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Catherine Castle

~ Romance for the Ages

Catherine Castle

Category Archives: Children’s Fiction

Tasty Tuesdays–Caprese Salad from Tina Ruiz

12 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, books, Children's Fiction, cooking, food, Guest Authors, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays

≈ Comments Off on Tasty Tuesdays–Caprese Salad from Tina Ruiz

Tags

Caprese Salad, Children's Picture Book, food blog, Halloween book, Italian recipe, pasta salad, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays, Tina Ruiz

from Tina Griffith

Before the last of your home grown tomatoes are frozen on the vine, pick a few and try this delicious salad from children’s book author Tina Ruiz. Check out her fanciful Halloween book listed below.

The Caprese Salad was born on the beautiful island of Capri, known as the Peral of the Gulf of Naples. This classic dish was created around 1920 when it first appeared on the menu of the Hotel Quisiana. The salad was part of futurist dinner organized by Filippo Tommaso Marinette, an Italian poet, editor, art theorist, and founder of the Futurist movement.

This delightful salad is one of the simplest and most appreciated dishes of the summer as it is always served chilled and is known as the Queen of Italian tables. And let’s not forget that the brilliant colors of red tomatoes, green basil, and white mozzarella are basically the Italian flag served on a plate.

How do you make this wonderful salad? My method is very easy. The amounts on each ingredient are your choice, but don’t stint on the tomatoes and cheese.

Tina’s Caprese Salad
Cooked curly pasta
Ripe cherry tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Cucumber, peeled
Black olives, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, hand-ripped
Extra virgin olive oil or Italian dressing

Cook pasta until just al dente. Drain in a colander then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Spread pasta on a towel to dry.

Dice tomatoes, cheese, and cucumber. Scoop into a large bowl. Stir in olives and basil. Mix well.

Carefully blend in pasta and just enough oil to moisten the mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Since I have your attention, I’d like to share my latest Halloween children’s book – A Haunting Birthday Party available on Amazon. This is the second children’s book I’ve written with a Halloween theme. A Halloween Party was book one.

As I promised my grandchildren, and others who truly enjoyed the first Halloween Children’s Book, this one also contains silly character names. Example: Harry Pitts (harry arm pitts) is the narrator in this book, and the birthday party is for Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni. It takes place at the Ray Zen (raisin) Restaurant, where people like Judge Mental and his wife, Judy, are enjoying a lovely meal. Kitti Letter (kitty litter) is the waitress for that side of the room, and her job is to give all the kids a spooktacular evening. Walter Melon (water melon) is the magician, Eve Ning (evening) is the cashier, Miss Turi (mystery) is another waitress, and Mr. I. Ball (eyeball) is the manager of the restaurant.

As you can see, this is a fun treat for young and old alike.

The story is about Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni and Reece are having their 9th birthday party in the neighborhood restaurant.

The storyline is quite charming, and because you will try to figure out the double meaning of the fun names while you read, this is bound to become your child’s favorite book.

This delightful paperback book is another wonderful collaboration from writer Tina Nykulak Ruiz and illustrator Ishika Sharma. This creative duo knows how to put life and fun into children’s books to encourage young people to read. As with all of Tina’s children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end.

AMAZON BUY LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

A Writer’s Garden—The Comeback Garden by Becky Van Vleet

19 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, Blog, books, Children's books, Children's Fiction, garden blog series, Guest Authors

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Becky Van Vleet, children's book, Children's Picture Book, Garden blog, garden pictures, Talitha the Traveling Skirt

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Becky Van Vleet talking about the resilience of nature.

Welcome, Becky.

Every year I look forward to planting my vegetable garden, knowing full well that my husband and I will enjoy the fruits of my labor with fresh salads almost every evening for a period of time. I get so excited when I see my rhubarb wake up after sleeping all winter. I can almost taste the raspberries that will appear later in the summer when my bushes come alive again.

Come April, all my perennials around our whole house show their sleepy heads and inevitably burst forth with all kinds of promises of blooms in the month of May. The spring and summer months invite me to a bright and colorful foliage party every year, and I never miss it, always praising God for his artwork right in my yard.

But this year my yard party not only stalled, but nearly did not happen at all. I was devastated when on May 29 we had one of the worst hail storms I can remember. The afternoon the heavens broke open with hail about the size of golf balls gripped me in fear. For nearly an hour, the sound was deafening as hail pummeled our roof. I feared broken windows, not to mention destruction of all my beautiful plants that had already emerged from their winter slumber, showing great promise of what was to come. I watched this storm for a few minutes from my kitchen window. But I finally had to walk away; I couldn’t take the scene that fell before my eyes.

I

While I was thankful we had no broken windows and I believed our roof stayed intact, I went outside after the storm to assess the damage. I was heartbroken. My rhubarb was totally beaten to a pulp, my daisies and flocks and clematis in the front yard were flattened, my daylilies in my back yard as well as my cone flowers were no more. Even the heavy-duty branches of my mini rosebushes snapped. I couldn’t believe that within an hour, my beautiful yard turned from hope and beauty to ruin and ugliness.

What to do? Just accept it and look forward to next year.

But God didn’t leave me there. No, not at all. Slowly, ever so slowly, my flowers, bushes, and trees revived. I saw new promises of a beautiful yard, a comeback garden. I watched the progress each day while our sunshine and showers and rainbows gifted me.

Take a look at the “comeback” pictures to see the miracle God did with our yard! And isn’t that what God does with our lives? One day we are a mess and we feel hopeless, like there can be no comeback. But if we trust God and we’re patient, He will do mighty works to turn ruin and ugliness in our lives to new hope and beauty again.

About the Writer/Gardener:

A retired teacher/principal, Becky Van Vleet makes her home in Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, writing, oil painting, and hiking. But her favorite hobby is spending time with her family, especially reading books to her eight grandchildren.  When they come to play at her house, they love to check out her vegetable garden to see if there are any pickings.

Becky is an award-winning author of children’s picture books, inspired by true family stories. She is currently working on her first novel, a young adult book about her father’s adventures in WWII aboard the USS Denver.

A little skirt that has been traveling around in her family for more than 70 years, passing through three generations, inspired her to write her first children’s picture book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt.

Social Media links: Website Facebook Goodreads

Talitha, the Traveling Skirt

By Beck Van Vleet

Meet Talitha, a little plaid skirt that likes to travel. Through the years, she visits many two-year-old girls in a special family who wear her to get their pictures taken. But Talitha encounters problems when she least expects them. Filled with colorful and detailed illustrations, young children will delight in this heartwarming story about a little skirt’s adventures.

Purchase link

This delightful book, geared for ages 3-8, may be purchased at Amazon. Be sure to let Becky know if you’d like the free coloring pictures her illustrator provided. She can send those your way!

A Writer’s Garden—Garden Joys by Judith Rolfs

15 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, Blog, Children's books, Children's Fiction, Devotions, garden blog series, Guest Authors

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A Writer’s Garden, children’s book Mystery of the Silver Shells, Garden devotion, garden joys and inspiration, Judith Rolfs

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Judith Rolfs talking about her garden joys. Welcome, Judith!

Thanks for inviting me back to speak about my two joys – gardening and writing.  I love having guests enjoy my yard. We had 25 people for the Fourth of July and six were these precious children all under five posing for a picture in my woodland garden.

I’ve become more mindful over the years what a huge spiritual activity gardening is. My perennials remind me of God’s constant, but invisible presence in my life. In early April I see nothing in my garden but hard earth. Then, it seems a miracle when hostas begin to poke up creating the perimeter of my garden followed soon by lily of the valley. These amazing plants have survived the dark frozen earth and waited patiently to reveal their splendor again. I wait for the bursting of my day lily buds into their beautiful multi-petaled stars. Shockingly, I’ve done nothing to nurture them, they simply faithfully return. What a lesson of God’s faithfulness this is.

The challenge for me is always in the waiting period until the season for growth begins.

My problem with book writing patience is similar. I often want to rush things. When I finish the first draft of a book I decide I’m done before the essential second and third draft, and a professional editing. I’ve had to learn to wait and go through the process. Literally ten drafts of my latest children’s book Mystery of the Silver Shells were needed! Book Three in the series adventures of Tommy Smurlee & Grella Weller I wrote for kids eight and up trying to make sense of the world. Figuring out who they are, what they like, what they can do, what’s right and good, what’s not. It’s a fun mystery mixed with fantasy – kids create amazing inventions. As a marriage and family counselor I hope my books help parents transmit good values. I also want children to experience the joy of creativity and develop their imaginations. I love it when my young readers tell me they want to try to write their own book after they read a Tommy Smurlee book.

I get my inspiration for both gardening and writing by walking the path around Lake Geneva daily and observing the fantastic gardens. I found this cute bear on my walk the other day. I ponder that gardeners are privileged to participate with God in bringing beauty to the world! And we Christian writers also have the joy of communicating His beautiful truth to make the world a better place.

About the Writer/Gardener:

On Judith’s YouTube channel you can find Marriage and Parenting tips plus Judith reading short stories to children from her modern fairy tales book Unforgettable Stories for Kids.

Her Amazon Author page reveals what an eclectic author she is: five star mystery novels, marriage and family how-to books and her Tommy Smurlee/Grella Weller children’s books.

Mystery of the Silver Shells

 By Judith Rolfs

It’s the popular Adventures of Tommy Smurlee fantasy series! Fun, intrigue, and danger await Tommy, Grella, and friends at the amazing Dunster’s Camp of Mystery and Inventions. Campers compete to create inventions and solve the Mystery of the Silver Shells. A battle of good versus evil rages. Unique imaginative activities fill each day with wonder! Struggles must be overcome and lessons learned, as friendships deepen at Dunster’s.

The characters are unique and lovable. Bug-loving Grella Weller with a gentle heart and a mind like Einstein; Tommy Smurlee, fascinated with numbers and geography, craves physical and mental challenges; huge Piney, with his dogged, strength are major characters. Minors include Blake driven to be first in everything and Quid, his fun-loving, intense stepbrother who can’t sit still. Toodle, small for his age, but mighty in mind, alternately cowers, then surges with bravery. Orson Gartini, filled with self-absorption is attracted to evil. The Sunmaker is the supernatural force of good and Dagta, force of evil.

Available at Amazon

Tasty Tuesdays– Sweet Fruity Biscuits from Tina Ruiz

02 Tuesday Feb 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Children's books, Children's Fiction, food, Recipes

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Biscuits, Children's books, dessert biscuits, food blog, Halloween books, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays, Tina Ruiz

from Tina Ruiz

My mom is 82-years old and doesn’t cook or bake at all anymore, but she is thrilled that I’ve kept her recipes and shared them with my children and grandchildren. Here is one of our favorites especially at Halloween time.

Grama Tina’s Sweet Biscuits

4 cups white flour
2 tbsp. baking powder – double acting is better
1 pinch salt
½ tsp. nutmeg and/or cinnamon
1 cup frozen or very cold butter
1½ cups milk at room temperature
1 egg
Flour
½ – ¾ cups of blueberries, raisins, or chopped apples, optional

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Mix first 5 dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In another bowl, shred butter. Shredding instead of adding melted butter is better because when the butter flakes into the dough, you’ll get wonderful flavor in every single mouthful. *HINT* spray PAM on the shredder before using for a quicker clean-up.

Pour milk into a separate bowl. Stir in egg. Now add wet mixture to dry, and knead it until it forms a ball.

Sprinkle flour onto your counter or work area, and spread your dough out how you want it – a flat circle or a square.

Brush the top with butter and then sprinkle with white or brown sugar.

Cut dough into shapes you prefer. Place them on a greased cookie sheet or onto parchment paper.

Bake 12 – 15 minutes.

Once cooled, spread each biscuit apart and place any kind of fruit or jam on the inside. Add whipped cream or ice cream on top, then place the cap on and serve.

How about sharing one or both of my children’s Halloween books with your favorite kiddos while you enjoy dessert?

The story is about Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni, who are having their 9th birthday party in the neighborhood restaurant. What makes this story different from any other children’s book, are the names which the author has given to her characters. Example: Tess Ding, Chris P. Bacon, Mr. Noah Lott, Harry Pitts, Miss Turi, Walter Melon, Judge Mental and his wife, Judy, etc…

The storyline is quite charming, and because you will try to figure out the double meaning of the fun names while you read, this is bound to become your child’s favorite book.

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

The pictures are bright and the story is fun. It was written not only to entertain kids, but also to challenge their minds.

Every character has a name with a double meaning. Such as: Mr. Noah Lott, Mrs. Faye Ding, Mrs. Frieda Livery, Upton O’Goode, Adam Zapel, and Ella Vader, to name but a few.

Here’s a hint to help you solve the puzzle, Ed Zortails is his name really heads or is it tails? You’ll have to buy the book to find out.

Solving the double meaning of the words will be delightful for children and adults alike. On the off chance someone can’t unravel a name, Tina supplied a cheat sheet at the back of the book.

As with all of her children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end.

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

 

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz has now written wrote thirty books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

Thursday Christmas Reads–Blitzen Learns How To Fly by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

10 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's books, Children's Fiction, Christmas Reads, food, Recipes

≈ Comments Off on Thursday Christmas Reads–Blitzen Learns How To Fly by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

Tags

Blitzen Learns How to Fly, Children's Fiction, Children's Picture Book, pizza recipe, Thursday Christmas Reads, Tina Ruiz

from Tina Ruiz

Guest author Tina Ruiz has a quick dinner and a children’s Christmas story to share this holiday season.

Thanks, Catherine.

Nothing goes to waste in my kitchen. If I have leftover Italian or French bread it becomes the base for a dinner. And what a dinner it is – easy – quick – delicious. Can’t beat that if you’re on a busy schedule or tight budget.

Pizza Bread
½ loaf Italian or French bread
1½ cups spaghetti sauce, possibly more
½ lb. Genoa salami or pepperoni, sliced thin
3 – 4 slices fresh tomatoes
1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Split the bread in half lengthwise. Smear spaghetti sauce on the white part of the bread. Lay meat slices on top. Scatter on mozzarella and then Parmesan.

Place the bread on a cookie sheet then pop them into the oven until the cheese melts, and VIOLA, dinner is ready!

A nice treat after the pizza bread is a dish of vanilla ice cream topped with your favorite ice cream topping. It is sooooo good and really hits the spot.

Here’s a brief intro to my children’s Christmas book your little ones will enjoy.

Blitzen was born at the North Pole, but he is unable to fly. Because of that, he is taunted and called names by the other reindeers. Rudy saw what was happening, and he decided to teach Blitzen how to gain some confidence. And with a little magic powder from Santa, Blitzen is not only able to fly, but he becomes part of Santa’s famous team.

Amazon Buy Links
E-Book – Paperback

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

Wednesday Writers–No Trick Here by Tina Ruiz

21 Wednesday Oct 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's Fiction, Wednesday Writers

≈ Comments Off on Wednesday Writers–No Trick Here by Tina Ruiz

Tags

A Halloween Party, A haunting Birthday, Children's ficiton, Halloween book, Tina Ruiz, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers. Today’s guest is Tina Ruiz who is sharing her two children’s Halloween books. This is definitely a treat for your favorite ghosts and ghouls. The amazing illustrations are done by Ishika Sharma. This creative duo knows how to put life and fun into children’s books to encourage young people to read. As with all of Tina’s children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end.

Thanks, Catherine,
A Halloween Party and A Haunting Birthday were both written to challenge children’s minds using unique character names.

In A Haunting Birthday Party, the newest of the two books, the story is about Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni, who are having their 9th birthday party in the neighborhood restaurant. What makes these stories different from any other children’s book, are the names which I gave her characters. Example: Tess Ding, Chris P. Bacon, Mr. Noah Lott, Harry Pitts, Miss Turi, Walter Melon, Judge Mental and his wife, Judy, etc…

The storyline is quite charming, and because you will try to figure out the double meaning of the fun names while you read, this is bound to become your child’s favorite book.

AMAZON BUY LINK

The pictures are bright and the story is fun. It was written not only to entertain kids, but also to challenge their minds.

Every character has a name with a double meaning. Such as: Mr. Noah Lott, Mrs. Faye Ding, Mrs. Frieda Livery, Upton O’Goode, Adam Zapel, and Ella Vader, to name but a few.

Here’s a hint to help you solve the puzzle, Ed Zortails is his name really heads or is it tails? You’ll have to buy the book to find out.

Solving the double meaning of the words will be delightful for children and adults alike. On the off chance someone can’t unravel a name, I’ve supplied a cheat sheet at the back of the book.

As with all of my children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end.

AMAZON BUY LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz has now written wrote thirty books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

Wednesday Writers–A Haunting Birthday Party by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Children's Fiction, Guest Authors, Wednesday Writers

≈ Comments Off on Wednesday Writers–A Haunting Birthday Party by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

Tags

A Haunting Birthday Party, Children's Fiction, Children's Picture Book, Halloween book, Tina Nykulak Ruiz, Wednesday Writers

Today’s Wednesday Writer guest is Tina Ruiz who is celebrating the release of her 30th children’s book! Welcome, Tina.

Thanks, Catherine.

The story is about Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni, who are having their 9th birthday party in the neighborhood restaurant. What makes this story different from any other children’s book, are the names I’ve given to the characters. Example: Tess Ding, Chris P. Bacon, Mr. Noah Lott, Harry Pitts, Miss Turi, and so on. I don’t want to give them all away, since figuring them out will provide lots of fun for you and your child as you read  them.

A Haunting Birthday Party is another picture book collaboration from myself and illustrator Ishika Sharma. We love to put life and fun into children’s books to encourage young people to read. As with all of my children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end. I hope this Halloween-themed paperback book will become your child’s favorite read.

AMAZON BUY LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

WEdnesday Writers–Talitha, the Traveling Skirt by Becky Van Vleet

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's Fiction, Wednesday Writers

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Becky Van Vleet, Children's photographs, Children's Picture Book, family traditions, memories and traditins, picture tradtions, Talitha the Traveling Skirt, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest blogger is Becky Van Vleet. Becky will be talking about her Children’s Picture book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt, and where the inspiration for this traveling skirt story came from.

When I read this blog, I immediately thought of the traveling pants story that was so popular a few years back. I loved that story. Now Becky has a version for children. Ingenious!

Welcome, Becky!

 

Who could guess that Talitha is anything more than an ordinary skirt? Well, I could! You see, I have watched the history of this little skirt unfold in my lifetime for three generations. A little red plaid skirt began to traveling within my family in 1948 and has continued to travel across the country for more than 70 years. I was inspired to write this children’s story to preserve my family history.

A hand-sewn skirt was given to my mother, Alberta, by her childhood friend, Omadeen, for my older sister’s second birthday. My mother took her first daughter to a professional studio to have her picture taken in the little skirt, honoring her friend. Alberta saved the skirt and a tradition was started when three more daughters were born.

Alberta and Omadeen, friends as teenagers in Southern Indiana, 1940 public domain

I was the third daughter to wear the little skirt from the first generation.

Becky wearing Talitha skirt in 1955 (personal collection, not in public domain)

Over time, the four daughters began to pass the little skirt around to one another when we had daughters of our own, the second generation. The tradition of the little girls in our family getting a professional picture wearing the skirt at age two held fast and continued on into the third generation, Alberta’s great-granddaughters. As our family scattered around, the little skirt began to fly on airplanes to reach all of the little two-year-old girls in the third generation in various locations throughout the United States!

Omadeen, still living, receives Becky’s book in September, 2019 public domain

My sisters and I took great care of the little skirt, hoping not to have to wash it as the skirt aged.  One may wonder if any little boys were born into our family.  And yes, of course!  But it was the daughters that kept the little skirt traveling around when they were added to our family tree.

The first-generation daughters have encouraged the safekeeping of the little skirt and we pay attention to the skirt’s traveling itinerary.  Amazingly, the pleats are still intact and the fabric is still a vibrant red plaid.

When I set out to write a fun tale about this traveling skirt, I decided the skirt would be personified as the main character and I wanted to come up with a meaningful name for her. Talitha’s name means “little girl” from Mark, chapter four, in the New Testament. My children’s picture book is geared for ages 3-8 and includes themes of family life, overcoming challenges, and family traditions with added discussion questions.

Talithia the Traveling Skirt

by Becky Van Vleet

Meet Talitha, a little plaid skirt that likes to travel. Through the years, she visits many two-year-old girls in a special family who wear her to get their pictures taken. But Talitha encounters problems when she least expects them. Filled with colorful and detailed illustrations, young children will delight in this heartwarming story about a little skirt’s adventures.

Want to read more about the traveling skirt or purchase it for the little girls in your family? You can find Talitha’s story at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

About the Author:

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal. She and her husband make their home in Colorado Springs, where Becky enjoys gardening and hiking and biking in the great outdoors. Becky is one of the original girls who wore Talitha and is the mother of four adult daughters, each of whom also wore Talitha. To date, five of Becky’s granddaughters have also worn the little skirt. Becky relishes spending time with her family and especially reading books to her grandchildren.

Social Media

https://www.beckyvanvleet.com/

https://www.facebook.com/memoriesandtraditions/?modal=admin_todo_tour

https://www.instagram.com/becky_van_vleet/

Wednesday Writers–A Halloween Party by Tina Ruiz

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's Fiction, Holiday Reads, Holidays, Wednesday Writers

≈ 1 Comment

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A Halloween Party, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, Children's books, Halloween book, Tina Ruiz

Wednesday Writers welcomes Tina Ruiz and her delightful children’s book A Halloween Party to the blog today. This is definitely a treat. Tina Ruiz’s new children’s book is out just in time for Halloween! The amazing illustrations are done by Ishika Sharma. I had to tap into my inner child to hear the double meanings in the character names. Once I figured it out I got a great big giggle .

The pictures are bright and the story is fun. It was written not only to entertain kids, but also to challenge their minds.

Every character has a name with a double meaning. Such as: Mr. Noah Lott, Mrs. Faye Ding, Mrs. Frieda Livery, Upton O’Goode, Adam Zapel, and Ella Vader, to name but a few.

Here’s a hint to help you solve the puzzle, Ed Zortails is his name really heads or is it tails? You’ll have to buy the book to find out.

Solving the double meaning of the words will be delightful for children and adults alike. On the off chance someone can’t unravel a name, Tina supplied a cheat sheet at the back of the book.

As with all of her children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end.

BUY LINK

About the Author

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

Wednesday Writers–A NaNoWriMo Challenge Revealed by Kathy McKinsey

23 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's Fiction, Christmas Reads, Wednesday Writers

≈ 1 Comment

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animals in fiction, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, children's Christmas fiction, Christmas fiction, Kathy McKinsey, Millie's Christmas, NaNoWriMo

 

Wednesday Writers’ guest today is Kathy McKinsey. She’ll be sharing an excerpt from her NaNoWriMo children’s Christmas story Millie’s Christmas. Welcome, Kathy.

 

Thanks, Catherine.

This story was a delightful surprise to me.

I had heard about NaNoWriMo, a challenge many writers take in November to write an entire novel. I didn’t feel ready for that, but I decided in December to see what kind of Christmas story I could come up with.

I normally write women’s fiction. When my kids were little, I did love reading and making up stories for them, but I only remember ever writing one children’s story.

This month I had the idea of writing a story told from the point of view of a kitten with two best friends—a six year old girl and the family dog.

Though I never work out a fully detailed outline for my stories, I usually have a basic idea of how the plot will go. Not this time. I started out just to see what I could come up with each day.

It was a gift to me that opened up more each day. Fun dog and cat activity, and a happy, fun-loving, energetic little girl.

I named the story for my daughter Rebecca’s cat Millie, and Millie gave me a fun addition to the story. Rebecca put up a Christmas tree, decorated it, and woke in the morning to find that Millie had knocked it down and scattered everything.

I enjoyed the family as they opened up in the story, and I found they had problems as families usually do.

But, through their faith and fun and love, not to mention the behaviors of the cats and dog, they came through with a joyful Christmas.

What started out as just an exercise to get me to write every day turned into a story I grew to smile with every day I worked on it.

 

millie’s christmas

by Kathy McKinsey

 

Ruthie says Millie will love Christmas. Ruthie is Millie’s best friend, so she’s sure Ruthie’s right, but why does Millie keep finding Ruthie and her brother Jake crying?

Millie, an orange kitten, shares about her first Christmas. Her best friend Ruthie, six years old, teaches Millie about Christmas—food, decorations, music, presents, and Jesus!

Millie’s friend Bruce, the family dog, also helps her celebrate Christmas, and sometimes gets her in trouble.

When Ruthie’s big brother Jake breaks his ankle, Millie learns about sad things, like divorce, when Jake can’t visit his mommy for Christmas. Millie watches Ruthie’s family love each other through the sadness, and find joy in Christmas.

EXCERPT:

Something exciting happened today. Ruthie picked me up, squeezed me, and ran all over the house yelling, “It’s Christmas time. It’s Christmas time. Millie, you’re going to love Christmas.”

“Meow, meow,” I yelled back. I didn’t know what Christmas was, but Ruthie was excited, so I was too. “Meow.”

Ruthie kissed my face and whirled through the house, making me dizzy. “At Christmas we have lots of fun food, and candles, and decorations, and visiting, and candy.” She rubbed my ribs. “You’ll love it, Millie.”

I didn’t know what most of that stuff was, but it made Ruthie happy, so I knew it would be great.

Daddy and Jake brought home what Ruthie called a Christmas tree. It didn’t look like any of the trees out in the yard, with long sticks on them. This tree was bushy all over and really sharp and prickly, and they pulled it out of the ground from somewhere. Strange. But it sure smelled good.

“Now, Millie.” Ruthie carried me over to the Christmas tree. “We’re going to hang ornaments all over this tree. Please don’t bother them.”

Hmmm. I wonder what ornaments are. They must be something fun to play with.

In the middle of the night, Mama and I went to the Christmas tree and nibbled some of the branches. That was fun, and yummy, but Mama said we shouldn’t do it much, or the parents might get mad. I’d never seen them get mad, but Mama’d been around for Christmas before and knew what she was talking about. Mama was really smart.

Ruthie’s mommy started playing Christmas music. Daddy said, “Already?” Mommy just laughed and sang along with the music.

The music did sound fun—bouncy and happy. Many of the songs were about Jesus. Ruthie told me, “Jesus is the most important part of Christmas.” I didn’t know who Jesus was, but Ruthie was excited about him, so I was too. I hoped I would get to meet him.

Other Christmas songs were about snowmen and reindeer and silver bells and sleigh rides and presents and more about snow. Everything sounded like so much fun. I ran around the house with Ruthie, jumping on and off furniture. Christmas was great!

Want to read more? You can find Millie’s Christmas here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathy McKinsey grew up on a pig farm in Missouri, and although she’s lived in cities for nearly 40 years, she still considers herself a farm girl.

She’s been married to Murray for 32 years, and they have five adult children.

She’s had two careers before writing—stay-at-home-Mom and rehabilitation teacher for the blind.

She lives in Lakewood, Ohio with her husband and two of her children. Besides writing, she enjoys activities with her church, editing for other writers, braille transcribing, crocheting, knitting, and playing with the cat and dog.

Connect with Kathy at:

https://www.kathymckinsey.com/

Check out Kathy’s Women’s Fiction novel All My Tears at Amazon

 

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