Trista Herring Baughman's Blog, page 5

An Interview with Manasseh Willis

I must admit, I haven’t completely gotten the hang of social media, other than Facebook, but I tweet and whatever it is you do on Instagram, so if you’re on these platforms stop by and say hi and give me a follow. I was browsing Twitter the other day and I came across a book that looked like I would love to read it. I contacted the author and he agreed to this interview. Yay!

I love blogging (although I’m still figuring things out, especially formatting as I’m sure you can tell) and one of my favorite things to do is interview people. I especially like to interview authors from all phases. I want to help fellow authors grow their audience and inspire other writers, so coming up with new and relevant questions is always fun for me.

My interviewee is a newbie. I think he has great potential and I’m looking forward to his new book, Black Casket You’re going to want to check it out.

Hey, Manasseh. Thanks for joining me for this interview.

I came across a retweet of your book, Black Casket, and it looked pretty exciting and different. Tell us a little about it.

 Manasseh: It’s about a zombie kid that misses his living parents and his only way to be reunited with them is by finding an ancient artifact to be alive again.

2. Is Black Casket your first book? Is it available for purchase? 

Manasseh: It is the first book I’m trying to publish. My first book is actually Sank, but it is unpublished. I made a lot of earlier mistakes in that book, and I did not carry any of those into Black Casket.

3. Is Black Casket a standalone or the start of a series?

Manasseh: It is a start of the series. It has a lot of potential for multiple books. Many indie authors write a book and hop on to the next one. For me personally, I am not wired like that. I believe if you have an idea for a book, you are supposed to exhaust every avenue to keep the stories longevity.

4. When did you know you wanted to become a writer? 

Manasseh: I knew from when I was little. I would write poems and short stories. My mother, father, and my friends would love them. I have practically been writing all of my life but didn’t take it seriously until I was 24.

That’s awesome. I love when childhood dreams come true.

Manasseh Willis, author of Black Casket

5. What authors have inspired you as a reader/writer? 

Manasseh: What inspired me to be a writer are authors, movies, directors, animators, and Manga artists/writers. The films Shuttler Island and Inglorious Bastards really inspire me on the mechanics of what makes good characters and good stories. Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, is an expert in foreshadowing and does hide little nuggets of the plot that would seem insignificant to the story at first, but years later would be impactful in the major storyline. Too many writers beat their mysteries over the reader’s head, instead of being subtle. Oda does not suffer with that at all. Lastly, I say B.B Alston, the late Walter Dean Meyers, and Angie Thomas are my biggest influences. Seeing people like me write and craft amazing narratives inspires me to do likewise.

6. What aspect of writing do you struggle with the most? What comes easiest? 

Manasseh: Plotting my book is the easiest. I usually make an outline of my characters and their relationships with one another. Then I make an outline of the plot. After that, I write the book by hand in my notebook. Judging by what I like or don’t like, I will type the manuscript on my laptop with the parts I want to keep and change the parts I do not like. To be a good writer, you need preparation to plot out the course of your book. 

I agree! I also write by hand first. I think it somehow provides more scope for the imagination to use pen and paper.

7. Are you in a writer’s guild?

Manasseh: No I am not.

8. If your book was a movie, who would play your main characters?

Manasseh: That is a tough one because the main characters are children. For the adults, I would have Chris Pratt play the Undertaker, and I would have Idris Elba play the main character’s uncle.

9. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Manasseh:  I don’t have one in mind, lol.

10. You are stuck on a deserted island.  What three books do you want with you?

Manasseh: That’s a tough one. I’d say Slam by Walter Dean Myers, Amari by B.B. Alston, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers? 

Manasseh: You guys are a great audience and we write for your enjoyment. That sounds generic. To be more candid, I was glad I could introduce myself to the audience. Remember, to be a writer means you have to be teachable. Do not just relish in your strengths and recognize your weaknesses.

Lastly, follow, share and support my work Black Casket. Follow me at @Manasseh Willis on my Twitter. My book should be about between winter 2022-spring 2023. Chapters will be posted weekly on Wattpad until then. This is the link https://www.wattpad.com/story/305903488-black-casket

Thanks, again, Manasseh for this interview. I appreciate your time! I’d love to do a follow-up interview once your book has been published if you’d be interested. I can’t wait to read your book.

That’s it for today, dear readers. Head on over to Twitter and give Manasseh a follow for updates on his books, and while you’re there retweet his author’s lift, and help us spread the word. Thanks for reading.

God bless,

T

P.S. Don’t forget about SBC Zombiewalk! There will be plenty of entertainment and prizes and you can donate can goods or blood to lend a helping hand. It’s a great way to support our community. Y’all come see us on October 15, 2022. 4-9PM I’ll be there with my books, including Zombiesaurs!

SBC Zombie Walk ~ An Interview with Alex Richardson

Back in May, the Marketing Coordinator for Bossier Arts Council, Alexander Richardson, asked if I’d be interested in participating as a vendor in the 2022 SBC Zombie Walk. 

Of course, I accepted the invitation.

I decided October’s Books by Trista posts will all be zombie-themed. I have some pretty good interviews lined up. My first one is, of course, with Alexander Richardson.

Alex, thanks so much for inviting me to join the SBC Zombie Walk festivities and for agreeing to this interview. 

Tell us a little about yourself and Bossier Arts Council.

Alex : The Bossier Arts Council is a local, nonprofit organization that works to cultivate art in our area and grow local artists by giving them opportunities to show their work. We provide programming geared towards supporting local artists and their artwork, as well as educating the public at large about the benefits of having art in your community and in your life in general.

2. How did you become a part of the SBC Zombie Walk?

Alex: I was given the SBC Zombie Walk in 2016 after the original founder, Michelle Diane, could no longer run it due to health reasons. For a couple of years I ran it by myself before bringing it into the BAC fold as part of our quarterly programming. Now it has grown into its new home here in the East Bank District into something even greater.

3. What is the Zombie Walk all about?

Alex: The Zombie Walk is about supporting your community. From its inception it was always meant as a fun, zombie-themed event held in order to raise food donations for the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. “Hungry Zombies Feeding the Hungry”. Since then, we have also added LifeShare Blood Center as another mainstay organization, who come out and accept blood donations from attendees dressed up as the Undead. To continue the spirit of giving, each year we bring a third nonprofit to benefit that also influences the theme of that year. We’ve now worked with organizations like the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, K-9 Karma, The Fight Like Emily Foundation, The American Heart Association, and now The Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse of NWLA.

4. How’d it get started?

Alex: The first Zombie Walk, originally called the Shreveport Zombie Walk before crossing over the Red River, was held in 2008 and organized by a woman named Michelle Diane. She is a die-hard fan of all things spooky and undead and wanted a way to celebrate her love of the season while also giving back to the community. Back then it was a more simple event with people in costumes wandering around Pierremont Mall, enjoying the undead festivities, and bringing food to donate. During her time as the “Zombie Queen”, she hit a milestone one year after managing to raise One Ton of food for the Food Bank during a single event. Despite taking a few years off here and there, the Zombie Walk retained its die hard fan-base with supporters who have attended every single year (such as the current owners of NecroManor Haunted House) and it’s because of that support that it has turned into what it is today.

5. How long does it take to plan an event like this?

Alex: As soon as the Zombie Walk ends, we’re already thinking about ideas for the next year. Admittedly it’s hard to get sponsors excited about a Halloween-themed event in Spring, but the vendors are excited to sign-up the second they’re able to. We usually spend August and September coming up with plans, reaching out to sponsors and vendors, and hyping up our fanbase. I think it’s funny how we typically don’t have much social media activity for 9 months out of the year and then BAM, we burst out of the grave and we’re posting left and right for weeks leading up to the big night!

6. I hear there will also be a dance-off. Tell us about that.

Alex: Our previous Executive Director, Robin Jones, wanted to have a Thriller Dance-Off Competition at the next Zombie Walk so bad after last year’s event. This past July, she had to leave her role as our Executive Director to be with family in Alabama and her biggest request to me was to promise to make the Thriller Dance-Off happen, so that’s what we did! We teamed up with Steven Knight of Knight Life Creative to instruct four classes of Thriller for friends and family to come and learn together. During the Zombie Walk, we will have a Dance Competition with Guest Judges to see who can pull the best “Thriller Moves” and the winner will receive a fun prize basket!

7. What’s your favorite thing about the walk?

Alex: The costumes, hands down. I love seeing the creativity people bring with their zombie getups! The Costume Contest is my favorite part of the night for sure and I love that we get to work with NecroManor Haunted House as our Costume Contest Judges. They know scary costumes!

8. How many vendors and sponsors are participating this year? How does that compare to other years?

Alex: This year we have over 20 Sponsors, which is almost double the amount we had last year! This is also the first time we’ve had the pleasure of working with a big brand like Liquid Death Mountain Water, who has donated $250 worth of their canned water to help keep our attendees healthy and hydrated while also reducing plastic waste. We also have around 30 Vendors, with a good mix of new and returning!

9. What’s your favorite zombie movie? Book?

Alex: My favorite zombie movie is a tie between Shaun of the Dead and Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. I’m just a huge fan of British, dry humor (my dad is from Manchester, England) and couple that with Edgar Wright’s stylistic editing alongside Sean Pegg and Nick Frost’s acting and writing, well it’s just a winner! That being said though, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is quite possibly the best Scooby-Doo movie ever made! The best Scooby-Doo media period. It’s a hard matchup to say the least. As for books, this may be cheating, but I’m particularly a big fan of the Marvel Zombies comic series!

10. I have to agree, Scooby Doo on Zombie Island is awesome. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

Alex: Thank you to each and every one of you who come out and celebrate our silly little Zombie event! We love putting together because it’s such a community-driven project and the family friendly atmosphere mixed with the celebration of Halloween and all things a little scary has been a great experience each and every year. Please bring plenty of food to donate to the Food Bank, donate to LifeShare and CADA, win cool door prizes from our many sponsors, and come shambel with us down the East Bank District on October 15th!

Thank you again, Alex, for your time. I appreciate it and all you’re doing. 

That’s all for today, dear readers. Mark your calendars for October 15, 4 PM!

I’ll be there with my books, Zombiesaurs, Halloween Night and Other Poems, and The Magic Telescope. Y’all come see us and tell your friends!

Thanks for reading. God bless.

~ T

An Interview with Illustrator Eumir Carlo Pongasi Fernandez

I mentioned in a previous post that I had an interview lined up with the illustrator of my book, The Magic Telescope, the immensely talented Eumir Carlo Pongasi Fernandez—and here it is, folks!

Eumir, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate you. I know you’re a busy guy.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. (where are you from/where’d you grow up, that sort of thing)

-I’m an illustrator from the Philippines who loves fantasy and video games.

2, How would you describe your style of art?

-I have a hard time describing my art style. It is a mixture of influences from my childhood media and interests. My favorite games and artists are in there. But it is also influenced by the subject/nature of the commission.

3. What was your first job as an illustrator/graphic artist?

-I was an illustrator in a publishing company for 2 years. I was hired in 2010.

4. You illustrated my book, The Magic Telescope (quite beautifully I might add). What’s your favorite illustration from the book?

-There were a lot of things I really liked about the brief. But among them, my favorites would be the hole-in-the-sky scene and the one where the child was being brought to the city in the trees.

5. How many books have you illustrated?

-I have worked on so many I honestly could not count.

6. What have you worked on since?

-I have worked on games, board games, and card games. I am not at liberty to say or name most of them. But among those that I can. LAIR the board game is one of them.

7. Did you always want to be a graphic artist?

-Since I was a kid I always wanted to be a comic book artist and animator due to watching a lot of Anime. But it changed during art school. When I got hooked into playing Magic the gathering. After seeing all those wonderful illustrations. I wanted to work on the same cool projects.

8. What’s the best part of your job? The worst part?

-One of the best parts of my job is getting transported into worlds and universes. When you are working on them, especially in the conceptualizing stage. You imagine yourself being in those worlds and are like a movie director, picking shots and angles that suit the world best in portraying it.

-The worst part of it, especially when I still used to work from a company as an illustrator is that I don’t get to finish illustrations how I want them to. More often than not it has this rushed or unfinished feel to them. When I got out and started doing freelance. The worst part is getting rid of that rushing/unfinished habit of doing work.

9. What’s your favorite medium to work with?

-I gotta say it has to be digital. I love working on oils and acrylics and watercolor. But it’s in digital where I am the most free. I don’t have to worry about drying time. Fixing mistakes is very easy. It allows me to think more on the idea than trying to figure out how to approach things ahead of time.

10. Who was your favorite artist when you were a kid? Has that changed?

-I will answer the second question first, yes it has changed. When I was a kid a lot of the artists I aspired to be were more anime related. Each anime was an inspiration. But when I went to art school it changed drastically. From legends like Frank Frazetta that loves big chunks of shadows in his pieces. To a lot of magic the gathering artists that were also into big chunks of shadows like Daarken and Greg Staples. During my younger years I loved Dark and Moody renders. But as I got older to the present day. I am now loving a more colorful palette. And that is what I am trying to incorporate into my pieces now.

11. Writers sometimes get “writer’s block” is there such a thing as an “illustrator’s block”? If so, how do you overcome that?

-Yes there is. And there is also burnout. I don’t know how to overcome it really. I try a lot of things from taking a break to consuming other forms of media to get my mind off of the pressure. And just because it worked before, doesn’t mean that approach will work the 2nd time around. I even stopped illustrating for a while. It did remove the block but it also made me rusty where I ended up having to refresh myself with the skill. We all deal with things in different ways. And it really varies in effectiveness.

12. Would you say art is a talent you’re born with or a skill set that anyone can learn?

-Definitely a skill. Anyone can learn. But mastering it is like an athlete doing the Olympics. You have to practice your entire life to get really good. And despite that. You have your ups and downs. Somedays are just off days. I think that was one of the frustrations that caused my burnout. I wanted to get really good. But I never stopped to ask myself why I wanted to get really good. You just have to be satisfied with yourself and your capabilities.

13. What advice do you have for aspiring illustrators?

-There are a ton of things I can advise them. But to me, I think it’s better to teach them these few but very important things so they do not make the same mistakes that I did. Be nice to yourself. Having a high standard is good, and it can help push you to do better. But it will also wreck your mental health because you will be too hard on yourself and in the end, you will burn out and lose passion. Observe, is the other advice I would give. I get a book with a picture of the piece my favorite artist has. I stare at it for hours and sometimes days. It is good to observe how they approached the piece and deconstruct it in your head. Appreciate how the artist did 1 stroke to achieve that to look like the real thing. While it may have taken you 5 strokes to achieve the same. Observe real life as well. It is important to read and study how other people interpret effects in real life and translate it to their illustrations. But first-hand experience will still win out over something that was just explained to you. Experience life and enjoy it.

14. What do you feel is your masterpiece at this point in your career?

-I cannot say I have any. Because when I think that the piece was good. Half a year later. I have improved so greatly as an artist that it now sucks in my eyes. So yeah, no masterpieces yet.

15. What is your ultimate goal as a graphic artist?

-To make enough money that I can start working on pieces that I really love. Without having to post it online to improve my portfolio or to make money out of that project. I just want to create freely and can drift into obscurity. Living life and enjoying it.

If you’d like to check out Eumir’s work or find out more about him, visit his sites:

http://theartofeumircarlofernandez.daportfolio.com/

http://theartofeumircarlofernandez.blogspot.com/

I hope this interview inspires you, dear readers, to follow your dreams and work towards your goals. Keep looking up! You can do this.

God bless,

~T

Ahoy, Mateys!

It be International Talk Like a Pirate day!

Me and me crew often spend the day watchin’ ye old Pirates of the Caribbean and Muppets Treasure Island, reading pirate-themed books, and making pirate-y crafts.

We did some of that today. If ye be lookin’ fer a good book series, we recommend the Jack Sparrow series fer young lads and lassies (but grown-ups can enjoy it, too!)

Oh and keep a weather eye out fer me up-coming book, PiRats!

This post is a bit late, but we tend to do pirate-y things all month. How do you celebrate?

Ah! It’s Tuesday!

In case anyone was anxiously awaiting my next blog post (ha), I didn’t want to leave y’all hanging. I’ve been busy with schooling, chores, cooking and baking, setting up book events, and writing (gasp!).

Although I haven’t even touched my WIP, I’ve been writing for MSF (Mississippi Folklore) and WFTP (Writing from the Peak), and doing a bit of research and planning for future blog posts. My posts in October are going to be Zombie themed! Can’t wait.

I had planned to completely focus on PiRats this month, but that hasn’t gone as planned. BUT I WILL get there!

I have like a tiny bermuda triangle surounding me, which causes a lot of technical difficulties. Last week, I was attempting to schedule my regular Tuesday post and somehow wasn’t given the option. I ended up posting on Sunday. A Typical Trista experience. Next week (fingers crossed) I will post on Monday, Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Until then, Drink up, me hearties! Yo Ho!

~T

Homeschool Scheduling

I think I mentioned recently that we are trying out a different schedule in our homeschool this year. When we first started out homeschooling, I managed our school very much like a public school, but largely modeled after my public school’s gifted program, Lift-Off, which I participated in during my school days.

My kids and I would wake up early and get started. We had a short recess. We ended school around 3PM and we stuck to the local school’s calendar. We had a local group that we did field trips and playdates with.

When my kids were 6 and 3, we moved. We left behind our awesome group of friends and our homeschool groups. I didn’t want them to miss out on having school friends, so we joined a co-op. That was fun for a while, but when you add in an extra-curricular activity (TKD in our case) and go on every field trip and to park days, etc. It gets old really fast.

Between getting ready and driving to these extras, plus keeping up with chores and traveling between states to help with family, and my husband traveling for work, it was just too much. We decided not to do co-op the following year. And that helped. We did continue to do field trips and TKD. We also joined a homeschool book club and made lifelong friends with a family that we met there. So that was great.

I’m not saying don’t do co-ops. Maybe your life isn’t as chaotic as mine was at the time. Maybe you’ve found your groove and can keep up with your primary curriculum as well as other things. That wasn’t the case for me, though.

I finally did find my groove, though. We went from a classroom schedule to a loop schedule. We tried five days a week and four days a week. We tried a block schedule. And each of it worked in its season until something came up and I needed to change things around again. I went back and forth a bit over the years.

Then the pandemic hit. We didn’t do extras at all. We had a loss in the family and just a lot of change at once. We still managed to get school done. We kept in touch with friends and family via Skype. We took some online classes. I think it was a rough time for most people. But we made it. God is good.

Now things are a little more normal. The boys have done horse riding lessons, chess club, and a few field trips. But our besties moved away. Travel is still in our lives, so sometimes it’s difficult to take our books wherever we go.

This year my oldest is in the 7th grade, my youngest in 3rd. I can’t believe it! I felt like it was time to tweak things again. We are experimenting with a schedule we haven’t tried before. One week we will focus on Language Arts and Mathematics. The next week we will focus on History and Science. The goal is to do one to two lessons of each a day (but some days we’ve done less or more, depending on how we feel, if the kids are getting it–that sort of thing).

I was worried it might cause them to forget what they had learned in between times, but so far this hasn’t been an issue. I may have them do a worksheet or two for the subjects they aren’t doing in the current week, just to kind of keep it fresh in their minds.

It’s actually been really great. We have more time to focus on each subject. We get to dive deeper into the subject matter. And I have more time to work with each kid individually. We grade the work together and go over anything they missed, freeing up time for me in the evenings. I think this will help when we travel as well. There won’t be so much to carry around.

In addition to those two subjects a week, we also do Bible daily. We have computer time which may include typing, coding, mystery science, CNN 10, videos for the animal of the week, and Spanish/Latin, depending on the day. They also do P.E. several times a week.

They have more time to read up on their interests, spend time with family and pets, play outside or with board games, etc. I also have more time. It’s been the change we needed.

So if you’re struggling to get things done, don’t be afraid to change things up. Take time to do a little research. Sometimes tweaking your schedule, your curricula, the grade-level, etc., will have a huge impact. You will find what’s right for you and your kids. Hang in there and keep lookin’ up.

God bless,

~T

Reading Goals

If you were to check my 2022 reading challenge on GoodReads, it would look pretty meager. Five of 24 books read it would say. But it isn’t the full picture.

I’ve read a lot more: school books, articles, picturebooks (which I haven’t counted, but suppose I could), etc. If you aren’t new to my blog, you know I have a habit of reading several books at once. Ok, many books at once. Should I finish all I’ve started, I’d probably be far past 24 books. Maybe I’ll bump that up on my goal list.

But right now, I’m focused more on writing, researching, and promoting. And teaching. And my Bible Study. Whether I reach my official goal or not, I’m content.

But I did just finish reading A Small Zombie Problem by K.G. Campbell to my boys. It was the perfect combination of adventure, humor, creepiness, and mystery. We are looking forward to continuing the series and we highly recommend it.

I rotate the books I read. Not always in a particular order. I have books for different rooms I’m in or for when I’m visiting or traveling. Occasionally it’s weeks before I come back to it.

My right-now reads are: Nighttime is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark, The Counterfeit Guest by Rose Melikan, and Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw.

What’s your reading goal? Have you made good progress?

It’s getting pretty late and sleep is calling. I’ll be back next week, hopefully with a bit more content. But til then, happy reading! (and writing!)

God bless,

T

The Headless Horseman

Throughout history, there have been many stories and legends about the Headless Horseman. He has appeared in folklore across the globe since the …

The Headless Horseman

Want to Write a Children’s Book?

By: Trista Baughman So, you want to write a children’s book? Easy-peasy, right? It can be easy, but it isn’t always. A lot of work goes into writing …

Want to Write a Children’s Book?

Zombies on the Brain ~ SBC Zombie Walk and Zombie Book Recomendations

If you’re going to be in the Shreveport/Bossier area around mid-October, you don’t want to miss the SBC Zombie Walk 2022.  From their facebook page:

“Get ready to Shake those Rattling Bones and Twist that Rotting Flesh! The SBC Zombie Walk is Back and we’re Ready to RAGE AGAINST DEATH!!

This year’s Zombie Walk will be Friday, October 15th in the East Bank District & Plaza from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM with an emphasis on Jammin’ Out and Shakin’ what our Mummy gave us! In addition to our Nonprofit Mainstays like the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana and LifeShare Blood Center, this year we’re partnering with the Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse of NWLA and their Mission to help Recovering Addicts to “Recover Their Life”!

Be excited for Costume Contests, Door Prizes, Live Music, Dance Competitions, Games, Vendors, Food Trucks, and SO Much More! You may very well LOSE your MIND!

This year’s SBC Zombie Walk Art was done the immensely talented Nathan Treme of the Highland Paranormal Society. He’ll be doing much more with this year’s event so be on the look out for that!

More news to come soon!”

Sounds pretty great, huh? And I’ll be there signing and selling my books, Halloween Night and Other Poems and Zombiesaurs!

I think it’s common knowledge for those who know us that my kids and I love zombies. So I was pretty excited to get the invite to be a part of this year’s event.

Just thinking about it put me in a zombie mood. I’ve rounded up some of our favorite zombie book series that I know you will love.

I don’t remember exactly how we stumbled upon Undead Pets by Sam Hay, but once we started the series, we wanted to read every one.

Joe is an ordinary boy until he makes a wish on an Egyptian Amulet given to him by his Uncle. Now he’s the Protector of Undead Pets. In each book Joe helps a different undead pet with their unfinished business. 

This series is funny and dark, but I wouldn’t say it’s scary. That may depend on your kid’s personality, though. We haven’t finished the series yet, but the books in this series are fun quick reads (we usually finish a book in one to two sittings when I’m reading aloud to them) and we’re looking forward to collecting them all.

This next series, Zombies in Paradise by Laura Hansen,  is geared more towards young adults, but I don’t recall anything inapropriate (other than zombie gore type stuff, if you count that) for younger kids. Don’t take my word for it, though, it’s been a while since I’ve read the series. Read them for yourselves. Parents will enjoy these, too.  Here’s a short blurb from the Amazon page, “This fast-paced adventure pits the teens against the zombie crew in a terrifying and hilarious struggle to save the passengers from an ugly undeath.”  I was fortunate to meet the author when I lived in Nebraska. I keep hoping she’ll add to the series, but so far there are only three books. Go grab them!  

My last recommendation is the Zombie Problems series by K.G. Campbell. We are halfway through the first one and my kids and I love it! Mr. Campbell has crafted a cast of characters with endearing quirks. He’s excellent at world-building as well. It’s funny, adventurous, and none of us want to stop reading, but we’re trying to make it last. We read a couple of chapters a day. We have a copy from our library, but these will definitely be added to our collection in the near future!

So, what else has been going on you ask?

I’ve been busy working on the Mississippi Folklore blog. I’m getting a collaborative team of writers together and I’m really excited to see where this goes. My sister and I are having a lot of fun with it.

This week starts week 3 of our homeschool year! The boys are doing great. This week, we’re focusing on Math and Language Arts. We’re experimetning a little to see how we want this year to go. But focusing on a few subects each week and rotating them every week has been really nice. It gives us time to focus on a couple subjects a day and really delve into the subject matter and go down rabbit holes. I’m sure I’ll be tweaking the schedule up a bit more depending on our schedules and travel. I really love the flexibility of homeschooling. It’s a blessing.

I guess that’s about all there is to report. Time to say g’night and God bless! ~T