Author: admin

I am terrified of chickens. Grandma Eller had a solution for my fear. “We’re going to collect the eggs.” Worst idea ever. These are the same chickens that gather around me in the barn yard, fussingand scratching. Scaring this poor little six-year-old girl out of her wits, they go, “Cluck, cluck, cluck!” And Mom wonders…

Do you know what warms my heart? Kindness in children. Witnessing their kind acts stays with me forever. Back in the day, tetherball was a popular game on the playground. The boysliked to slam the ball hard so no one else could hit it. The kids with disabilities had no chance in this game. Until…

Alexander Kent’s sailing stories piqued my interest in the Age of Sail. At Sydney Harbor, Ken and I ventured on a two-hour sail on a tall mast ship around the harbor. The wood ship was fascinating and intimidating at the same time. You know the ratlines, those rope steps? Let me tell you, those steps…

I don’t know about you, but if a character captures my heart or intrigues me, I don’t want the book to end. That’s why I like to read series. If I can’t find a new series, then I look for themes such as World War II novels with heroines which are my latest craze. I…

Losing a pet is hard. Our dog, Traveler, died over a year ago. I miss him every day. How many times did I pet Traveler, murmuring, “You’re a good dog, yes, you are.” Traveler will always be with us, not only in our hearts, but also as a character in my Sailing the High Seas…

Let’s talk about sea shanties for a moment. Sea shanties with their energetic call-and-response rhythm helped sailors work as a team. Now, not to typecast sailors, but being men in a men’s society during the Age of Sail, naturally their songs tended to be on the bawdy side. I tell ye true, Moi had trouble…

It’s no mystery why I chose Deaf Education as a course of study in college.Perhaps it was more that this curriculum chose me. The reason? At a young age it was discovered that I had severe hearing loss in both ears. No wonder the world was such a confusing place! Wearing a hearing aid with…

Kindergarten was a shock. School mystified me. Noise, rows of children in thehallways, bright lights, expectations… I had no idea what to do. My solution? I copied the other children: lining up with them, following them outside for recess, coloring the pages, looking at books, now that I liked. The teacher puzzled me. Her lips…

My name is Pat Gantz, and I am a new author starting the business, Stories byPat. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my new books for ages 9 – 12 which are coming soon. The Sailing the High Seas series, set in the 1780’s, is full of adventures andheart-warming moments. Sassy Blair Reagh…

If you haven’t guessed by now, I love books. One of my happy moments iswalking out of a new (to me) bookstore or museum gift shop with an armful of books. Ken, my husband, is happy to finally drag me out of there. My favorite bookstore in Anchorage is Tidal Wave. They stock more than…

In kindergarten, I was diagnosed with severe hearing loss. Soon after, I was fitted with a hearing aid for my right ear. A condition for me staying in public school was that I become a client at the South Bend Speech and Hearing Clinic. From ages 5-7, I enjoyed private lessons with Miss Berger. I…

Becoming a storyteller was an act of desperation. It started when I was fifteen, babysitting the neighbor kids. The first time his mother drove off in the car, three-year-old Roger ran down the sidewalk, crying, “Mommy! Mommy!” Feeling like an idiot, I took off, chasing the chubby little guy. Across the street, neighbor boys sat…

I’m guessing that only a few kids today know what a pen pal is. After all, howmany kids do you know who write letters and even then, probably under duress. Or, when’s the last time you received a letter let alone a thank you note? Text messages seem to fit today’s generation’s short attention spans.…