Little Heroines

by Courtney Pierce

One special book defined my early childhood. Back in 1961, my paternal grandmother gave me a ten-story collection titled The Golden Treasury of Caroline and Her Friends by Pierre Probst. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother appeared old to me. In her later years, she worked as a translator for a children’s book publisher in Washington, D.C. Grandma was a stern and demanding European immigrant, having fled the oppression of Nazi Germany in WWll. It seemed like such a contradiction for her to have magically turned children’s books into treasures for kids who spoke German and Danish. Still waters ran deeper than I ever knew.

I vividly remember sitting on my father’s lap as he rocked his stuffed lounge chair, the springy beige one with scratchy wool upholstery. I was only three or four when he would read aloud to me the stories of Caroline and her Friends before handing me off to Mom for a teeth brushing and tuck into bed. To the accompaniment of Dad's animated interpretation of the dialogue, my imagination went wild as I got lost in the illustrations. 

Dad wasn't great at reciting Caroline's parts in a girly voice, but he was really good with the animals: two rambunctious kittens named Puff and Inky, two naughty puppies named Bobby and Rusty, and a wise bear cub named Bruno. A velvety panther and a brave lion cub stopped by to join a few of the stories too. I would skip ahead to recite the dialogue before my father could lick his giant finger to turn the thick paper. I couldn't wait that long, so I made up some of my own.

"No, no, Rusty...don't you do that," I'd say, trying to sound bossy and poking my short forefinger on Dad's stomach. "Caroline's going to be so mad at you!"

Dad would chuckle and pat my chubby leg. "Gotta wait. Don't hijack the story."

I silenced my made-up words, but my excitement came out in the twisting of my toes on Dad's sweatshirt.

Caroline had rescued all of her animal friends from trouble in nearly every story. She was a heroine of the highest order. I had her assurance that all would be okay at the end of each tale. Trust was a given.

Sporting blond pigtails, seven-year-old Caroline, explored the world with her animal friends, a big world unknown to me at the time. Together, they got into all kinds tangles while traveling to India, tackling the chores of spring cleaning, hiking and camping in the mountains, and throwing a big party. In other books, Caroline takes her friends to the beach and even packs them into a rocket ship for a trip to the moon. 

Caroline could do anything, and I wanted to be just like her.

Little did I know that the seeds of my adult values were rooted in this book: my love for animals, my ability to learn from my mistakes, my courage to push myself beyond my comfort zone, my conviction to treat others with respect, and my love of travel. Most of all, it showed me that little girls could be leaders and have a sense of humor. Caroline inspired me to be passionate about everything, no matter how seemingly trivial the task. Now as an adult, I often wonder how many other kids’ lives were shaped by this author.

Pierre Probst first created Caroline in 1953, but this little character became a giant by the early 1960s with over 38 Million books sold across the world. Pierre was born in Mulhouse, France, in 1913. As a gifted painter and cartoonist, he studied Art at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Prior to creating the Caroline series, Pierre fought in WWII, was captured, and made a heroic escape back to his home country. He passed away in 2007 at the ripe old age of 93 at his home in Suresnes, France. 

Over the years, I lost track of my tattered copy of Caroline and Her Friends. I thought it was gone forever after I searched my parents’ attic, pawed through boxes in the garage and rummaged through the closets. I mourned the book's loss for years.

In last month's May post, I shared with this group the numerous conversations I had with my older sister as I wrote my first book, Stitches. One of those discussions was about books that shaped our lives. I had no idea that Debbie loved Caroline too. Behind our shared childhood reminiscences, something about this book resonated with her as it did with me.

A year later, on Christmas Day in 2013, Debbie presented me with an elaborately wrapped box. She had a misty glisten in her eyes as I ripped off the foiled paper. When I lifted the top and pulled back the tissue, there sat The Golden Treasury of Caroline and Her Friends. Half a century had separated the spine, releasing the book's illustrated pages. Holy cow! Caroline's animal friends were attempting an escape from their confinement in the box. I broke into tears and hugged my sister so tight that I couldn’t let go.

After five decades, Debbie became the heroine who rescued Caroline.

In the course of writing this post, just for grins, I researched the current value of this treasury of stories. To my shock, the book is apparently quite a sought-after rare find among us baby boomers. It’s worth a whopping $3,000 - $4,500 on the antique book market. This must be due to fact that we adolescent retirees drag around the freight of our childhood and are unwilling to let it go.

Regardless of its value and condition, the book is priceless. And I'll always be grateful for the gift my mean 'ole grandmother had presented to my sister and me. She's long gone now, but I suspect that my grandmother gave us the book because she wanted us to be free, free of the past war demons that she, herself, had lived with for so long. Just a guess.

Maybe in our retirement, Debbie and I will make our copy of Caroline an annual gift to each other, sharing it back and forth, year after year. After all, Caroline and her friends will remain forever young, forever hopeful, and forever in our hearts. 

Photo: Micah Brooks

Courtney Pierce is a fiction writer living in Kalispell, Montana with her husband, stepdaughter, and their brainiac cat, Princeton. Courtney writes for the baby boomer audience. She spent 28 years as an executive in the entertainment industry and used her time in a theater seat to create stories that are filled with heart, humor, and mystery. She studied craft and storytelling at the Attic Institute and has completed the Hawthorne Fellows Program for writing and publishing. Active in the writing community, Courtney is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association and on the Advisory Council of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. She is a member of Willamette Writers, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and She Writes. The Executrix received the Library Journal Self-E recommendation seal.

Print and E-books are available through most major online retailers, including Amazon.com.

Check out all of Courtney's books: 

courtney-pierce.com and windtreepress.com 

New York Times best-selling author Karen Karbo says, "Courtney Pierce spins a madcap tale of family grudges, sisterly love, unexpected romance, mysterious mobsters and dog love. Reading Indigo Lake is like drinking champagne with a chaser of Mountain Dew. Pure Delight."

Coming in 2020!

When Aubrey Cenderon moves to Montana after the death of her father, the peace and quiet of Big Sky Country becomes complicated with a knock on the door from the sheriff. An injured grizzly bear is on the loose and it must be eliminated before it kills again. The sheriff's insistence that she buy a gun for protection will present Aubrey with some serious soul-searching, because the grizzly-on-the-run is hunting for her too . . . for a different reason.

The Magic of Children’s Books … by Delsora Lowe

I thought about veering off topic this month, but frankly in a world so full of dark right now, I need some magic in my life.

Books, especially children’s book are filled with magic and imagination. One of my favorite children’s books is Goodnight Moon. Full disclosure, I barely remember books I read as a child. Fuller disclosure, I barely remember what I read last night 😊 What I do know was that the book was a romance with a happily-ever-after that takes me away from the universal troubles of yesterday and today, and will again tonight and tomorrow night. When I was a kid, I read constantly and I still do.

Daylight Moon

For children, books can either take you away into a magical land or they can show the splendor of the world around us. That is what Goodnight Moon does. I can still see the look on my first-born grandson’s face when he was three—he’s now thirteen—as I read him Goodnight Moon. We sat on a cushioned bench seat underneath his bedroom window, with a full moon shining over the snowy Colorado mountains in the distance. His eyes were wide as he looked at the pictures, then pointed to our very own moon right outside the window. This book was passed down to his brother.

I don’t have a copy of Goodnight Moon, so I can’t quote from the book. But I do have a copy of my third-born grandson’s tattered and well-loved Goodnight Maine, inscribed by moi – to my precious Jack. This is my book of choice to give to my friends with newborns.

Books like this take us to magical places, like the shores and mountains of Maine, as we say hello to the seagulls, bears, moose, and lobsters. We play at the beach by the Atlantic Ocean, kayak down rivers, and climb mountains, and then we say goodnight to the moon shining above the mountains, and the lobstermen putting away their boats, and the lighthouse that shines all night. The book takes us through the seasons in this vast state, from snowy mountaintops to the summer seashore with seals.

Now that my grandson is eleven, he is experiencing mountain climbing and kayaking in the bay near his home, where great views of the moon shining on islands and the ocean abound. The moon still remains a magical place for young and old together.

Crazy Cloud Formation Surrounding Full Moon

I’ll admit to standing in my backyard in the middle of the night taking photos of the moon. Or rising early to see the sun peaking at us on the eastern horizon, while the moon dips low in the western skyline. Gazing at the moon takes me away from my problems. It puts into perspective the grandeur, and yes, the miracle, of our lives. And each time I gaze on the moon, I visualize the wonderment, and the hope of innocence, in the eyes all three grandsons.

Perfect position to peak through two trunks of the oak tree

And I pray that all three will be able to live long, magical lives, in peace and harmony and love, in a world much better than the one we have today.

After The Ice Storm

So, enjoy your favorite books, and once in a while look back on those that were favorites as a child. AND remember the magic!

For grownup magical romance in Maine, check out: Starlight Grille

Amazon: (also in print) https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Grille-Serenity-Harbor-Collection-ebook/dp/B07CN8JV2Z/

Books2Read       books2read.com/u/3yDjWe

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine.

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Author FaceBook page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthor
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe

LINKS: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Moon  https://www.mainemadeandmore.com/product/goodnight-maine/

Silver Linings by Mary Vine

Mary Vine

As a young adult, I had no idea what the expression silver lining really meant. Around 2002, my husband was transferred to Boise, Idaho for three years, a move we did not want, but it was a place that I learned how to enjoy the sunshine, write for publication and found the best work experience I’d had up until this time. Yet, still I didn’t fully grasp the meaning until we’d moved away from Oregon, after my husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. We left our home and state to find a more affordable life.

From our three-year stay, we’d learned that SW Idaho – at the time - was an inexpensive place for us to buy a house and not have a mortgage. Now, we saw there was a reason we were placed here via the work transfer.

After this move, we found two doctors that gave my husband a different diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (type), one that included medications that have helped him feel better each year. I found a church that was just what I needed. I got a job with higher pay.

The list goes on and on. Sometimes, we don’t know what we have or what will happen until the storm hits us and we are left with a cloud with a silver lining. The next time a storm comes your way, and it will, be sure to look for the silver lining, they are certain to come and will strengthen your faith.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned some things, some thoughts that I want to pass on to my children and grandchildren. One of these messages is about silver linings. BIJU SILVER LINING is the result.

Writing Language-Based Children’s Books That Educate, Inspire and Give Hope.

Mary Vine is an author, publisher, speaker and retired educator. She writes contemporary and historical romantic fiction, a time travel series, and inspirational children’s books: BIG GUY UPSTAIRS, BIJU SILVER LINING and DRAGON GILBY. Mary, and her husband can usually be found in Southwest Idaho or Northeast Oregon.

To learn more about Mary Vine, visit www.maryvine.com

http://authormaryvine.blogspot.com

Mary’s books can be found on Amazon.

Writing Books for Children - Kathy Coatney

Kathy Coatney

When I started writing, my focus was on contemporary romance, so when the opportunity to write a series of nonfiction children’s books arose, I resisted. I was working full time as a photojournalist and barely had time for my fiction, but then I received a call from a local veterinarian. He told me about a potential article—a local dairy producer had a cow that had just given birth to quadruplets. This only happens once in every 700,000 births, but what was even more incredible was that she gave birth unassisted, all four heifers were alive and healthy, and weighing in at approximately 60-65 pounds each. That only happens once in every 179.2 million births.

As I was writing the article, a fellow writer planted the idea that I should write a children’s book about the quadruplets, and the From the Farm to the Table series was born. The series targeted first to third grade graders, and I felt that illustrations (photos in my case) were crucial for this age group. The old adage, a picture tells a thousand words is very true, especially when you’re talking about an unfamiliar subject.

I’ve learned several things in my eight year journey of writing and publishing children’s books. First and foremost, formatting is a nightmare mainly because of the pictures. I tried to do it myself and finally gave up and hired a formatter, but at that time formatters had little or no experience with this type of book. I was fortunate my formatter was willing to work with me and learn as we went.

The second thing I discovered is, children’s books sell almost exclusively in print. Romance sales do well as eBooks, but children’s books do not. While plenty of preschoolers and school-age children use electronic devices, my grandchildren included, they use them for games and movies, not books.

With the almost universal usage of electronic devices in our world today, I believe this makes children’s books even more important. Sitting with an adult, learning about animals and farming, or bugs and insects, or getting lost in fiction is a precious gift. I vividly remember every day after lunch my sixth grade teacher read to us. It was a soothing, comforting time that was a nice transition from running and playing.

But as much as children benefit from being read to, I think it’s a life-long gift for parents. I still remember my son’s warm little body snuggled next to me as I reread the same book for the hundredth time. I knew the words by heart, but it didn’t matter. It was the time spent with my child that remains a cherished memory. The book is in my bookcase, the cover held together with masking tape—the sign of a well-loved book. 

Before I sign off, just a little bit about my books. From the Farm to the Table has six books in the series. The first book was From the Farm to the Table Dairy, then bees, table olives, potatoes, almonds, and beef cows.

I also write deeply emotional, small town, romances. I have a three book series,Falling For You…Again, Falling in Love With You, Falling in Love for the First Time. 

I also have She’s Out of His League that is a stand-alone at the moment, but I have two more books in the series that will be released shortly. 

I also have Leave Me Breathless a romantic mystery, and I will have more books to follow in that series, too. 

The Crooked Halo Chronicles is a series about love, romance, and guardian angels. You can get Angels R Us free by subscribing to my newsletter.

Thank you all. It was lovely spending time with you. I look forward to meeting up with you on FB, TW, and kathycoatney.com

Life-Long Readers and Life-Long Learners

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction that honors pagan spiritual practices. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you do overcome obstacles and find your happily-ever-after.

You may wonder what Romancing The Genres is doing celebrating Children’s Book Authors.

The answer is simple:

The earlier a child

appreciates books,

understands the value of getting lost in a story,

comprehends that answers to all questions can be answered in the pages of a book,

experiences the joy of holding a book, turning the pages (paper or digital) and losing track of time and the myriad of challenges of day-to-day life

The more likely that child will be a life-long reader.

However, while that is mostly true, it isn’t 100% true. I’m a life-long learner and early reader. I read to my son from the time he was born until he was in elementary school. I read to both my granddaughters and also to my great granddaughter.

Are they life-long learners? Yes

Are they life-long readers? No

While my dyslexia is minor it was more severe in my son and even more so in my granddaughters. The truth is it’s easier to become a life-long reader when reading is easy. And it’s much more daunting when those letters and words have a life of their own.

My life-long love of books means I have book shelves full of keepers, stacks next to the couch and then the most important ones next to my computer.

Is there a children’s book next to my computer? Yes

What children’s book have I read over and over and yet over again?

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Marjory Williams with Illustrations by William

Nicholson. My current copy is especially dear to me because it is a gift from my longest and very bestest friend, Michele.

What is it about this book that touched my heart the first time I read it enough that I’ve read it over and over again?

Love makes us real. And that love always sees us as beautiful in body, mind and spirit.

As I add years to my age, I look for the me I used to see when I looked in the mirror. She’s there – I see glimpses in the smile, the look in my eyes, the way I hold my head. But I also see the me with white hair and extra pounds. The me who no longer jogs and is thankful she can still walk unaided.

My favorite passage is when The Skin Horse is talking to The Velveteen Rabbit about Nursery Magic and what happens to make a toy real.

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. … Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. … Once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

While I may cringe when my granddaughters call me “cute” I do know that they see me as Real. Not as an old lady with white hair who doesn’t move as fast as she once did. They see the grandma who loves them for now and for always.

Looking in the mirror, I can see her too. She’s got wisdom in those Rawson blue eyes, her heart beats strong and loves rushes through her veins. Love for her grands and great grands but also for the memories of reading Dr. Seuss, singing the alphabet song a bajillion times, celebrating first steps and first words and all those life events one has to grow old to experience.

What are your favorite memories either of your own early reading experiences?

You can find all of my books at your favorite e-book vendor. Be sure to ask your local library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2020 Judith Ashley

The joy of a young bookworm

Funny Miss Twiggley

lived in a tree,

with a dog named Puss

and a color TV.

She did what she liked

and she liked what she did,

but when company came,

Miss Twiggley hid.

So begins my favourite book from childhood – recalled from memory. Yes, I re-read Miss Twiggley’s Tree, by Dorothea Warren Fox, so many times I had it memorized. Alas, those two paragraphs are all I can recite now, but I remember the story. Puss does the shopping, there are friendly bears, a flood leads to a giant tea party, and new friends are made. The illustrations are charming and full of life, and conjured fantasies in my young head of living in my own treehouse.

I was a voracious reader as a child, ahead of my grade level from day one. My parents gave me membership in a book club that sent a new hardcover children’s book every month. Oh, how I loved coming home from school to find that large, flat package addressed to me. I’d then retreat to my room to read my new book, and then I’d read it again, and then I'd read it again.

I still own my copy of Miss Twiggley’s Tree, and I feel warm and cosy just thinking about it. I loved that book. I read the story to my boys and perhaps one day I’ll read it to their children – though I’m not holding my breath on that one.