Monday, November 13, 2017

Thankful Author 2017- Nancy Ellen Hird


A Gazillionaire
Angela, thank you for doing this. I am thankful for many things. Some nights when I can’t sleep, I begin to name things that I am thankful for. It helps. But until I started writing this post, I didn’t realize how rich my life is. I am a gazillionaire. I could fill the pages of a long, long book with things to be thankful for and probably not come to the end of them. Here are a few.
I am thankful for my husband. I would be a very different person if Tom and I had never met and married. In fairy tales couples meet, fall in love, marry and live happily ever after. Nobody adjusts; nobody changes; nobody ever has to say that they’re sorry; nobody is challenged to do good, but scary things.
I bring up this last bit because I did not feel thankful for Tom on one particular afternoon several years ago. On that afternoon he announced to his theater students that while we were all going to London together, I would temporarily leave the group there and go to Edinburgh to do research for the novel I was writing. He and the students would go to Cyprus where they would perform their play and then we would all meet up again in London .
What? I was going to Edinburgh --alone? I was going to be in a foreign country, by myself, for a week and more? Me? He was kidding, right?
He wasn’t. He believed in me. He knew I needed to go to Edinburgh and he knew I would be fine. I did go and he was right. I did good research, met terrific people and, in all, had a great time. I’m thankful for Tom. Because of him, I’m a better person, a braver person, a more humble person.
I am thankful for my daughter. Raising her was one of the great adventures of my life. It was such a privilege to know her as a child. It is such a privilege to know her as a grown woman.
I am thankful for my extended family, my friends and my neighbors. They share their lives with me and so enrich my life.
I am thankful for my teachers, those that I have met in person and those I’ve met only through their books.
I am thankful for the friendliness of strangers—clerks in the stores and people on the street who smile at me or chat with me as I go about my errands.
Most of all I am thankful for God’s love and His mercy. 


Pages: 206
Genre: Juvenile Mystery/Adventure
  
Introducing I Get a Clue
From almost the nanosecond California preteen Libby Carlsen arrives in Edinburgh , Scotland , to live with her grandmother, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Someone is trying to sabotage the local bakery. And this is not the only mystery in Libby’s life. When you are nearly twelve, there are a lot of mysteries--making new friends, dealing with your family, adjusting to new places, having new responsibilities and wondering if God is really interested in you and your life. Libby hopes she can figure some of this out. I Get a Clue is the first book in the –from My Edinburgh Files series. We All Get a Clue is the second book in the series.
Excerpt from I Get a Clue
[Gran] hugged me again, then picking up one of the suitcases led the way up the stairs. Mags followed. I sniffled my way to my duffel bag and telescope. Squatting down, I locked the telescope case and began shoving clothes into the bag.
“Aye, Susannah, it is troublin’.” I overheard Mr. MacLeod say. “A question, if you will. Did you notice anyone other than a guest in the car park last evening?”
“No, I can’t say that I did,” she said. “But I had no need to come to this part of the house. We had no late arriving guests.”
“Would you ask your mother if she noticed anyone?”
“I will. Are you thinkin’, Jock, that someone could be responsible for the [van’s] breakdown?”
“Libby, will you come on!” Mags shouted from the first landing.
I picked up my duffel slowly. I wanted to hear Mr. MacLeod’s answer, but he must have become aware of me. He and Aunt Susannah moved down the steps. I glanced over my shoulder. They were still talking, but their voices were too low for me to hear what they were saying.
I did see their faces. Aunt Susannah looked shocked and a little scared. Mr. MacLeod shook his head, his beard wobbling. He reminded me of my dad when he was trying to solve a puzzle and something didn’t make sense.
Buy Link
Reviews
"I loved this riveting mystery set in Scotland , with so many details that I felt transported to Edinburgh . But it was Libby--the spunky and caring heroine--who kept me turning pages. This well-crafted book is a real treat. Libby's next adventure is definitely on my reading list!" -Pamela Walls, author of "Abby and the South Seas Adventures"
“…I Get a Clue is well written with brisk action and minimal violence. The plot includes an interesting setting, strong characters and a nicely done mystery that the girls will love.” Glenn Haggerty, Christian Books for Tweens and Teens
“… brilliant images, well crafted characters and authentic dialog are all so compelling that I was caught up and on the airplane to Edinburgh along with Libby and Mags in no time. … It was not long before I was cringing with Hird's central character Libby as she valiantly took on the challenge of balancing adolescent awkwardness with adapting to a whole slew of Scottish quirks and differences. Just like Libby, I was also bursting with curiosity about the mysterious goings on … I Get a Clue is a real winner for all ages …” Amazon Review
About the Author
Nancy Ellen Hird is a mom, a writer and a credentialed teacher. (She taught seventh grade and preschool.) Two of her published works for children are Marty's Monster and Jessica Jacobs Did What? As a journalist, Mrs. Hird has written for a number of magazines. She is a member of the team of reviewers who write for Books 4 Christian Kids.
Nancy says about her novel for girls, 10-13:  “The seed-idea for I Get a Clue occurred on my first trip to Edinburgh , Scotland . I was traveling with my husband and his college students who were performing in a play as part of the Festival Fringe. The tour manager booked my husband and me into a wonderful B&B. Our room was at the top of the house. From the moment the room’s door swung open and I saw its dormer window with the treetop view, I imagined a young girl living in the room and loving it. ‘What if,’ I asked myself‘the young girl was an American and only just arrived from California ?’  And so entered into my mind Libby Carlsen who is nearly twelve and ‘big’ sister, Mags.”

19 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great experience. I enjoyed your post.

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    1. Thank you. I think sometimes writing is a lot about the experiences that it takes to get the words on the page.

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  2. I love mysteries! The first books I cleaved to were Nancy Drew mysteries. I couldn't get enough of them. I still read them from time to time as adult. Good luck with your series!

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    1. Thank you. You are not alone in your affection for mysteries and Nancy Drew. For a class on writing I taught, my co-leader and I did a survey of children's reading preferences. Nancy Drew was at the top of the list for upper elementary grade girls.

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  3. Nancy, You're so right! Challenging oneself is a scary experience. But oh, how it makes us grow! Nice your husband had such faith in you.

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    1. I thought it was nice too. He thought it was nice that I noticed and told him so. :)

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  4. What a wonderful post, Nancy! I so enjoyed reading the inspiration behind your book. Your husband is a treasure! All the best and Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Thank you for saying so. I think it is interesting what inspires a writer. Places have a strong impact on me, but then I trained as an actress. The sets and the costumes often help us theater-types get inside a character.

      Tom is a treasure. (I'll tell him you said so. He'll like that.) Happy Thanksgiving to you.

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  5. Sounds like a compelling novel for teens and 'tweens and we can certainly appreciate that trip to Scotland on your own for the background. Best wishes for continued success.

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    1. Thank you. I fell in love with Edinburgh the first time I went. I always have an adventure when I go. I think I'm one of the most unlikely candidates for having adventures, but that doesn't seem to be how it goes. My MC, Libby, doesn't go looking for adventure, but it finds her and she handles it. I wanted kids to know that they can adventures in the real world as well.

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  6. You do have so much to be thankful for, especially your husband. I'm glad your solo trip to Edinburgh went well; had I known you at the time, I would've assured you it would. When I was younger (in my twenties) I almost always traveled alone overseas, and I had some of the best experiences of my life! Your book sounds interesting. Wishing you much luck with it!

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    1. Thank you. Yes, he is and I will let him know you said so. Happy Thanksgiving! Know that we're already cheering for you and your future trip.

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  7. A lovely post==and What a great guy your husband is! Kudos to you for your stepping up alone. I hope to do that one day soon! Happy Holidays

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  8. Interesting post. I agree. Sometimes it takes a leap of faith to see what you are made of.

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  9. Wow! Love your husband. You have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

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    1. Sorry, Barbara, I also have adventures in cyber space. Such adventures I think are more challenging than going to a different country by oneself. If a person can do cyber space, that person can go anywhere and be just fine. :)

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  10. Tom sounds like a keeper but You know that! Beautiful post. I visited Edinburgh all too briefly.

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  11. So fun to hear about your story, Nancy. It brought back to me the feeling of being a pre-teen and coming home from the library “rich” with a bunch of Nancy Drew and other mystery books to read. If we just stop to notice, we are “wealthy” in so many ways!

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