Happy Halloween!

Wishing you a happy and safe Halloween!

Spotlight on Suzanne de Montigny's A Town Bewitched

Spotlight on Suzanne de Montigny's A Town Bewitched

Girls Succeed blog likes to spotlight books we think our readers would enjoy. Author Suzanne de Montigny, a friend of the Girls Succeed blog, just released a magical, perhaps a bewitching novel, A Town Bewitched. 

If you like violins, mystery, fantasy, and paranormal stories, take a look.

New Release--A Town Bewitched by Suzanne de Montigny
Mystery, fantasy, paranormal

Back of the Book: A Town Bewitched by Suzanne de Montigny

It’s tough for Kira, growing up in the small town of Hope as a child prodigy in classical violin, especially when her dad just died. And to make matters worse, Kate McDonough, the red-haired fiddler appears out of nowhere, bewitching the town with her mysterious Celtic music. 

Even Uncle Jack succumbs to her charms, forgetting his promise to look after Kira’s family. But when someone begins vandalizing the town leaving dead and gutted birds as a calling card, Kira knows without a doubt who’s behind it. Will anyone believe her?

Reviews
This phenomenal story will lure you into the magic of the bewitched town and make
you care more about the main character than you ever have before. Author –Madeleine McLaughlin

Click here to find out more, order a sample, or purchase A Town Bewitched.

About Suzanne:

Author Suzanne de Montigny

SUZANNE DE MONTIGNY wrote her first unicorn story at the age of twelve. Several years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with unicorns. The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy, was awarded a Gold Global E-book Award for Best Fantasy/Alternate History 2013. Her teen novel, A Town Bewitched, was awarded 1st place in the Dante Rossetti Awards for Best Coming of Age Novel. Suzanne lives in Burnaby, B.C. with the loves of her life - her husband, two boys, and Buddy the dog.
Click here to check out Suzanne's unicorn book in another post on the Girls Succeed blog:

Cyclist Mackenzie Woodring joins TEAM USA in the 2016 Rio Paralympics

Mackenzie Woodring and teammate Shawn Cheshire will be competing
in the tandem bike racing competition at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Congratulations to Mackenzie Woodring and her tandem riding teammate Shawn Cheshire for making the Team USA Paralympics squad. Mackenzie, a professional bike rider, has been piloting tandem bikes for visually impaired riders for the past eight years. Shawn, who is from New York, is her third partner in the sport. They have been teammates for three years.

I interviewed her my e-book for Middle Grade girls Girls Succeed! when she was just beginning her career in cycling. She still juggles working as an engineer and her biking competitions, but at this elite level she has to continue to train year round while working her full-time job as an engineer.

Mackenzie and Shawn
Courtesy photo

The Summer Paralympic Games for highly skilled athletes who have physical disabilities begin September 7 and will end September 18 in Rio in Brazil. Athletes from all over the world compete in 23 Paralympic sports and 528 events. The games use the same venues as the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

In 2008 Mackenzie Woodring and  Karissa Whitsell won gold, silver and bronze medals in cycling in Beijing. Not only did they medal three times at the Paralympics, they set a world record in cycling.

Mackenzie Woodring
I told Mackenzie I'd have to edit out the porta-potties 
in the back ground for the book,
 but she exclaimed,
 "Porta-potties are very important to racers!" 
So I left them in for this post. 
Courtesy photo

It has been a privilege to follow Mackenzie's career. She is an excellent role model for girls.

Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
Available at Amazon Click here to learn more or order the book.

 Discover the obstacles Mackenzie Woodring overcame to continue her career in bicycle racing in the interactive e-book Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women available at amazon.

For more information about Mackenzie and the Paralympics click on the sites below:

2016 Paralympics Games

Mackenzie Woodring Competing in 2016 Paralympics

New Coloring Book: Remembering the Ladies by Carol Simon Levin to be Released in October!

Hello and Welcome to the Girls Succeed blog. 

I'm excited to introduce you to my friend, author, speaker, librarian, Carol Simon Levin. She has created an amazing coloring book, “Remembering the Ladies” celebrating over 50 courageous and tenacious women who fought for equality. She plans to have the book published in October 2016.

Carol--Why is this coloring book different?

• It’s not “just” a coloring book! 
  • Each coloring page will have a short bio, a fascinating fact and a quote by the woman.  The book will include resources for more reading (I’m a librarian after all!) and places where these women are honored.
  • So, it’s a great educational resource in addition to being fun.
• It’s inclusive and diverse, just like the women in the book. 

Here's the image for the coloring book created by Laura Davidson

Today we are privileged to be one of the first to have a sneak peek at some pages from the coloring book. Carol is sharing the story and coloring page about Shirley Chisholm, The first black congresswoman in the USA. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm decided to run for the highest office in the land -- president!  She knew she couldn't win but she wanted a way to speak to all of America about the poor, minorities, and the Vietnam War.   She campaigned hard but won only 152 votes at the Democratic convention, a tiny fraction of the 3000 needed to win. Read more about Shirley below.

Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005)  "Unbought & Unbossed"

Born in Brooklyn to immigrant laborer parents, Shirley spent her primary school years with her grandmother in her parents' homeland of Barbados.  She appreciated the excellent education she received there in a one room strict British-style school -- writing in her 1970 autobiography, "If I speak and write easily now, that early education is the main reason."  Shirley returned to the states in 1934 and later enrolled in the integrated Girl's High in Brooklyn, continuing on to get a B.A. at Brooklyn College.  Though she was a prize debater there, she never  dreamed of running for political office -- who would vote for a black woman with a Caribbean accent?  She married, taught nursery school and earned a Masters in Education from the Teacher's College at Columbia University in 1952.  Over the next decade, she became director of two day care centers. 

Seeing the difficulties faced by the families, Shirley became an advocate for early education and child welfare and in 1965, she was elected to the New York State Assembly. There she succeeded  in getting  unemployment benefits extended to domestic workers and sponsored legislation which gave disadvantaged students the chance to enter college.  In 1968, when a new seat was created in a district with African American, Jewish, and Latino voters, Shirley decided to run and, after a tough race, she won.   She was the nation's first black congresswoman.   In Washington,  she staffed her office entirely with women -- surprising everyone since women in most Congressional offices were  few and far between, with the exception of secretaries.   She spoke out strongly against the Vietnam War calling it "immoral, unjust, and unnecessary" and said that the money spent on war would be much better spent helping people with housing, food, and educational programs. 

In 1972, Shirley Chisholm decided to run for the highest office in the land -- president!  She knew she couldn't win but she wanted a way to speak to all of America about the poor, minorities, and the Vietnam War.   She campaigned hard but won only 152 votes at the Democratic convention, a tiny fraction of the 3000 needed to win.  Shirley returned to Congress and continued to fight for the change she believed in.  Later she became a professor at Mt. Holyoke College teaching politics and women's studies  and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women.  Once asked how she wished to be remembered, she said she'd like her gravestone to read "Shirley Chisholm had guts."*   In 2015, Shirley Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Fascinating Factoid: In the 2008 Democratic presidential primary season,  Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton staged their historic 'firsts' battle – the victor would either be the first major party African-American nominee, or the first woman nominee – but Chisholm's 1972 campaign paved the way for both of them!

Read More:  For Adults:  Unbought and Unbossed by Shirley Chisholm (Expanded 40th Anniversary Ed.) 2010. (Also 2005 DVD: Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed), Shirley Chisholm: Catalyst for Change, by Barbara Winslow, 2014.  For Kids:  Shirley Chisholm by Jill S. Pollack, 1994.

Visit: The Shirley Chisholm Center for Research on Women at Brooklyn College.  Brooklyn, NY. 

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A companion program will be available for booking in the fall of 2016. Contact Carol for scheduling this or any of her other performances.  You can also keep up-to-date on all her programs at her Facebook Page.

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I supported Carol's Remembering the Ladies kickstarter project. If you would be interested in learning more about this unique book and supporting the publishing of it, please visit the kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tellingherstories/remembering-the-ladies-a-coloring-book 

Carol has contributed articles to the Girls Succeed blog about trailblazing women. Click on the names to read about them.

Aviator Elinor Smith 

Aida de Acosta: the New Jersey Girl who became the "First Woman Aero-driver in the World!" 

Bridge Builder Emily Warren Roebling 

Happy 100th Birthday National Park Service!

Happy 100th Birthday National Park Service!

The Rangers and Staff of the National Park Service are the caretakers of 412 national parks! You're invited to join in the birthday celebration throughout the month of August! 

With special events across the country, and free admission to all 412 national parks from August 25 through August 28, the National Park Service is encouraging everyone to #FindYourPark / #EncuentraTuParque for the centennial!

VIDEO: The First Lady Celebrates the National Park Service--Michelle Obama

Be sure to share this information with your friends. It's time to Celebrate!!

Trailblazer: Hillary Clinton, First Woman from a Major Party Nominated for President of the USA

Flag of the United States of America made entirely of flowers and natural materials
Rose Parade 2014
Photo by J.Q. Rose

Lots of excitement and celebration because of this historic moment in our country--the nomination of Hillary Clinton for President of the USA. She is the first woman from a major party to be in the running for this powerful office.

Quote from Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech July 28, 2016

"When there are no ceilings," she said, "the sky's the limit."

Trailblazers break through those metaphorical ceilings to open paths for others. Last night Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party certainly busted that ceiling.

Secretary Clinton is not the first woman to run for President of the United States.
Women from minor parties have been nominated to be on the ballot too. But, the news media does not cover these parties' because they are usually too small or have only one issue in their platform. Their candidacies are not big enough, or perhaps, deemed not important enough  to gather money-making ratings for the giant networks and cable news shows.

According to womenshistory.org, the first woman to run for president was
Victoria Woodhull representing the Equal Rights Party in 1872 and the Humanitarian Party in 1892.
Belva LockwoodNational Equal Rights Party: 1884, 1888. Her campaign for president in 1884 was the first full-scale national campaign of a woman running for president.

More recently, Jill Stein was the 2012 Green Party candidate and is running as a candidate from the Green Party again in 2016.

If you are interested in learning more about the women who have been presidential candidates through history, click here to read the article on the women's history website.

Happy Father's Day 2016

Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
by debspoons

A shout out to Dads and those who are father figures for children,

Thank you for all you do!

Have a Happy Father's Day!!

Take a minute to shout out to your dad. Leave a comment below and tell us why you think he's special.