Where liberty is, there is my country.
~Benjamin Franklin

Hubby and I are heading to the beach in Santa Cruz to see the fireworks tonight. I haven't seen fireworks on the 4th in years! We lived so remotely for so long they were hard to get to. And, when we moved to town, there weren't any close by. So I'm really excited to see them tonight:) The last fireworks I saw was in Chicago, while I was in there for my mom's birthday with my daughter Mx. It was the Venetian Festival and the fireworks were over Lake Michigan. Just beautiful. My mom was with us when we had the most memorable fireworks in our family:) Remember Mom?

Have a great time celebrating today and this evening!!!! We'll be thinking of Cody tonight, especially.

If you are a reader, a writer, an artist or appreciate art you must see, Midnight in Paris. It was wonderful:



What I'm reading this holiday?

Wicccan, A Witchy Young Adult Paranormal Romance by Michelle Leighton

Please stop back. This week I will post a three part series of David Caruba’s Marketing Report on the “State of the Children’s Publishing Market.” David shares the responses he received from agents and editors in the industry in this three part series. Even if you heard the report, I think you will find this interesting, since David had so much data that he couldn’t share during the hour he had available at the conference.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Happy July 4th, readergirlz! What book are you reading in your sun-screened hands this weekend? I'm reading The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel for a little research. You?

It’s time for stars, stripes, fireworks and the celebration of our nation’s independence!  So while you are waiting for the fireworks to start, or the hot dogs to grill, celebrate the 4^th of July by opening the pages of some of these amazing books!

John, Paul, George & Ben

By Lane Smith

Go back in time with John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin! Written on parchment-like paper with pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations, Smith tells the individual stories of our Founding Fathers in humorous and exaggerated way.  From Paul Revere screaming “The red coats are coming!” to John Hancock’s giant signature on the Declaration of Independence, children and adults are sure to fall back in time to the birth of our nation!

Yankee Doodle and the Red Coats: Soldiering in the Revolutionary War

By Susan Provost Beller

Perfect for any young history buff, Yankee Doodle and the Red Coats tells the story of the Revolutionary War through soldiers’ real life accounts of their experiences.  From diaries, letters to loved ones and accounts of battles, the food, and life during the war, Beller’s book gives an exclusive look at what it was really like to fight for our nation’s independence!

Young Founders: 1776: Son of Liberty: A Novel of the American Revolution

By Elizabeth Massie

Told through the voice sixteen-year old Caleb, a free black living in a slave state, Young Founders: 1776, provides an interesting perspective of life during the Revolutionary War. When British Governor, Lord Dunmore promises that all slaves who join his army will remain free, Caleb is faced with a difficult choice: he can join Washington’s army and fight for America’s independence, or join Dunmore’s army and be free forever.  Massie’s book is perfect for any young adult who wants an inside view on the fight for freedom!

So this 4th of July, kick back, relax and enjoy these great books that celebrate the birth of our nation!

Happy July 4th!! I'll be away from Laurasmagicday for a few weeks. If you need a fix of writing inspiration check out One Question A Day, I'll be posting questions there daily and doing Flash Fiction every Sunday. Have a wonderful holiday weekend surrounded by your family and friends!

Find an independent bookstore near you.

Happy July 4th! Part of making a move is figuring out where to go to see the fireworks. And this year is a bit of a challenge. Lots of places have cancelled shows for one reason or another, budgets, fire danger...so we aren't really sure where we will end up yet. Maybe Half Moon Bay.

Yesterday we had a real outlaw day. Started out by one of our own being picked up by the CHP. It's the good ones you have to watch out for. Oso had been picked up by the police when he decided to roam Hwy One. Bad Dog. Had to spring Oso from the dog catcher all the way in Salinas!

While we were in town, got some groceries and saw Public Enemies, which completed our outlaw day.




Loved it.

Thinking about giving Oso a criminal nickname now that he's been inside. Pretty Boy Oso, Babyface Oso, but the one that stuck is Dillinger Dog:)

Illustration by Syd Hoff from HENRIETTA'S FOURTH OF JULY

Well, I haven't posted in a few days, so how about twice in one day?

We had a nice family day today celebrating the 4th of July. We watched the LA Galaxy soccer game (I know - baseball is the "American" game, but we're a futbol family.