Stories by Katharine Tapley

The blog over at ModCloth gave me this idea, and they even share some of my opinions.

My top ten favorite female literary characters (broken up over 10 separate entries).

10. (tie) Vida Winter and Margaret Lea from “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield.

Famous, dying Vida chooses quiet, young Margaret to write her biography. Two women with deep, secret sorrows. They love books more than than they love most people. They are fascinating women who love books with fascinating women in them. Walking through Margaret’s mind is both heartbreaking and comforting. Vida Winter’s life story is a spellbinding, almost gothic mystery. If you love Bronte and DuMaurier, give these ladies a read.

The ModBlog entry that gave me the idea.

Author page for Diane Setterfield.

Find your nearest independent bookstore or library.

Written by Deb Lund, illustrated by Howard Fine.

At the library a few days ago, while hunting for something new, I spotted the spine for this book. The title made me raise my eyebrows. Adding dinosaurs and trains is a guarantee that Sam will love whatever it is.

Boy did he! As soon as we got home, he asked me to read it twice. The art is excellent, very detailed. The book is written in rhyme, with a language that reveals the author knows what she’s talking about (when it comes to trains, anyway).  It’s funny, it has twists, and it’s the perfect length for a short story time…you won’t mind reading it twice in a row.

We’ll look for the other books from this team (and the artists as individuals), but I think Dinotrain will be our favorite. Sam shows no signs of outgrowing either infatuation anytime soon.

Here’s Deb Lund online.

Here’s Howard Fine online.

Find your local bookstore.

I’m actively hunting for an agent for “Melanie’s Gift”.  For those of you who don’t remember, here’s a sample of that art for it.  It’s the only black and white work that I’ve done so far, but the simplicity of it is what I like the most, and what I am hoping will appeal to potential agents.  It’s a first draft drawing, but I’m going to use a combination of charcoal and black sharpie for the finals.

Just too busy to post!

I was hired to write and draw about a little girl as a Christmas Gift. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a commission like that. I wrote it for a little girl who loves cooking and the Food Network, so I told of a future she’ll have as a world famous chef. Right now she uses her little brother to taste test.

My store at zazzle (see link on the side) did crazy good business this Christmas. I even had a corporate client for whom I designed their holiday cards. So these days it’s been more drawing than writing.

I’ve made some resolutions for the new year, though. I’m going to put together “Melanie’s Gift” and submit it. I’m still not finished with the illustrations for my big project. I see no reason for that to make me ignore my other work, though.

As far as the “Mighty T” stories go, I may have run out of ideas for Kindergarten T. I may do some baby T stories, though. We’ll see. It’s back burner at this point.

Thanks for sticking around!

I have been invited to read some stuff I wrote.

The first Thursday of every month, Adelle’s Coffeehouse in Dover, NH hosts Primal Tongues .

I’ll be going on between 7 and 8pm. I will be reading about some sassy little old ladies.

Here’s the address:

Adelle’s Coffee House
3 Hale St.
Dover, NH 03820
(603) 742-1737
http://adellescoffeehouse.com

I kind of hope I’m going on at 7, because the other featured reader is the writer of “The Simplest of Acts”. Melanie Haney is one of my favorite authors and it would be pretty dang intimidating to follow her.

Here’s a link to Melanie Haney’s book at amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Simplest-Acts-Other-Stories/dp/0557035902

I had intended to start a project similar to that of my friend, author Sam Costello. He’s doing 52 book reviews over the course of 52 weeks, each review consisting of 52 words. I was going to start it the week of Arwen’s first birthday, and take it to her second.

However, I honestly don’t think I’m going to be regular enough with library visits to do this, so instead I am introducing Library Finds. I’ll be reviewing books I was previously unaware of, that we find on our excursions to our wonderful local library.  They won’t be very regular, just whenever we happen to find them.

I will not be linking to the web sites of any particular online retailer, but I will include a link to the author’s information.  Also, every review will close with a link to a search engine for finding your local library (if you don’t already know where it is). Let’s face it, as much as we all love to read to our kids, none of us (at least no one I know) is rolling in disposable income these days, and public libraries are wonderful places to learn and relax for free!

Astro Bunnies: written by Christine Loomis, illustrated by Ora Eitan

Usually when I introduce Sam to a new author he’s not thrilled. Unfamiliar books gets pushed away with a “No.” and a familiar friend (Mo Willems, Dr. Seuss) is handed to me. Often it takes three reads of a book for him to figure out he likes it.

Today, however, I picked up “Astro Bunnies” by Christine Loomis and Ora Eitan. Outer space and bunnies are two of his current obsessions right now, so I figured it would be good, and the cover looked intriguing.

Sam. Was. Mesmerized.

With good reason.  When I say the art is “dream like”, I hope you know what I mean. It is gorgeous, both soft and sharp and deeply colored.  The rhyme of the story (Sam is picky when it comes to rhymes) is sweet and smart and not at all cloying.  It’s pretty straightforward.  Bunnies want to go to space, and do go to space.  They do the things that are done in space, and have a great time.  They fix things, and take notes for bunny scientists, and meet bunnies from other planets.  When they have done their Astro Bunny jobs, they come back home, happy.

Sam loved it.  We read it before we got home, and after I was done, he took the book in his hands and reverently gazed at each page.  We’ll be checking this book out again, and looking for more from these women.

Christine Loomis on Jacketflap!

Ora Eitan on Jacketflap!

Find your nearest public library!

are up not long after dawn.

They pack a thermos of tea, a sippy cup.
They don’t need to bring food.
Their breakfast is waiting for them.

The Berry Kings of New Hampshire
bring two big buckets and one small bucket.

When they are done, all are full.
The big one teaches the little one how to pick properly.
To gently roll the blackberries that are bigger than the little one’s thumbs.

The Berry Kings of New Hampshire
do not wear clean clothes.

They wear their Berry Shirts, with glorious purple stains.
Sometimes the little one doesn’t even wear bottoms.
His training pants crinkle crinkle crinkle as he crunches around the bushes.

The Berry Kings of New Hampshire
enjoy the morning sounds.

Birds and sometimes cicadas.
The excited squeals of the little one.
The big one’s voice explaining the plants they see.

The Berry Kings of New Hampshire
walk home tired and scratched.

Covered with grass and very happy.
They are checked for ticks and little hands are washed.
Berries are washed.

The Berry Kings of New Hampshire
make pies
muffins,
mash blackberries for the baby’s oatmeal.

They will do it all again the day after tomorrow.

I’ve been very busy with moving and babies, but I have been working on things. Here’s a sampling:

Many things have been in the air around me lately. Some of them have nothing to do with this site, they’ve just been delaying me getting more things done for this site. Ah, Life.

Be sure to check out Kate Made This, my store at Zazzle. We have great products for Mother’s Day (among other things).

The super powered burping baby is in the works as well. I’m not as happy with the illustrations as I could be. When I have time, I’ll tweak.

I was not selected for PEN New England’s Susan P. Bloom award. I’ll submit something else next year, perhaps.

We’re moving again, so the next few months will be even busier than the last few have been. Writing Mighty T (among other projects) has been placed on the back burner for a while. Still on the stove, though!

Something new.

A baby girl with super powered burps.

We’ll see what happens.