Lisa Orchard and upcoming Summer Vacation

I’ve got my friend Lisa talking about how to keep the kids entertained during the upcoming summer vacation. It involves something they will enjoy and can take with them-books. In particular books geared for and to them.

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you. I’m here today as a guest of Lindsay’s and I’d like to thank him for allowing me to be here today. Thanks Lindsay.

Today, I’d like to chat about vacations. They are important for our physical and emotional health. And they’re fun too!

Not only are they good for our health but they’re a great way to reconnect with your spouse and children. I love taking a vacation with my kids, I get to experience things through their eyes and that makes the experiences all brand new. This year we’re planning on taking the kids to Shedds Aquarium in Chicago. I can’t wait to go!

This will be the first time the kids have ridden on a train and it’s going to be an adventure; my oldest loved trains as a toddler so this will be an exciting experience for him. Usually, we vacation up north. We’re Michiganders, so to us, up north means Traverse City. We usually stay in a cottage on one of the lakes in that area. It’s a great time of fun in the sun and the kids love it.

However, there are some pitfalls to vacationing with your kids. One of them is that they get bored doing adults things. We took one day and decided we were going to do something for us adults. We strategically planned the event during their nap time. On most days, our kids would fall asleep in the car and we’d be able to go for rides up the Peninsula and check out one of the many lighthouses that Michigan has.

But this time we decided to try our hand at wine tasting. You can probably guess what happened, the kids didn’t fall asleep and whined about not going to the beach. Then when we got the beach, they were too cranky from not having their nap that they didn’t enjoy it. Sigh.

We also have pets, two cats. And when we go on vacation they come with us (although they won’t be going to Chicago with us). They stay at the cottage while we go on our daily excursions. One day, we had just gotten back from a day at the beach and parked our car in the garage. The kids played in the vehicle as we unloaded the lawn chairs and coolers. My hubby and I, exhausted after a day in the sun, sat on the back porch, relaxing. We both had a margarita and put our feet up while the kids played “going to the store” in the car. The wind blew off the lake, cooling our sun drenched bodies. We ate a late dinner and then got the kids ready for bed. We slept well that night after a long day of sun soaking and playing in the water. When we woke the next morning, we couldn’t find one of our cats. We searched high and low. We grew concerned; it wasn’t like this particular cat to be gone so long.

Finally, one of the kids found him in the car. He had been locked in there all night. Apparently, it wasn’t just the kids playing “going to the store.”  Poor kitty. Of course, we didn’t have a litter box in the car for him. Sigh. I’m sure you can imagine it wasn’t a pretty sight or smell. And even today after all the scrubbing and cleaning…on a hot day…well let’s just say the memory of that time comes floating back.

Even though there are pitfalls we love vacationing with our kids. We hope we are creating lasting memories for them. We video tape them each year, and then we watch the tapes during the winter when we can’t get outside. It’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown and changed. The kids love to watch these tapes too.

Vacations now are a little less chaotic. The kids don’t take naps and they’re much more active. They’re more independent, so sometimes I even get to relax and read a book. That’s only sometimes, though. So, I’d love to hear about your trials and tribulations while vacationing with your kids. Leave a comment; I’d love to hear from you! And if you’re vacationing with tweens/teens and need something for them to take to the beach; try my Super Spies series. The covers, blurbs, and links are below. They’re great reads!

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission.  The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer, or die trying…

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where Sarah and her sister Lacey are now living with their Aunt and Uncle. Still reeling from the fact her parents have disappeared, Sarah starts the school year with her new friend Jackie Jenkins. When Sarah learns the school has been bombed, she’s filled with dread. Uncle Walt is a teacher, and he was in the school when the bomb exploded. Taking matters into her own hands, Sarah decides to search for him. The rest of the Super Spies are right behind her. When a fireman chases them away from the school, Sarah becomes suspicious. She decides to investigate. The FBI arrives on the scene. Sarah realizes this bombing could have even bigger implications. Searching for the bombers, Sarah is introduced to the world of terrorism. She fears that the bombing and her parents’ disappearance are connected and terrorists are involved. To make matters worse, the bombers are determined to finish the job. Can the Super Spies find the bombers before it’s too late?

Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on mysteries by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then.  “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber” is the second book in the “Super Spies” series. Her first book was published in March of 2012 and it has received rave reviews.

After graduating from Central Michigan University with a Marketing Degree she spent many years in the insurance industry, pining to express her creative side.  The decision to stay home with her children gave her the opportunity to follow her dream and become a writer. She currently resides in Rockford Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she’s working on the third novel that stars the same quirky teens. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.

Both books, including her soon to be released third in the series, are available at:

Astraea Press

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