About
I was born to be a teacher and a writer. I do not dumb down books for children. I bring to readers a rich tapestry of expression and discovery. Rhythm, vibrant and multi-syllable words are intended to instill a love of language and restore it to its higher purpose, the true art of communication.
The love and use of ;real words; is one of the looming casualties of the 21st Century. Making a point as quickly as possible seems to be the only purpose of text-ing, twittering and screen flashing sound bites. Truncated language, acronyms and the loss of the ever friendly vowel is eroding the fabric of communication.
My goal is to acquaint young readers and reinvigorate parents with the beauty and lyrical magic of the written and spoken word. I believe real learning happens when children experience stories read out loud and when they have the tactile experience of the feel and the smell of a real book in their hands. I also believe that real conversations between children and parents are essential for building lasting relationships while helping children develop a well balanced sense of self and of their world. Please visit peekingkitty.com; to see what makes my books different from ordinary picture books.
The Usurper King (The Plantagenet Legacy Book 3)
Description
<p><span style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">First, he led his own uprising. Then he captured a forsaken king. Henry had no intention of taking the crown for himself; it was given to him by popular acclaim. Alas, it didn't take long to realize that that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it. Only three months after his coronation, Henry IV had to face a rebellion led by Richard's disgruntled favorites. Repressive measures led to more discontent. His own supporters turned against him, demanding more than he could give. The haughty Percies precipitated the Battle of Shrewsbury which nearly cost him the throne—and his life.</span><br style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;" /><span style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">To make matters worse, even after Richard II's funeral, the deposed monarch was rumored to be in Scotland, planning his return. The king just wouldn't stay down and malcontents wanted him back.</span></p>
Story Behind The Book
I wrote the book as an in-class assignment for a creative writing class. Students were given a word and had 15 minutes to craft a story line. I went out into the hall, it was a night class and the hall was quite except for the sound of the rain outside and the large school clock ticking. Then the janitor came around the corner with a noisy vacuum, and The Sound Snatcher was born. I had the entire story done in those 15 minutes.
My writing is pure inspiration. I get an idea and the story just appears. Frightened by the vacuum myself as a child, this story is full of fun lyrical rhyme that helps children discover and uncover their fears. It makes the vacuum friendly. My little peeking kitty, a signature character in all of my stories appears on every page making it fun to explore in many ways.
This book is dedicated to my Mom and Dad, and represents my true self as a teacher and writer. I also believe that a love and the use of real words is a looming casualty of the 21st Century. It seems all everyone does now is want to make a point as quickly as possible. I believe truncated language, acronyms and loss of the use of “the ever friendly vowel" is eroding the fabric of real communication. It is my intention to create books to help both children and parents discover the magic of language and the power of words.
