ALOHA UPDATE

Wow! Do we stay busy in this lush tropical paradise! What fun to eat yummy "fusion" cuisine while enjoying the live performance of our fav Hawaiian duo, the Brothers Kaz. Add to that a basketball game at Univ. of HI, Aieda at the Honolulu Opera House, A live performance of "A Prairie Home Companion," with Garrison Keiler and his entourage at the Blaisdell Center (New Year's Eve), and almost daily beac

h excursions and family get-togethers...well, you get the picture.
All this eating and partying necessitates daily exercise, which is easy when the weather only varies a few degrees from day to day and night to night. Pictured is a bit of my view as I walk around Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach. I can almost forget I'm working out when there's so much to see. I've counted 40 different activities on and around Magic Island--everything from rowing teams on outrigger boats to Karate matches--weddings and kid parties with bouncy blow-ups--yoga and spinning and Tai Chi classes--church services (even a baptism in the Pacific Ocean)and surfing, of course.
This Wednesday we fly to the Big Island for a week at the Hapuna Beach Resort. Last year Kiluea erupted and the sunami wiped out Kona Bay exactly one week after we left the Big Island. Adventure awaits!
Aloha to all

EAGLEBAIT Across the Nation

I've just spent three days in the wonderful state of Hawaii "book-talking" and work-shopping my young adult novel EAGLEBAIT with over 300 middle school students. They have been a marvelous crew--receptive, responsive, and rousingly fun! I could not have dreamed up a better audience. Several school libraries now offer EAGLEBAIT on their shelves and one school is considering using the novel for a unit they are doing on family relations. How to turn a vacation into a lttle sales and promotion!
On a related topic, I've just sent back my final edits for my next book, A RED, RED ROSE, to be published this spring by L&L Dreamspell. A RED,RED ROSE is a Southern gothic with a 20-year-old protagonist, probably suitable for high school and older. I call it part gothic, part paranormal (yes, there's a ghost involved) and ALL fun!
Soon it will be back to the beach for me. Aloha, friends. More later along with some fetching photos.

Thanksgiving Topsy-Turvy

I must say my daughter and her family know how to enliven a holiday with Murphy's Law on steroids. Son-in-law Larry's just published book STATE OF DISUNION about the long-standing rivalry between Clemson and University of South Carolina was the driving focus of our week-long stay with the Clemson Clan. Of course, Granny and Poppa were just as interested in bonding with the adorable grandgirls ages 2 and 4, and bond we did!
It started with UPS NOT delivering said books needed for the Book Launch Tuesday night. Fortunately, Ned was in Greenville at Costco and was able to pick up the load of books (which just about sold out, by the way). Son-in-law was crazy busy with book signings, appearances, talks, and his job as sports writer for Clemson. The post office closed at 5 on Wednesday, so all the hundreds of orders that had come over his website HAD to be signed, packed and shuttled to the post office before then. Did the computer refuse to print the labels? YES. Did we run out of Priority envelopes? YES. Did the broken sewer line and destruction of the concrete driveway required for sewer repair necessitate constant interruptions by workers? OF COURSE!
Somehow, working in tandem to sign, package and ship books, answer the door bell, tend to 2 and 4 year-old needs, we all managed to beat the 5 o-clock deadline at the post office.
Great! Now we can pick up the fresh turkey ordered a month ago and prepare the brining. OR NOT! The delivery person FORGOT the turkey. Forgot the turkey? It's Thanksgiving, for Pete's sake. How can you remember the rutabagas, greens, potatoes and eggs and forget the TURKEY?? So, off Ned and Larry went to drive an hour to meet the delivery person half-way after she went back home to retrieve the turkey.
What else could possibly go wrong? How about a much-needed beer, dropped onto the kitchen floor and shattering into a million glass sudsy shards. It took half an hour to make sure there were no slivers to endanger little bare feet.
I am happy to report the Thanksgiving Day meal was delicious! Loclly grown, organic, and yes, FRESH! Oh
Boy! Did we have a lot to be thankful for!

Guest Blog about teaching Eaglebait

I am having so much fun writing these guest blogs. This blogsite, "How to Deal with Bullies," is practical and user-friendly. I am honored to guest blog here. Please read and recommend to educators and parents and anybody else concerned with the problem of school bullies. http://howtodealwithbullies.com/eaglebait

October is International Anti-Bullying Month

And I've been busy guest blogging about it.  Wednesday, October 25th two of my guest blogs were posted.  Bullyinglte.wordpress.com, a blog that deals primarily with adults who have been bullied, posted my blog about a 76-year-old who still remembers being bullied in elementary school. My blog also speaks about the definition and nature of bullying and cites Eaglebait as a resource. Cedarcreekpublishing.wordpress.com (http://wp.me/p1TtgG-T) posted my blog about Eaglebait and what I am doing to work with the anti-bullying movement both locally and nationally.  I hope my blog-followers will pick up on these guests posts which are really entirely different from each other. Both blogs welcome comments.

My visit with Clemson professor, Dr Susan Limber, was both fun and productive. Dr. Limber is delightful to talk to (and she even bought me lunch at the lovely Seasons restaurant on the Clemson campus).  She provided me with several contacts directly involved in the anti-bullying effort, specifically the Olweus prevention program which she herself directs at Clemson's Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life.

Another bonus to our Clemson visit:  Two weeks with the grand-girls and their mom (our daughter) and dad.  Lots of action going on there with a 4-year old and a 2-year old in constant motion.  Highlight:  The 4-year-old leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Granny, you're my best friend!"

Panel Discussion on School Bullies A Success

Last night's panel discussion at the Smith Mt. Lake Library opened a lot of eyes.  Especially Andy Bliss, the assistant principal at Forest Middle School--who informed us about the role of electronic devices as they relate to the issue of school bullies.  Whereas the Internet, I-Pods and Social Media can allow for anonymous and insidious bullying, cameras and webcams can record events such as fights, verbal altercations and Facebook postings which trap the bully in action.

Josselyn Gregory, high school counselor and college career coach spoke about the need for awareness of bullying on the part of students and teachers.

Dr. Pat Santoro, college psychology professor, informed us about the psychology of bullying--what "makes" a bully and what can be done to change negative behaviors.

I had the opportunity to relate how I came to write Eaglebait--theme school bullies--and I read a passage describing a gang fight against my protagonist.

We had a good crowd who posed excellent questions for the panelists and the Friends of the Library provided wonderful refreshments.

I appreciate everyone who took the time to participate in the panel and to come out for the event.  I'd consider doing this again if we could get together such an array of experts as we had on our panel last night.