Carole Marsh Blog

You never know...

Who you might find still hanging around the pool— like Mary America, First Girl President of the United States, obviously catching up on some top secret eyes only files, and, from the looks of the piggy bank, considering how to balance the budget?  Local actress, Anna Bridgeman, posing for photos for our Mary America book for girls website. Hmm, now do you dare tip the prez in the pool? I think her Secret Service special agent is standing just out of camera range!

WHO WILL BE...

THE SECOND GIRL PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?

As you can see, Mary America is the FIRST girl president of the United States!  You'll just have to read the opening of the book...to see how that comes about.   Mary is an orphan, has a very high IQ, and is 12-years-old.  Not to fret, the nation is in good hands! 

We've had a lot of pre-orders for this book from some of our best distributors, libraries, and young readers (meaning their parents ordered the book!)  One Dad speculated, "I want to read the book myself and see how Mary got to be president because I have

The Mystery in the Smoky Mountains

The real mystery, to me, is remembering, I think, that it's Smokey Bear and Smoky Mountains—I still have editorial heart failure every time I see SMOKY instead of SMOKEY.  Nonetheless, the Blue Ridge Parkway celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and the Smoky Mountains, America's oldest mountain range as I recall (that's why it's so worn down in humps and not standing tall in witch pointy hat style) and every holler is filled with Appalachian history, mystery, legend, lore, clog dancing, corn lickin' good cornpone and more. In my new The Mystery in the Smoky Mountains, I try to cram it all in, but truly, you could write mysteries forever and galore set in this complex, beautiful, spooky landscape.  I can smell the rhododendrons steeping in the sun now; have picked blackberries big as Bob's thumb on the ridges, and spotted "foxfire" in the

The Mystery at Cape Cod

What kid doesn't like a mystery set at a beach?!  Bob and I spent some time on Cape Cod when he was in the Army Reserves and left me at Buzzard's Bay while he was on duty.  I fell in love with Sandwich glass, the Woods Hole Oceanic Institute, all the quaint little sandy towns, and more that make up the famous Cape Cod.  If you can't go to the beach, the next best thing is to read about the beach, the coast, especially if a mystery is involved.  The Mystery at Cape Cod should make kids wonder, "What's a cape" What's a cod?  And so is this a fish in an overcoat?"  Well, that sounds like something silly Grant would say, anyway.  I think I'll keep this mystery a mystery for those brave enough to read it.  Any takers, kids?!

The Mystery of the Lost Colony

That's the name of one of my new Carole Marsh Mysteries, just released. Now, this was a story I could chow down on since I lived in coastal North Carolina for a long time and really got hooked on the history, mystery, legend and lore there, which is long, wide, and deep! We all know Plymouth Rock and those other stories, but Eleanor Dare (brave pregnant woman!) and others came to the shores of the New World more than 400 years ago.  They wanted to establish a real colony, the kind with families, including newborn baby, Virginia Dare.  What they found was heat, cold, forest so thick you could not see thru them, mosquitoes the size of dinner plates, oysters the size of a man's forearm (that's big!), and Native Americans. When Virginia's grandpa and others

I'm so excited!

My six newest Carole Marsh Mysteries have just arrived. The weeks I get to hold my “real,” finished books in my hands are just about the most exciting weeks. I’m sure all authors feel this way. After months of researching, writing and editing, I get to finally share my newest books with readers. This is why I write and what I love so much!!

These books are each about a great American place, with locations that are spread across the United States. I got to visit places from Cape Cod in the north to the nearby Smoky Mountains, as well as three great locations in the west. Here’s a list of my

GA GA OVER YA YA?

Ohhhh, I am getting into YA (Young Adult) paranormal books.  I grew up loving Rod Serling (anyone that old?) and all such spooky stuff.  My Pretty Darn Scary mysteries branched out with a little more mysterious settings, literary language, in depth characters, and I really enjoyed.

However...I just now see that YA is fraught with booby traps!  Publishers Weekly recently reported that an author had been "disinvited" to the Teen (YA) Lit Festival.  Apparently, her well-regarded and popular books for this age level cover tough stuff subjects like teen prostitution, meth addiction, etc.  As I read it, a very few educators and parents, as in very, very few, objected, and the writer was deep-sixed.  But, aha!...the plot thickens...

A number of fellow writers dropped out of the conference in protest of what they called censorship and

Summer at the School Box!

I love all my school supply/teacher stores...is there a more colorful, joyful place than a teacher store?!  Here in Peachtree City, we have Peachtree City Education Station, a lovely store, and I used to give gift certificates there to my daughter-in-law when she was teaching.  I manage to visit school supply stores as I can when I travel.  I think my most "far away" ones were in Alaska and Bellingham, Washington!  This summer, the amazing School Box chain, in and

Workshop Wrap-Up!

 We had some talented writers turn out for Carole's writing workshop Monday night - including a 14-year old writer who has submitted over 31 chapters of fan fiction to his favorite website!  Carole passed along gobs of information and tips about how writers can build a framework for a book to make writing more

Serendipity School Visit

I have been blogging in on Clyattville, Georgia (near Valdosta) Elementary School's Gifted students' blog...hosted by teacher Lynn Tessin.  They are avid Carole Marsh Mystery fans. When Bob and I began to prepare for our trip to Orlando to Ed Expo, I said, "I think that school might be on the way!"  Sure nuff, it is just five miles and one great country cookin' diner off I-75.  So this am,