ABOUT THE AUTHORKathryn Louise Wood is the author of the forthcoming Middle Grade novel, Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost. She was born in Washington, North Carolina and has deep ancestral roots in her home state which stretch back to the 17th century. She received her BS in Education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and, as a life-long learner and wearer of multiple hats, has worked as a teacher, social worker, television re-enactment actress, nationally certified massage therapist, writer, and award-winning photographic artist. Kate and her husband live in the lovely, historic town of Edenton, NC, and share their quirky, little 1890s cottage with their dogs and the memories of loved ones with whom they have shared their lives.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
From the moonlit canals of her North Carolina Outer Banks home to the mysterious dark pools of the Great Dismal Swamp, Zephyr Stone searches for answers to supernatural puzzles while navigating the quicksilver waters of middle school.
Twelve-year-old Zephyr's primary goal is just getting through school while drawing as little attention to herself as possible. Well, that, and surviving the boredom of a weekend without Internet connection. But Zephyr’s world is turned upside down and expanded in directions she never dreamed possible when she and her beloved dog, Sam, spend an autumn evening at her grandma’s house by the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia. At midnight, after Sam beagle-bolts into the night, Zephyr stumbles through an eerie milk-white fog searching for him. There, she encounters the 300-year-old ghost of a Native American woman who comes paddling in on a ribbon of moonlit mist. The apparition tells Zephyr she is her last hope and begs her help in finding her long-lost child. It's not only the peace of a restless spirit hanging in the balance, however, when the ghost’s phantom cat springs into Sam’s body and Sam’s spirit leaps into the ghostly canoe. Unless Zephyr solves the mystery by November's full moon, the ghost will be doomed to wander the swamp for eternity, her only companion no longer a cat, but a dog named Sam.
Facing the weight of three centuries of time and the sinister warnings of her grandma’s neighbor to not open that “Pandora’s Box,” Zephyr makes it her mission to track down the fate of the ghost’s little boy. From disappearing tombstones to genealogy research to a screaming, miniature, spectral tornado, Zephyr gathers her clues. As her experiences with the supernatural grow, she reluctantly accepts the idea that she’s becoming, what her Grandma June calls, a Ghost Charmer.
Twelve-year-old Zephyr's primary goal is just getting through school while drawing as little attention to herself as possible. Well, that, and surviving the boredom of a weekend without Internet connection. But Zephyr’s world is turned upside down and expanded in directions she never dreamed possible when she and her beloved dog, Sam, spend an autumn evening at her grandma’s house by the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia. At midnight, after Sam beagle-bolts into the night, Zephyr stumbles through an eerie milk-white fog searching for him. There, she encounters the 300-year-old ghost of a Native American woman who comes paddling in on a ribbon of moonlit mist. The apparition tells Zephyr she is her last hope and begs her help in finding her long-lost child. It's not only the peace of a restless spirit hanging in the balance, however, when the ghost’s phantom cat springs into Sam’s body and Sam’s spirit leaps into the ghostly canoe. Unless Zephyr solves the mystery by November's full moon, the ghost will be doomed to wander the swamp for eternity, her only companion no longer a cat, but a dog named Sam.
Facing the weight of three centuries of time and the sinister warnings of her grandma’s neighbor to not open that “Pandora’s Box,” Zephyr makes it her mission to track down the fate of the ghost’s little boy. From disappearing tombstones to genealogy research to a screaming, miniature, spectral tornado, Zephyr gathers her clues. As her experiences with the supernatural grow, she reluctantly accepts the idea that she’s becoming, what her Grandma June calls, a Ghost Charmer.
Message from the Author:
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Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. Since you’re here, it might just mean we have something in common.
Love of reading? Certainly. Fascination with the mysteries of life? Probably. Delight in dressing up in a costume and becoming a character for a day? Um...possibly (I can only speak for myself on this one! But it is something with which I have a lot of creative fun when the occasion arises—such as becoming Rita Skeeter for my town library’s Harry Potter Extravaganza). And I bet you like to eat, right? Me too! Go figure. But I also love to bake, and I see a direct connection between baking and writing. For both we need the right ingredients and then we must combine them in a way that transforms them into something tantalizing. I hope to meet with school groups in the future and have fun with students by having them help me to “Bake a Book!” |
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As a writer for middle grade readers, I am sensitive to the contradictions that so often fill their days—conflicting feelings of promise and insecurity, curiosity and confusion, the comfort of childhood and the excitement of approaching young adulthood. These emotional elements can be mysterious in their own right and are woven into the adventures of Zephyr and her friends. It’s not very hard to get in touch with my inner twelve-year-old self because she’s still a part of me; I honor her and all those children who are in that special time of life. I suspect the many adults who have their own child-selves solidly in place beneath the surface will enjoy my middle grade stories, as well.
On a final note, I feel that when reading the same book at the same time, we somehow connect on a kind of otherworldly literary plane. See you in the “Wordiverse!”
Kate
On a final note, I feel that when reading the same book at the same time, we somehow connect on a kind of otherworldly literary plane. See you in the “Wordiverse!”
Kate
Links:
Blog: https://kathrynlouisewoodauthor.blogspot.com/
Kate’s Giving Plate: https://www.facebook.com/KatePlate15
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/KathrynLouiseWood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathrynlouisewoodauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KLWoodAuthor
Email: [email protected]
Kate’s Giving Plate: https://www.facebook.com/KatePlate15
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/KathrynLouiseWood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathrynlouisewoodauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KLWoodAuthor
Email: [email protected]