Carole Marsh Blog

MEET MARY AMERICA...

And her Secret Service Agent, Todd!

As you might know, I have a new book out: Mary America:  First Girl President of the United States! (She's an orphan.  She has an IQ of 146.  She's the leader of the free world and the commander-in-chief.  She's 12.) This photo is of our "real" Mary America, Anna Bridgeman, a local Peachtree City girl, and "Todd," her Secret Service agent, aka Pernell Arnold, our really, really good sport warehouseman!

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

Visitors!

I am always amazed when a family is "passing through" (not a good term since they often drive another hour or so!) and ask if they can "come meet Carole Marsh?!"  It is usually a Carole Marsh mystery book reader who instigates such a visit, and highly accommodating parents who decide, "that's a great idea!"  This week I had a visitor

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,

Good News at Gallopade!

Like other businesses, ours is suffering the ups and downs of the economy. It makes us sad to get letters from teachers who say they spend their own money for light bulbs and toilet paper...it makes us happy to get letters from kids who say they hated to read and now LOVE to read.  Good things at Gallopade are a sales rep planning for a summer wedding... eating lots of Girl Scout cookies...anytime we get to hire a

It is almost Census time!!!

National Census Day is less then a month away. So, as your 2010 Census forms arrives in the mail, take time to tell your kids the importance of the census. Gallopade has a handy tool that makes learning about the census fun too! CLICK HERE to see these terrific Census Kits. Also, take a tour of the Census Bureau's website, your kids will enjoy it too!