The Summer Essentials Blog Tour

Professional ghost hunter Stacey Graham’s new book, The Girl’s Ghost Hunting Guide, will help pre-teen readers identify the creepy crawlers from the spooky spirits, the howling winds from the haunting phantoms. A paranormal investigator for over 20 years, she has as much experience with ghosts as she does with skeptical teenagers – she is the mother of five daughters.
The Girl’s Ghost Hunting Guide is filled with workbook pages, ghost stories, quizzes, sidebars, and interviews with ghost hunters, this illustrated guidebook gives girls the tools to safely explore the unknown using everyday household items and teaches them to rely on their own strengths, deductive reasoning, and senses to discover the paranormal beings among us. Part practical, part educational, and all-around fun Graham introduces tween girls to a world beyond our own. Check out Stacey’s website for more information: http://www.girlsghosthuntingguide.com/ 

You can also check out the Phantom Party Guide here: http://www.sourcebooks.com/images/stories/docs/PDFS/GhostHunting-Activities.pdf

In the first book of the series, Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings, Jade discovers she is even more different than the typical teenage girl. She is a mermaid! After her dad swears her to secrecy, Jade must risk her blossoming romance with Luke and friendship with best friend Moe in order to rescue her mermaid mother from her captures …all by herself.

In Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath, Jade begins her summer confused. I mean, more confused than wondering whether today will be a “leg day” or a “tail day”. Jade’s got even bigger problems this time around. It’s been three weeks since her Mom (incidentally also a mermaid) returned to the ocean and Jade has no news of her whereabouts. Plus, and more importantly, it’s been twenty-one whole days since Jade first kissed her mer-boy Luke and now—nothing. NOTHING.

Will Jade’s Mom find the enchanted tidal pool that will allow her to become human? And if she does, what will happen then? And WHY is Luke acting so weird? Boy Drama plus Water Drama? It’s going to be a choppy ride.

Now that you've learned a little bit about Jade, read on for more about Hélène...!

Top Five Summer Splashin’ Activities

Discover Hélène’s favorite summer activities – all involving water of course. Make sure to get your swimsuit ready!

I grew up on a small island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean so splishy-splashy summer activities are some of my favourite things to do.  Here are my top five summer splashin’ activities!

1. SURFING

I am so bad at surfing and have only ever managed to stand on my board about three times in my life but it is so much fun to get out there and catch a few waves even if you’re like me and all you can manage is getting up on your knees. This day, it was only 13 C/ 55 F and the water was even chillier. Thank goodness for wet suits!

2. SAND CASTLE BUILDING

My family and I stay at an ocean side cottage every summer and try to schedule our stay during the annual Sandcastle Building Competition. We came in FIRST last year and plan on defending our title again this summer. Jade the mermaid has even been known to make an appearance!

3. WHALE WATCHING

Creatures of the sea have always amazed me (obviously!) so if you ever get the chance—don’t pass up an opportunity to go whale watching. It’s so magical!

Last time, we even discovered a sea cave. I wonder what’s hiding in there…

4. RACE!

I joke that I once came in 141^st in a race with 140 competitors and that’s not very far from the truth. I am slow. VERY slow. But I love competing in races at least once a summer. These days I usually do walking half marathons (my best time is 3:01 hrs—a glacial pace) but I’ve also been known to do short triathlons. Swimming is probably my worst leg of the race but it’s a great way to cool down for the biking and running part. This is my ‘I’m so glad THAT’S over’ face.

5. SNOWBALL FIGHTS

Yup, you read that correctly. When you live within driving distance of a dozen hockey arenas like do, there’s nothing like loading up the back of the truck with Zamboni snow and dumping it in your front yard for an instant pile of chilly summer fun. Snowball fight!

ADDITIONAL INFO:

You can find Hélène on Twitter, Facebook and on her Website.

*I would like to thank Stacey Graham (author of THE GIRL'S GHOST HUNTING GUIDE) and Hélène Boudreau (author of REAL MERMAID'S DON'T WEAR TOE RINGS and REAL MERMAID'S DON'T HOLD THEIR BREATH) as well as Sourcebooks for including me on this blog tour--I had a lot of fun, and will definitely be trying out some of those Summer Splashin' Activities!