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I can't resist a rollicking-good ghost story, and neither will your middle-graders when they open author Sandra Bennett's newest Australian adventure, A Lighthouse in Time.
This second book in Bennett's Adamson Adventures Series can be read as a stand-alone tale. But you'll also want to check out her first book, Secrets Hidden Below. This book is shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Book of the Year Awards 2019 and long-listed in the children’s category of the 2019 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards. Scroll down to learn about the author's new middle-grade adventure, meet Sandra (you'll adore her!), read excerpts from her book, catch my interview with her, and find my Catly review of A Lighthouse in Time. Happy tales! 
A Lighthouse in Time, by Sandra Bennett
About the Book
Title: The Adamson Adventures 2: A Lighthouse in Time | Author: Sandra Bennett |
Publication Date: August 2019 | Publisher: Elephant Tree Publishing Pty Ltd | Pages: 168 | Recommended Ages: 8-12 * Elephant Tree Publishing | SandraBennett.com * 
Excerpt: A Lighthouse in Time, by Sandra Bennett
Zac doesn't believe in ghosts. He's never seen scientific proof of their existence. Clare is skeptical but open-minded to the possibility. She likes the idea of ghosts and fairies, even angels. Luke is convinced they encountered a ghost at Caves Beach. He's determined to lead his brother and sister on a ghost hunt through the ruins of an old lighthouse on the point at Cape St George. Join the three Adamson siblings on their second adventure as they discover a ghost desperate to save her father and an evil spirit just as determined to do anything to stop her ... and the Adamson kids! Follow clues along with Zac, Clare and Luke, as you learn about shipwrecks that crashed off the New South Wales South Coast. Stay close as they search for a long-lost ship's manifest, a lighthouse keeper's journal, and dark secrets within a lighthouse lost in time. 
Excerpt: A Lighthouse in Time, by Sandra Bennett
Q & As with Australian children's author, Sandra Bennett
Cat: What inspired you to write this book?
Sandra: Inspiration came from camping holidays on the South Coast of New South Wales when my boys were young. We discovered the old lighthouse, Caves Beach and Wreck Bay, perfect backdrops for an irresistible ghost story. Cat: Are the Adams kids based on anybody you know? Sandra: The Adamson children are based on my own three boys, but the story changed as I wrote. For instance, I initially had three brothers; however, I decided to add a girl, so I developed Clare as the second sibling. Cat: Is your ghostly lighthouse legend based on local lore? Sandra: Very loosely. I was inspired by local stories about people who lived near the old lighthouse during the 1800s. For instance, Wreck Bay got its name from the many ships that crashed along its rocky shores, confused between the bay’s two lighthouses. Cat: You write convincingly about spelunking. Do you explore many caves? Sandra: I love exploring caves, particularly ones with stalagmites and stalactites. The caves at Caves Beach do not go back very far. Weathered from storms, you can walk into them, but not nearly as far as you can in my fictional caves. Cat: Ever had a close encounter with a shark? Sandra: Only in an aquarium. I like safety glass between me and a shark, thank you very much. Even though our beaches are patrolled daily for sharks, I have never seen one. That doesn't mean you should take safety for granted. Sharks are out there, especially at feeding time, dusk and dawn. Cat: Favorite flavor of ice cream? Sandra: Cannot resist Pavlova or chocolate mousse. Pavlova is a meringue topped with cream and fresh fruit, typically strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, or kiwi fruit), and sprinkles of grated chocolate. Yum! Cat: Favorite author? Sandra: I'm reading Pirate Boy of Sydney Cove, by Jackie French, one of my favorite Australian authors. It's a swashbuckler set in the early 1800s and stretches from England to Australia and the giant waves of the Southern Ocean in between. Cat: Favorite book read growing up? Sandra: I treasure my box set of C S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. I dreamed of finding a wardrobe that would to lead me to a magical world like his.
Cat: What one place would the Adams siblings take American children on a first visit to your home town in Canberra?
Sandra: Since the Adamson kids like exploring, they would take American kids out of the city into the surrounding mountains to visit waterfalls and the remains of old satellite tracking stations. Plus, they’d explore bush walking trails and perhaps bump into some of our amazing wildlife.
Cat: What one place would the Adams siblings take American children on a first visit to your home town in Canberra?
Sandra: Since the Adamson kids like exploring, they would take American kids out of the city into the surrounding mountains to visit waterfalls and the remains of old satellite tracking stations. Plus, they’d explore bush walking trails and perhaps bump into some of our amazing wildlife.
Cat: What else might readers like to know about you?
Sandra: During school visits, students frequently ask why I want to be an author. Teaching literacy has always been my passion, and reading aloud to my class was the highlight of my day. Sharing that love of reading by writing my own stories was a natural progression for me. Through writing, I can help kids build reading skills, share wonders about the rest of the world, and develop their imagination in fun and creative ways.
About the Author  Sandra Bennett
Sandra Bennett is a Canberra-based children’s author. She has published four children’s books, and her stories have been featured in several anthologies.
In late-2019, her work will appear in two more anthologies, and her new graphic novel will be featured in Library For All’s literacy program that serves children in remote and rural South Pacific communities. Her first book in The Adamson Adventures, Secrets Hidden Below, has been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Book of the Year Awards 2019 and is long-listed in the children’s category of the 2019 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards. When not writing, this retired Primary School teacher and mother of three boys is often seen walking her dog, roaming the hills around her country property outside Canberra, and having fun plotting her next story. One of Sandra’s newest pastimes is playing with and reading to her new grandson, who is her greatest and most lovable distraction.
My Review
The second in the Adamson Series by Sandra Bennett, A Lighthouse in Time is a ghostly mystery set in an exotic-to-me Australian National Park.
Narrated in first person by the eldest Adamson, Zac is the impatient, no-nonsense brother, who clearly leads the siblings. Bennett enriches each child with distinct personalities and tosses in just enough good-natured bickering to make thetrio’s relationship realistic and fun. I wish Claire were portrayed feistier rather than as the mothering sister, who is often afraid as her brothers forge ahead, but she holds her own as the mystery unfolds. The author imbues Time with an intimate sense of place of its oceanside Australian setting:
"Out the back beyond the break,
the bay was almost like a pond. White fluffy clouds floated across the sky, with no sign of any storm brewing... A pod of dolphins played in the distance." North American readers also learn delightful new words, like brekkie (breakfast) and swimmers (swim suits), as well as how to surf a boat to safety on stormy waves. Bennett thoughtfully provides a glossary of special terms at the end of the book. The author shines as she adds layers to the ghostly mystery the kids must solve to lift an ancient curse before their vacation ends. No spoilers, but action accelerates and frightening apparitions appear to heighten suspense, but they won't give young readers nightmares.
Stylistically, I prefer shorter paragraphs for young readers, especially for breaking up long narrative passages and separating them from dialogue. This is a minor distraction I overlook because of the story’s strong action and engaging plot.
A Lighthouse in Time is a crackling-good ghostly yarn that will keep kids turning pages to uncover the identity of a long-dead baddie and lift a century’s old curse. Highly recommend Sandra Bennett's adventure for both boys and girls ages 8-12. 
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Have I got a middle-grade, fantasy/adventure for your Friday the 13th here on Cat's Corner. (But discovering this exciting new tale is nothing but good luck for kids, promise!)
I'm pleased to partner with Sage's Book Tours and introduce you to the Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God, by Tyler H. Jolley. Love that this story's protagonist, a feisty girl who's sucked into an action-packed quest through one of the most unique portals you'll find. Read on to discover our plucky heroine's five companions, read an excerpt from the book, and meet the author. Happy tales! 
About the Book
Title: Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God Author: Tyler H. Jolley | Publication Date: September 2019 | Publisher: Tyler H. Jolley | Pages: 61 | Recommended Ages: 8-12
* Amazon US * After Alison Liv Isner is sucked into an old globe that sat on her father’s desk, she wakes beside a campfire in a lush jungle, surrounded by five talking animals. She quickly realizes these are the same friends her mom wrote about in her expedition journal. Now, at only eleven-years-old, she has the opportunity to complete her deceased mother’s unfinished expedition in the Temple of the Monkey God. With her new found friends, a monkey, a fat rat, a bat, a burro with a piranha in a mason jar tied around his neck, Ali decides to face the treacherous booby traps inside of the temple and save the monkey idol from an evil group called The Geese. As she learns more about her deceased mom through her adventure journal, Ali and her friends realize the book is the key to lead them through the tunnels of the dreaded Temple of the Monkey God. If not, their lives are at stake and Ali will be trapped in the expedition realm forever.
Excerpt
“Here we go.” Ali stepped into the dark opening. Cool, damp air tickled her nose. It reminded her of the inside of a trunk her dad had accidently left in the rain. The next week when they’d opened it, the moldy smell was pungent. Just a few feet in, light from the entrance cast itself at an angle on the opposite wall. Everyone had sidled up next to Ali. “What are you thinking, human?” Figgy asked. Ali shrugged. Chicaletta rummaged through the pack on Figgy’s rump and produced a metal-handled flashlight. Ali tripped just as Chicaletta flicked on the light. Ali looked down at what she’d fallen over. A skeleton with rotted clothes. She screamed. Suddenly, a huge, square stone as wide as her father was tall and at least two times her height crashed from the ceiling and blocked the entrance. Trapped. Glenda’s high-pitched scream nearly deafened Alison Liv Isner. Chicaletta whipped around and pointed the flashlight at the stone blocking the door. Ali tried to speak but couldn’t find her voice. Adrenaline surged through her veins. The stone wasn’t just blocking the door, but it was also a weapon. Spikes of varying lengths jutted out at them from the rock. Ali shook her hands, trying to calm her nerves. “What now?” “We’re trapped,” Tristan said. “We’re going to die.” “Never mind him,” Bait said. “Ignore me all you want,” Tristan said. “But one day I’ll be right. Probably.” “Chicaletta?” Ali walked toward Figgy’s pack. “Do you have another flashlight in there?” “Yes,” Chicaletta said. “But we should save the batteries.” “Just light one of those bones on fire,” Tristan yawned. “What?” Ali nearly yelled. “It’ll be fine, watch,” Tristan said. He scurried over to the bones. “Hey, skeleton, do you mind if we use your femur?” He held his pink hand up to his ear. “Skeleton, if you don’t want us to use your leg and clothes, speak now.” The skeleton didn’t move. Tristan turned back to the group. “See? He doesn’t care.” Ali looked to the others for guidance. “I’ll fish out the flint,” Tristan said. “No offense, Bait.” Ali walked toward the skeleton with trepidation. But, Tristan was right, after all. Any adventurer would wish to be useful, even in death. “I guess,” Glenda swallowed hard, “it should be okay.” Chicaletta blinked and nodded at Ali. “Hurry.” Ali knelt next to the skeleton and wrapped her hands around its leg; she closed her eyes and cringed. The femur was the largest bone and came free easily from the hip joint. She wrapped the tattered clothes around the end just as Tristan scurried back with a flint and steel. Ali struck the U-shaped steel against the flint, and sparks fell toward the old cloth. It smoldered, and she blew on the embers. Flames encompassed the cloth. It cackled to life, illuminating a modest space in front of her. Between Ali’s torch and Chicaletta’s flashlight, the tunnel was still fairly dark. The temple felt more like a cave. Musty air permeated the ten foot high stone tunnel. A hideous scraping sound of stone on stone grabbed their attention. The large block with spikes slid toward them. Slowly, at first. Then with momentum. “Run!” Ali waved her torch toward a tunnel. “This way.” The block slid forward with spikes inching closer to Ali and her friends. But then it momentarily stopped, caught on the dry skeleton. Bones crunched and twisted. The skull had become wedged. The spiked stone lurched, and the skull exploded, filling the room with white dust behind them.
Meet the Author
,The author's debut novel, EXTRACTED, came out in 2013 with Spencer Hill Press, and has been a Spencer Hill Press Best Seller, as well as an Amazon Best Seller. PRODIGAL and RIVEN, the second and third books in The Lost Imperials Series, were released in May 2015.
News Flash
Beyond excited to share with YOU... Sweet T and the Turtle Team is one of 10 finalists being considered by Wind Dancer Films for adaptation as a movie or TV film. AND
Turtle Team
scored its 4th award for excellence in children's books with a silver medal - animals category - from Readers' Favorite Book Awards. 
Photo: Canva
Excited and proud
to be recognized by Readers’ Favorite and Wind Dancer Films!
Still feeling numb here.
I was catching up on emails after being off the grid on vacation when the Readers’ Favorite announcement unexpectedly popped up on my screen.
I’d been hopeful I might place in its book awards division ...
Photo: 2019 Readers' Favorite Book Awards
,,, but I never expected the additional honor of being a finalist in its Wind Dancer Films contest. Couldn’t stop my hands from shaking all morning! Sweet Hub had to scrape me off the chandelier -:D 
Photo: 2019 Readers' Favorite Wind Dancer Films Winners
For me, entering a writing contest is usually a last-minute decision after an exhausting convo with myself.
Confident Cat: You should definitely enter your book.
Scaredy-Cat: I don’t know. So many writers enter. What chance would I have? CC: You won't even place if you do nothing. What’s the problem? SC: Too many deadlines. No time to pull it together. Cost factors, too. CC: Prioritize and make it happen. SC: Maybe I could try. CC & Yoda: “No! Try not! Do or do not, there is no try.” Sweet T and the Turtle Team has scored 4 accolades to date for excellence in children’s literature. It has taken me 4 books, 6 years, stacks of rejections, and countless hours of ... blogging writing editing re-writing marketing wanting to quit sleepless nights and burning out more times than I care to admit to reach this point. For you, dreamers, lonely and toiling to away. Wondering if anyone is paying attention Ever noticing what you're doing.... Don't give up! 
Photo: Unsplash
Beyond grateful to YOU for reading my books and keeping me company on my writing journey!
Before you go.....
What I know about horses:
I also spent a weekend at Tanglewood, a working horse farm in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Join me on easy hour’s drive down US1 from my writing den to explore that unique equine community and discover juicy factoids for Rosie’s and my WIP. 
Photo: UnSplash
Horses are BIG animals.
They can sense energy from humans around them.
 An equine-looking chuckle
And still others like to laugh.
Horses often wear
fly masks for protection from pesky insects that plague them. Mischievous horses even figure out how to remove those masks!
Horses don't like to be petted
on the front of their faces. Would you like it if somebody pat you on your nose? Since horses can't see your hand if you pet their nose, you will startle them, too. 
Dappled gray grazes at Tanglewood Farm
Horses are exhilarating animals. 
On the trail at Tanglewood Farm in North Carolina's Sandhills
And caring for them is a joyful labor of love. 
Photo: Newborn - courtesy of Dancing Horses Farm
Putting it All Together
Now for the synthesis of researching and writing! Have a peek at how Rosie and I weave our discoveries into this draft scene from our work in progress: Our protagonist, Olivia, and her friend, Isabella, introduce new girl Candace to Olivia’s horse, Lucky. ***
“I was explaining the best way to pet a horse,” Isabella said, “but before I could finish, Candace reached over and petted Lucky in that small blind spot in front of his face. It startled him, so he bucked sideways.”
“There now, boy,” Olivia crooned, moving to Lucky and stroking him gently alongside his neck. “Candace is just trying to be friendly.” “Your horse doesn’t like me,” Candace blurted. “He’s mean.” “He’s just not used to you. It’ll take time for him to know you, that’s all,” Olivia said. “Yeah, right.” “Try a friendly horse handshake like this, Candace.” Olivia suggested. She stuck out her hand with fingers held down and slightly bent. “Hold your hand like this near Lucky’s nose. That way, he can smell your hand and get to know you.” Unconvinced, Candace kept her distance, hands clasped securely behind her back. Draft scene excerpt from Cat and Rosie's WIP ***
Your Turn
What's your experience with farm life or horses? What tidbits might you share about rural living and equines that Rosie and I could use in our tale? Any feedback on that draft scene above? (Hey, please contact me if you'd be interested in being a beta reader once our 150-page book is done this winter.)
Credits:
All photos by Cat Michaels or Hub except where noted Most grateful to Tanglewood Farms, Southern Pines, NC, and Dancing Horses Farm, Port Orchard, WA, for generously sharing their equine knowledge. 
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 Cat MichaelsBlogging about books, writing, family life, travel and more good stuff. Meet Cat
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