I was one of your Feb, 2008 winners. I received your book today. Thank you so much!

My pleasure! Thank you for letting me know you received it.

Linda

Hi and thank you very much. Katie and Kimble will soon be read by my grand daughter thanks to your generosity. I just won a copy! She'll be here tiomorrow, it's March break here, Can't wait to hear her response.
Again many thanks
Wendy

Thanks for lettiing me know you got the book, Wendy! Really appreciate it. I hope your granddaughter likes it. If she does, the second book in the series, Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish, will be out in print in about two weeks. I'm quite excited about it. In Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story, Katie's dad never actually finds out about Kimble, so that is the premise of the second book--how Mr. Russell finds out about Kimble and his reaction!

I was one of the runner up windows. i wanted you to know that we were thrilled to get a copy of your book and my daughter is enjoying it very much!

Thanks, Melissa! I'm so glad to hear your daughter is enjoying the book! She must be quite a reader if she is reading it already--you've only had it for a few days! Please invite her to post a comment or a question on the Katie & Kimble blog. I'd love to hear from her.

Linda

Linda, thanks for the story. I am one of rich's kids and I came accross this by googling my dads name. We are actually over my parents house for my dads 70th birthday today. I showed him the story and he really enjoyed the memory. He and my mom told me to ask how your family is doing.
Thanks Jim Rollins

Jimmy! So good to hear from you. Last I saw you, I don't think you were even out of diapers. Of course, I'm sure that has changed by now!

Happy Birthday, Rich! Where are you located these days? Nancy and I both live in Sioux City, Iowa. Mom is happily remarried, but Dad passed away in 2002. He always had such fond memories of you and Lynne.

Thanks for posting, Jim! And thanks for letting me borrow your dad! Give Rich and Lynne our love!

Linda

Hi my name is Marissa and i just wanted to say that I love your books!!! I started reading book 2 today and I could not stop. I am already on chapter 4 and when I finish this post I am going to read some more. You are a great author and I hope to see another book come out. :)

Hi, Marissa!

Thank you for your kind words! I am glad you like book 2! You must be quite a reader! I'll let you in on a secret: I hope to write book 3 this summer. It's going to be called Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door. You're the first one to know!

Again, thanks for writing. I hope you enjoy the rest of the book!

Linda

Marissa I am glad to see that there is another book. Also i am not much of a reader but when i read your books I seem like i just cant stop.

When I was a kid, I didn't read much. That was because I thought most of the books were boring. The trick is to find books that you like!

Thanks for posting!

Linda

Marissa most the time when I read a boring book i space out and I would have to start all over reading, but with wour books I just dont space out.

marissa what I ment to say was most the time I space out when I am reading a boring book, but with your books i dont space out.

Thank you, Marissa! That is quite a compliment!

I remember what I wished were in a book when I was reading as a kid. Then I try to make sure I include that in the Katie & Kimble stories. I also think it makes a difference if the reader really cares about the characters in the book.

Linda

I would hope to see more books after your 3rd book.
marissa

As a matter of fact, I have a total of 6 books planned out. So that means, after I write book 3, I will be doing 3 more books. After that, I will probably do more!

Thanks for the encouragement, Marissa. I appreciate it!

Linda

It would be cool if there was a movie
marissa

That would be cool! The neatest thing about making a movie from the Katie & Kimble stories would be that we could add music. In particular, I love the song called Graceful Ghost Rag. It always reminds me of Kimble. You can listen to it on the blog. Click on "Kimble's Song" on the right sidebar!

Linda

The song is cool I like it
marissa

I'm glad you like the song! I love it so much, I listen to it several times a week!

Linda

Dose katie have a song?
marissa

Gee, that's a good question! I never really thought of it. Kimble has a song and Mr. Russell has a song--because he sings it in book 2, as you know. I will have to keep my eyes and ears open for a song for Katie! Thanks, Marissa!

Linda

It would be cool if twinkle had a song to.

from marissa

Hi, Marissa! Now that you mention it, Twinkle sort of does have a song. Here is what I am thinking. Well, have you read the Kimble, Kimble chant? It's over on the right sidebar and also on the last page of the books.

Well, this chant almost fits into the melody of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." I especially like the part where it goes, "Twinkle, Twinkle, great big dog!" LOL

So, I guess, at this point, Twinkle's song is "Twinkle, Twinkle, Great Big Dog!" I thought that was kind of funny!

Linda

OH WOW that is soo cool
marissa

I was thinking it over and here is how the Kimble, Kimble Chant fits into the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. You CHANT the first two lines: Kimble, Kimble is a ghost. Katie, Katie loves her most!

OK, then you can either keep chanting, or you can start singing Twinkle, Twinkle, great big dog. And if you start singing there, the rest of the chant fits into the song perfectly! I did not even plan that! LOL. The first six lines of the Kimble, Kimble Chant just popped into my head one day!

WOW well that is cool! i love that. It is cool that it just poped into your head.
marissa

I agree! I never would have thought of doing a chant otherwise.

Linda

Well I am glad you did the chat. marissa

I think it's a neat idea, too! I haven't heard if anyone has tried doing the chant and making up hand claps to go with it yet. Did you try singing it to see how it fits into Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star? I've been doing that for 2 days now! LOL

Linda

Yes i have been doing that it fits perfictly it is so fun doing it. marissa

Hey, Marissa! I thought of a song for Katie! I always think of Katie when I hear "Down by the Old Mill Stream." My parents used to always sing it together when we traveled in the car. They would sing harmony. Very pretty. My explanation and a sample of the song are the main blog post today, thanks to you! (Well, I've got it set to go up in the morning!)

Linda

Well that is cool. It is also cool that you wrote about me on your blog by katies picture

Were you able to listen to the song? The one I posted is kind of a funny version!

Linda

yah I did it was cool, and funnie

from marissa. I keep forgeting to put my name.LOL

Oh, I'm glad you thought it was funny! Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks something is funny! LOL

Linda

Well your not the only one!!! marissa

Marissa--

Who is your favorite character in the Katie & Kimble books?

Linda

Well it is tied between katie and kimble. But the wierd thing is in a way i look like katie and my friend looks like kimble. marissa

Hey, that is kind of weird that you and your friend look like Katie and Kimble! I also agree with you that it is hard to choose a favorite between Katie and Kimble. I do, however, like Mr. Clem a lot! Katie's in all that trouble, and he's so friendly and making all those silly jokes! I laugh every time I read it!

That is cool. i sorta forgot about him

I know what you mean. The first book came out so long ago! LOL I hope I can get book 3 out faster!

I hope so to i am looking forward to reading it marissa

Well, in that case, I'll give you a little preview! In book 3, Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door, Katie makes a new friend. His name is Danny Garcia, he's 10, and his mom works with Mrs. Russell at the computer company. But, does Danny know about Kimble? We'll have to wait and see!

Linda

I can not wate, but is there any other ghosts besids kimble in the 3rd book?

marissa

Well, there is not exactly another "ghost" in book 3, but Katie and Kimble DO meet a very important "spirit teacher". She's Kimble's spirit teacher. And she's there to help Kimble with some things she doesn't know about being a ghost. I can tell you all this because it's in chapter 1!

Linda

OOH that is so cool. i wish i could read the 3rd book right now!! lol

marissa

Me, too! Book 3 has just been popping into my head like crazy today. I'm going to have to start writing quickly.

I wanted to make one correction to what I wrote in my last comment. Book 3 sort of does have some other ghosts--I mean, they are sort of like ghosts, but they don't get "stuck" like real ghosts get stuck!

How's that for a piece of information?! LOL

Linda

Thats pritty cool. what chapter are you on?

ahh i did it again from marissa!!! LOL!:)

Hi, Marissa!

I'm only in the middle of chapter 1, but I've got notes and more notes for the rest of the chapters. I've got about 2 more days on another big project I'm working on, and then I can start in with book 3. I can't wait. I'm chomping at the bit, just like a horse that wants to go faster but someone is holding it back! LOL

Linda

oh, i thought you were farther.lol

marissa

Well, it's all up there in my head! LOL

Linda

lol. I am just happy you are doing a 3rd book!!

marissa

Thanks! So am I! LOL The hard part is dividing it up into chapters. But, I am having a LOT of fun doing it!

Linda

YAH it must be a bit hard trying to make everything perfect!:)

marissa

Yes! That's exactly my problem! LOL I try something, then it doesn't work. Right now, I kept the first two pages of chapter 1 and I threw out the rest. I also threw out the beginning of chapter 2. The story will still be the same. I just need to WRITE it better! LOL

Linda

wow that seems like some hard work, but when you are done you are so prowd of your self. I once try to write a book in 3rd grade and me and my friend worked on it for a long time but then she moved an she took the story with her so i could not work on it. lol
marissa

Wow! You were writing a book in third grade! Too bad your friend took it with her when she moved.

Well, you've got me beat by several years. I started writing my first book in 8th grade. Never finished it, but my sister liked it! LOL

Linda

lol what was it about?

marissa!

Well, at the time, there was a TV show called The Partridge Family. It was about a family that had a pop band. You could also buy Partridge Family mystery novels. I read one or two of those, and decided to write one. Each chapter needed to end with something scary. And all the characters from the TV show had to be in the book. I know I got into the second chapter, at least. My sister said she thought the way I had written it, the characters sounded just like they did on TV! LOL

What was your book about?

Linda

My book was about me and a few other friends and we went back in the woods and sudenly we got lost and we had to eat all different typs of plants and we had to make blankets out of leafs and it talked about the trubles and adventures we went through.
marissa

Wow! That sounds like an interesting book! What a great idea. I'll bet that was fun to work on with your friend.

Linda

Yes yes it was we got to the 30th chapter then she moved so we could not work on it.
marissa

Wow. So many chapters! I think I'd try to get the book back. Maybe make a photocopy so you can each have a copy of it.

Linda

lol but the only problem is i dont know where she moved.lol

marissa

Oh, that's too bad! Still, how neat that you wrote a book! There may be another book in you some day! It kind of works that way. :-)

Linda

yah I have allways loved wrighting storys, like when i wright a poem it makes me jyst want to tern it into a book.lol

marissa

Oh, I know what you mean! I get that same feeling where I just want to create a story. It gets inside my head and swirls around and I take notes. Then, finally I try to organize it! LOL

Linda

yah like i just think of what a cool story would be and then i just start to write. and also i always think of cool movies to.lol

from marissa!

This is about the 4th time i have done this.

Hi, Marissa! Thanks for signing your name! LOL

(Sometimes I forget to sign my name, too. But since I run the blog, I can delete my post and re-do it!)

Do you keep a journal with all your story and movie ideas in it?

Linda

well mostly I remember my ideas but most the time i remember them.

marissa

Oh, you're lucky you can remember! I learned the hard way to always write everything down when I think of it. Some ideas just disappeared because I didn't write them down! LOL It's one of those "tips" on how to be a writer.

Linda

yah that happens some times with me and i hate it.

marissa

Did you and your friend draw any pictures to go with your book?

Linda

yes yes we did she drew some and i drew some and then we fixed each others

marissa

Hey, that's an excellent example of teamwork! Were you doing it as a homework assignment or were you doing it just for fun?

Linda

yah it is i guess when we wrote the story we used alot of team work!:)

marissa

What made you decide to write your story? I mean, why did you decide to do it? It's such a great idea!

Linda

Well I would allways get an 100% in writing and I loved to write and same with my friend and so we wrote a book.

marissa

I thought writing with a partner would be neat, too. At first, my sister and I were going to write Katie & Kimble together. But then she went back to college and finished her BA, and then she got her MSW. So she didn't have time. So Katie & Kimble became my project!

Linda

Wow thats cool I never new that. Yah it is pritty fun writing a book with apartner.

marissa

I was very excited today because I was able to write half a chapter of Book 3. The scene just popped into my head and I could see all the dialogue. So, I'm like, I'll just open up Word and type it all in right now! That's when writing is the easiest!

Only trouble is that I don't know which chapter it is! LOL Well, it's in there somewhere, I'm sure. ;-)

Linda

Well thats cool you got to write a half of a chapter. D you know how many chapters are going to be in the 3rd book.

marissa

Well, let's see. Book 1 had 11 chapters and Book 2 had 12 chapters. So, I'm hoping for 11 or 12 chapters in Book 3. This time around, I'm going by average number of words per chapter. I figured it up and taking the first two books together and then doing some math, the average number of words per chapter is about 1300. So that's a good guideline for me to follow.

Linda

Thats very exciting! I cant wait till the book comes out.

marissa

i have read book 1 but not book 2 yet but my friend keeps telling me i should so i guess i will.

ada

Hi, Ada! I agree with your friend. I think you will enjoy book 2. It has some surprises in it, I think.

Thanks for posting!

Linda

I think it's exciting, too, Marissa! It is so much fun to see a new story forming in my mind. . . , thinking about it and organizing it. And doing research so I get the information correct!

Linda

What do you do reserch on?

marissa

Oh, I do research on things like Kimble's religion. She's Jewish and I want to get that information correct. Then, let's see, I do research on the time in which she lived. Like what does Kimble know? Did they have cars back then? Did Kimble have a bike? Was it common for kids to have bikes back then like it is now? And then I also did research on what Kimble looks like. What kind of dress would she wear? How did she wear her hair? So, I like my information to be real. Thanks for asking!

Linda

Wow thats very interesting when i was writing my book i never did reserch. I gues In the future I will remember to do some reserch.

marissa

I think doing research for your writing is a great idea! That way, you can add details to your story that make it seem real.

Funny story--I had a friend read book 1 before it was published. And he said to me, here you have Katie land in a pile of leaves. And here, you say this is a PINE forest. Well, pine trees drop NEEDLES, not leaves! So, I'm like, oh yeah! And I changed it! LOL It's good to get the details right!

Linda

Lol and it is good to have some one chek the book you wrote, because if some one didnt the would publish somthing with a mistak like yours.

Marissa

So true! Another good writing tip for us writers to remember. Clearly, nature is not my strongest area! LOL

Linda

Yah me neither, so what chapter are you writing for book three?

Marissa

Hi, Marissa!

Well, yesterday, I sort of made up a bad outline. I just wrote down all the things I want to put in the book, but didn't put them in order. I guess the order will come later. At least, this way, I won't forget any of the parts.

I think tomorrow, I will work on chapter 1 again. I do know what is going to be in chapter 1 and at least part of chapter 2. Then after that, I have to organize the rest of it.

You know, with Book 1, the first thing I wrote was the last chapter! LOL. It just popped in!

Linda

Wow it must be hard puting all the chapters in order, but once you do that i know the book wil be great.

Marissa.

Well, I must admit that Book 3 seems to be a bit more difficult to organize than the other two books. I don't know why. But I'll have more free time to work on it now. I finished my other work yesterday. Yay!

So, Marissa, do you have a new story in mind that you think you might start writing this summer?

Linda

Well i am thinking about writing a book witg my best friend kacy.

Marissa

Oh, that sounds great! This time, maybe you can make photocopies so you each have a copy! Good luck to you!

Linda

hah that would be a good idea. We have a cuple ideas to write a book on do you want to heer.

marissa

Hi, Marissa!

I would love to hear your ideas. Will your book be fiction?

Linda

Yes it weill be

marissa

Will you be drawing pictures to go with your story?

Linda

i am pritty shore of it and me and my friend kasy might write it with my other friend kassie too.

marissa

Oh, gee, that sounds like so much fun! Make 3 copies! LOL What will your story be about? Have you decided on that yet?

Linda

Well actualy if the book is good i can send you a copy. and we are thinking of some ideas and it might be about us three, and were just going to start writing the book and see where we get. lol

marissa

That sounds like a good plan! Just go with the flow and see where it takes you. I'd like to read it. Make 4 copies! LOL

Linda

I will make 4 copies. I have allready started drawing pictures.

marissa

Oh, that's great! Can't wait to see them.

Hey, Marissa, have you tried clicking on the yellow stripes on the sidebars of the Katie & Kimble Blog yet?

Linda

No i have not, but i will try it right now!!

Marissa

So, what did you think?

Funny story about that. My mom and my new daddy were visiting the blog one day. They decided to click on the yellow stripes. However, they did not realize that one of the stripes was a dog barking and it scared them so much they almost fell out of their chairs! LOL

Linda

Yah i saw the dog barking, ant that is funnie that thay fell out of there chairs.

marisssa

I know! LOL. I think what happened was they had been listening to the music on the blog and they still had their speakers turned on. They thought a picture was going to pop up!

I'm trying to find a different dog sound. This sound is called a "big dog," but I still think this dog is smaller than Twinkle. I need a "great big dog!" hehe

Linda