A Thought on Summer Reading

Summer is great. It's warm enough for swimming. The kids are out of school. Life seems hectic, but still fun. One of my favorite things to do during the summer is read outside. Whether its in a hammock, a lounge chair or carefully floating in the water, summer reading is just awesome. Of course, kids don't see it that way all the time.

Children are the future and I'm a firm believer that a child that loves to read is a child that loves to learn. Local libraries across the country have summer reading programs that encourage and reward reading. My daughter has taken part in this program for years. She hasn't always completed the challenge, but she always tries.

Last year was the first year we had a real loss of interest. I get it. I do. It's summer. She doesn't want to have to read. She wants to play and be lazy when she can. There are still chores and lots of extra stuff to help keep her mind active. Reading just didn't seem to be interesting anymore.

This year I've tried something different. While traditional chapter books are available for her, I've added a number of other reads. Starting with Stan Lee's graphic novel set, The Zodiac Legacy. This series does have a traditional novel counterpart, but Lil Miss really got into the graphic novels. Those were added to her shelf over the school year. She ate them up.

Next I added a few magazines. Wild Kratts was a big win. She loves animals and learning more about them without having to worry about a thick book made it easier for her to pick up on her own. I also let her pick out a few magazines on her own.

Last, I added a manga. Manga is a lot like comics and graphic novels, but they are Asian and have a much broader range of genres. I added Vol. 1 of an anime that she and I enjoyed watching together. It took her having to wait for me to finish the Vol. before she really grabbed it up, but she did and it's earned her points towards her summer reading. She's currently waiting for Vol. 2.

The school has put out a list of summer reading books that Lil Miss is welcome to choose from as well, but this year she's refused to even look at the list. So, my intention is to just keep her reading. As long as she is reading I'm happy.

Its important to let a child find their own interests and give them a path to learn about those things. As they get older we don't have to hold their hands through learning. I've found if we offer the right incentives and pathways they'll happily skip along.

Peace and Love!

Midweek Tease: July 4th

It's a Midweek Tease and I'm back with another tease from Caught by Nightfall. The sexy magical tracker, Malcolme Blackwood, just keeps begging for attention and his lovely Meredith is willing to play a little cat and mouse. Enjoy and remember to hop over to the other great blogs on the list!

Malcolm asked, “Would you be more comfortable on the bed?”

Smirking, Meredith glanced down at the carpeted floor. “It might save me from rug burn.”

Nodding, Malcolm gave her a knowing look, and loosened his arms. Giving her one last quick kiss, he said, “Then you best hurry, little mouse, or I might pounce on you no matter where I catch you.”

Meredith pulled away from his arms and flashed him a “come and get me” look over her shoulder before hurrying for the door. She tugged her shirt off as she made her way through her apartment and knew that Malcolm was close behind when he tossed his own shirt ahead to the couch.  

The light touch of Malcolm’s fingers on her side made Meredith turn and side step to avoid him. Smiling back at him, she quickened her pace and hurried to the bedroom. Letting out a joyful laugh, he teased, “I almost caught you, Babe.”

This the tease for this week. If you loved it you can find it in print of digital at Amazon!

If you liked the cover of Caught by Nightfall, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

 

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Camp NaNoWriMo: July Round Up

It's time for camp again. This month I'm going rouge and working on three short stories instead of one longer piece. I've tried this once before... kinda, but it didn't work out so much. So, this time I'm focusing on short stories instead of a bigger project. Ready to hear about them?

Of course!

To celebrate the release of The Saving Grace Saga coming to print I've been working on a few short stories to give readers a peek into the world after the end of the trilogy. Last summer I wrote Smoke Hunt and this Fall it'll be released. Hopefully I'll also be releasing two additional stories to go along with it. Blood Hunt and Wild Hunt are currently in the works and just like the original trilogy, these stories will each feature a different couple.

In Smoke Hunt Dilly's sister, Lizzy and a former trail angel, Rodney, come together to save a native tribe of skinwalkers.

With Blood Hunt readers get to meet two new witches and find out how their lives have changed after the Saving Grace Act was abolished.

Finally, in Wild Hunt a lost child comes home to roost. Vera, the estranged granddaughter of the late pack shaman, shows up on pack lands and Cullen gets the job of keeping an eye on her.

The last short story I'm working on this month is a surprise. It's a super short one though. With a word count limit of just 5k, I'm hoping it'll go smoothly and not run away with me.


So that's the round up!
Peace and Love!

 

Find out more about the Saving Grace Saga or get your copies 

@

CobbleStone Press or on my Amazon Author Page