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Susan A. Royal

~ If you could read my mind

Susan A. Royal

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Welcome back, Anne and Ken

27 Thursday Sep 2018

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Anne Rothmanj-Hicks, books, Ken Hicks, Remembering Thomas, sequel

Come in and sit down. A little cooler in Texas these days so you might want a cup of hot tea. I’m thrilled to have authors Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken HIcks back for a visit. You’ll love them.

thumbnail_Anne and Ken Egypt 2Now, let’s get to know them a little better.

When Anne Rothman was a student at Bryn Mawr College and Kenneth Hicks was a student at Haverford College, they began writing together in an independent-study course with one of Ken’s professors. A brief interlude ensued while Anne wrote wonderful poetry and Ken wrote a book about hitchhiking (The Complete Hitchhiker Tobey Publishing, Dell Distribution), but they soon got back together as writers when Ken was in law school at Columbia University and Anne was paying the rent by working in publishing. They have continued to write together for about forty years and, in that time, have published four adult novels, eleven non-fiction books for children, two fiction books for tweens, three fiction books for middle readers, and two photography books. They also produced three children whom they love even more than writing.

Their most recent book is Remembering Thomas, a sequel to Things Are Not What They Seem, both published by MuseItYoung, and available in all formats. Their three middle reader novels are Stone Faces, Brownstone Faces, and Splotch also published by MuseItYoung. Their previous adult novels are Kate and the Kid, a mainstream novel, and Weave A Murderous Web, Praise Her, Praise Diana, and Mind me, Milady, all mystery thrillers featuring Jane Larson.

Jennifer and James and their two friends, Kaytlyn and Sleepy, step through a time portal in the vicinity of modern-day Kips Bay, New York City, and find themselves in the middle of a Revolutionary War battle. Their purpose is to stop the evil Malman, who wants to change the course of history by altering an event that occurred at the Battle of Harlem Heights. Their task is complicated by a bumbling man, Arthur Whitehair, who was turned into a pigeon by the misreading of a spell many years before.thumbnail_Remembering Thomas 333x500

During the course of twenty-four hours, the foursome meets the genteel Mary Murray and her daughter, Susannah, credited with delaying the British and allowing the rebels to escape. They share the camp of Margaret Corbin, who fought with the rebels and was injured. Their lives are saved by swashbuckling Major Aaron Burr. They encounter Thomas Knowlton the hero of Bunker Hill who died at the battle of Harlem Heights. And, finally, Jennifer discovers the joys and pain of first love with Frederick Knowlton, the sixteen-year-old son of Thomas.

Remembering Thomas is a sequel to Things Are Not What They Seem. As in that novel, the four friends learn lessons about love, friendship, and self-sacrifice.

Links to Remembering Thomas and Things Are Not What They Seem

Remembering Thomas Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/yavkyhyr

Things Are Not What They Seem Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/ybhhepmy

Anne’s Amazon Page: https://tinyurl.com/y88wcdnb

Ken’s Amazon Page: https://tinyurl.com/ybkd3lw7

Our Blog: http://randh71productions.com/blog/

MuseItUp Publishing Bu Link: https://tinyurl.com/y73u3n63

The experts say that a person should write about what he or she know best, and we do that in our books for children and young adults.

We have lived in New York City for almost 45 years, and we certainly have seen our fair share of pigeons. So maybe it was inevitable that one day Anne and I should be sitting in a playground with pigeons all around searching for food, and fantasize that one of those pigeons was actually a 135-year-old man named Arthur Whitehair, who had been turned into a pigeon because he read a magic spell wrong. And if we accept that convention, Arthur might now be threatened by a man who had been turned into a hawk by Arthur’s mistake as well. For all these reasons, Arthur might have asked for the help of Jennifer, a young girl babysitting for her younger brother in that very playground. In this way, bits and pieces of the story evolved into Things Are Not What They Seem. Throughout, the point is made that appearances cannot always be trusted. Arthur was a lovable type, but somewhat selfish on occasion, who created enormous problems for Jennifer and her brother, James, and their two friends, and put them all in grave danger. Kirkus Reviews called our novel: “A learned, laugh-out-loud New York City fantasy for all ages.”

So, how about a sequel? Over the years, we had done a lot of reading for another novel we were writing that included aspects of the Revolutionary War in New York City, and the series of battles that took place in Manhattan. We decided to have Jennifer and James and their friends slip back through a time warp to find themselves in a Manhattan of centuries before, full of green fields, farms and forests. In this book, there are also scenes from the Battle of Manhattan with cannonballs flying through the air from ships anchored in the East River and British soldiers coming ashore to fight. Once again, Arthur was the cause of the problems these child heroes faced, and the fast-moving plot includes characters who actually played a part in that chapter of American history. The name of this novel is Remembering Thomas, and its major theme is the importance of remembering and honoring the people who have gone before us and who have made sacrifices on our behalf.

We hope you will read either or both of these books!

Thanks for stopping by, you guys! Enjoyed the visit.

 

September Days

10 Monday Sep 2018

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decorations, fall, Mums, Pumpkins

Witch 001

It’s still hot in Texas…a little early to be thinking about decorating for fall. The mums would wilt and the pumpkins would go bad. But this will get me through until October. Especially with the spicy pumpkin votive. Yummmmm (Thanks, Craig and Carrie!)

Labor Day

03 Monday Sep 2018

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Fall is on the way, Labor Day, summer fun

 

periwinkles

 

This is what Wikipedia has to say about Labor Day. In the US, it is celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American Labor movement and contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is a federal holiday and is considered the unofficial end of summer in the United States.

To me, it means farewell to road trips, weekends at the lake, spending time at the beach, camping. By now, we’ve all gotten sunburned at least once, fought off mosquitoes, stayed in the water until their skin was wrinkly and eaten dozens of hot dogs.

Time to shift gears, and get ready for cooler weather, football games, and sitting out under the stars enjoying s’mores. I’m ready. How about you?

 

Stay Tuned ~ odds and ends from my WIP

26 Monday Mar 2018

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Mere, odds and ends, Rio Theater, stay tuned, young adult fantasy

I’m currently working on a young adult fantasy about Mere, an 18 year old girl living in Titusville, a small town in east Texas, located smack dab in the middle of Ferry Woods. It’s filled with pine trees, Spanish moss and creepiness. Strange things happen there. Mere’s practical side says they’re only stories. Yet, she’s drawn to the place.

Mere has spent her life trying to be ordinary. An impossible task in her family. Women in the Borchers’ family are witches. And Mere has powers. Even though she tries to ignore them. But with everything that’s been happening, she’s no longer sure that’s what she wants.

Titusville isn’t real, but it’s based on all the places I’ve been to in that area when visiting family. A perfect setting for a YA fantasy. Old-timers are walking, talking history books filled with all kinds of stories about people living in their community. All you have to do is listen.

Below is the Rio Theater in Center, Texas. I’ve pictured a place like this in my book when Mere and Darcey talk about going to see a show at the Rio.

The Rio Theater in Center, Texas

Christmas Traditions

22 Friday Dec 2017

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Christmas Traditions, grandkids, kids

020.JPGWhen my husband and I first married, our Christmases were always last minute things. We didn’t plan ahead. We’d brace ourselves, dash out to the mall and be swept up in the melee along with everyone else. We were young and had lots of energy, so we didn’t mind.

The kids came along, and things changed. I quit work and stayed home while they were little, so money was tight. We had to budget money and time, which meant planning ahead. For a few years we wore ourselves and the kids out, dragging them from first one event to another, trying to make sure they visited with both sides of the family, only to end up at home by nightfall, trying to have our Christmas with cranky toddlers who were tired and wanted to go to bed.

We made a conscious decision to change things. We began putting our time with the kids first before anything else. We started our own little traditions like watching a holiday show and having hot chocolate and popcorn, making ornaments or decorating the tree as a family. I bought inexpensive ornaments every year for them to mark the date and put on the tree. We had Christmas books and records we enjoyed.

We moved from the city to a small town. Christmas tree farms were popular. We made it a family thing to go out, cut down the tree and decorate it. For a week before school let out, I put small, inexpensive gifts under the tree every morning as an incentive to get the kids out of bed. “Look what Santa left last night!”

I made caramel corn, and we roasted peanuts. When they got old enough to buy presents, one of them always got my husband chocolate covered cherries and found me a new little Santa for my collection.

What’s funny is that out of all the memories, the ones they seem to hold most dear aren’t necessarily the years where they received the most gifts or got something they really wanted, but the little things we did. And it tells me something. Traditions like that are important. Now they have families of their own and I’m proud to say they have continued the Christmas traditions.

 

Multi-tasking

19 Tuesday Dec 2017

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multi-tasking

cropped-img_0805Not to brag, but I used to be really good at multi-tasking. I could cook a meal, remember to switch the clothes from washer to dryer, talk on the phone, make my grocery list and keep an eye on the kids—and all at the same time.

Not anymore.

These days if I’m cooking I’d better stay in the kitchen unless I want to find myself cleaning up the stove and trying to figure out what I’m going to cook instead of whatever is stuck on the bottom of the saucepan. I’ve spent hours searching for the TV remote, the phone or my glasses because I’ve carried them somewhere they aren’t supposed to be.

Last year I moved for the first time in almost 30 years. I packed nearly everything myself. I kept things organized. Labeled boxes. Even so I found myself spending time searching for things like kitchen utensils, matches, the hammer, the measuring tape. I looked everywhere. The minute I gave up and bought new ones they appeared.

It’s frustrating. I feel like I’ve lost a valuable talent.

Maybe it’s because the older you get, the less you’re called on to use it. The kids are grown, and if the grandkids come for a visit, I don’t waste time doing anything but focusing on them.

There’s just me. That means less laundry, less cooking, less housecleaning. So I don’t have to multi-task any more.

Now if I could just keep up with the remote and the telephone, I’d be happy.

 

Summer’s Almost Over

30 Wednesday Aug 2017

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end of summer, September, shorter days

IMG_0813It’s almost time for school to start. The days are getting shorter. There’s a slight change in the weather–a hint of fall perhaps. I’m so ready.

September has always been my time to get back into a routine and setting goals again. Rest up from the hectic summer when there’s picnics and swimming and the days seem to stretch on forever.

Sit on the porch in the evening with a glass of tea. Get out my recipes for soup, bread or mac n cheese. Start thinking about fall decorations. Halloween.

I can’t wait!

What about you? What is your favorite time of the year and why?

 

 

A New Find

Featured

Posted by Susan A. Royal in article

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flea markets, Garage Sales, Royal Quiet Deluxe Portable Typewriter, shabby chic

cropped-img_0805

View From My Window

 

My friends and family know how much I love searching for unique finds to decorate my house. There’s something exciting about hunting for the perfect piece to fit in that spot on the wall, on a shelf or in the corner of the living room. I might not even know I need it until it “speaks” to me.

I’ve been doing this forever. Long before anyone ever heard of “shabby chic” or “flea market finds”. You can see me at Garage Sales, Rummage Sales and Estate Sales. Even the city dump. It fulfills my need for retail therapy without breaking the bank, and gives me an interesting story to tell about how it came to be mine.

Today I have a great new piece to showcase. A Royal Quiet Deluxe Portable Typewriter. Only makes sense. A typewriter for a writer. And it had to be a Royal, of course. It looks great on the shelf above my computer and I’ve already incorporated a picture of it into my blog.

What about you? I’m sure there’s something you love to do that is just as rewarding. It could be anything. That’s the beauty. Please share!

 

 

Dinner and Movie Monday – The Dressmaker

29 Monday May 2017

Posted by Susan A. Royal in article, movie review

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Australian, Judy Davis, Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, movies, reviews, The Dressmaker

The DressmakerWhen my sisters and I were little, sometimes my parents let us stay up late to watch an old black and white classic. Other times they took us to the drive-in. There we piled into the back seat in our pajamas with pillows and blankets, watching a double feature.

The three of us love to get sit back, get comfy and lose ourselves in a good flick. All kinds. So, when we had lunch together recently, one of my sisters recommended one she’d recently seen. She said it was great and loaned us her copy. She was right.

The Dressmaker is a 2015 Australian film written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, based on the novel of the same name, written by Rosalie Hamm. Kate Winslet plays a dressmaker, Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage, who returns to a small Australian town to take care of her mother. It’s a story of revenge and reckoning. Moorhouse has described the movie as “Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven with a sewing machine.

After being accused of being responsible for the death of classmate Stewart Pettybone, Myrtle Dunnage is sent away from her hometown of Dungatar. Twenty-five years later, she returns to take care of her mother and ends up unraveling the mystery of Stewart’s death.

The whole town is buzzing about Tilly, especially handsome Teddy McSwiney. It only gets worse when she fashions a beautiful dress for one of the local girls who successfully uses it to catch a young man’s attention. Soon, every woman in town is wearing a “Tilly original”.

The film was filled with funny as well as touching scenes. Judy Davis played her mother, and she was a wonderful character. Liam Hemsworth was good as well. And when Tilly ends up getting her revenge, you’ll want to applaud.

Thanks for the heads up Jo Beth. This was a good one!

Lamingtons – In the movie, Tilly’s mother made Marijuana Brownies, which were a hit. However, this is an authentic Australian recipe I thought looked interesting.

australian foodPrepare time: 30 min

Cook: 60 min

Serves: 6

 Ingredients

  •   Butter – 1 cup + 4 tbsps (unsalted and softened)
  •   Sugar – 1 3/4 cups
  •   Vanilla – 2 tsps
  •   Eggs – 4
  •   2 1/2 cups flour
  •   Baking powder – 2 tsps
  •   Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
  •   Milk – 2/3 cup
  •   Buttermilk – 1/3 cup
  •   Salt – 1/2 tsp
  •   Coconut – 2 cups, for coating
  •   For Chocolate Sauce/Icing:
  •   Butter – 2 tbsps, unsalted and softened
  •   Milk – 1/2 cup
  •   Sugar – 2 cups, powdered
  •   1/3 cup, unsweetened cocoa powder
  •   Hot water – 2 1/2 to 3 tbspsPreheat oven to 350° Grease and line two 8″ cake pans with baking/parchment paper. In a bowl, cream butter, castor sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour, a few tbsps at a time. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Next add a little milk and stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool down to room temperature and store in fridge. Next day, prepare the lamingtons. Stir the mixture until smooth and a bit thick. It should not be a thick liquid as the cake will not absorb the chocolate coating. Once the excess sauce is drained which takes about 2-3 minutes, place each chocolate coated cube on a plate of dried coconut. Lamingtons can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
  • Sprinkle dried coconut all over the chocolate coated cake and allow to set for a couple of minutes and serve.
  • Once the cake is firm on touch and not crumbly, cut into small 2 inch square pieces. Cut each square in half, sandwich with jam or chocolate sauce. Use a fork or wooden skewer and dip each sandwiched cake squares in the chocolate sauce and coat well on all sides. Place on a cooling rack and allow excess sauce to drain by placing a parchment paper below the rack.
  • Prepare the chocolate icing. Place the icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter and milk in a stainless steel bowl over a pan of simmering water.
  • Divide the cake batter equally into the two greased and lined pans. Bake for 55 mts to an hour or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine. Add the buttermilk and beat for 10 seconds.
  • Sieve all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Add salt and whisk together. Keep aside.
  • Method for making Lamingtons

australian food

FEAR

10 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by Susan A. Royal in article

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Being a writer, Conquering Our Fears, Facing Our Fears, learning about my characters

IMG_0985eIf I want to be successful as a writer, I must understand what makes my characters tick. Strengths, weaknesses. Things that make them happy or sad. Whatever motivates them. Including their fears.

I had an interesting conversation the other day with members of my critique group. I just considered it part of the meeting where we all visit and catch up before we get down to business. Until I got to thinking about it.

We were discussing our personal fears. Something we all have whether we want to admit it or not. While one of my friends had no problem admitting hers, she didn’t feel compelled to face them. Another friend said it was her faith that had helped her face hers.

Later that evening, it hit me. There’s a fine line between facing our fears and conquering them. And I’m not so sure that facing them isn’t the most difficult. Who wants to admit the fear of something others might consider irrational? And once we do, it means we have to deal with them. Which isn’t easy.

I have to admire anyone who has conquered their fears, but I must also admire those who keep trying.

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