Patches the Polar Bear

Thought you might like to see the photos of Patches, the NC Zoo's new polar bear exploring her new home. She arrived at the zoo on Wednesday evening. No word yet on when the exhibit will reopen to the public. They will allow Patches some time to settle in first. So here are some photos to tide you over. And don't forget to stop by The Ravens Crossing today for some YA fiction fun with Wildwood Tides, my latest story. There are lions and tigers and bears in the story, even. Well, no bears yet, but they will make an appearance. I bet you people are not surprised. Have a fantastic day. You can find the beginning of this season at by clicking here.

Welcome to North Carolina, Patches!!

Two Young California Sea Lions Rescued

My friends at The North Carolina Zoo sent me this fab photo of Dyson, one of two young rescued California sea lions the zoo took in last Thursday. The pups were rescued by Sea World of San Diego after being abandoned or losing their mothers. The two arrived without incident and I'm told are resting comfortably at the Zoo's Rocky Coast holding area for their required thirty day quarantine. “Storm,” the female, and “Dyson,” the male, are estimated to be sixteen months old and were both found stranded on La Jolla Beach near San Diego in June 2012. 

Sea World of San Diego, has saved more than 400 marine mammals over the past year--an average of 12 per day. Most of the animals are rehabilitated and returned to the wild. But a few, like Storm and Dyson, cannot be released for various reasons. These animals are owned by the National Marine Fisheries Service and, when possible, are placed on loan to accredited U.S. zoos and aquariums. I can tell you honestly, though it's sad they can't be released back into the wild, Dyson and Storm have found a good home at the NC Zoo. It's tempting to rush out to the zoo and get a glimpse of the youngsters, but for the best chance to view them, it's probably a good idea to plan your welcome visit for the spring. All the best to Dyson and Storm in their new home.

In other fantastic news, Season Four of The Ravens Crossing started last week with a whole new group of main characters. Stories will post three days a week this season with Andi Lea's Wildwood Knights on Mondays, West Thornhill's Wildwood Dreams on Wednesdays, and me on Fridays. Without giving too much away, my Wildwood Tides story centers around a Wild Animal Park. So, drop round for some new adult fiction fun.

'Tis the Season. Butterflies are here!

Today, I finally felt like spring was here. Yes, I know the Vernal Equinox has already passed, but it was snowing here the other day. You heard me. Snowing in Virginia in April. It's been a little trippy weird. Anyway, today I broke out the shorts and enjoyed some fun in the sun. Now that the day is done, I find myself looking through my photography from the past two years. I thought I'd share a few. I'm partial to winged insects, it seems. All of the photos appearing on this page are my own. Feel free to use the images in any way you see fit, as long as you attribute Amanda Corlies as the artist.
Happy spring, peeps!

Don't forget to check out the online young adult adventure over at The Ravens Crossing . It's a ton of fun!

Lights Out!

Earth Hour happened yesterday, as I'm sure many of you already know. But, did you realize how seriously people around the globe took it. If you haven't already seen the video, check out some of the skylines that went dark to raise awareness about Climate Change.
After last summer's freak derecho, today I am sitting in Virginia on Palm Sunday in something like six inches of snow, and we don't get snow here in the valley that often, and very rarely this late in the year. So, I have a pretty big investment in raising awareness. If it takes a skyline going dark every now and then to get people to pay attention, then I'm all for it. Let's plan the next one!

In other news, I am being featured this coming week on True Colorz website along with my other co-creators of The Ravens Crossing, Andi Lea and West Thornhill.

Stop by and leave a comment and you are automatically entered to win our books. The Ravens Crossing, Book One and The Ravens Crossing, Books Two will both be part of the free giveaway.

Pop over to True Colorz and say hello.