Hello, everyone!
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Children’s Book Blog.
Today, I want to introduce to you one of my favorite children’s authors. I’ve known her virtually for several years now. Her name is Darlene Foster and she’s written a series of books on a girl named Amanda in the Amanda Travels series.
Darlene, please tell us about you and your inspiration for this book as well as the series…
Why I Wrote Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action
My interest in the country of Holland began when a teacher read us a book called, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge, which I loved. The book, written in 1865, by an author who had never been to Holland herself but heard stories about it from her Dutch neighbours.
Over the years I read other books that took place in Holland, many of them about the war years. Two of my aunts married men who immigrated to Canada from Holland and shared interesting stories about growing up in the war-torn Netherlands. Then, as a teenager, I read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, which had a profound effect on me. I vowed to one day visit the place where she hid with her family and wrote in her diary.
Tulips are my favourite flower and I dreamt of seeing them growing in the fields of Holland. A few years ago my dream came true when my husband and I visited Holland. While there, I kept saying how much Amanda would love it there. I made sure to spend time at Anne Frank’s House and was brought to tears.
It didn’t take much convincing for me to place my next Amanda adventure in the land of tulips, wooden shoes and windmills. I wanted to tie in some history of Holland during World War II and have Amanda visit Anne Frank’s House and reflect on the serious effects of racial discrimination.
Along with an abandoned puppy and a mystery concerning stolen tulip bulbs, Amanda looks for clues as to what happened to her great-uncle who was reported missing in action while serving in Holland during World War II and makes a startling discovery.
I hope that children reading the story will become interested in this amazing country and want to visit it one day. I also hope they learn more about the effects of war and strive for world-wide peace and acceptance in this crazy world we live in.
As Otto Frank, Anne’s father said, “We cannot change what happened anymore. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and to realize what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means, I believe that’s it’s everyone’s responsibility to fight prejudice.”
If my books create interest in other countries and cultures, encourage travel and cause readers to think as well as be entertained, I´ve done my job as a writer.
Bio of Darlene Foster
Darlene Foster is a Canadian author of the popular Amanda Travels series featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places where she encounters mystery and adventure while learning about another culture. Readers of all ages enjoy travelling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Spain, England, Germany, Holland and her own country, Canada. Darlene’s short stories have won prizes and a number of them have been published in anthologies. She has also written a bi-lingual book for English/Spanish readers.
Darlene grew up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, where her love of reading inspired her to travel the world and write stories. Over the years she held interesting jobs such as an employment counsellor, ESL teacher, recruiter and retail manager, and wrote whenever she had a few spare minutes. She is now retired and has a home in Spain where she writes full time. When not travelling, meeting interesting people and collecting ideas for her books, she likes to spend time with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot.
Her books include: Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain: The Girl in The Painting, Amanda in England: The Missing Novel, Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone, Amanda on The Danube: The Sounds of Music, Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind, and Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action. Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady will be released in the spring of 2021.
Social media links
Twitter@supermegawoman
Thank you, Darlene, for sharing your latest book in the Amanda Travels series. She’s quite an amazing girl, Amanda, in all the places she has traveled and the mysteries she has unraveled.
And thank you, my loyal blog readers. I hope you enjoyed meeting Darlene, the author, and Amanda, the character.
As always–likes, comments, and shares are appreciated.
Stay safe
Beautiful photo
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Indeed! Thank you for stopping by my blog today and leaving a wonderful comment! I know the author will enjoy hearing this.
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Thank you. My publisher creates amazing covers for my books. This one is my favourite.
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Great choice.
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Fantastic.Congrats for the Children’s book and for introducing another renowned personality Darlene Foster .Thank you very much.🌹👍🙏
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Thank you, Francis, for stopping by today and meeting another wonderful author!
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Yes ,meeting another wonderful author is an honour for me madam.Most welcome.🌹👍🙏
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And it is for me too! I love meeting new authors and introducing them here on my blog to a new audience!
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Yes,certainly.Thank you very much.🌹👍🙏
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👍🙏
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Darlene has got a good thing going on with her Amanda series. I read Amanda in Alberta and enjoyed it. She skillfully tucked in lots of nuggets about history throughout while also sticking with a well-crafted plot. I suspect she does the same with her other Amanda books, too.
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Hi, Pete! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! How awesome that you are already a Darlene Foster fan!! I’m sure she does continue the same style of writing in her other Amanda books. Thank you for leaving your insightful and positive review of her book!
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Thanks, Pete! Always great to hear from a fan.
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Darlene’s “Amanda” books seem like a good read for all ages. Thanks for sharing this author and her work.
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Thank you for stopping in today! Yes, they are definitely quality literature for the children!
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Thanks, Jacquie. All ages seem to enjoy Amanda and her travels, even adult “kids”.
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I’m thinking that I will as well. Thanks, Darlene.
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Thank you for stopping by my blog today, Jacquie, and your wonderfully supportive words for Darlene!
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It’s my joy, Wanda. Blessings!
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Blessings to you too, Jacquie!
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Ya great place I believe to visit indeed,the dutches are orange eyes of the world.good day
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I haven’t ever been but would love to go someday!
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Ok,I wish you the best,probably its far for me to think..
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This is a lovely book. Great to see Darlene Foster featured here, Wanda.
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Thank you for stopping by my blog today, Roberta, and for your kind words!
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Thanks, Robbie. xo
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Thanks so much for featuring me and Amanda, Wanda. I am away with limited computer access but will comment and share when I return.
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You’re very welcome, Darlene! I’m happy to share your books with the world.
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Loved Amanda in Holland, it’s a great read!
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Thank you, Debra, for stopping in and letting us know what a great story this book is!
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Thanks, Debra. And it was especially great that you came to my book signing and bought it there. Loved meeting you in person.
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I hope we can meet again!
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Reblogged this on Darlene Foster's Blog and commented:
I´m pleased to be a guest on Wanda Luthman´s blog where I talk about Why I Wrote Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action. Check it out.
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Thank you for sharing on your blog! I’m very happy to have you as a guest on my blog!
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You are so welcome. Have a great week. xo
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Thank you! You too!
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I remember reading Hans Brinker of the Silver Skates as a girl, but no book ever evolved from that. However, I did write memoir and included my love for reading.
Congrats, Darlene, and thank you, Wanda, for featuring her today!
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Thank you, Marian, for stopping by my blog! Great to have one of Darlene’s fans!
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I´m so pleased you read the book as well. We have a few things in common!
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Seems like you were destined to write that Amanda book, Darlene – a lot of connections to Holland!
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Hi Teri, thank you for stopping by my blog today! I think you’re right about Darlene being destined to write this book.
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Yes, it was certainly in the cards! Glad I finally wrote it. xo
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I enjoyed learning the inspiration for Amanda’s Holland adventures!
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I’m so glad you did! And thank you for stopping by my blog today and leaving a comment
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You’re welcome, Wanda!
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🙂
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Sometimes a germ of an idea is planted many years before the story is written. Thanks, Liz.
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You’re welcome, Darlene. I’ve found the same to be true with my writing.
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Great review…and an absolutely beautiful photo at the top of this post!
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Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving such a wonderful compliment! The photo is of the author, Darlene.
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Thanks, it was taken in Holland by a friend while we were there.
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Great interview. I’m so proud of Darlene!
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Thank you for stopping by my blog today and leaving such a supportive comment for our author, Darlene!
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You have always been so supportive, thanks!!
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Darlene and I have been friends virtually for a number of years now also, so I read lots of interviews with her as well as her books and yet each time I seem to learn something new. Thank you for this interview Wanda! I also remember reading about the silver skates and Holland and I remember going to a lake and ice-skating and falling in. I was so disappointed I couldn’t have had the same experience as Hans. Perhaps that’s why I have never written a book about Holland! 🧐 my granddaughter is reading Anne Frank right now and then I think she will be ready to follow Amanda in Holland.
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How awesome! I love the virtual connection and your loyalty in following Darlene’s interviews and reading her books.
Thank you for stopping by my blog today!
I look forward to following your blog as well.
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It’s mutual, my (new) friend!
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🙂
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I am delighted you two connected. I love how this works.
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Lovely post Wanda .. Darlene’s covers are always wonderful..
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Thank you for stopping by my blog, Sally! I agree, Darlene’s covers are beautiful!
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Wanda, it’s lovely to read to learn more about Darlene and her book ‘Amanda in Holland’. 😀 Darlene, in just a few paragraphs you capture your own love of Holland, the profound effect of Anne Frank’s book, your visit to her house, the fight against prejudice from the past and ongoing. With such heart and soul in your book, it will touch all who read it! The cover is superb; so colourful and inviting and a brilliant premise for a children’s story.
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Thank you, Annika, for stopping by my blog and leaving such a wonderful compliment for Darlene and her work!
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Thank you for your kind words, Annika.
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You are Simply Beautiful 💜✨☺️
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Thank you for stopping by my blog! I’m assuming you were talking about the author. Thank you for your kind words
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Beautiful photo. Nice to children’s book.
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Thank you for your kind words!
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