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I recently released my
first ever middle-grade novel. I’m so incredibly excited and proud…it was
about 20 years in the making.

I wrote Peter
Little Wing (book one of an upcoming series of four novels for readers
8 and up) shortly after my first visit to Aotearoa New Zealand. I went there as
a pre-wedding honeymoon with my then fiancé, now husband, Kevin. To say this
place was inspiring—the gorgeous landscape that one can only attempt to capture
in photographs and video, the wildly fascinating creatures (mostly birds!), and
warm, friendly people (who often call themselves kiwi—after their national
icon, the kiwi bird)—it had my imagination bursting with possibilities. The
characters came first, and their locations: the New Zealand National Aquarium
in Napier, Hawke’s Bay’s art deco town, and the facility next door called
Marineland (which I called Marine Rescue in the book). These were to be
critters from captivity, but their quest would see them stranded in the
wilderness, that much I knew. 

I crafted a story of
adventure—a quest to save the grandfather of a kiwi named Peter, but I also
infused the book with truths about a real place. And the characters were all
real and very unique animals, often endemic to New Zealand. I want readers to
find out about this wonderful place and the creatures who inhabit it, while
they’re whisked away on a journey that these uncommon and endangered creatures
take—an adventure not dissimilar to the one Kevin and I embarked on all the way
back in November of 2003.

And so, it came to be
that a story about Peter, a captive
Southern Fiordland tokoeka kiwi, and his friends from the National Aquarium and
Marine Rescue—Onion, a little blue penguin with an inner-ear imbalance; Tim, a
tuatara with Generalized Anxiety Disorder; and Rangi, a kea with clipped
wings—and their quest through the unfamiliar wilderness of New Zealand in
search of three ingredients needed to create an elixir to cure Peter’s ailing
grandfather, Nandy Enzo, flowed out onto my laptop screen. After years of rewrites,
submissions, notes from editors, publishers, and beta readers, more revisions,
and lots more rejections, I found a home for Peter Little Wing, and
the book is out in the wild!

Together, this
unusually diverse group of friends traverse the length of the South Island of
Aotearoa, all the way across the Cook Strait and back home to the North Island.
They learn what they are all capable of in the wild of the wop wops, and what
the world beyond the “Walls of Shadows” of Peter’s habitat is all about.
And I finally had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs—the digressions,
and the main but multiple paths—of taking a book from inspiration through to
publication, and now beyond.

Allow me to share a bit
of the story with you now…specifically, the second half of Chapter 1. It should
give you an idea of where the story goes from
there. 

An excerpt from the second half of Chapter 1:

“We
can’t expect much help from the humans. They just don’t know what’s wrong—”
Nandy Enzo sneezed and a shiver like ice ran along Peter’s spine. Nandy’s
brown, wilting feathers swelled, then fell again as he heaved a sigh.

Peter
swayed on the spot. He opened his beak as he searched his mind for words.
Nothing came out.

“I’m
just a bit knackered is all, don’t fret. Come back later and we will sing some
stories…” And his grandfather was asleep.

Peter
turned and climbed out of the burrow, his cheeks burning and his insides
churning. As he breached the den hole,

Peter was
met by the rest of his kiwi family. They circled around and watched him
closely. He explored the expressions on their faces—their collective gaze was
heavy.

Peter
opened his beak. “I…I didn’t know what to say to him.”

Bess
rushed up and put her neck around his in an embrace. “You didn’t have to
say anything.” Her voice shook.

Peter
pulled away. “I should have said something while he was still awake.”

“It’s
all right, Peter.” Uncle Lloyd took a step towards him. Peter did not find
his uncle’s hesitant tone reassuring.

“I
thought I could be braver than all our kiwi ancestors from Nandy’s
stories.” Worry ate at the edges of Peter’s skin. “When it really
mattered, I couldn’t say anything.” Shame drizzled from the top of his
head to the tips of his toes like an electric sweat.

“Hmph!”
Ms. Elsa sniffed, interrupting whatever reply Bess might have given. “I
doubt the humans’ foul medicines jammed into the side of his beak or injected
into his thigh, or anything fancy like that will cure Enzo. No, no! It didn’t
work for Louis, so it won’t work miracles now.”

Peter
bristled upon Ms. Elsa’s mention of his father. “But there must be
something we can do.” Peter held back a glare as an anxious pick stabbed
at his heart.

“Us?
A heap of captive kiwi? I suppose a young upstart like you will succeed where
even our human caretakers have failed. Ha!” Ms. Elsa snorted, dislodging a
bit of dirt from her nostril, sending it through the air towards the burrow. It
landed neatly along the top rim of the entranceway.

Peter
couldn’t help but peek at it with a sideways glance. Normally, he would have to
stifle a chortle, but this time the mood felt too somber. “But you just
said their human medicines aren’t going to work!” Heat inflamed Peter’s
face. He struggled to keep his voice even.

“The
boy’s right, on that count.” Ms. Elsa was apparently oblivious to her
dirt-booger projectile. “The humans are ignorant. We’re going to have to
figure out a way to tell them what Nandy Enzo requires.”

“How
in the name of Nature are you going to do that?” Lloyd’s voice rose with
every word he spoke. “You going to walk up to a human when they come in to
do maintenance and just natter at them? Think they’ll know what you’re on
about?”

“What
do you suggest?” Ms. Elsa puffed out her aging feathers. They vibrated
with hostility.

“It’s
just silly is all. I don’t have any idea what we should do.”

Aunt
Myrtle joined in, a hint of sarcasm tainting her voice. “That’s very
useful.” She then turned her attention to the fussing and grooming of
Uncle Lloyd’s feathers, despite his protests.

Peter
sighed loudly. “Do you know what he needs?” There was a significant
pause while Peter waited. “What would you tell the humans to do, if you
could?”

Ms. Elsa
cocked her head. She scratched at the ground with two of her toes, making
circular patterns in the earth, while Peter’s patience grew thinner. Then she
hummed a tune. Peter thought he might have recognized it. Had he heard this
tune while inside his egg? Did Nandy Enzo used to sing him to sleep this way?
Ms. Elsa snapped her head back up, and her beak wagged. “It’s a matter of
ingredients.”

“What
ingredients?” Peter took a quick step forward.

“That’s
the difficult part. The song is from the time of our ancestors from the wop
wops. It’s been going
round and round in my head for days, now. It must have
the answers we need! But none of you have ever seen or smelled the items
mentioned in this song. You were all born in captivity. I haven’t likely,
either. So, I do not know the names for these ingredients, boy.”

Peter’s
gizzard rose at Ms. Elsa’s mention of never having smelled or seen items from
the wild. Peter’s secret surfaced in his mind, but his heart sank. “What
good is that to us, then?”

“Now,
now, boy, try to be patient! Patience is a virtue every winged creature on the
islands should have in abundance. Patience and caution. Caution and precaution.
Precaution and prudence and vigilance. Constant vigilance!”

Peter
felt his eyes roll and quickly stared back at the ground. He lifted his face to
Ms. Elsa again. “Is there anything you can tell us about the ingredients?
Any clues?”

“Yes,
yes, of course, boy! Now, let me see…it’s a rhyme in three verses. We’ve all
heard it. Haven’t the foggiest what it means, but I’m sure it’s
important:”

Remember
kiwi, when under the weather,
Take this mixture in perfect measure:
Meal from the dust of the oily wood tree, Gold-banded stabber-folk make remedy
Bid farewell to the germs on your insides,
Say goodbye to the bugs on your outsides.

Peter was dumbfounded by the sing-song lullaby.

Suddenly,
Bess chimed in. “Yes, I’ve heard this! You used to sing it to me,
Mum.” She nuzzled against Aunt Myrtle’s side and proceeded to sing the
second verse.

Add the
muscle of this animal chest,
With colours bright as sunset in the west. Grind its stone armour and extract
you’ll find, And salt from the ocean for gizzard to grind. With vitamins,
you’ll be rejuvenated,
From lethargy, you’ll be liberated.

Aunt Myrtle picked up the tune:

Gather the petals of the crimson bloom, Collect its dust ‘fore the
stabber-folk consume. Petals like star bursts stem the bleeding,

Fine powder
dust gives pain no feeling. Stir and warm each item overnight,

And then
you will find that all is put right. “And that’s all.”

“That’s
more like a riddle than a nursery rhyme,” Peter muttered. Might as
well just retell old history tales to Nandy and see if that does him any good.
“How is anyone supposed to figure that out?”

“Don’t
be a hard case, boy. You’ve far too much bitterroot in your blood for such a
young one.” Ms. Elsa snorted.

“But
the humans won’t recognize these ingredients.” Bess glanced at Peter with
a glint in her eye that told him arguing would do no good. “Humans aren’t
in touch with The Deep Understanding. They’ve drifted away from it.”

“Oh,
she’s right,” said Uncle Lloyd after a prolonged but not unusual absence
from the conversation. “They never see what’s right in front of
them.”

“I’m
not sure we’d do better. How would we recognize anything outside of our
habitat?” When Bess glanced at Peter again, he thought of his adventures
she was helping him keep secret. A song he often heard playing throughout the
Aquarium during the nights of his escapes jumped to mind.

Hit the
trail, down an old dirt road.

“That’s
just fine. I’ve always said it’s too dangerous out there, anyway. Best to stay
in here where we belong.” Ms. Elsa’s eyes flashed over Peter. He felt a
sting in her stare. Did she know about his nighttime escapes?

“Look
now, how does any of this help my Da? We can’t just let him cark it…”
Lloyd’s voice trailed off.

The rest
of the family continued to squawk on about the terrors of the world outside and
all the fearful things they’d find if they were out among the non-captive
creatures of the wop wops— the ingredients Nandy Enzo required surely
being just as dangerous in some unknown way.

Peter
stalked off, allowing the dilemma to sink in without the pressure of the
family. He knew that there was no way to communicate these needs to the staff
at the Aquarium. Even if they could, the humans wouldn’t make any sense out of
these clues. They were only human beings, after all. An idea gnawed at him,
returning him to his memories as a chick.

***

“I
should like to go outside on a real adventure to the wop wops—out into the
middle of nowhere.” Young Peter quickly suppressed a yawn.

“Perhaps
someday you shall, Peter Little Wing,” replied Nandy Enzo. “But
remember this—captivity is not a bad place. Inside can be good in some ways and
bad in others, but so can the wop wops. Whether you are captive or wild, always
listen to the voice inside you with an unfettered heart. It will tell you what
you need to know with a clarity that Ms. Elsa’s tall tales never will!”

Peter
watched his Nandy Enzo chortle and sigh between drooping eyelids. Nandy pushed
in more warm feathers and twigs around him, then he whispered to Peter one last
time before sleep sped him away to the land of dreams.

“Ah,
little one. If only your parents had lived to see what a brave and intelligent
kiwi you are growing up to be.”

***
…Shoved off, the song continued to play in Peter’s mind…on my
own.

l have to
unriddle the riddles. l’ll go into the wop wops and

find the
ingredients. But l won’t go alone. 

Get your copy of Peter
Little Wing directly from my website (especially if you want a signed
copy!): https://www.reganwhmacaulay.com/peter-little-wing.html

…from Pandamonium
Publishing House: https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/peter-little-wing-pre-order-for-february-6-2023/

 …and anywhere online,
including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Little-Wing-Regan-Macaulay/dp/1989506658/ref=sr_1_1?crid=380CJPPZKLGM5&keywords=Peter+Little+Wing+by+Regan+W.+H.+Macaulay&qid=1674148126&sprefix=peter+little+wing+by+regan+w.+h.+macaulay%2Caps%2C76&sr=8-1

Regan W. H. Macaulay is a multi-award-winning author of novels,
short stories, children’s literature, and scripts.

Writing
is her passion, but she’s also a producer and director of theatre, film, and
television (Triple Take Productions). She is an animal enthusiast as well, which
led her to become a Certified Canine and Feline Massage Therapist (Kuri K9
Massage).

As an
author, Regan spins fun-filled tales with whimsical characters that charm and
delight readers. Her carefully crafted narratives, filled with enchanting characters,
offer new vocabulary and gentle wisdom.

Each
adventure portrays unique animal characters and weaves in teachable moments.

Regan
hails from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she lives with her husband, Kevin,
Chihuahua Raxl, Siamese cat Jacobi (Jack), and an assortment of amphibians and
fish. 

Her award-winning
picture books include Mixter Twizzle’s Breakfast, Beverlee
Beaz the Brown Burmese (and Beverlee la chatte de Birmanie), Sloth
the Lazy Dragon, and Libby the Lobivia Jajoiana (all from
Mirror World Publishing), Merry Myrrh the Christmas Bat, Tamara
Turtle’s Life So Far, and Chloe the Unfeathered Parrot (Pandamonium
Publishing House), and Dog Band (Iguana Books).

She also writes books
and short stories for adult readers, including her Trilogy of Horrifically
Half-baked Ham: Space Zombies! (based on the feature
film Space Zombies: 13 Months of Brain-Spinning Mayhem! available
on DVD and Amazon Prime), They Suck, and Horror at Terror
Creek.

Find Regan:

Website: https://www.reganwhmacaulay.com/  

Don’t forget to
subscribe to my monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/686921778797/freeflashfiction

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reganmacaulay?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reganw.h.macaulay/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regan.macaulay/

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YouTube
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7V0ndozKJlL4wBr4oHWlQ

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regan-macaulay-18989a34/?original_referer=

This is an easy
casserole that may be prepared the day before and warmed up on a busy day when
dinner should be quick and easy. A box of rice tucked in the pantry is always a
great idea. Changing the flavor makes it your own personal recipe. I’ve made it
with a can of stewed tomatoes and a bit of garlic. You’ll find your own
favorites to add. Summer sausage gives this dish a Southern flavor. Don’t
forget to call out at least two y’alls before the first forkful. 

Preheat oven 350° F.

Cook rice as
directed on package, set aside. 

Sauté onion, peppers
and sausage until meat is browned. Drain. Stir remaining ingredients, except almonds, with
sausage mixture; turn into 9 X 13 baking dish. 

Bake 30 – 40
minutes. Sprinkle with almond slivers then serve. 

Here is an intro to Janis’s romantic cozy mystery for your reading pleasure.

Snapshot Suspicions is an adventure with Abby, beautiful, vagabond wildlife photographer, and Adam, ruggedly handsome, millionaire protector of the environment.

A dangerous wildlife mystery requires the close attention of Adam and the local sheriff as Abby deals with two hired goons stalking her with a grudge. Basking in the rosy contentment of their love, Abby and Adam must trust each other as they encounter the first rift in their relationship. An engaging puppy presents a conundrum and a terrifying incident.

Abby discovers she can enjoy photographing subjects (AKC) other than wildlife and delights in setting up her own office, while Adam breathes a sign of relief when Abby makes a permanent commitment. Could she finally be thinking of a life time pledge to him?

If you love time travel romances, as well as dunking cookies in your coffee or tea, I’ve got a treat for you today. I’ve asked my good friend (and fellow time travel writer) Stella May to join me in my virtual kitchen, and whip up something special for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. Whether you share these tasty morsels with your loved one, or savor them for yourself, love is truly in the air, and in your stomach. Wink. Please welcome, Stella, while I put on a pot of coffee and preheat the oven…

This is my hubby’s favorite cookie. I must admit it is mine, too. I hope you like them as well. My recipe makes 10 – 12 medium cookies or 7
– 8 large ones. 

Pre-heat oven to 250° F. 

Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Pour egg whites into a glass bowl. Set your mixer on
high speed. Whip until whites are very firm. 

Gradually add sugar, almond extract, and flour. Drop
dough onto cookie sheet using a tablespoon or a scooper. Add an almond on top
of each cookie, then set pan into oven. 

Bake for 20-25 min, then turn off the oven, but leave
cookies inside for another 40-45 min. 

Remove and enjoy. 

*Store the yolks in
the fridge to scramble for breakfast the next morning.

Here is a peek at
Stella’s time travel romance novel for your reading pleasure. 

One key unlocks the love of a lifetime…but could also
break her heart. 

Nika Morris’s sixth sense has helped build a successful
business, lovingly restoring and reselling historic homes on Florida’s Amelia
Island. But there’s one forlorn, neglected relic that’s pulled at her from the
moment she saw it. The century-old Coleman house.  

Quite unexpectedly, the house is handed to her on a
silver platter—along with a mysterious letter, postmarked 1909, yet addressed
personally to Nika. Its cryptic message: Find the key. You know where it is.
Hurry, for goodness sake! 

The message triggers an irresistible drive to find
that key. When she does, one twist in an old grandfather clock throws her
back in time, straight into the arms of deliciously, devilishly handsome Elijah
Coleman. 

Swept up in a journey of a lifetime, Nika finds herself
falling in love with Eli—and with the family and friends that inhabit a time not
even her vivid imagination could have conjured. But in one desperate moment of
homesickness, she makes a decision that will not only alter the course of more
than one life, but break her heart. 

’Til Time Do Us
Part
is available in Kindle and Paperback at AMAZON. 

Talented author Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website. 

The discount code for February’s promotion is BIRTHDAYBASH. To make this even
easier for my amazing readers, here’s
the link for the sale which automatically applies the discount, along with the
QR Code below it if you wish to use that:

https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com?cc=BIRTHDAYBASH

The year, 2024, also marks the 10th Anniversary for my
publisher, Mirror World Publishing, which is a big deal in my humble opinion,
and quite an achievement. Why, you ask? Well, since I’ve been a published
author, I’ve witnessed many publishers who’ve closed their doors through
bankruptcy or failed business practices, and left their authors to find other
publishers or alternatives. Many authors never did, and some had a hell of a
time getting their rights returned to them. I feel grateful for connecting with
Mirror World Publishing when I did, as the publisher I was contracted with shut
down in 2015. Call it kismet. Call it fate. Call it destiny. It was totally
meant to be, and I applaud my publisher for keeping up with the times, and
choosing their brand wisely. Kudos, Justine, Robert, Sabrina, and Rhiannon!

If you’re interested
in a journey to Atlantis or Fairy Falls, check out the covers and blurbs for
each book featured
at Mirror World Publishing’s online bookstore. You never know. Maybe you’ll get an intuitive hit of living in
Atlantis in a past life, or have a nostalgic feeling of visiting a small
tourist town like Fairy Falls where anything is possible. Wink.

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis
(Book #1):

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and
her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they’re given a
choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week
crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in
the overgrown back yard. The arch isn’t a forgotten lawn ornament but an
ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen
by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers–legendary time travelers sworn to keep
history safe from the evil Belial–Amanda and her classmates are sent on an
adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band
of teens? If they don’t, then history itself may be turned upside down.

Legend of the Timekeepers
(prequel):

Lilith
was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of
Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith
and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has
no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to
her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.

Summoned
through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith
and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that
will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the
Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy?
If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.

The Last
Timekeepers and the Dark Secret (Book #2):

Fourteen year-old Jordan Jensen
always considered himself a team player on and off the field, until the
second
Timekeeper mission lands him in Amsterdam during World War Two. Pulled into the
world of espionage, torture, and intolerance, Jordan and the rest of the
Timekeepers have no choice but to do whatever they can to stay one step ahead
of the Nazis in order to find and protect a mysterious book.

With the help of the Dutch Resistance, an eccentric
baron, Nordic runes, and an ancient volume originating from Atlantis, Jordan
must learn that it takes true teamwork, trust, and sacrifice to keep time safe
from the evils of fascism. Can Jordan find the hero within to conquer the
darkness surrounding the Timekeepers? If he doesn’t, then the terrible truth of
what the Nazis did will never see the light of day.

The Last
Timekeepers and the Noble Slave (Book #3):

Eleven-year-old Drake Bailey is an analytical
thinker and the genius of the Timekeeper crew. However, no logic or
mathematical acumen can change the color of his skin, or prepare him for this
third Timekeeper mission in antebellum Georgia. To survive, Drake must learn to
play the role of a plantation slave and when confronted with the brutality,
hatred, and racism of the deep south, he’ll have to strategically keep one move
ahead of his sadistic captors to ensure his lineage continues.

In a dark world of Voodoo, zombies,
and ritualistic sacrifice, the Timekeepers must ensure a royal bloodline
survives. Can Drake remove both literal and figurative chains to save both
himself and a devout slave girl from a terrible fate? If he can’t summon the
necessary courage, humanity could stand to lose one of its greatest leaders.

Lost and Found,
Book One: Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls:

The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter
is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico
cat named Whiskey
—a shelter
cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will
be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals
set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers
to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears
them, loud and clear.

Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet
town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community
hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear
her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities
necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals
becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help
them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie
Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the
shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers
that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will
be silenced forever.

Blackflies and Blueberries, Book Two:
Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls:

City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of
psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by
touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death,
seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep
his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in
Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an
uncertain future.

Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a
senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her
going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her
murder.

Through Hart’s psychic
power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the
corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and
Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the
true essence of Fairy Falls forever.

Remember,
this fantastic deal won’t last long! Plus, I can’t think of a better way to
ride out the forecast that Mr. Groundhog gives us than relaxing with a good
book, a comfortable chair, and cozy blanket. Unless you live in the southern
hemisphere and get to enjoy reading by the pool or at the beach. Keep warm (or
cool), and I hope you choose to escape to the past and have a blast with me,
this February! Cheers, and thank you
for taking the time to celebrate my birthday month with me. I appreciate you!