Fantasy fans arise. Terry Pratchett one of the funniest writers of the fantastic,(ever read the Discworld series? Ever been to the chalk?), has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. And he’s not alone–1 in 8 baby boomers will also be diagnosed with Alzheimers. The research budget is low, the devastation high.

 Help match Terry Pratchett’s $1 million ( £500,000 ) donation to Alzheimer’s Research.

Buy a t-shirt

Donate to Alzheimer’s Research Trust  or Alzheimer’s Association. Tell them it’s for Terry Pratchett, so it will count as part of the Match It For Pratchett campaign.

Let it be official: e.e. cummings is the poet laureate of spring. When the daffodils bloom and the cottonwoods bless the earth with their caterpillar pods nobody says it better and in so many different ways. We all know In Just- but take a minute to discover one you may not know.  Also check out this lovely spring poem The Blessing by James Wright.

about Cover to Cover’s presentation of Wolfproof. Sylvia Dorham is the reader and she makes the book come alive! What a cool job, to be a book reader and create a world with your voice.

Did you know that there are discussion guide questions for Wolfproof? Carmichael Middle School is planning to read Wolfproof in their book group. Discussion guides help you get started, and any I’m always happy to answer author questions sent through this address info@maureenmcquerry.com

Cover to Cover, on Catholic Radio International (CRI), will read Wolfproof starting this Wed, March 12th.  Audio books will be available. Cover to Cover is a new feature that lets us tune in and listen to literay works that explore the human condition.  Check out their library to download books already read.

http://www.catholicradiointernational.com/covertocover.php

 Watch for an interview with me on Backcover later in the week. Happy listening!

The art of the story is powerful - so powerful that through it God reveals Himself to us. Stories teach, delight and move us. Good stories show us that which is true and beautiful. On Cover To Cover you will hear memoirs, short stories, biographies and histories.

Fourth graders ready to write at Maya Angelou Elementary School.

Notice how prepared they are? And how good looking? These students take writing seriously! They showed up on time with pencils, paper and plenty of ideas. Being ready to capture your ideas when they come, is half the battle. The other half of the battle is long hours of BIC Jane Yolen mentions, butt in chair.

Each student left with a plot outline and a character sheet to help speed their story along. Thanks for letting me visit your school!

Perhaps you’ve noticed that man y of my characters are amateur detectives, spy wanna-bes. Sarah quotes Sherlock holmes to Timothy and Molly writes down “just the facts” in her notebook of important things. So, it’s no wonder I was drawn to the International Spy Museum and just had to visit when I was in WA D.C.

According to the website: “The first and only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on this all-but-invisible profession. It features the largest collection of international spy-related artifacts ever placed on public display.”

How can you resist information about microdots hidden betwen the paper layers of a postcard, the tunnel that Americans built under the Berlin wall that was used by both Americans and Russians to gather information. And the telephone shoe from Get Smart? Real or not? You’d have to kill me to find out.

http://www.spymuseum.org/about/index.php