Posts Tagged ‘Amanda in Spain’
#ShareAReviewDay – Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting by Darlene Foster
Posted on: August 23, 2018
- In: Books | guest posts | reviews
- 29 Comments
In case you haven’t read this fabulous review of Amanda in Spain by an eight-year-old, here it is on Marcia Meara’s blog! Check out Marcia’s books too. They are amazing.
Lovely to have Darlene back again this afternoon, this time to share a very special review she received directly from a very young reader, who had no adult help with the writing. I know you’ll enjoy this one and will be happy to pass it along to all your contacts! Thanks!
REVIEW:
By Catrin (8 Years Old)
I really enjoyed this book. I like books which have a mystery plot to them, and this book really caught my attention – I read it all in one go! The story kept me guessing until the end. In some parts, the reader is held in suspense while in other times you can almost guess what’s going to happen so I had to read on to find out if I’d got it right or not. My favourite character was Dona because she is a Spanish performer and I like performing as well. I…
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This summer I have been fortunate to be featured on a number of great blog sites. Today I am a guest of Hugh Roberts as he shares snippets of his diary entries from 1988. Find out what song from the 80s I picked and read a wonderful review of one of my books from an eight-year-old.
All aboard the music time machine! Continuing the story from 1988. This week my guest is the author, writer and blogger Darlene Foster.
Click here to read the first week of this feature, and follow the links at the end of each post.
***
London – August 12th, 1988
Marty’s plans to buy his first home now seem to be going ahead. Within the next six weeks, both he and Michael Purdy could have their own home. Marty confirmed to me again today that I was at the top of the list to rent the spare room in the flat from them. I’m delighted by this, given the terrible events of last week. as it has started the ball rolling for me in searching for a new home.
If all goes to plan, Marty and I could be moving out of Grassmere Road by November. That would mean that I will have had a full year of living here. It will always be a place I will remember. Even in the short amount of…
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Santa Barbara Castle
Posted on: October 12, 2015
- In: Books | History | Spain | Travel
- 52 Comments
Our day trip to Villajoyosa ended with a stop at Santa Barbara Castle, overlooking the city of Alicante and the Mediterranean Sea. The very capable bus driver took us to the top of Mount Benecantil, 166 meters above the city, on a narrow, windy road. This was a large bus and we all held our breath as he barely made it through the castle entrance, built for horse and buggies.
The narrow entrance to the castle
Once there we had an hour to wander the castle and discover the history of Alicante on display in the museums throughout the castle. Archaeological remains from the Bronze Age, Iberian Age and Roman Times have been found on this site.
I enjoyed climbing around the many levels, checking out the dungeons, chapel, guardroom, bastions and turrets. I loved the wrought iron warriors and archers strategically placed around the castle.
The dungeons
The chapel ruins
Watch out for the archers!
Fascinating views of Alicante and the Mediterranean Sea
This was fun for me as I visited this site a number of years ago and set a scene in Amanda in Spain in this very castle
Kids posing with a warrior while dad takes a picture
Another person posing for the camera.
I can´t get enough of the rich history and fascinating castles around here.
Spotlight on a Book Series: Darlene Foster and the Amanda Travel Adventure Series…
Posted on: March 11, 2015
- In: Books | Writing
- 9 Comments
I am honoured to be featured on Sharon Ledwith´s blog. I came. I saw. I wrote. She is also offering a give-away of an Amanda e-book if you comment on her post.
Spotlight on a Book Series: Darlene Foster and the Amanda Travel Adventure Series
I want to thank and welcome wonderful (and well-traveled) MG author, Darlene Foster for sharing her personal experiences on writing a book series and showcasing her middle grade adventure series the Amanda Travel Adventure series with us on my blog today.
BONUS: One lucky reader will win an Amanda Travel Adventure ebook of their choice just by leaving a comment! Don’t forget to leave your contact info for a chance to win, and good luck! So let’s get this interview rolling…
Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write the Amanda Travel Adventure series, Darlene?
I was inspired by an amazing trip I took to the United Arab Emirates. While I was there, I felt as excited as a twelve year old. I decided it would be a great setting for a children´s book. I created the character of Amanda, an average girl who wishes for travel and adventure as she blows out the candles on her twelfth birthday. The next day an airplane ticket arrives in the mail for her to visit her aunt and uncle who live in the UAE. What follows is an adventure of a life time. Once Amanda got the travel bug, she had to see more interesting places. I suppose I created Amanda because as a child, I wanted to see the world.
Read the rest of the interview here
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and is represented by Walden House (Books & Stuff) for her teen psychic series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.
Please pop over and leave a comment. Amanda and I will appreciate it.
- In: Awards | Books | Writing
- 16 Comments
First of all, I want to thank everyone for your support yesterday in helping me tie for First Prize in the Long and Short Review contest. The voting time was short so don’t worry if you got to the post too late. This prize will give me some free marketing for the next month. All my followers Rock!
If that wasn’t wonderful enough, today I am the featured author on Suzanne’s Thoughts For The Day This is what she had to say:
How Could A Girl Get Herself in so Much Trouble?
http://suzannesthoughtsfortheday.blogspot.ca/2013/09/how-could-girl-get-herself-in-so-much.html
Suzanne is giving away an e-copy of one of my books to a lucky commenter.
Life is good for this children’s writer!
- In: Books | Writing
- 9 Comments
I woke up this morning to a wonderful surprise. Diane from New Zealand, on her blog Writer and Dreamer at Work , posted an interview with me and a very flattering review of Amanda in England-The Missing Novel. I was attracted initially to Diane’s blog because she is a writer and a dreamer, like me. She writes very good children’s book reviews. In fact her review of Herbert the Brave Sea Dog prompted me to purchase the book for my grandson.
Meet Darlene Foster – Author of the Amanda Series
I would like very much to introduce to you a lovely friend and fellow writer/dreamer Darlene Foster, an author of the Chapter book series, Amanda in Arabia, Amanda in Spain, and the new, Amanda in England.
Darlene is a published children’s author, an employment coach/facilitator, an ESL tutor, a wife, mother and grandmother. Like me, she loves travel, shoes, cooking, reading, sewing, chocolate, music, the beach and making new friends. Her grandson calls her “super-mega-as woman-supreme”. She was brought up on a ranch in Southern Alberta, where she dreamt of traveling the world and meeting new people. She lives on the West Coast of BC with her husband Paul and two black cats, Pumpkin and Monkey.
Darlene has been visiting my blog for some time and I was delighted to find she is a fellow dreamer as well as a lover of travel. As writers I think we all are dreamers of sorts and I especially loved her travel stories, which have brought back wonderful memories for me.
So I was especially delighted that she agreed to being bombarded with questions by me here today…
Darlene I see from your website, your books are inspired by your travels, when and for how long did you visit England?
To hear the answer and read the rest of the interview visit Diane’s blog:
One of Diane’s favourite quotes is:
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
-Gloria Steinem
Thanks so much Diane for the interview, the review and your friendship.
- In: Writing
- 8 Comments
This week Karen Elliott is featuring Kid’s Week on her blog . She has invited some very talented children’s authors as guest bloggers. I was honoured to be included.
Writing for ‘Tweens’
Article by Darlene Foster
“Too many people grow up. That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don’t remember what it’s like to be 12 years old.” – Walt Disney
What inspired me to write children’s books? In some ways I don’t believe I have ever gone much past 12 years old myself. I relate well to children. Perhaps you have heard the saying – “You are only young once, but you can be immature forever!”
Read the rest of my article here and please comment.
http://karenselliott.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/kids-week-tweens-author-darlene-foster/
Check out what the other childrens’ writers such as Jessica Messinger, Harri Romney and Chris Eboch, have to say. You will find it fascinating
http://karenselliott.wordpress.com/
Thanks so much, Karen for inviting me to be a guest blogger!
