Kasper's Ramblings from Kasper Beaumont

Hanging out with versatile author Kia Carrington-Russell @kia_crystal #FSFNet #paranormal

5/18/2015

I love a good paranormal read and can highly recommended the Phantom Wolf series by Kia Carrington-Russell. She came to Brisbane on Saturday for a whirlwind tour, before heading out on the long drive home to her country town. I was fortunate to catch up with Kia and compare notes on writing and connecting with readers. Kia has published two new books since I saw her last, Token Huntress and a romance novel. This talented and busy lady is working on three series concurrently and has another 38 books she plans to write. Wowsers!
What a fun afternoon we had.

Happy reading, dragon fans.
Talk again soon, cheers, Kasper

It is always a pleasure catching up with the delightful Maggie and Sue at Under the Verandah too. It was sad news to hear that Sue is leaving soon to head south for new adventures. I wish her all the best out on the farm.
Maggie's comfort food was as good as ever and I sampled a yummy gluten and dairy free caramel tart. Would who have thought that you could make such delicious decadence from wholesome, organic foods.

Phantom Wolf on Amazon

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Know someone struggling to read? Drop Everything and Read Initiative on Sunday may help them.

4/8/2015

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I count myself lucky to have learned reading and writing in childhood, without difficulty. There are, however, may in our society who struggle to grasp literacy and need our help to develop that lifelong enjoyment and enthusiasm for literature.
One of my children struggles with a learning disability and despite an immersion in stories from an early age, is still needing plenty of learning support at age 7.

Luckily our child has parents and teachers who recognised her needs early on and we were fortunate to access early intervention programs. We have been reading together every day, plus special needs teachers, and even participate in creative storytelling every night, with making up a new Meg and Mog story at bedtime. We've been going for a year and still manage to devise an original tale each night. Thank goodness for Helen Nicoll's inspiration!
There may however, be other children who come from a family where reading is not so ingrained and encouraged on a daily basis. It is for these, and indeed as a great exercise for us all, that I am writing today to endorse DROP EVERYTHING AND READ DAY (D.E.A.R.).

When is D.E.A.R. celebrated?
D.E.A.R. programs have been held nationwide on April 12th in honor of Beverly Cleary’s birthday, since she first wrote about D.E.A.R. in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (pages 40-41). Inspired by letters from readers sharing their enthusiasm for the D.E.A.R. activities implemented in their schools, Mrs. Cleary decided to give the same experience to Ramona and her classmates. As D.E.A.R. has grown in popularity and scope, the program has expanded to span the entire month of April . . . offering classrooms and communities additional time to celebrate.
There is plenty of information available about D.E.A.R. Day on the internet and you are encouraged to contact your library for information on events in your area. The event started America and is now a global phenomenon.

Locally, I will be celebrating Drop Everything And Read Day with some new House of Night novels from my library.
Publically, I am part of a group of fantasy authors, known as the Fantasy Sci-Fi Network, who have been championing the great D.E.A.R. initiative for the past month. You can follow on Facebook or Twitter, using hashtags such as #DEAR and #literacy #FSFNet to follow the events.

Whatever you do to celebrate, I wish you happy reading

Cheers, Kasper

What will you be reading on D.E.A.R. Day?

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Hanging out with versatile author Kia Carrington-Russell @kia_crystal #FSFNet #paranormal

Know someone struggling to read? Drop Everything and Read Initiative on Sunday may help them.

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