S. Smith's Blog, page 18
February 16, 2016
Spotlight on Heirloom
Recently, I’ve been featuring each of the Seed Savers books in their own posts.( Here is a post introducing the whole Seed Savers series.) Read about Treasure here. Find out about Lily here and in A Girl Worth Knowing.
Today I’m spotlighting Heirloom, the third book in the series and my personal favorite. First, the book trailer, a long time in coming:
So what can I tell you about Heirloom in just a few words? Heirloom follows Lily on an adventure to find the father she never knew. She meets interesting characters along the way and dodges the bad guys. It’s a captivating journey story, much like the second half of Treasure. There’s also a young romance starting to bud…
Breaking up the exciting travel chapters are short vignettes of Clare and Dante living in peace in Canada, learning about and participating in gardening. Heirloom is a book about the future, steeped in the past.
At its debut, Heirloom had a wonderful blog tour and I believe all of the posts are still up. Check them out for more about Heirloom.
Read what the Portland Book Review wrote about Heirloom.
Thanks for reading! If you’ve already read the Seed Savers books, do you have a favorite? Which is it?
S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers. Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
February 14, 2016
Happy Birthday, Oregon
For everyone else today is Valentine’s Day. For Oregonians it’s our state’s birthday–157th to be exact. Yesterday the hubby and I headed over to the capitol to celebrate (did I mention free cupcakes?) There were a lot of fun events for kids, but since our kids are grown (mostly) we walked around, enjoying the building and fiddle music. Old buildings are interesting and beautiful.
I did snap a few photos of the special event, however:
Here’s my hubby trying to hitch a ride in a covered wagon.
hitching a ride on the Oregon trail
They aren’t very big on the inside.
cramped quarters
More room on the outside of the wagon!
An awesome John McLoughlin!
Of course, the state seal
Happy Birthday, Oregon!
S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers. Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
February 10, 2016
Dedicated to Master Gardeners & to All Who Aspire To Prune With Confidence
The past few days have presented us with marvelous weather in these parts. I’ve finally gotten outdoors and pruned my three blueberry bushes, the pear tree, the hydrangea, and trained the boysenberry bushes.
The blueberries are of different varieties and seem a bit different in the way I should be pruning them. And even though I got my Master Gardener certification and grew up on a farm, I still struggle with this. Sigh.
Blueberry Bushes
Sometimes I google and watch videos on pruning. Sometimes I get out my notes and instructions from Master Gardener class. My sister gave me a few tips this year, and I looked at different web pages than I usually do. You know, the promised “6 easy steps” ones.
Training the Boysenberry Bush
One thing I know for sure: It was vastly easier writing the scene in Heirloom about blueberry pruning than it has been for me in real life!
Excerpt from Heirloom:
When they reached the shed, a number of tools remained, although old and ragged. Jason grabbed a pair of clippers and retreated to the blueberry garden. Clare trailed behind, glad he had taken the lead. She didn’t feel ready to take the life of a blueberry bush in her hands.
“Anywhere?” Jason asked a classmate who stood idly by a bush as her partner snipped away.
“I think so.”
“Clare, you wanna cut first?”
“No, uh, you go ahead.”
“Okay then, you show me which ones.”
“What? No. I mean, I sorta drifted off during the instructions.”
“Well, let’s see,” he wrapped the blades around a dead-looking cane, “dead, damaged, or diseased first.” He cut out three canes.
“Hmm. Pencil-sized whips?” Clare suggested.
“Sure.” He snipped off the stragglers. “Now what?”
“Well…” She leaned in, touched a long cane that crossed through the middle of the plant. “How about this one? Didn’t she say something about keeping the middle open?”
Snip. Jason cut it off and ripped it from the bush.
“Oh, I was only asking,” Clare gasped, surprised at his sudden action.
“No, you were right. What else?”
“Um, how about these? They look like older wood,” she said, touching a couple of more canes.
Snip, snip. “Done.” He went at it quickly, without hesitation or second-guessing.
“Have you done this before?” she asked.
“Nope. What next, boss?”
She stared at the mass of branches jutting out from the bush. It was so confusing.
“Come on, Clare. Don’t worry so much about it. Live a little.”
When she hesitated, he whacked off several more branches, then broke off some spindly growth with his gloved hand. He leaned back to admire his handiwork. “I think that’s good,” he said. “You wanna do the next one?”
“Um …”
“You can do it. And I’m here, too. Teamwork.”
“Clare placed the blades around a sad-looking cane, fairly certain about the first cut but checking with Jason to be sure. He rolled his eyes. She cut the cane and pulled in gingerly out of the plant. Her hand ran into someone’s thigh.
“Oh! I didn’t know you were there,” she said. “Excuse me.” Genevieve stood behind her, watching. “Was that right?”
“Yes, nice job. Carry on, youngsters.”
What about you? Do you prune with abandon, or are you full of doubt like Clare and me?
S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers. Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
February 4, 2016
Last Chance 2 for $1
Not to be annoying, but because it doesn’t happen often I wanted to give one last call out to get the first two books in the Seed Savers series for 99 cents. Seed Savers takes place in a future where gardening is illegal and real food virtually unheard of. The “heroes” are both adults and kids, but emphasis is on the kids.
Treasure, the first book, has been free for about a year and will continue to be so for awhile.
Lily, on sale now for 99 cents, will return to its normal price of $3.99 some time tomorrow.
Here is the link for Treasure‘s book trailer.
The other books in the series are Heirloom and Keeper, with the final book in the series still in production.
Thanks!
S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers. Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
February 1, 2016
A Girl Worth Knowing
I wanted to do a post introducing you to the heroine of book 2 in my Seed Savers series: Lily.
The following character interview with Lily was first posted here.
Interview with Lily, from the Seed Savers series
Tell us about your family.
My family (laughs). That’s a good one. Well, as you know, there’s Ma. She’s quiet, hmm, I guess very upright, honest, you know. I never felt like we were extremely close. It’s kind of like we’re from different cultures. She still reads Japanese magazines.
What about your dad?
I never even knew my dad was alive until just recently—weird, huh? But already I feel like I have more of a connection. Dad was a great leader in the Seed Savers movement. He authored an underground newspaper called the Keeper. I can’t say too much more than that right now …
Brothers or sisters?
No.
What would we find under your bed?
Ha! A box full of journals and diaries. Boring stuff, let me tell ya. And before I left home I also had some seeds under there. I know, not the most brilliant place to hide illegal substances, but where else did I have? I suppose there’s also other random junk but it’s not too bad. I’m a pretty neat person. Clare’s room, on the other hand, was always out of control, even when Dante got his own space.
Do you play any sports?
Volleyball, soccer.
Do your friends think you are an introvert or an extravert? Why?
Oh wow. Um, my close friends know I’m not really an introvert, but other friends, less close that is, probably assume I’m an introvert because I’m alone a lot. But I’m not, not really. Truthfully, I’m somewhere in the middle.
Is there a piece of advice that you have received that has really stuck with you? If so, what was it?
Oh, excellent question. Just recently Ana (the older lady who was teaching Clare and me) told me not to quit writing even though my mom was always on my case about it. She said, “Lily, don’t ever stop writing. Because writing is an act of reflecting and the function of reflectors, after all, is to catch the light and shine it out.” Or something like that. Anyway, I really liked that image. And it made me feel like not only was it okay for me to want to write all the time, but that I should. That maybe someday I can do some good with my writing.
That seems like a good note on which to end the interview. Thanks, Lily.
You’re welcome.
Lily (Seed Savers, 2) is on sale until the end of this week only. Get it now!
S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers.
Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
January 29, 2016
One Week Sale on Lily!
I’ve fallen off the wagon lately about posting regularly. Family stuff, you know the drill. But I’m attempting to climb back on and maybe be here once a week like I used to be. It’s too late to do the typical January posts of goals for the new year, or things accomplished in the old one, so let’s just move right on into
A BIG SALE!!
See, I knew that would grab your attention. For one week only Lily (Seed Savers, 2, ebook) is on sale for 99 cents. What’s so great about that you ask? Well let me tell you.
First of all, book 1, Treasure is still currently FREE, so if you haven’t read Treasure first and are simply a series-in-order nazi fan, go to it, get them both!
But a bug in your ear, YOU CAN READ LILY WITHOUT HAVING READ TREASURE. Yes, you can. In fact, some readers like Lily better. It’s first person POV and if you prefer first person you lose nothing by starting with book 2 in this series. I have more to say about reading series out of order in this post.
Why else is this great news? Because Lily is normally $3.99 and only goes on sale a few times a year (and is never free).
What is Lily about? Lily is about a girl who is suddenly left alone during summer vacation when her friends disappear after becoming involved with a group of illegal gardeners. Did I forget to mention the series takes place in a future where the government/corporations control the food? Yeah, that. Anyhow, so Lily tries to discover what has happened and learns she is more connected to the dissidents than she had realized. She is faced with a lot of personal introspection about who she is and who she should trust.
One more reason to get Lily now…if you do like the series, book 3 (Heirloom) is already available, and so is book 4, Keeper (yay!) And you can always go back and read book 1.
The book trailer for Lily can be found here. Take a look, and remember:
Lily is only sale-priced until February 4, so don’t delay! :)
S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers. Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
December 28, 2015
13 Year old This Kid Erik will no longer be reviewing books.
Reblogging Erik’s review of Keeper
Dear blog readers, it is with a sad heart that I announce today that 13-year-old Erik will no longer be reviewing books.
Why? – you ask (well maybe you didn’t but I am going to tell you)
Because…
As of Christmas Eve, I am now 14!
As my first official review as a 14-year-old, I give you…
Keeper
Series: Seed Savers #4
By S. Smith
209 pages – ages 9+
Published by Sandra L. Smith on November 17th, 2015
Synopsis- Keeper is the fourth book in the Seed Savers series. The series starts off in a world where government controlled food processing in the law and it is illegal to grow your own food. The story centers on siblings Clare and Dante and their friend Lily who all seek ways to learn about growing their own food and trying to save a mislead world. Lily had found her dad, who…
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December 8, 2015
Press Release for Keeper (Seed Savers, 4) by S. Smith
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOCAL AUTHOR TO SPEAK AT GREEN FESTIVAL EXPO IN PORTLAND
Sandy Smith Will Present About Her Futuristic Seed Savers Series and How Children’s Stories Can Inspire Social Change
SALEM, Ore. December 8, 2015–Sandy Smith, Salem resident and former teacher in the Salem-Keizer School District, has recently released Keeper, the newest installment in her Seed Savers series. She will speak on the topic of teaching gardening and motivating social change with children’s stories at the Green Festival on Saturday, December 12 at 10:30 a.m. in the Lifestyle Pavilion at the Oregon Convention Center. Set mostly in Portland’s Forest Park, Keeper continues the story of children Clare, Lily, and Dante, who live in a future where gardening is illegal and real food is virtually unknown and unattainable.
“Seed Savers is less a ‘how to’ book–there are plenty of those–and more of a ‘what if’ book,” Smith explains. “What if it were illegal to save or to plant seeds? What if a government and a large corporation merged to control the food supply? What if you, like the children in the book, knew nothing besides the packaged food groups but then started learning about real food? How far would you go in breaking the law?”
Inspired by something she saw on the film, Food, Inc., Smith began writing the Seed Savers series five years ago. The books have been popular with readers of all ages and especially with children in grades five through eight. The other books in the series are Treasure, Lily, and Heirloom. Rachel Parent, teen founder of Kids Right to Know, says of the Seed Savers series: “A creative, engaging, well written book series, that is filled with action, and a lot of truth as it touches the very real issue of preserving seeds from Greedy Corporate Seed Monopoly and understanding the importance of knowing how to grow our own healthy food. This book series is AWESOME!!!!!!!”
And from a former educator:
“Sandy Smith’s Seed Saver books are great reads for young people on many levels. The action is packed with secret acts of civil disobedience, escape from evil GRIM thugs and independent cross-country treks. Plus, teens will both recognize and learn about issues surrounding food sources. Seed Saver books have something for everyone: diverse characters, themes of empowerment, revolution, and even a little romance.”
Smith currently grows out and saves seed for the Marion-Polk Seed Bank and is a community center coordinator in Keizer. The Seed Savers books can be purchased online, ordered at bookstores, and are available locally at LifeSource Natural Foods.
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S. Smith is the author of the awesome and award-winning middle grade/YA series, Seed Savers. Visit her Facebook and Pinterest pages. Follow her on Twitter. Sign up for the newsletter!
November 24, 2015
Order Your Author-Signed Book In Time For Christmas!
Posting this again this year and adding some updates!
Originally posted on Author S. Smith:
What child wouldn’t be excited to receive a book signed by the author?
There’s still time to order any of the Seed Savers books directly from me, with a personal inscription for you or your child. Treasure, book one of the series, is sure to delight book lovers ages 8 -12, or older readers who enjoy middle grade books. Lily and Heirloom are slightly older in writing style, and still appropriate for kids.
These books can be read in any order!
Read more about all three of the books here, or visit their Amazon pages to read more customer reviews.
To order an inscribed book, contact me directly with this form or email me at authorssmith at gmail dot com. Don’t delay if you are ordering for Christmas!
