Treasured Childhood Books

Junior Classics Children's Books

My parents entered me in the Junior Classics Book Club when I was about 11 years old. Every month I would get a new classic in the mail. I absolutely loved it. 

Kidnapped 

My all-time favorite book was Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. I read it 7 times. My hero was Allen Breck, the Scot who saved David Balfour from his slavery on a ship after his uncle had him kidnapped to keep David from claiming his inheritance.

Through this story I learned about the Scots and Scotland, and began my love for the bagpipes, great coats, and swords. Later, I had a great coat and changed the plastic buttons to silver ones like Allen Breck’s famous silver buttons he gave to David to show his kinsman in order to gain their trust and help the lad. I was completely mesmerized by this story. 

I also loved the other classics I read in these Junior Classics collection like all of Louisa May Alcott’s stories, Tom Sawyer, Freckles (a wonderful story about an orphan who had lost his hand), and so many others I hold dear to my heart.

I remember when the remake of Little Woman came out with Wynonna Ryder as the central character, Jo. Oh gosh, even though I was a middle-aged woman, I couldn’t wait to see it. I thought they did a great job of capturing the original essence of that classic story.

I was introduced to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I wanted to become the famous detective and solve mysterious cases. I ran around the house and yard in Pop’s old trench coat with my magnifying glass and bubble pipe pretending to solve mysteries. What great fun I had.

I never hear my great-niece mention reading classic children’s books. The books she reads are new to me. Have classics fallen to the wayside? Did any of you with children encourage classic children’s stories, or are there “new classics” surfacing now? In any case, books filled my childhood with excitement and wonder and I’m so grateful I had those cherished books.

My Friend Mr. Book Bag

I know some of you who are teachers are dreading the end of summer vacation and the beginning of the school year, but for me, it brings back childhood memories. Don’t get me wrong, I was not one of those kids who looked forward to it or had visions of creating that robot who would do my bidding and impress the teacher. I was a shy kid who felt overwhelmed by the idea of going to school where all those kids were and where the expectation that I would be the next Einstein loomed over my head like a dark shadow.

Skeeter was my best friend, and as long as she was in my class, I might actually make it through the first grade. Besides Skeeter, I had my protective book bag. Honest to Pete, I loved that thing. Not only was it good to put my Dick and Jane book in and my papers of accomplishment like the picture of the plumb I correctly colored purple, notwithstanding my wonderful array of school supplies, but it also contained my magical mementos. I had my ball and jacks, a deck of worn out Old Maid cards (kind of a chauvinistic game in today’s politically correct world I guess), and things that belonged to my parents so I could feel they were there to protect me. I kept a button from my mom’s dress and one of my dad’s ties. You can never be too safe.

Everything would have been okay except I carried that protective book bag with me everywhere I went. When I say everywhere, I mean exactly that—to the restroom, the cafeteria, and even to recess. My teacher thought my obsession with my book bag might be detrimental to my mental wellbeing and sent home a note to my parents asking them to discourage me from traveling constantly with my shield and friend Mr. Book Bag.

Now this may surprise some of you, but my parents were different—different in their beliefs about raising children and their philosophies about what children needed. My father sent back a note to my teacher in which he flatly refused to insist on me giving up my book bag. He told her I needed that book bag to feel secure and that he felt I would eventually stop dragging it around once I felt safe and comfortable in the class. I never felt as validated as I did that day when my dad stuck up for me.

Eventually, I did stop taking that book bag with me all over the place. After all, I had my best friend Skeet. What’s a book bag compared to a best friend? Naturally, a note went home about that, too, but that’s another story for another time. So, the lesson I learned about love and feeling loved is sometimes it’s not enough to hear the words “I love you”, sometimes you can only know how much a person loves you by their actions and how they support the unique person they know you to be.

Just Released: Memories of Maple Street: Pawprints on My Heart

Have you ever had a pet that left indelible pawprints—or hoofprints—on your heart? Pets we’ve rescued—that rescued us, as well—and animals that maybe weren’t so much “pets” as “acquaintances” who’ve taught us a thing or two…

The third edition of our successful series, Memories From Maple Street, U.S.A.—Pawprints On My Heart, is chock full of stories about special pets we’ve had. These tales evoke loving memories of days gone by when these animals played a huge part in our lives—either as pets we had as children, or as adults.

Wayfaring Stranger/ My contribution

Imagine my surprise when my mother picked me up at school and told me about the strange, furry creature who came to our house.

Anatole France once said, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” This collection of true animal stories will serve to prove him right!

Includes authors Gayle M. Irwin, Ann Swann, Carol Huff, Sarah J. McNeal, Charlie Steel, C.J. Samuels, Jim Landwehr, Cher’ley Grogg, Beverly Wells, Gil McDonald, Meg Mims, Tina Holt, Tanya Hanson, Cheryl Pierson, and L.D.B. Taylor.

Buy Links: Kindle    Paperback

HOME FOR THE HEART, my new Wilding romance, Just Released

HOME FOR THE HEART, my new western romance in the Wildings series, is about love that just can’t seem to get off the ground and about a half Lakota boy who no longer believes he’s worthwhile.

Love doesn’t come easy…for some, it may never come at all.

Blurb:

Lucy Thoroughgood has gone and done it now—fallen in love with Hank Wilding, a man she’s known all her life. He’s content with friendship, but Lucy’s heart has flown the coop and she knows she’s in love with the determined bachelor. When she visits him with a proposition—to let the orphans she cares for learn to ride his horses during the summer—he surprises her with one of his own. She must accompany him to the dancing lessons he’s signed up for.

Secretly pleased, she hopes that perhaps this arrangement might lead to more than friendship. But Hank’s loved hard and lost, with his engagement to one of the popular town girls going south two years earlier. He’s sworn to never lose his heart to another—including Miss Lucy Thoroughgood.

A teenage orphan, Chayton, could be the key to thawing Hank’s heart—but danger follows the embittered boy. Will Hank be able to give Chayton the home he yearns for—or will the boy’s past bring only sorrow to those he cares for? When a Lakota premonition becomes reality, Lucy’s life hangs in the balance. Will Hank have the chance to let Lucy know how wrong he was?

Excerpt:

In the quiet of the barn filled with the smell of fresh hay, horse manure, and leather tack, Hank sensed rather than heard someone enter the building. Ah, the smell of sunshine and roses. Must be Lucille Thoroughgood. Without turning to look at her, he set the pitchfork against the wall of Lonesome’s stall. “What do you want, Lucy?” he grumbled as a greeting.

“Mr. Wilding, I have something I’d like to propose to you.” Her voice sounded tense. When he turned to face her, he saw those blue eyes dart away from his to peer at the straw on the floor. She promptly straightened her spine and must have forced herself to look him straight in the eye. Her starched manner made him want to mess with her.

“A proposal?” He moved closer to her…maybe too close. He felt something shift in his chest like a warning bell. “Well now, I haven’t ever had a lady propose to me before.” He joked, badly, just to get her goat. Generally, women were not to be trusted. He’d learned that lesson the hard way. But Lucy was his old friend since grade school. Even though she must have been born straight-laced and proper, she spoke her truth, plain and simple. Beneath that barbed wire exterior beat a heart of gold. 

Lucy propped her fists on her hips and he thought she looked like a charming sugar bowl all ruffed up in her pink flowered dress and her sweet, straw hat that sat askew on her gleaming brown hair. She knitted those brows together and narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not proposing marriage to you, Mr. Wilding. I’m proposing a business deal…sort of.”

Buy Links:

Amazon:

Kindle

Paperback

Smashwords:

Home for the Heart

HOME FOR THE HEART

Home For The Heart, a Wilding Western Romance is in its final edits and will be released very soon.
In this book, Banjo's son, Hank, opens his ranch for orphaned kids with physical and emotional challenges to heal with horse therapy. He's doing it because Lucille Thoroughgood, the social worker for the orphanage, made a bargain with him he could not refuse. Little does Hank know how his life will change.

HOME FOR THE HEART cover by Livia Washburn Reasoner

Logline:

Love doesn’t come easy…for some, it may never come at all.

Blurb:

Lucille Thoroughgood is a social worker for orphan children. She is known to the town’s folk as dependable, logical, determined, and…well, stubborn. But Lucille has a secret affection for the determined bachelor, Hank Wilding.

Hank Wilding loved hard and lost. He has sworn to never marry. After Lucille makes a bargain with him, he agrees to allow troubled and physically challenged children from the orphanage to ride his horses as equine therapy. One of the orphans is a half Lakota boy, Chayton, who reminds Hank of his own father’s painful childhood.  

But danger follows in the shadows of the rejected, embittered teenager that may take the life of someone Hank and the town of Hazard holds dear. 

TO BE RELEASED SOON

Celebrate Life on Earth

For those of you who celebrate it, Happy Easter! and have a wonderful Passover to those of the Jewish faith. For all of you of any faith or belief, I want to wish you a beautiful and lovely Spring here on Mother Earth and a very happy life. In spite of the terrible events in our world, we can all cling to hope and smile at each sunrise.

 This is my wisteria now in full bloom. It smells positively delicious.

Life On Planet Earth

With all the turmoil reported in the news about contentious debates, random shootings on the streets, in the malls and schools, threats of nuclear missiles targeting the United States from North Korea, and a world in chaos, I need to find some peace and get centered again. I don’t want to fall into this negative vortex of mounting upheaval and despair.

So, I have been going to my Pinterest Cave to regain my calm and search for wisdom. I found this quote from the Native American, Chief Seattle:

“All things share the same breath, the beast, the tree, the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.”

This quote helps to remind me that all living things are connected. We need to take care of one another and protect all other living things because we are interdependent. What happens to one thing will affect the others. Mother Earth isn’t just a planet flying around in space. It is our home and it is unique because it contains something precious—life.

And that is the end of my sermon. I hope you all have a peaceful, loving day. Oh. One more thing. Spring is on the way. Just sayin’…

Tangling Up Characters In A Series

Many of you may know when I wrote Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride, I had no idea it would be the first book in The Wilding Series. Once I wrote the sequel to Harmonica Joe, For Love of Banjo, one of my all-time favorite characters got his own story. More than that, I realized I couldn’t let go of these characters. Since that time I’ve written more stories about the ever growing Wilding clan. It’s fun bringing back my favorite characters in new stories, but there is a down side to writing a series. How the heck can I keep up with who married who, who had what kids, what year were these kids born, and what color were their eyes and hair, and what characteristics held them apart from the rest?

These details are nothing to sneeze at. If Banjo has brown eyes in one story and blue in another, you can pretty much predict, a reader is going to catch it. It wouldn’t be a good thing to make such a mistake because believability is only part of what might be at stake. Such a discrepancy might tell the reader that I don’t really care about my characters—even worse, that I have lost my integrity as a writer. So no mistakes. Everybody has to have their own eye and hair color and be parented by the same parents they had in the last story when they first appeared.

My Wildings Notebook and Family Tree

You may wonder how I keep track of all my crazy Wildings? Well, for one thing, I keep a notebook in which I write all the details about the characters, including secondary characters.   You never know when you might have to take one of those secondary characters and make them a lead hero or heroine. Lucille Thoroughgood was once a secondary character in Unexpected Blessings, and her mother, Penelope Thoroughgood, was only mentioned in For Love of Banjo. Penelope ended up with her own story in When Love Comes Knocking. Just to keep straight who is married to whom and how, or if, someone is related, I created my own version of a family tree. I learned quickly that I am not good at making a family tree look coherent, so my version is a bit different from those beautiful family trees done by genealogy experts. No matter. Mine works for me.

To check out all my Wildings books, click on The Wildings

For those of you who write a series, what are your methods for keeping up with your characters? When you read books in a series, have you ever caught a mistake regarding a character? If you did, what did you think of the author? Were you forgiving, or did you stop reading that authors books?

LOVE, COME TO ME

THE VIOLIN is included in a 5 novel boxed set titled LOVE COME TO ME and it's available for only 99 cents. I'm not kidding--only 99 cents. Here's a bit about the boxed set...
LOVE, COME TO ME is a wonderful collection of love stories from different time periods that is sure to make you long to read each one to the very end without interruption. Each story is heart wrenching in its own way, guaranteed to have you falling in love with the characters and the stories of their lives. Take a look!

KISSING COUSINS—DIANA TOBIN

Augusta Thompson has lost everything—her parents, her husband, her home…and now, her only child. If she can share her grandmother’s old home with handsome Olympic contender Charles “Web” Webster for one year, she will inherit it.

As time goes by, Web realizes Augusta’s heart and soul have been wounded by her ex-husband. Can Web’s love for Augusta heal her broken heart and allow them a future together? Will the conditions of the inheritance prove to be a help or hindrance for these KISSING COUSINS?

SHATTERED VOWS—LINDA LAROQUE

Annie and Stuart Rayburn’s lives are idyllic until their baby dies of SIDS, and Annie falls into a deep depression. In a moment of weakness, Stuart turns to another woman.

When the “other woman” is killed in a car crash, Stu learns his night of infidelity produced a baby girl—and he now has custody. He begs Annie’s forgiveness but Annie must face her demons and make her decisions. Can she forgive Stu and love the innocent child? Or will she divorce him and move on without the only man she’s likely to love?

WHO IS ELIZABETH?—PATTI BOECKMAN

Pit a feisty, she-cat against a reluctant interloper and watch the sparks fly.

When Elizabeth McDaniel's reclusive, sheltered existence on her grandfather's farm is invaded by Derek Huston, she cannot imagine the result of his intrusion into her life. Derek is soon enchanted with the lovely, spit-fire redhead.

A budding romance, the flowering of Elizabeth's musical talents, and Derek's acceptance into the family follows their first clash of wills. But Derek has a hidden agenda that, when revealed, turns Elizabeth's world upside down.

Is there any hope that Derek can regain her confidence and her love?

FAMILY SECRETS—ZINA ABBOTT

Jennie Howell has a secret, including being thought of as a loyal wife to her husband serving in Afghanistan, a husband who has demanded a divorce.

When Jennie begins to explore her genealogy, family members make it clear they won’t be a part of it—from Grandpa Mike, who wants the biggest mistake he ever made to remain hidden in the past—to family members Jennie never knew existed.

Is Jennie willing and emotionally strong enough to learn what her family has kept hidden?

THE VIOLIN—SARAH MCNEAL

Genevieve Beaumont is haunted by dreams of a drowning man and her helplessness to save him. When she buys a violin at an estate sale, her life is changed forever. The pictures inside the case are of the man in her dreams, and the news clippings detail his death.

She travels to the small town where he died 90 years earlier, and steps through the threshold of time. It's 1927 all over again, and she has only days to prevent John's death—if she's able. THE VIOLIN has brought Genevieve into the past, and now she must make the decision of a lifetime. Will she return to her life in the future, or stay in the past with John? No matter what she decides, she must find a way to keep the dream of his death from becoming a reality...

FIRE STAR PRESS is proud to offer this wonderful boxed set, chock full of a variety of authors and stories that we know you are going to love. And the price? Hold onto your hat! You’ll be getting FIVE FULL LENGTH NOVELS for only .99! That’s right—this wonderful boxed set is one we know you’re going to enjoy, and the fantastic price is only one of the reasons why you’ll be glad you snapped up LOVE COME TO ME!

BUY LINK:
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Come-To-M…/…/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til…

Here is an excerpt from

THE VIOLIN (time travel/paranormal novel)

by Sarah J. McNeal 

Can the heart live inside a violin case? Can a message reach across time?

Excerpt:

"My name is Genevieve Beaumont. I was just standing at the window and now…I'm here." She lifted a shaky hand to her brow. "My head is pounding."

"You bumped your head when you fainted. Is that a French name?"  He lifted a quizzical brow and smiled.

She lifted her eyes and got a good, close-up look at him then. Her heart almost stopped beating in her chest. She sucked in a deep breath. What was happening to her? How could any of this be possible? The man holding the cool cloth to her head was the man in the pictures she found in the violin case!

She would not have guessed he had auburn hair, or that his eyes were such a vivid, bottle green. He wore a collarless, khaki shirt with the sleeves rolled up and suspenders instead of a belt held up his tan, canvas trousers. Oh, but he was handsome—so much more than his pictures ever allowed. She didn't have time to admire the young man's good looks because her mind swirled round and round with the unfathomable implications of her situation.

Buy Links for the single:

 AMAZON

SMASHWORDS

Sarah J. McNeal

Author of paranormal, time travel and western romance

 

Facebook

Twitter

Website

My Amazon Author’s Page

Prairie Rose Author Page

The Wildings

PbRV Author Page

Fantasy and Dreams Blog

 

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope everyone has a happy, safe, and memorable Christmas. I am praying for a world in peace.

Don't Give Up

Caring about things like animals and the environment can be emotionally difficult for me. I try to do my part to help, but there are times when I feel hopeless. No one seems to be listening, or maybe they just don't care. I don't know. 

Last night I watched Racing Extinction, a show about the rapidly escalating climate change and increasing animal extinctions on Earth. It showed on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel simultaneously.

I almost couldn't continue watching it because it had such a profound effect on me. I felt hopeless about stopping any of it. And then, toward the end, one of my greatest heroes, Jane Goodall spoke about not giving up, of having hope, and of doing something, if it was just one thing, to turn things around.

So this morning I made a list of things within my power that I can do to make the planet a better place. I'll start with the first thing and then add on to it as I go along.  

Sarah

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

No one can take us back to peaceful times and the real feelings beneath our holidays than a Norman Rockwell picture of Thanksgiving. I wanted to post this one because I am grateful for the service men and women who stand between us and those who want to destroy us and our way of life. I pray they are safe and return home sound in mind and body.
Mostly, I wish for peace. The world has been in turmoil for so long. I long for the time when we're not involved in a war somewhere and feel safe in the peace of that once again.
I hope all of you are having a great Thanksgiving, heaps of tasty food, family and friends gathered around the table, and enjoying those you love.

LOVE'S FIRST TOUCH a Boxed Set

A new release with Celia Yeary Sarah McNeal Meg Mims Agnes Alexander and Karen Mihaljevich

FLY AWAY HEART (a Wilding series book) is now included in this 5 book boxed set of western romance stories, LOVE'S FIRST TOUCH. What a bargain for only 99 cents. All of the stories are sweet romances.
Available now at Amazon.com

You're Invited to a Facebook Party With Prizes Today

Today Victory Tales Press is having an Author's Bash on Facebook. We're giving away prizes from each of the authors and a grand prize of $60. All you have to do is come by and leave a comment to enter. The more comments you make, the more entries you have for prizes.
I'll be kicking off the event at 11:00 AM (EST) or 8:00 AM (PST) and I'll be giving away a digital copy of the new fall anthology, MYTHS, LEGENDS, & MIDNIGHT KISSES in which my story, PENNYTOOK is included. I will also be giving away my 3 novel trilogy LEGENDS OF WINATUKE to another commenter.
So, come on over and join in the fun and enter to win something.

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EVENTS/163830277298269/

THE ABANDONED HOUSE

A Childhood Adventure by Sarah McNeal

Luthersburg, is the last and only town I remember from the time when we lived in Pennsylvania. Even though my parents were born and raised in Pennsylvania and my sisters and I were all born there, most of my recollection of Pennsylvania is from visits to grandparents except for the village of Luthersburg. We lived in that quaint farming village for less than a year before the weather station, more like a wilderness outpost, closed and Pop moved us to North Carolina. Luthersburg was a quiet little place where nothing exciting happened, but there were plenty of adventures to be had for my sister and I. We were “free range” children in the terms of today’s social speak. I was four and my sister was five. In a time before computers, mobile phones, I Pads, or GPS, and in our family like most of our neighbors, no television, it was a necessary part of growing up to explore the outdoors for adventures. Imagine what a drag it would have been to be fenced in with only a backyard and the house to hold our attention.

Halloween brings to mind one of my sister’s and my adventures into the unknown. Near our property was an old abandoned, two story house. It had long held our interest, but when we discovered no one lived there, we felt free to enter that domain and give it a good look-see. Naturally, the door was unlocked. I’m not certain anyone really bothered locking their doors in that town. Our fascination grew when we discovered that all the furniture and household items had been abandoned along with the house. Dirty windows still allowed a clouded view of our house across the field. The furniture had fallen into disrepair from the time it was left there. I noticed the paint had peeled away from the wooden furniture as we made our way through the rooms to the kitchen in the back of the house. The old, rusting silverware still slept quietly in its dark drawer. I think I stole a butter knife from the drawer just before the sound of footsteps upstairs echoed through the house. Someone was up there!

My sister and I looked at one another with wide-eyed horror. It had to be a monster. What else could possible lurk in an old abandoned house. We made for the door like a couple of rockets. I don’t even remember looking back to see if IT was coming after us. We made a bee-line straight to our house, up the stairs to our room and under our beds. For my part, I don’t recall that we ever told our parents about our adventure or that someone or something must be living in that place. There are some adventures any kid knows not to talk about to their parents—and this was one of those.

Now that I’m an adult, I have enough experience and knowledge to know a little about the darker side of life. When I think about all the horrible things that could have happened to us in that old abandoned house, I shudder. There are all kinds of real monsters in the world, and some of them resemble human beings. Still, in the freedom and innocence of childhood, that old abandoned house was quite an adventure—one we never revisited.

  

Between the Stories

Now that I've finished my novel and submitted it, and submitted both my short stories, I'm in between work. I don't like this in between feeling, like a trapeze performer who has left the bar of one trapeze, but hasn't grabbed the next bar--just hanging there in midair. . .and no net. Oh, okay, maybe a little net because I have story ideas waiting in the wings, but no outline or roughed out idea yet.

I saw this quote once that is a little scary, but somewhat true: "A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity." (Franz Kafka) I feel at odds with myself and adrift without a compass when I'm between stories. I'd rather be in my procrastinating mode than to be like this. Well, the only solution is to get a story on the drafting board, because nobody wants to see an insane monster on the loose. Of course, it is Halloween, so maybe I'll fit into the scenery.

So, if you see a glimpse of something lurking in the shadows, don't be afraid; it's just me attempting to grab that next bar. 

My new releases:

MYTHS, LEGENDS & MIDNIGHT KISSES/ PENNYTOOK

Myths are supposed to be false…but some are terrifying and true.

Blurb:

Pennytook is a war weary Gypsy who longs for peace from the past and wants something meaningful in his life.

Esmeralda, a Gypsy trick rider, has harbored a deep affection for the chieftain, Pennytook, for many years. But her dark secret will never allow him into her life.

Buy Link: Smashwords  Amazon

THE BEAST OF HAZARD

A Terrorized Town…A Killer Beast…And Deliverance

Joey Wilding isn’t certain what’s killing the livestock in Hazard. Some believe it’s a bewitched beast, others a wolf gone rabid. As the town veterinarian, he’s seen mutilation before, but not like this, as if something enjoyed the killing.

When Claire Beau asks Joey to help her injured wolf, and begs his discretion, he begins to suspect he has found the Beast of Hazard—and its beautiful mistress. But as he walks through the woods after dark, something more ominous than any wolf stalks him from the shadows.

Buy Links: AMAZON  Smashwords

My novel, HOME FOR THE HEART, has been submitted to Prairie Rose Publications. It must be contracted, edited and then a cover will be created for it. I look forward to all of those processes. 

Love doesn’t come easy…for some, it may never come at all.

Blurb:

Lucille Thoroughgood is a social worker for orphan children. She is known to the town’s folk as dependable, logical, determined, and…well, stubborn. But Lucille has a secret affection for the determined bachelor, Hank Wilding.

Hank Wilding loved hard and lost. He has sworn to never marry. After Lucille makes a bargain with him, he agrees to allow troubled and physically challenged children to ride his horses as equine therapy. One of the orphans is a half Lakota boy, Chayton, who reminds Hank of his own father’s painful childhood.  

But danger follows in the shadows of the rejected, embittered teenager that may take the life of someone Hank and the town of Hazard holds dear.