Giveaways during her book tour. Those giveaways won’t be announced so be sure to follow Kai’s tour. Only virtual stalkers will have the opportunity at all the fun!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for visiting, Kai!

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The Binkley Connection
A year ago on Saturday, February 11th, 2012, a connection between Blowing Hole and Binkley Caves was discovered. The Binkley cave system is the 11th longest in the nation and the longest in Indiana. Their combined length totals 34.72 miles with more passageways awaiting discovery.

With this new discovery, a public entrance to Binkley Cave could now be created to allow visitors into the cave system. Previously all entrances were located on private property and restricted from access.

Why, you ask, am I posting this on my blog?

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Duffy and Henley: Best friends



"So, where's the peanut butter, Dad?"

Sandra Weaver Carman

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It's here! The creation of a brand new series has begun, and I'm so excited about this new venture!

Teenagers, Max and Maddie, discover more than they bargain for during a visit to the Gold Museum where a mysterious old miner tells a fantastic tale, and then gives the pair a tarnished gold coin he claims has special time-travel powers. Along with the coin, comes a strange message. Wherever you decide to go, leave your destination a better place than a'fore you arrived. Do that, and your travels will continue.

Max, eager to accept the challenge, and Maddie—more reluctantly—travel back in time only to discover they're right where they started—Pine Mountain near their West Georgia hometown, Villa Rica…two hundred years in the past!

Early 1800s miners, searching for gold on top of the mountain, and American Indian villagers, thriving alongside Sweetwater Creek, cross paths with Max and Maddie when an angry mother bear, protecting her cub, threatens the thirteen-year-old best friends.

Will their first journey back in time, end with deadly consequences, or will the early settlers and natives band together to save the young time-travelers, and strengthen their prospects for further adventures?

So how, you ask, can I get in on the beginning of this exciting new series?

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So, where was the first gold rush in the United States? California, you say?

WRONG!

Would you believe, West Georgia?

History has the first gold being discovered in Dahlonega, if you live, in or near Dahlonega. If, however, you live in, or near Villa Rica, then it started there!

I choose to believe, along with most of my fellow Villa Ricians, that gold was first discovered in 1825 near Hixtown, the name of the settlement until it was changed (fortunately) to Villa Rica, Spanish for City of Gold.

Due to a law giving all mining rights to the state, those sly Hixtown miners kept their gold a secret until the law was overturned in 1829. Meanwhile, Dahlonega laid their, "We found gold first" claim.

I'm not one to argue who was first. Let historians figure that out. Meanwhile, here are some fun facts from the Villa Rica, Pine Mountain Gold Museum Website:

• Land Lot 206, known as Pine Mountain, was drawn by Robert Fleming of Jefferson County as part of the Second Georgia Land Lottery in 1826.
• The first mining town to spring up in the area was known as Hixtown. It was located about one mile northeast of the present downtown area. It was changed to Villa Rica (Spanish for City of Gold) in 1832.
• Between 1830 and 1840 about 20,000 pennyweights of gold were produced in the area.
• Most of the gold found here was in the form of gold dust, rather than flakes or nuggets, making it harder to find.
• Villa Rica gold is among the purest in the world at 98% pure from the ground.
  Most geologists agree that less than 20% of the gold in the area was mined. However, the cost of mining the gold exceeds its value at today's price per ounce.
• The Pine Mountain site was commercially mined off and on for over 100 years, making it one of the longest running mining operations in the state of Georgia.

My dog, Lucy, and me exploring the old mill on Pine Mountain

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How many got new Kindles for Christmas? Looking for great reads?

How about a FREE READ?

Here's the perfect book for you!

From the award-winning series, Cynthia's Attic, The Missing Locket (Book One) is FREE on KINDLE now through DEC 30!

Begin your Cynthia's Attic Adventure TODAY!

Magical costumes, disappearing stairs and a spooky attic filled with dusty antiques–what more could two, adventurous, young girls ask for? Best friends, Cynthia and Gus as she prefers to be called, are as "different as bubble gum and broccoli." They are, however, equal in their ability to get into trouble without much effort.

In trying to escape the "boring summer" of 1964, the adventurous twelve-year-old girls stumble upon a trunk in Cynthia's attic that has been in her family for three generations. They discover its mystical qualities when they are swept into the trunk and whisked back to 1914, literally into the lives of their twelve-year-old grandmothers, Clara and Bess.

The mystery of a missing family locket is revealed. Their quest takes numerous twists and turns, including a life-and-death struggle on a large steamship traveling from England to America. Along with perilous escapades, they make important, sometimes humorous discoveries about their ancestors, and even manage to change history–for the better–along the way.

Check out all Cynthia's Attic Series Books!

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"Let them live their dream."

THEIR dream; not YOURS. In this age of Toddlers & Tiaras, soccer moms, and hockey dads, it's refreshing to see the parents of the Gold Medal-winning Women's Gymnastic's team speak in terms of their daughters' happiness.

As they explain, years and years of sacrifice by parents and athletes is simply not worth it unless the child buys, whole-heartedly, in to the program. However, when Gabby Douglas moved far away from her family to Iowa to train with Olympic coach, Yiang Chow, she got homesick and begged to come home. That's when mom stepped in and convinced her to finish her dream.

Fortunately, Gabby's host mom, Missy Parton, whose daughter was also training with Chow, gave her the loving supportive family she needed at the time. Parton welcomed Gabby with open arms. "I knew that she needed that love and comfort that only comes from a family," says Parton. Video chats also kept the Olympic gymnast in touch with her family.

To read more on "Raising an Olympian," Click here.

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I get asked on a regular basis whether writing for a living is worth the effort. First of all, I love it and can't think of my life without it.

But, more than anything, I love the young readers I have the privilege of talking to and (hopefully) inspiring to read and write.

One such "Super Fan" is Aubree Goff. After a recent visit to her Nebo Elementary (arranged by Super Media Specialist, Lisa Brown), Aubree sent an e-mail:

Dear Mrs. Cunningham,

"I'm very sorry I couldn't get this message to you sooner . I was so caught up in my thoughts about the book "The Curse of the Bayou" and it's ending. I was so very intrigued by the books end. For at least a couple days I was lost in my own little world thinking about it. I told almost everyone in my class about my thoughts on the end. Two of my thoughts were " OH MY GOSH!!!, YOU GUYS HAVE TO READ "CURSE OF THE BAYOU" BY MRS. CUNNINGHAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Also my other one is "You have to read the series of Cynthia's Attic, it's AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you soooooooooo much for sharing your gift!"

Your fan, Aubree

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