My review for MMGM, Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, under the Magical Gazebo this week brought me on such a great adventure with The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell. My review My favorite things about The Good Thieves was the deep friendships formed by four very unlikely and uniquely talented children in the face of uncertainty and a very daunting task that the main character, Vita, undertakes when she tries to help her grandfather after he’s been cheated out of his castle by a thug. A polio survivor during the 1930s and freshly-arrived in New York, young Vita finds an inner…
What Surprised Me The Most With College Tours (part two)
Welcome to Thorn & Vine blog and a special dual post about what we learned from our college tours this summer. If you missed the first article, find it HERE all about key Do’s and Don’ts to prepare you for the tours. This week, we’re focusing on things that really took my breath away or pleasantly surprised me on the trips we took. One crazy thing, you’ll NEVER believe – or maybe you will? I sure didn’t…is below. What surprised me the most? How important SATs are for admission and also for scholarship consideration. I knew they were considered, of…
Five Tips for Jumping Back Into Writing
Five important things to remember about jumping back into writing your WIP – work in progress. Perhaps you’re a writer like me and have had some important life-interrupts that have kept you for a period of time from jumping back into your work. Instead of seeing this as a negative, it’s better to look forward and use these tips to shortcut your way back into that writing mindset. Sometimes it can feel like you’re racing snails in your writing pursuits – how do you get a wider perspective and press on while challenges or interruptions are pulling you aside? I’ve…
Story comes to life at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland When I was a tween the original Star Wars debuted and we stood in line in the hot sun for two hours to see it opening weekend, then stayed for three showings with my father and brother. It was so magical. I remember my younger brother playing with the action figures under the Christmas tree. We were all drawn into the story. As a college student, I competed nationally one summer for a marketing/public relations internship with Lucasfilm and got to see the amazing ranch in my hometown of Marin, California. It was thrilling….
That Robin Hood Moment
As the school year draws to a close, and summer thoughts dazzle the senses, I wanted to remind any of you teens or tweens who had a less than great year that there is life and meaning and hope even in the worst years. It’s super hard to see this when you’re young, but one of the benefits of getting older is developing a telescoping lens where I can see now that things that really were the hardest for me in childhood have helped me and shaped my life’s directions. Especially with how I handle challenges and adversity. After someone…
Being Grateful for the Bugs
[bws_captcha]It’s been a rough month with a series of weird situations that climaxed with our water heater bursting and ruining floors and walls in my office, my website failing for mysterious reasons, and now I am waiting to see if we will need an emergency move out of the house due to a crazy amount of bugs. We were surrounded by a two-story high cloud in the front of and behind our home for about two weeks while I’ve been trying to get answers and see what damage has been done, if it was termites, and if we need to…
Spring Tea in the Garden
Tea in the Garden Come join me for a little check-in about life and springtime and laying the groundwork for dreams to grow. I’ve been thinking a lot about springtime, since we’ve enjoyed a few walks in a gorgeous local historic garden and my flowers at home are in bloom. It’s time to shed the jackets and umbrellas after a very wet and unusual winter in Northern California. And I’ve also been remembering what it felt like to be an almost-teen during this time of year as it led into summer. I distinctly remember the feeling of braces (three and…
Magical Doorway Reads
My reviews for MMGM, Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, under the Magical Gazebo this week include three books that all involve going through a portal or transition to a land beyond. They couldn’t be more different than one another but each has a distinctive experience in another land, powerful lessons they learn there, and key decision points that will change their lives forever. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley A dying grandfather shares amazing stories of a circus with an invisible tiger, a flying birdwoman, and the magician called The Man Who Bends Light, stories that may in fact be real. Young…
Through The Rainbow’s Edge
Spring Thoughts From My Journal It’s been a wet and windy day in Northern California and I’ve been in our new home for just over a year and a half. I’ve noticed in certain conditions, this season especially, dewy rainbows hug our area with the green, sloping hills in the far distance. I’ve been on a Spring cleaning and organizing binge as part of celebrating hopeful new beginnings with my fiction, making ready for dreams to take root. My children are also growing at alarming rates, one popped up a whole shoe size in a month and his voice dropped…
Repost: Actress Amanda McDonough’s Journey From Deafness To A Loud Voice For Change
In honor of #storieswithstephfeb19 – An encouraging friend – When I think of someone inspiring, I consider actress Amanda McDonough and her new book #readytobeheard – How I lost my hearing and found my voice. Amanda and I met at a writer’s conference and I was immediately drawn to her sunshine personality and positivity. It was only when she moved her hands with sign language that I realized she had hearing issues. 🤘🏻 The main character in my middle grade fantasy is hard of hearing, so I felt honored when Amanda shared her story of waking one day to complete…
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