Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
This is a nice addition to the original Star Touched story— a wrap up of an end you didn’t realize was loose, told from an interesting perspective. I’m hoping for lots more in this world!
Many thanks to author and blogger Charles F. French for this opportunity, inspired by the Underground Library Society in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where I discuss one of my favorite classic stories—why it’s so special to me, and why I believe it’s worth preserving.
Let me say it was a tough decision, for there are many good books out there worth preserving. But when it came down to it—thinking of a classic story I’ve always come back to (in this case every December) and which is special to me—in the end I knew what my choice would be.
If anyone else might be interested in joining and posting about a book that you would choose to become in a world like the one Bradbury envisaged, please consider it!
How do I teach preschoolers about Memorial Day?
I start at the beginning, with a great book that teaches children about America. I teach them how to sing “God Bless America”,
starting by singing the book.
We then learn about the flag, and flag etiquette.
We count 50 stars for 50 states.
We call the flag Old Glory.
Practicing is fun.
By this time, children begin to feel proud.
They want more.
I sing the book, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
You can see how worn and well-loved it is.
The full-page illustrations bring the words to life.
We stop to see a flag flying at half-mast at the resting place of soldiers.
We see the rocket’s red glare.
On the last day of school before Memorial Day,
children wear red, white, and blue.
We host a school-wide remembrance,
and my classroom gets to hold the flag and lead everyone in singing…
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Here’s what people are saying:
“A delightful insight into the origins of one of my favorite characters in the Star Touched world!”
~ Maria V Snyder, New York Times best-selling author and PRISM Award Winner.
“If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to.”
~ Kathy Steinemann
“Set in the world of Star Touched, this short story puts the reader in the mind and body of a newly-hatched hummingbird. Except this is no ordinary hummingbird! Charming and captivating, and a must-read for anyone who loves watching birds.”
~ T. C. Weber, author of the BetterWorld cyberpunk trilogy and other works.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Only one day before HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY releases.
Here are a few last fun facts.
Weighing in at a mere 3 grams and only 3 ½ inches in length, the ruby-throated hummingbird is one of my favorites. (But not the smallest. The bee hummingbird of Cuba is only 2 ¼ inches long!)
Photo by Joshua Cotton
Ruby-throated hummingbirds have some variety in coloration depending on location, but their back is a beautiful iridescent green with a gray or white belly and the throat of the males is red. They have very long and slender bills and a forked tail.
The green on the hummer that has been visiting my feeder this spring is such a dark emerald that I thought it was black until I got a closer look. He’s quite lovely but a bit camera shy.
Photo by Joshua Cotton
Don’t forget to order your copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Most of us relax when we sleep, but hummingbirds can take it one step farther. If their energy reserves get really low, they can enter a state of torpor.
Torpor – Noun
Pronounced: tȯr-pər
1a: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility.
b: a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals.
Their breathing becomes shallow and irregular and they can slow their heartbeats to 50 beats per minutes. Talk about a deep sleep! They can stay in this state for 8 to 14 hours. It could take up to an hour to get back up to normal speed the next day.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Don’t let their diminutive size fool you. Hummingbirds can be very aggressive and have been known to attack much larger birds. They are also extremely territorial and will guard their food sources fiercely.
Photo by Joshua Cotton
Even so, hummingbirds have many predators that would be happy to make them a meal. More than half of all hummingbirds die within the first year of life. The average life span is about 4 years but it varies by location and species.
Here’s a short list of predators:
Domestic cat
Hawks
Wasps
Blue jay
Snakes
Bees
Praying mantis
Large spiders
This hummingbird has more than regular predators to worry about.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Hummingbirds breed in late March through August. Then it’s up to mom to do all the hard work. She’ll lay up to 2 pea sized eggs in an itty-bitty lichen covered nest. What do you expect from a bird that weighs only the tenth the weight of a first-class letter?
After 16 days of incubation, the hatchlings emerge. They’ll stay in the nest from 14-31 days before fledging. It all depends on the type of hummingbird.
The mother hummingbird will continue to feed the fledglings for about 10 days before driving them away. Don’t worry, if they’ve been paying attention while they followed her around, they know how to find food.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
If you want hummingbirds to visit, the best plan is to plant flowers they feed on. They are attracted to bright colors, especially red. Feeders are great as well. You’ll want to put them up early in the spring to catch migrating birds.
Make sure you change the sugar mixture every 48 hours if its over 60 degrees. You don’t want these little beauties getting sick.
Photo by Joshua J Cotton
A hummingbird can’t survive on nectar alone. Most eat small insects and spiders that they pick from twigs or catch in midair. They also snag bugs visiting the flowers they drink from. Pollen makes a yummy snack as well, as does tree sap if another critter drills a hole for them.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
“If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
I teach them how to sing “God Bless America”,
