The Butterfly Adventure by Nancy Lorraine

When my grandchildren were young, one of my greatest pleasures was curling up with one or two or three of them and reading a story. They never became bored or restless and would remain engrossed in this activity as long as I was willing and able to continue.

Now I have begun assembling a box of special books for my great-granddaughter, as I know that my granddaughter, Gabby, will carry on the reading tradition. In this collection is an extraordinarily beautiful book, The Butterfly Adventure. I absolutely loved it, and I know that Gabby, who was particularly intrigued by butterflies as a child, will enjoy reading it to her daughter. Inspired by her own granddaughter, Ava Lorraine, and her garden explorations, author Nancy Lorraine’s love of nature spills out from every page.

As two female butterflies, Blue and Yellow, embark upon an adventurous garden tour, they learn about life in a very different setting than the one to which they are accustomed. They learn that even for colorful, gorgeous butterflies, dangers can be lurking in the most unlikely places and they need to be aware of their surroundings.

The advantages and blessings of friendship are also discovered, along with Blue and Yellow’s rapidly expanding knowledge of garden-based insects, flowers, and nature’s order.

A delightful, yet educational read, The Butterfly Adventure not only offers an appealing story, but spectacular, brilliantly shaded accompanying watercolor illustrations by Dorothy Herron. The brightly hued Impressionist-like pages are vibrant depictions of life in a garden, bathing the reader in the warm glow of colorful sunlit scenery.

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles--Cuddle up with your favorite youngster and read this book. It will likely become one of their favorites!

Book Description

Two young butterflies leave the comfort of their shady forest for the first time in Nancy Lorraine’s The Butterfly Adventure. Exploring a brilliant wildflower garden in full bloom, the butterfly friends encounter exotic new insects and flowers--but most of all--the butterflies discover the value of friendship. Beautifully illustrated with original watercolors, each chapter of The Butterfly Adventure makes lovely bedtime reading for both parent and child.

About the Author

Nancy Lorraine is the pen name for Nancy Lorraine Edelman. A master gardener, Nancy Lorraine spends time daily in her extensive backyard flower garden. It was in the garden that Lorraine first began to spin tales about insects and butterflies to the delight of her young granddaughter. Lorraine is a mother and a proud grandmother of eight grandchildren.

Nancy Lorraine Edelman

The enjoyment and conservation of nature has always been a passion for Lorraine. As a town councilwoman for a small South Carolina town, she led efforts to improve the quality of the town's coastal waters. She is a volunteer for the National Wildlife Federation and as such led efforts to certify the town as a community wildlife habitat. She also led efforts to establish a nature park in her community.

Lorraine retired after a 30-year career as a mental health professional. She counseled families and children in crisis and instructed graduate classes in counseling. She earned a doctorate in social work from the University of South Carolina.

See http://www.nancylorrainebooks.com.

Dorothy Herron, the illustrator for "The Butterfly Adventure," is an accomplished watercolor artist. Her art is available at fineartamerica.com.

Dorothy Herron

Visit Facebook/TheButterflyAdventure for photos and information about all the garden insects in the story.

Also, watch in fall, 2013 for a new release: Tatty, the Lonely Monarch by Nancy Lorraine!

 ***

 
Ever dreamed of visiting Italy? Travel with four non-Italian speaking ladies as they navigate three regions of Italy without a tour guide. This is a true story--a travel memoir that will touch your heart as you walk for miles in the shoes of Laura, Marianne, Sharon and Mary Anne. Treat yourself to a trip to Italy from the comfort of your beach chair or sofa! See http://www.awriterspresence.com for details and links to various book formats including Nook, Kindle and print!

 

A Soldier's Journey by George Graves

What was it like to be serving in the military in 1966?

In A Soldier’s Journey, George Graves tells us what he recalls about his military service experience, including time spent in Vietnam. I applaud his diligence in seeing this difficult task through to completion because I personally know several Vietnam Vets who would never voluntarily mentally or physically revisit this period of their lives. Wives of Vets who have experienced combat situations repeatedly report the frequency of recurring nightmares and cold sweats from which their husbands, even decades later, awaken. I have always been told, “Don’t even ask them about their time in Vietnam. Don’t make them have to remember.” And I’ve always tried to respect that, even with our closest friends who served.

A Soldier’s Journey chronicles Graves’ recollections without painting a graphic canvas of much of the ugliness that was later reported or documented in movies, but gives the reader a good sense of how frightening it was to be there, only feet away from enemy movement, with orders not to engage unless absolutely necessary. He also briefly covers one of the most devastating aspects--accidental death of one of our own by friendly fire.

I, personally, appreciated that most of Graves’ chapter headings were accompanied by a variety of quotes from Scripture--words which no doubt sustained him during this tour of duty in Vietnam and beyond.

A quick read, I devoured this book in a short time on a Sunday afternoon, comfortably seated in my beach chair with a light, welcome breeze blowing through my hair. I believe that it provides a gentle overview of this particular individual’s service journey and thank him for sharing his piece of the puzzle in our American history. I was relieved that the book was not a dissertation focusing on the atrocities aspect that so often accompanies Vietnam stories. We are aware that horrible, inhumane incidents occur in war, but do I want to read about it and visualize it? Not really.

I completely understand his sentiments of wishing he could have obtained his dad’s World War II memories before it was too late, something that cannot be reversed or fixed because there is no rewind. I felt exactly the same way about my dad’s war experiences because he was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed, and I never recorded his version of that event or his subsequent service on Guadalcanal and other locations--something I will forever regret.

Graves delivers a story that conveys the perpetual unease, what it is like to be facing potential death or dismemberment at any moment and the concealed emotional wounds from serving our country in a combat zone. God bless George Graves and all Vets for risking their lives to keep us free! We can’t thank you enough.

Book Description

11 months - 26 days, Always anxiety, Sometimes life, Sometimes death, Sometimes invisible wounds. George Graves relives his journey with this masterfully chronicled account beginning with AIT, (advanced infantry training for jungle warfare) and ends with the departure from Cam Ranh, Vietnam. Your mind's eye will see what he saw as his everyday experiences come to life: the tunnel in AIT, close call in the "3 holer," 12 on recon waiting for 3000 to attack, the TET offensive, and many more. If you watched MASH, don't miss this book. (Includes over 70 pictures). Amazon page:  http://www.amazon.com/A-Soldiers-Journey-George-Graves/dp/0988619482

In the words of George Graves:

“Writing this journey was not for the telling, but for the hearing.”

About George Graves

Husband, Father, Soldier, Author

Thank you to George for visiting with us today!

Do you want to write about your life experiences? Visit http://www.maryannebenedetto.blogspot.com for memoir writing tips and http://www.awriterspresence.com for information about 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing! I'll be seeing you soon with another great book and talented author.