Elizabeth Atkinson's Blog, page 10

Cover Reveal!

I’m so happy to reveal the cover of my new tween novel
THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL
coming to a neighborhood bookstore near you in October 2015!!

 

From the publisher ISLANDPORT PRESS:
“Coming next fall: the quirky, upbeat story of Ruby LaRue, an eleven year-old girl with an enthusiastic zest for life, and her shy, brilliant friend, Eleanor Bandaranayake. 
Ruby and Eleanor live in the quaint town of Paris, New Hampshire, located at the base of Sugar Mountain, an exclusive ski resort in the White Mountains. Every winter, Paris comes alive with “Outers,” wealthy families from out of town who own ski condos and wear designer clothes, luxuries that Ruby and Eleanor (and most of the year-round residents of Paris) can’t afford.
One December day, Ruby and Eleanor stumble across Madame Magnifique, the “World’s Most Divine Psychic,” who urges them to unlock their deepest dreams. Ruby has always longed to mingle with the Outers and now, more than ever, she is determined to make that dream come true.
As a chain of events unfolds over the winter months, both girls find themselves on a journey of self-discovery that includes unlikely friendships, crushes, profits, secrets, and a surprise ending!!
A relevant story in today’s world – exploring cross-cultural sensitivities and diversity within a classic New England microcosm – The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball questions the role of destiny and the ability we all have to achieve that which seems impossible.
Please watch for pre-ordering info soon and share with the tweens, students, friends, librarians, and teachers in your life!
Happy Reading!
And Happy Turkey Day!!
Elizabethxx
(Note: If you’d prefer not to receive my weekly “Wanderings & Wonderings” blog, please feel free to unsubscribe or contact me if you need assistance.)

When “old & the same” Still Works Best

On the “new & improved!” spectrum, I probably fall somewhere in the middle between fuddy duddy and trailblazer… okay, maybe not in the middle. But for a person of my generation, I think I’m reasonably aware of the latest innovation.
However I have to admit, while some gizmos, apps, and trends (like heated car seats, weather widgets, and tall black boots) are truly fantastic…  for me, many of these beloved old standbys can never be replaced:

 

The Radio (have the same one as I did on my teenage bureau)

Maps (sure I use GPS, but only after consulting a “real” map first)

Plain Coffee (please no latte flavor or java shot of the month)









Pocket Change (yes, I will make you wait while I dig through my coins)

Calendars (with ‘feel-good’ themes like Black Labs or Cottages of Ireland )

 

So, in your opinion, what else needs no improvement?

 

When “old & the same!” Still Works Best

On the “new & improved!” spectrum, I probably fall somewhere in the middle between fuddy duddy and trailblazer… okay, maybe not in the middle. But for a person of my generation, I think I’m reasonably aware of the latest innovation.
However I have to admit, while some gizmos, apps, and trends (like heated car seats, weather widgets, and tall black boots) are truly fantastic…  for me, many of these beloved old standbys can never be replaced:

 

The Radio (have the same one as I did on my teenage bureau)

Maps (sure I use GPS, but only after consulting a “real” map first)

Plain Coffee (please no latte flavor or java shot of the month)









Pocket Change (yes, I will make you wait while I dig through my coins)

Calendars (with ‘feel-good’ themes like Black Labs or Cottages of Ireland )

 

So, in your opinion, what else needs no improvement?

 

Back to School

When choosing college and, later, grad school, the setting was just as important to me as the quality of the education offered.
Because in order to feel the least bit inspired, I have to be deeply inspired… and for me, that only happens outdoors. (The same reason I begin all my stories with the setting.)
Recently, I had the chance to visit both alma maters (and the surrounding sites) for a few days as an author & alum - and both schools were even more magnificent than I’d remembered.
Hobart & William Colleges in Geneva, NY (undergrad ANTHRO ’83)

where I was the guest of Prof Temple’s Children’s Lit Class

located on Seneca Lake

. . . with Houghton House, still my favorite corner

Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH (grad school MALS ’95)

where I met with MALS Director Wole Ojurongbe to plan an author panel

and visited nearby Quechee, VT for the weekend

. . . and Mt. Peg in Woodstock, VT

What are some other beautiful school settings?

Do You Live in FLORIDA?

In celebration of my
Sunshine State Young Reader Award (2015) nomination,
I’m offering FREE virtual author visits
(Skype, Blackboard, etc…)
to all schools in FLORIDA!!

Do you want to go behind the story of I, EMMA FREKE??
Just contact me between Now & Thanksgiving to set up your complimentary ONLINE AUTHOR VISIT!
*PLEASE NOTE: If you don’t hear back within a few days, chances are I’ve landed in your school’s SPAM folder, so you can also email me at elizabethatkinson2@gmail.com

 

Heart Home

I believe everyone has a Heart Home ~ somewhere you deeply long to be.
That place could be your hometown or your ancestral village or the large city where your favorite aunt lives.
Mine is tucked in the western lakes & forested foothills of Maine where I recently recharged for a few days . . . .
Where is your Heart Home?

Bons Amis

There are many wonderful things about growing older & wiser – more “seasoned” -  and one of the best perks of living on this earth for decades is the deepening of friendships.
It’s something your grandparents may have mentioned when you were a child, or references in literature you may have read as a teenager . . . but until you live it, you have no idea how meaningful lifelong connections can be.
Each year or so, some of my closest college friends and I get together and talk by the fire,

visit local fairs,

 

take walks in the woods,

 

and celebrate many, many sweet years together….

 

 

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”
~ Jane Austen
 

 

 

Do you know what’s happening on Oct 7th?

This Tuesday 10/7/14
from 12am to 11:59pm
I,EMMA FREKE will be
discounted nearly 75% on Amazon!!!

Last spring, the FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL, contacted me about my nomination for the SUNSHINE STATE YOUNG READER AWARD 2015.
According to the FLVS Literacy Coach, their online school “serves over 100,000 students who attend both full and part time” throughout Florida!
I’m so honored they invited me to speak as their guest author in late October in celebration of LITERACY WEEK.
And here’s the best part!
Since I will be talking with such a large audience soon, my publisher has agreed to offer a one-day worldwide eBook sale prior to my Q&A with students down in Florida!
So here’s your chance to LOGIN in and download your copy of EMMA F for a super low price . . . and please let all your friends know!
DON’T MISS THIS HUGE DISCOUNT DAY ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7th!!

Through the Eyes of a Tourist

My daughter recently took off time from work to treat me to a day in our own city of Boston! It’s something we’ve both wanted to do for a long time.
We started off meandering around Fanueil Hall (internet photo), mobbed with out-of-towners…

…followed by lunch at Bread & Butter (cell phone shot), where we shared a delish GF sandwich…

…followed by a 2-hour Boston Trolley Tour (company website), with a fabulous tour guide…

…followed by a Harbor Cruise (another company pic) along with…

… a friendly man who sat next to us on the upper deck. When he asked where we were from, he seemed surprised by my reply: “Here! We’re playing tourist for the day.” He told us he was from Sydney, Australia traveling as part of a tour group for a month throughout the States. And then he added, “I have to tell you, you live in a very elegant city. Very, very elegant indeed.”

(Photo taken by my daughter from the starboard side)
A few things I learned about Boston:
- Paul Revere’s wife died giving birth to their 8th child – he remarried and had 8 more with his second wife.
- The USS Consitution was named by George Washington and is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel.
- Some basements in the North End still smell of molasses from the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 (which killed 21 people)
- The owner of Anthony’s Pier 4 Restaurant (which now stands abandoned on the harbor) offered taxi drivers free lunch everyday in order to lure customers.
- All Boston children, 12 and under, can take free sailing lessons at the public boathouse on the Charles River.
What fun facts do you know about your hometown?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Checking it Off

I’ve thought about my BUCKET LIST lately and realized 95% of it involves traveling.  And I’m at a point in my life where it’s time to start checking off some of those goals.

While I’ve spent many wonderful stays abroad,  I recently decided it’s time I start exploring the corners of my own beautiful country… something I’ve put off for much of my life.

Last week, I got the chance to fulfill the tippy-top of my travel dreams and visit Zion & Bryce National Parks in Utah. WOW!!! If you’ve never been, try to get there (message me for cheap travel tips).

My only problem is (and perhaps it’s the problem with all BUCKET LISTS) I can’t check off Zion & Bryce , because I need to go back….