On the York Wall

On my second weekend in England, I soaked up the rich culture of the town of York. My friend Mallori and I took a train to this historic city and enjoyed an evening walk on the city wall. We particularly enjoyed the free 2-hour walking tour, where we learned that the York wall is actually half Roman, with a Medieval wall built on top of that, and finally a Victorian renovation that allowed for a walkway around the city.

One of my favorite memories this summer was exploring Edinburgh, Scotland. We hiked to the top of Arthur’s Seat, a giant hill in the middle of the city. It was cold and rainy and completely awesome. I loved the land in Scotland. Certainly a memorable part of my trip. We also tried blood pudding and haggis, both dishes native to Scotland. I recommend trying them if you want an interesting cultural experience, but they aren’t for the weak-stomached.

This summer, a lot of blessings in my life lined up to allow me the experience of studying abroad for two months. Because of Marian University’s belief in my academic achievements, I have been able to actually save money the last couple of years. If it weren’t for my scholarships and the support of the Marian administration, I would never have made it abroad.

Thanks to the hard work and support of the amazing people around me, I found myself at last in Grantham, England on the 14th of May this year. It was a cool, partly-cloudy day, as most are in England. And I was staring at my new home-away-from-home. Take a look:

Harlaxton College: Grantham, England

Exploring the manor house/college revealed three secret passageways, a floor of genuine roman mosaic, and a fantastic conservatory. This is also a building where The Haunting was filmed, so that added to the spookiness at night. Harlaxton soon became home for me though, and it was glorious going to class every day in such a magical place. Each weekend I took trips throughout the United Kingdom, and I was always grateful to return “home” on Sunday night.

Strolling the Streets of London

My first weekend trip was to London. A friend and I went there by train (my first real train ride) and saw King’s Cross station. There was a set-up “Platform 9 3/4″ for Harry Potter fans there. I was excited about it, of course. We saw the John Keats house and the Charles Dickens house, both great pilgrimage sites for fans. I enjoyed m

ost of all just wandering around the city and taking everything in. Navigating the underground was a ton of fun, but walking the streets of London is an experience I’ll never forget. The people there are so stylish (I still can’t figure out how English women walk so much in heels), and they all bring their dogs with them to the parks. It is a beautiful place with interesting people, buildings, and gardens.

My adventure abroad included many fascinating experiences, far too many for one post, but one of my favorites happened in that first London weekend. I went with my friend to see As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, outside on a beautiful evening. It was an unforgettable production. Shakespeare truly was the master of comedy, and his material is still easy to relate to today.

Join Keegan and his best friend Ralph as they witness the blessing of a magical gift. Keegan may think at first that a magical gift, one much like his ability to speak to animals, will bring a young boy in his village glory, but he soon discovers the complexity of the situation. The news of a blessing in Madrona brings much attention to the boy in town, but Keegan has reason to believe that not everyone means well in their gifts to the young boy.

New challenges meet Keegan and his friends of all species as he sets out to protect the gifted child from those who mean him harm. You too can follow his story in this third installment of the Keegan’s Adventure Series. Contact us to purchase any of the three adventures.

It has been quite a while. Since my last post, I have been busy studying (or pretending to), and also collaborating with my amazing publishers for the release of my third book. Now, at long last, it looks like Strangers in Madrona will arrive in the next two weeks. I am thrilled to say that Hannah England has once more prepared a beautiful cover that I think readers will love.

Keep an eye out next week for an announcement of the release!

Camp has given me a memorable summer, to be sure. It is a time and a place where you can let out your inner dork– you can dress ridiculously and act like a kid without fear of being less popular. Silly has become the new cool, and I think that’s why CYO camp is  a great place for campers to have a blast. I know the counselors have a blast interacting with kids anyway… I’d like to think the campers have half as much fun .

Regardless, spending my summer days laboring and messing around under the hot sun in the hills of Brown County has proved to become my most worthwhile summer in years. I enjoy interacting with all the campers and giving them the best camp experience I can. It is certainly a trying job, but a rewarding one as well. And when I am too exhausted to play another round of Frogger or sing the Kurt Song for the ten-millionth time, there’s always the horses to comfort me.

With no more visits scheduled this year, I am prepared to gear up for service at CYO Camp Rancho Framasa, a summer camp my father briefly worked at back in the 70′s. It will be an educational experience for me, and certainly a good adventure away from school and home. The last couple of summers I have spent writing– now it’s time to do something. I hope I can brighten the summer of the campers and participate in the ministry of CYO camp. We’ll see.

It’ll be a grand adventure, that’s for sure. Wishing everyone a fun-filled summer vacation. Hooray for the end of school, and (for me) the conclusion of Freshman year in college!

This weekend I was privileged to speak at an event in Monon, Indiana. Their Young Author event was a pleasure to participate in, and I was impressed by the interest students and their parents showed in creative writing. One girl in particular brought up an issue with me that I had not yet encountered on a visit.  She inquired whether or not Keegan eats meat, given his unique relationship with the animal kingdom. This kind of thought-provoking question always gets me excited about the subject. I’m afraid the young girl might have been disappointed with my answer (yes, Keegan does eat meat– I do not believe he could survive in a medieval culture without such sustenance), but I am glad to know that I got one young student thinking about topics of morality in my book. As a current English major, I’m always thrilled to find moral issues and messages in any work. That is what English studies is all about, and it is important in any stage of your life or any area of study to be able to interpret these messages in literature.

There is my preaching for today. It has been one busy semester. Lots of homework. Many school visits. Keegan does eat meat.

Good day, and I am off to study yet again!

I wish everyone an amazing 2010, and I hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as I have. After a pleasant Christmas with family, I am looking forward to moving on campus at Marian for next semester. This next year will hold more adventures & challenges, and I can’t wait to meet them!

Danger in the Shadows will be released sooner than expected, probably in the next month. Watch out for the announcement!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to win a copy of Dimensions, a Tweener Time Championship book by teen author Estee Wells. Dimensions, a sci-fi children’s adventure book, would make an excellent holiday gift for the pre-teen in your life. Why not get a jump start on your holiday shopping and enter to get this free book?

To enter the give-away, visit Estee’s blog and send her your information before the 30th. And if you don’t win the copy, fear not! There’s a fall sale for Dimensions through October 31, so everyone will have a chance to get a copy of this book.