I love books that carry me into their story so that I’m no longer reading. The Spark of Love is such a book. Author Amanda Cabot places the reader alongside Alexander Tarkington whose beauty and money threaten her life. Set
Sergeant YES SIR
My swimming instructor was a drill sergeant. Literally. Every week myself and nine other elementary kids were dropped off, abandoned by our mothers to Sergeant YES SIR. The lessons were on an army base with a man built like a
Small things matter
When my nephew introduces himself, he states he has special needs. He turned twenty-five this month and he can’t tie his shoes or drive, but he’s a favorite employee at a large Children’s Hospital. Nurses, doctors, hospital staff know him
Nicknames
I opened the front door and mother’s face lit up like a spray of fireworks. She pointed to my two-year-old brother toddling away from the front window. “I told Todd you’d be home from school any minute.” He bee-lined toward
Characters that change us
The first character in a book who snagged a spot in my heart is a character you know. In fact, who doesn’t know The Cat in the Hat? Yes, the book’s plot is fun and told in clever rhyme. The
Add fire to your writing
Adding sensory details to your writing is like pouring lighter fluid on a campfire. Poof! Stand back as flames dance high and the wood crackles. This writing style engages the reader. But what is sensory writing? It’s text that taps
Call of the Wild
Have you ever read a book and then seen the movie? The latter usually disappoints me, but it’s fun to compare the two. Since another version of The Call of the Wild is coming to theaters in February, I decided to read
With
Christmas is all about this four-letter word. The whirl and glitter of December stir me into action. I like to decorate, bake, buy gifts, and string my life with busy verbs. But as I cross off the verbs on the
Small giving
Ten more minutes…nine more minutes…eight… I tapped my foot, even though it wouldn’t hurry the end of the school day. The remaining five minutes always stretched into an hour. Students stuffed papers and books into backpacks while I sat. Mine
BOOK REVIEW: Echo
Echo transports the reader into the lives of ordinary teenagers who find resilience and courage to make a difference in an unfair world. It is listed for upper middle grade and young adult. Bottom line: No matter your age, this