Archive | Beyond The Covers RSS feed for this section

Cursive Joke

Why We Need Cursive

Should we require kids to learn cursive writing in schools? It’s a hot button issue for sure. Many schools have removed cursive writing from their curriculums. In the U.S., it’s not included in State Standards anymore in 45 states. There is a lot of debate about this, but I’m on the side of keeping this […]

Continue Reading
Bookworm

Lee Child and Stephen King On Stage

What’s your favorite moment surrounding the release of a new book? Because the moment we finish reading a book in a series we love is so jubilant and devastating at the same time, I sometimes think the happiest moment for a Book Series Fan is hearing the announcement revealing the title of the next upcoming book in the […]

Continue Reading
Mooncakes

How Will You Celebrate The Mid-Autumn Festival?

In Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival (which is celebrated in many places around the world, especially Vietnam, China, and Taiwan), is often called the Children’s Festival. It’s the second most important holiday tradition for the Vietnamese, and it’s coming up. This year it’s Sunday, September 27th, 2015. The date of the Mid-Autumn Festival changes from year-to-year […]

Continue Reading
DNA

3 Famous Mysteries Solved Using DNA

I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the significance of DNA, but then I read this fact and it made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about the science of the stuff! Here’s another fact. Did you know this one? DNA is so jam packed with data that it’s no surprise DNA […]

Continue Reading
Tiny House Hunters

The Longer the Book, The Better the Story?

The longer the book, the better the story, right? Not always. All books must have a final page somewhere. (That’s why I’m a fan of the series! There’s always the promise of another book coming soon.) But for those times when shorter is better, here’s what master fiction writer Stephen King says about short stories: “There’s almost […]

Continue Reading
Lee Child Interview

Lee Child’s MAKE ME Tour: What We’ve Learned So Far

I love when Lee Child releases a book because, not only do we get to read a new Jack Reacher thriller — which is of course a treat in itself — but we also get to watch Lee’s media blitz. Even if from afar. There’s one conversation I had a front row seat for as […]

Continue Reading

The Best Drive Through North Carolina

In my new Hunt for Jack Reacher thriller, Jack and Joe, FBI Special Agent Kim Otto goes to North Carolina. Why? Because Jack Reacher spent some time there in 1989 & 1990 in Lee Child’s The Enemy. And Agent Otto, along with her partner Agent Carlos Gaspar, are building Reacher’s file for a top secret assignment. […]

Continue Reading
Reading Benefits

You Know These 5 Benefits of Reading, Right?

Reading has saved my life — many times. Yours, too, I’ll bet. You are the best readers in the world. But do you know why reading is so good for us? What exactly does our body, mind, and soul gain while we sit back and pursue one of our favorite activities? Here’s five things my research […]

Continue Reading
Rashomon

How to Bring Up The Rashomon Effect At Your Next Party

Simply put, The Rashomon Effect is contradictory interpretations of the same event by different people. The next time you’re at a party and you’re stumped for a conversation topic, try finding a way to bring up The Rashomon Effect.  The conversation can lead in so many different directions, it’s sure to be an interesting and […]

Continue Reading

Dubai is 3-D Printing an Entire Building

Looks like budding reporter Jordan Fox was on to something when she told her boss that 3D printers were newsworthy. The news intern pitches a story on the practical uses of 3D printers to her boss in book 4 of False Truth: A Jordan Fox Mystery Serial. (You can find all the books in the False Truth serial HERE.) […]

Continue Reading

Get Jack in the Green—Free!

Sign up FREE to my email list & start reading Jack in the Green in minutes...