How many Roman coins lie buried in the ground - just waiting to be found?
Chatting to Caitlyn, a former student, after a book signing at Barnes & Noble, Frisco
Persian Souvenirs.
Rub the samovar - will a genie appear?
Selected Works
Children's Novels
P3 Press 2008. 135 pages. "I can't wait to read it to my students!" ~ Susan See, LISD Teacher-of-the Year Finalist. "A heartwarming story of family, acceptance, and buried treasure." ~ Laura Edge, Children's Author
Royal Fireworks Press 2001. 123 pages. Mystery for middle grades, enjoyed by readers age 7-70.
"It was so exciting I even got up early just to read it." ~ Joanne (8), England.
Work-in-Progress
SECRET OF THE SEVENTH GATE sequel. The Texas 1979 reunion between the Graham & Darabi families is overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis! I am also writing sidebars full of funs facts to supplement my new picture book, L IS FOR LONDON.
Poetry Chapbooks
A chapbook from RaeMark Press, June 2003. $6.00 B&W illustrations by the author. Click on title for sample poems.
38 illustrated pieces, ranging in style from Shakespeare to Ginsberg, trace a rich pattern woven over five decades of living. RaeMark Press 2006. Click on title for sample poems.
Memoir
Fly with Lucy in the Sky, back to a time when everything was fab!
A tribute to my teacher, Miss Irene Wheeler: See BLOG post 9-4-12
Magazine Articles
Published in Welcome Home. A survey of women's experiences with newborns.
Interview with founding members of a Mothers of Multiples chapter
What made novelist Thomas Hardy switch to poetry for the rest of his life? Published in Quartos, UK.
Arrowhead's Lost Hoard
HOW THE BOOK BEGINS:
Chapter One - Jet Lag
Craig felt a tap on his shoulder. He growled, like a bear roused from hibernation too soon. "Where am I?"
“Arrowhead Island, of course!” a perky, British voice replied.
As he rolled over in the top bunk, Craig remembered the long journey from Kansas to his father's home in England. He peered into the face of his stepbrother, Tony, who stood on the ladder with a rolled-up towel. His eyes shone chocolate-brown, in contrast to Craig’s washed-out blue.
“Want to go for a swim, after I help Dad with the boats?” Tony said.
A cold claw of jealousy took hold of Craig’s gut.
"Hey, you're supposed to call him John, not Dad!" he protested.
Tony shrugged. "So, do you want to come, or not?"
“No. Go without me.”
“Why? Can’t you swim?”
“Of course I can, but yesterday wiped me out.” Craig pulled the quilt over his head, blinking back tears of resentment. A twelve-year-old couldn't let an eleven-year-old see him cry.
“Too bad,” Tony said. “I was going to show you something.”
“What?” Craig mumbled.
“Never mind.” Tony jumped down and ran out of the room.
Mad at the world, Craig punched his pillow. "No fair -Tony hangs around Dad every day - and all I get - is one measly month a year!"
Their younger sisters didn’t bother Craig half as much as this skinny, freckle-faced kid who had weaseled his way into Dad’s life and thought he knew all there was to know about boats....
A STORY OF ENVY, SUSPICION, AND TREASURE! WHAT IS THE MYSTERY MAN IN ROOM THIRTEEN REALLY UP TO? WILL CRAIG AND TONY OVERCOME THEIR DIFFERENCES ENOUGH TO TEAM UP WITH KIM AND FIONA? HOW CAN THEY SPY ON MR. PIDGEON WHEN LESLEY WARNS THEM TO BE POLITE TO THEIR GUESTS? IF A ROMAN HOARD IS BURIED ON ARROWHEAD ISLAND, WHO WILL FIND IT FIRST?
Chapter One - Jet Lag
Craig felt a tap on his shoulder. He growled, like a bear roused from hibernation too soon. "Where am I?"
“Arrowhead Island, of course!” a perky, British voice replied.
As he rolled over in the top bunk, Craig remembered the long journey from Kansas to his father's home in England. He peered into the face of his stepbrother, Tony, who stood on the ladder with a rolled-up towel. His eyes shone chocolate-brown, in contrast to Craig’s washed-out blue.
“Want to go for a swim, after I help Dad with the boats?” Tony said.
A cold claw of jealousy took hold of Craig’s gut.
"Hey, you're supposed to call him John, not Dad!" he protested.
Tony shrugged. "So, do you want to come, or not?"
“No. Go without me.”
“Why? Can’t you swim?”
“Of course I can, but yesterday wiped me out.” Craig pulled the quilt over his head, blinking back tears of resentment. A twelve-year-old couldn't let an eleven-year-old see him cry.
“Too bad,” Tony said. “I was going to show you something.”
“What?” Craig mumbled.
“Never mind.” Tony jumped down and ran out of the room.
Mad at the world, Craig punched his pillow. "No fair -Tony hangs around Dad every day - and all I get - is one measly month a year!"
Their younger sisters didn’t bother Craig half as much as this skinny, freckle-faced kid who had weaseled his way into Dad’s life and thought he knew all there was to know about boats....
A STORY OF ENVY, SUSPICION, AND TREASURE! WHAT IS THE MYSTERY MAN IN ROOM THIRTEEN REALLY UP TO? WILL CRAIG AND TONY OVERCOME THEIR DIFFERENCES ENOUGH TO TEAM UP WITH KIM AND FIONA? HOW CAN THEY SPY ON MR. PIDGEON WHEN LESLEY WARNS THEM TO BE POLITE TO THEIR GUESTS? IF A ROMAN HOARD IS BURIED ON ARROWHEAD ISLAND, WHO WILL FIND IT FIRST?