Doug Dillon's Blog, page 25
September 3, 2016
Flagler College – History
In 1888, famed Standard Oil businessman, Henry Flagler, opened his beautiful Ponce de Leon Hotel in downtown St. Augustine on King Street.
Created by using poured concrete, it was the first major building made this way in the United States. The structure’s stained glass windows were the work of the hotels’ decorator, Louis Comfort Tiffany and his company. Four Edison dynamos generated electricity, bringing artificial lighting to St. Augustine for trhe first time.
Catering to rich northerners escaping the frigid blasts of winter, Flagler’s hotel was an instant hit. Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding all stayed there.
Front of Flagler College with the statue of Henry Flagler
Eventually, the hotel fell on hard times and it became an educational institution. Restored and expanded, the Ponce is now Flagler College, a very respected center for higher learning.
College students give daily tours. It’s well worth the small admission price.
Click here for a photo gallery.
For further information on St. Augustine, click any of the following:
A Calendar of Events for St. Augustine
YA Book Series for At-Risk Kids
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-
What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Reading Help for At-Risk Kids
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Help for High School Reading Teachers
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
A Reading Program for At-Risk Kids
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Writing YA Books for At-Risk Kids
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Retired Educator Turns YA Writer
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Success Motivating At-Risk Kids to Read
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
August 29, 2016
Volunteering in a Hospice Program.
The 100-year-old man. Working with death and dying in hospice.
I worked as a volunteer for a wonderful hospice program for about eight years . Making certain that no one dies alone was one of the things we did because at the end of life, sadly, there are people who have no family or friends to be there with them in those last hours. This is a brief story about one of those events where I was called to help with such a case.
I arrived in darkness at the hospice facility in 2012 and took over from the volunteer who had been on duty for the previous four hours.
My patient, a man who had recently celebrated his 100th birthday, way lying in bed on his back, sleeping peacefully. In the corner of the room, an oxygen generator rumbled with life sustaining efficiency. Other than that sound though, the facility was shrouded in deep silence.
I pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, sat down and gently grasped the man’s hand closest to me. There was no response on his part, nor did I really expect any from what the previous volunteer had said. But to me, that physical contact, along with a brief, murmured self-introduction, is a must, whether actually perceived by the patient or not.
A 100-year lifespan, I said to myself, shaking my head as I stared at the inert form to my right. It had suddenly occurred to me that my elderly patient had been born the year the Titanic sank, two years before the start of World War I. What kind of life had he lived, I wondered. Had he been a good man or had he been something quite different? And most of all why was he dying without friends or family being present? Had he outlived them all, or had he perhaps driven them all away?
In the end though, I brought my musings to a quick halt, deciding that my questions simply didn’t matter. Somewhere deep within the failing body by my side I realized, lay the original essence of this man, call it soul, spirit, atman or whatever. No matter what type of life he had led, that essence had learned its lessons as much as possible within the years available, and soon it would be time to move on.
And in that understanding, I closed my eyes, reached out with my own inner being, and wished the 100-year-old man well as he neared the next stage of his never-ending journey.
That’s the end of my little story, but if you are interested in becoming a hospice volunteer, besides contacting one of your local hospice organizations, here are some active links that might give you some food for thought:
How Early St. Augustine, Florida Was Built
In the 17th century St. Augustine, Florida area, the Spanish built the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas out of a local material we identify today as “coquina” (ko-kee-na). A limestone kind of rock, it’s actually made up of compressed sea shells and originally was mined in the King’s Quarry on Anastasia Island. Today that place is called Anastasia State Recreation Area.
With the construction of those two buildings, the Spanish no longer had to worry about pirates or other enemies burning down their fortifications. Much to their delight, they also found that coquina simply absorbed the impact of cannon balls instead of shattering like regular stone.
The Spanish at first called coquina, “piedra”–stone. Later on they used the term “Mamposteria”–masonry. In St. Augustine, this word not only included the cut stone but broken pieces used for various types of construction as well. When the American’s took over Florida in 1821, they too called it “Mamposteria” but by the later 1830’s the name changed to the Spanish word for shellfish or tiny clams–coquina.
Coquina outcrop at the beach south of St. Augustine
Close up of weathered coquina blocks at Fort Matanzas, also south of St. Augustine
When mined, coquina is soft and can easily be shaped into blocks. Depending upon where it is pulled out of the earth, it can be gold in color or light brown. Over many years though, it turns the dull grey you see when looking at the Castillo or Fort Matanzas today. It’s interesting to see the stark contrast in color when they do repair work on the Castillo using fresh coquina.
Also used in the construction of the governor’s house, the City Gate, a lighthouse and a monument for the Spanish Constitution of 1813, the King eventually allowed common everyday people to use coquina in the construction of their homes.
Care to investigate coquina a little more? Click here for information from a company that sells it.
For a coquina photo gallery, click here.
Click on any of the following for further information on the city of St. Augustine:
A Calendar of Events for St. Augustine
