#DarleneFoster

#GuestDayTuesday – #DarleneFoster – #AmandaInScotland – #TheStandingStones

/ Marcia Meara / 68 Comments

It’s #GuestDayTuesday, folks, and today our special guest is Darlene Foster. I know you’ll enjoy Darlene’s post, so please welcome her to TWS. Darlene … take it away!

Thanks, Marcia!

Interview with Amanda Jane Ross by Darlene Foster
~~~

I would like to welcome intrepid traveller, Amanda Jane Ross, to Marcia Meara’s radio show.

DF: Hello Amanda. Welcome to the show. I understand you have just returned from a visit to Scotland.How did you enjoy It?

AR: It was awesome! I spent a week on the Isle of Arran which has everything the whole of the country has. It’s called Scotland in miniature as it has highlands and lowlands.You are never far from a beach and there are all kinds of wildlife like cute red squirrels.

DF: What took you there?

AR: My bestie, Leah Anderson, has an aunt who lives on the island, and she invited us to spend some time with her. She lives in a really cool old house. I already knew Aunt Jenny because I met her in Malta and she took us to France too. She is a cool aunt.

DF: You sure like to travel. What is one of your favourite places?

AR: Oh, I don’t have a favourite place. I love every place I visit. I like trying new food and learning about the history and meeting the local people. My teacher tells me that I get a better education travelling than she could ever teach me. I always share my experiences with the class when I return.

DF: You always seem to get involved in a mystery wherever you go. Why is that?

AR: Well, I don’t do that on purpose. It just seems to happen. There wasn’t going to be any mystery to solve this time, but a woman from the past kept showing up. At least she seemed like she was from the past. I did touch the standing stones, hoping I would be transported back in time. That didn’t happen, but someone could have come though to our time. I mean, you never know, do you?

DF: No, you never do. Do you have any other plans to travel.

AR: My cousin, Taylor, is marrying an Irish girl and they asked me to be a junior bridesmaid. The wedding is going to be in a castle, in Ireland! I’ve never been there before so I can’t say no.

DF: Sounds like fun. Thanks for taking the time to be on the show, Amanda. Happy travels.

Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones

Blurb:

What could possibly go wrong on the magical Scottish Isle of Arran? It’s such a peaceful, charming place with castles, mountains, old graves and ancient standing stones.

Amanda Ross and Leah Anderson are visiting Aunt Jenny who owns an old house on the island. But something is not right. A mysterious woman, who seems to have stepped out of the past, keeps appearing, Leah’s father hasn’t contacted the family for some time, and Aunt Jenny’s house may have an uninvited guest.

Amanda is intrigued by this picturesque island, often called Little Scotland. She watches exciting sheepdog trials, attends a lively ceilidh, makes friends with the locals, and visits the mystical Holy Island. Join Amanda as she tries to solve the mystery of the strange woman and the disappearance of Leah’s father. Will the past catch up with the present?

Short Excerpt:

Amanda grunted lifting the heavy metal bar to open the gate. She tugged at it but it wouldn’t budge. The muddy ground caused her to lose her footing. She slipped and fell—face down in the sticky mud. As she looked up, she saw someone running through the trees. A woman in a white cap and a plaid shawl. The woman from the past.

Author Darlene Foster

Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now an award-winning author of the children’s Amanda Travels Adventure series, and divides her time between the west coast of Canada and Orihuela Costa, in Spain.
Social Media:

Website: www.darlenefoster.ca
Blog:  https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermegawoman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

 

#FiveMoreThingsYouMayNotKnow About Author #DarleneFoster

/ Marcia Meara / 118 Comments

Hi, Everybody! It’s time for another #FiveThings post, and I’m very happy to say today’s guest is author Darlene Foster. Darlene’s post has a few surprises in it, and I know you’re gonna enjoy every word of it. With that in mind, let’s get going. Darlene, that’s your cue: Take it away! 😀

Thanks, Marcia!

Number 1
I was a mother at seventeen, a grandmother at thirty-seven and a great-grandmother at fifty-eight. I look forward to meeting my great-great-grandchildren some day. It’s fun being a young grandmother and having the energy to do all kinds of things with the kids.

 Number 2
I can listen to a number of conversations at one time. A result of growing up within a large extended family where everyone spoke at once. It’s a great skill to have. I once worked in a bull pen and managed a group of cold callers. I was able to listen to all their conversations and assist if anyone needed help. It’s also good for eavesdropping at dinner parties or on the bus and perfect for collecting material for stories.

Number 3
I was raised in a German speaking home, I attended school in Canada where French was part of the curriculum, and I live in Spain for the most part, but I speak very little of any language other than English. What is wrong with me? I guess I am just not very good at learning and retaining another language.

Number 4
I have never been very good at sports and don’t enjoy participating or watching sports. However, I did try kayaking when I lived on the outskirts of Vancouver and found I rather enjoyed it. I didn’t do ocean kayaking but paddled in the quiet delta and bays. I found it relaxing until one over-zealous instructor took us into more dangerous waters. That was the end of that.

 Number 5
I have always been a bookish child and while everyone else was busy playing hockey or baseball, I preferred to have my head in a book. Once, when I was a teenager, I took a book along on a date in case he was boring. My mother was mortified. Needless to say, it was the one and only date with that fellow.

There you have it, I’ve spilled the beans. Perhaps it was more than you wanted to know about me. Thanks, Marcia for this opportunity!

Author Darlene Foster

Brought up in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing stories, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. It’s no surprise that after a number of interesting jobs, she’s now an award-winning author of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky 12-year-old Amanda Ross who loves to travel to unique places. Readers of all ages enjoy travelling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. When she isn’t travelling herself, Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot. She believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true if they´re willing to step out of their comfort zone.

Darlene’s Latest Release

Buy You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie HERE

BLURB:

A collection of short stories inspired by growing up on a prairie farm in the fifties and sixties. Some of the stories are humorous and others sad, but all heartfelt. Stories about family life, cowboy wisdom, immigrant grandmothers, an inspiring teacher, and the arrival of a new sibling are part of this collection of tales from another time and another place. Proof that you can take the girl from the prairie but you can’t take the prairie from the girl.

 

See all of Darlene’s Books HERE:

Amazon.com Author Page
Amazon.ca Author Page
Amazon.co.uk Author Page
Kobo Books

Find Darlene on Social Media HERE:

Website  |  Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook 

 

#GuestDayTuesday – #AmandaJaneRoss via #DarleneFoster

/ Marcia Meara / 69 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone. I’m very happy to share a wonderful post with you today, featuring Darlene Foster’s beloved character, Amanda.  I know you are going to thoroughly enjoy the things Amanda shares with you, so let’s get right to it. Amanda, it’s your turn, now!

Hi! This is Amanda Jane Ross.
            Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog, Marcia. You probably already know that I love travelling to interesting places. My curiosity gets me into trouble sometimes, but I always meet interesting people and learn fascinating new things. What you maybe didn’t know is that I enjoy collecting recipes from the places I visit. I’m an only kid and my parents work a lot. So I do much of the cooking. They are happy to eat whatever I make them.
            I like to read, and I read a lot. Can you believe, I even read cookbooks? And I love visiting graveyards. My friend Leah thinks I’m a bit strange.
            Leah Anderson is my BFF and we travel together. We met in the United Arab Emirates where we had a great time. We got lost in the desert, were chased by bounty hunters and even encountered a sandstorm, but I got to ride a camel named Ali Baba which was so cool.
            Leah thinks I’m a bit too impulsive and curious. I like helping people, like the young girl we met in Spain who needed help to get her pony back from nasty horse thieves.
            Leah invited me to visit her and her parents in England, that’s where they’re from. Wowza, was that ever exciting. We visited amazing places like Windsor Castle, Hampton Court and the Isle of Wight. I loved being up close to all that history I’ve been reading about since, well – since I could read. We had to find a missing vintage novel which took us to some creepy places.
            So I invited her to visit me in Alberta. I thought it would be boring but she loved it! Go figure. We went on a cattle drive and bought cowboy boots together. The Calgary Stampede was fun and so was visiting the dinosaur museum in the Badlands. Too bad about that mean cowboy who wanted a rock I found and followed us wherever we went.
            Then, we all went on a cruise down the Danube River. I can’t believe I was able to tear Mom and Dad away from work to go on a holiday with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. We saw so many great places in Germany, Austria and Hungary and I ate tons of apple strudel. We all had a good time but I had trouble keeping that precious violin safe for the homeless musician I met. It was hard to know who I could trust at times.
            Leah didn’t come with me to New Mexico because it was a school trip. I went with a new friend from class, Cleo, who was spooked about seeing ghosts. Some weird things happened on that trip and now I’m not sure if I believe in ghosts or not.
            I was excited about going to Holland to meet Leah and her dad. We saw lots of tulips and windmills and found an abandoned puppy! Then Leah sent me a postcard from Malta. I had a funny feeling she was in trouble so I went there to help her out. Malta is a great place, you should go there sometime.  We’re going to France next. I love adventure but I promised Leah I would stay out of trouble this time.
            We’ll see.

You can buy Amanda’s latest adventure,  Amanda in France, HERE

 

Author Darlene Foster

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories about a young girl who travels to interesting places. She is the author of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Darlene has a house in Spain where she writes full time. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, she enjoys spending time with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia.

Reach Darlene on Social Media Here:
Website
Blog  
Facebook
Twitter
My Amazon Author Page

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Darlene Foster

/ Marcia Meara / 121 Comments

I hope you guys are enjoying this series as much as I am, because I don’t foresee it going away any time soon, especially with all the great guests we’ve had so far. And today is another list from a really super blogger and writer, Darlene Foster. I know you’ll enjoy it, so let’s get started. Take it away, Darlene!

(NOTE: Just heard from Darlene, who is traveling and can’t respond right now. She said she’s enjoyed reading all your comments and will be responding herself as soon as she’s home. That gal DOES do some serious traveling, as mentioned in her Ten Things List. 😁)

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Darlene Foster

  1. I’m very short, barely graze 5 feet. What I lack in height, I make up for in enthusiasm and determination.
  2. I have worn glasses since I was in grade three. I feel naked without them.
  3. I can’t swim, play the piano, milk a cow, or type. (perhaps all these things require the same chromosome) I have taken lessons to no avail, and drove my dad crazy when he tried to teach me to milk a cow.
  4. My favourite movie is Doctor Zhivago.
  5. My favourite book is Lucy Maude Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.
  6. I love shoes, books, animals, books, most people, books and chocolate.
  7. I enjoy cooking and baking and love trying different recipes.
  8. My middle name is Dale, after Dale Evans.
  9. I have ridden on the back of a motorcycle over much of Canada, The United States, England and Wales.
  10. I have explored the west coast of British Columbia and Washington State by boat, visiting most of the San Juan and Gulf Islands and venturing as far north as Desolation Sound.

Darlene at the Tower of London Some 40 years ago. (She claims! 😀 )

~~~

Author Darlene Foster

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch outside of Alberta. She dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now the award-winning author of a children’s adventure series about a travelling twelve-year-old-girl. A world-traveler herself, Darlene spends her time in Vancouver, Canada and Costa Blanca in Spain with her husband and amusing dog, Dot.

Find Darlene’s Wonderful Amanda Books  HERE

You can reach Darlene on Social Media Here:

Website  |  Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook