Thought for the Day:
“Keep working on a plan. Make no little plans. Make the biggest you can think of, and spend the rest of your life carrying it out.”
~ Harry S. Truman ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
We all know how important the openings of our stories are. HERE is a good article from Writer’s Digest by Bob Johnson with 5 Tips for Revealing the Stakes in Your Story.
Buffy Silverman has a great post HERE on NF Fest 2025 to help you Let Lyrical Language Add Music to Your Writing. This is a must-read for picture book writers in particular, but all writers can use her good hints. NF
We all want to get our work noticed. HERE Aileen Weintraub, writing for Writer’s Digest, has 6 Steps to Getting Your Query Letter Out of the Slush Pile.
The news doesn’t seem to be getting any better. In fact, I think it’s getting worse. So I make a few phone calls and write some postcards and watch spring training baseball and read good books to stay sane. If spring training is any indication, it will be fun to be a Giants fan this year; a nice change from the last few years. I’m also planning some trips. My daughter Maggie has a podcast and newsletter called Tending the Soul, and she talked about how she chooses a word each year that is kind of her anchor for the year. For my word this year, I have chosen EXPERIENCES. There are many places I’ve longed to see and experiences I have longed to have, so this year I am making many of them happen. In April, I am taking my family to the UK. In September, I am taking a cruise from Quebec City to Boston with my granddaughter and Maggie. In October, I am taking my grandson, an aspiring chef, on an Italian tour with several cooking classes. I’m thinking about a train trip in May to see my son and a friend in Colorado and then visiting my sisters and niece in New Mexico. If I can make it work, it will be a big circle that will include beautiful areas in southern Utah, the mountains in Colorado and New Mexico, and the coast from LA to the Bay Area. Fingers crossed I can make it happen.
Last week I offered a gently-read paperback of ELSETIME by Eve McDonnell to one of you. The winner this time is Susan Uhlig. Congratulations, Susan! I will get your book out to you soon. If you don’t know Susan, she is a writer from the Northwest. You can read more about her on her site HERE. Be sure to check out her blog. She is often a contributor to MMGM.
When I was very young, my parents went to an estate sale being held by the family of a professor from the University of Chicago. One of the things they bought was a little book called LOLAMI: THE LITTLE CLIFF DWELLER by Clara Kern Bayliss. My sisters and I read and reread that book until it was nearly falling apart. It instilled in us a deep love of the Southwest and the ancient people who lived there. When I run across a book set in prehistoric times, I am always interested.
In January, I mentioned I was anxiously waiting for a new book from Jennifer Bonhoff called IN THE SHADOW OF SUNRISE. It is a story set in the Southwest in the Stone Age. Well, that is right up my alley. I pre-ordered it from Jennifer’s site. It’s not officially out yet, but I recently received an early copy, and I want to tell you about it. (If you pre-order it now, you will have it in a couple weeks.) Let me start by saying, I LOVED IT!!! Every word. And I especially loved the extensive Author’s Note at the end.
Earth Shadow is a twin. He was born shortly before his brother, Sunrise, but Earth Shadow is smaller, lame, and sees himself as weaker and less than his brother. This year they are old enough to join the other adults on the Walk Around, traveling a great distance to the Great Gathering where they will meet with other clans, trade with them, and make new alliances. The young men are all hoping to make their first kill of a buffalo on this trip. Earth Shadow fears he might not be strong and fast enough to be in on a kill, especially after one of the young hunters is killed in a stampede. Earth Shadow spends a lot of time during the walk with Grandmother and Bending Woman, the twins’ mother, listening to sage advice and stories of their people. He is often teased about spending so much time with the women, but Earth Shadow is learning a great deal that may help everyone in his clan.
Jennifer Bonhoff has written a captivating story of life in ancient times filled with well-rounded characters and realistic happenings. Told in first-person from Earth Shadow’s point of view, the story moves quickly and is compelling and completely engaging. There is a cadence to the writing throughout that puts the reader squarely in ancient times. I can’t quite figure out how she pulled that off, but it’s a great trick. This is simply a great story in every way.
I won’t be giving away my copy. I want to share it with my New Mexico family, and I’m hoping to visit some of the places mentioned in the Author’s Note if I get to New Mexico in May. Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Rosi, I wanted to thank you for sending Mystery at the Biltmore! Things have been a bit crazy here and I’m so behind in posting that I haven’t done social media “book mail” posts the last few times I got them. I ordered quite a few books in February … it’s not hoarding if it’s books!
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You’re right. Books don’t count in the hoarding game. I think you will like Mystery at the Biltmore when you get to it. Thanks for stopping by.
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I recall reading Code: Elephants on the Moon by Jennifer. (I suspect I may have won that book in one of your giveaways.) It was a marvelous book about a young girl who joined the French Resistance during World War II. Quite suspenseful!
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I haven’t read that book, so you must have won it elsewhere. I’ll look for it. Thanks for the recommendation and the comment.
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It sounds like you’ve got lots of fantastic trips to look forward to. I’m going to spend time with my father-in-law and family a lot this year, which I’m really looking forward to. And I’m reading a lot these days too.
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It sounds like you’ve got lots of fantastic trips to look forward to. I’m going to spend time with my father-in-law and family a lot this year, which I’m really looking forward to. And I’m reading a lot these days too.
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Glad you will have some good family time too. It’s such a gift. Reading time is as well. Enjoy. Thanks for the comment.
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Argh! Wrote a long comment and the computer deleted it! I just wanted to share that I love your word for the year, and suggest, for further info about the rock art and rehistoric people of the SW (non-fiction), you look for books by Craig Childs. I just finished Tracing Time and it was very good.
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Computers are wonderful and awful, aren’t they? I will look for Craig Childs’ books. Thanks for the heads up and for the comment.
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Rosi, I love your word for the year! It sounds like you have a lot of wonderful plans for some great experiences and even better that you’ll be sharing them with your family.
This books sounds really interesting. There’s not much out about this time period or place. I will keep an eye out for it!
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Spending time with the family is the best part. You will like the book when you get to it. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I hope all your travel plans come to fruition, Rosi, they sound amazing! In the Shadow of Sunrise sounds both original and very well-written, love the unusual setting! Thanks for the links as always and I hope you have a great week!
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Thanks, Valinora. I have a lot of planning to do. The book is wonderful. Glad you like the links.
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Thanks for the book, and the shout out about my blog.
This book sounds great too!
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You are welcome. This is a terrific book. Thanks for the comment.
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I would like to add to Truman’s quote: “And don’t be afraid to change plans, if presented with unforeseen opportunities.”
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Nice addition, Jilanne. Thanks!
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I’ve enjoyed Jennifer’s previous books so this one is a must future read. The setting, characters, and time period have me hooked. Thanks for the links. I haven’t gotten to them yet but will when time allows me to later this week. Your travels sound exciting. Contact me if your are close by when in Colorado and we can meet for dinner or lunch.
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I’ve only read one of her other books. I have work to do! I’ll let you know if I get to Denver for more than a minute. Too bad the Giants aren’t visiting the Rockies in May. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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What great travel plans! Happy trails! And this book is truly intriguing. It’s on my list now. Be well, Rosi!
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Thanks, Donna. I think you will love this book.
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I preordered!
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Yay! You will love it.
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What a unique story that must included research and a lot of imagination! The cover alone will grab readers. Thanks for sharing!
Enjoyed your word for the year. I always select a word every year.
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I do love that cover. And what a great story. What is your word for the year, Patricia? Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I am so delighted that you love Sunrise as much as I did! Jennifer Bohnhoff is a brilliant writer with an extensive knowledge of the history of the Southwest.
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She is a great writer and a great researcher. I love reading her blog posts. They are full of such interesting information. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Great review! AN interesting time period for sure. Thanks for TRAIL. I hope to get Half-Truths to you soon!
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I received Half Truths and will get to it soon. Thanks. Glad you liked the review.
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Glad to hear Bonhoff captures the unique voice of the time period so wonderfully – I would imagine that’s very hard to do!
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She really did pull that off. I’m not sure how she did it, but it is some seriously fine writing. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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How neat that you plan to visit a few sites from the story and are making this a shared book reading experience.
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That is the hope. I will work on planning this week and see if I can pull it off. Thanks for the comment.
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