Hi folks.

Couple things to share with you…First, NextGenWriters.com has a super post up. A new one from a fellow NextGenWriter who’s willing to share what it has been like to share his writing and receive both raves and critiques. It’s a can’t miss! Plus, there’s a writer’s call at the end of the post, so hop on over…now:).

Secondly, wait, you’re still here? Go to NextGen then come back!

Okay, secondly, for those of you hoping to join us for NextGenWriter’s Live at the EDGE, sorry. No-can-do. This teacher is out with the flu. Yuck! In lieu of this week’s lesson, click the NextGenWriter’s Live link above (or here) for the information that we would have reviewed. Next week’s class is off for the holiday, so I’ll see you Wed., Nov. 30. Bring a sample of your writing AND your character from last week’s assignment.

Thirdly, I’ll be hopping around WI next week. Join me and a few sweet friends at Fireside Books and Gifts on Sat., Nov. 19 or at Random Lake Public Library, 6:30pm on Monday night, Nov. 21 (still playing with some fabulous writer friends). Lisa Lickel and I (my mom, too if you’d like to meet her:D) will be hitting some of the Madison book stores on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Hope to see you sometime soon!

Now, I’m curious. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food you’re dying for? Mine’s my mom’s stuffing. It has bacon in it. ’nuff said!:D

Oh yes, I am! Why? Because I could be driving this…:D

**Found on Klove.com ‘s morning show page. Thanks Klove for letting us share!

A collaborative recipe book bringing your favorite Christian authors and their favorite foods together.

The first 500 words and back cover blurb for one of the latest manuscripts won first place in ACFW-Ohio’s Hook Me Contest. What a fun way to begin the weekend:)Thank you ACFW-OH!

And you thought characters only come out on Halloween. Not a chance. Come see what the teens are up to with their unique way of introducing their characters to the world during November’s Character Event. It’s all on NextGenWriters.com

Oooh, and hop over to the Clash of the Titles for some Birthday Fun. You might just want to vote for your favorite entry today (hint hint hint!)

Wednesday marks the first in-person class for NextGenWriters, a group of authors under twenty devoted to learning the craft of writing and making it better. Before we begin, I want to know what you think about today’s young adult literature. Is it too edgy? Too dark? Too dumbed-down? Just right? Click the link below and let me know what you think about today’s young adult literature.

Take Our Survey!

Thank you!

Just in time for the weekend! You’ll find new book reviews beneath the reviews tab above along with a new format and soon, a new slideshow of covers. Yay! Love technology.

If you’re a writer as well as a reader, check out NextGenWriter’s November event. We’re gearing up for a character parade unlike anything you’ve seen before. On catch, you must be under twenty to participate. Check it out.

What types of books do you like to read?

DRIVEN (for your kindle) is on sale for $0.99!

Don’t know for how long, though: Click here.

Hi, today is a pretty big deal for an author friend, and I just had to let you in on all the excitement! Judy Christie has written her first Young Adult novel, Wreath, and today when you order it, you also get several cool downloadable gifts free — including an excerpt from my novel, Driven.

I believe Wreath is the type of book you’ll enjoy reading. Wreath is the story of a teenager — Wreath Wisteria Willis — who lives in a junkyard by night and goes to school by day. Life has knocked her around, but she refuses to let it keep her down. She’s gutsy, fun, and smart — just the type of girl you want to read about and share with the young readers in your life.

But I’ll let Judy tell you more about her new book. Click on over to JudyChristie.com. Order Wreath today and get lots of other free gifts — including a chapter from my novel, Driven!

Just had to share this one.

Click play. You won’t regret it. Then leave a note if it blessed you:).

Lisa Lickel and I would like to thank the folks at the Daily News for their coverage of A Summer in Oakville.If you’d like to read a copy, please click here. We really appreciate the kind words.

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting on the Barn Door. Come join me as we talk about your favorite fall traditions. What do you like to do with your family or friends when the weather turns cool?

If you happen to be in the Alexandria, KY area on Saturday, October 8, stop by the LOGOS Bookstore. We’re celebrating Christian Bookstore Week. I’ll be there with a couple author friends and we’ll be signing books and having fun. I’m sure there’ll be food somewhere:).

Next week I’ll post a few long overdue book reviews for new Christian YA. In the meantime, what are you up to this weekend?

With the end of September comes the end of our Fall Blog Blitz journey. Thank you to everyone who joined the fun. Many of the participating authors will be choosing their comment giveaway winners on October 15, so there’s still time to to participate. One copy of DRIVEN will also be given away, the winner will be chosen using random.org and the commenters from every blog we visited, so please feel free to comment using the blog tour list (click here). Good Luck!

October 2, marks the October Event on NextGenWriters. Ben Erlichman will talk with us about your writing as an author under twenty and your finances. Should be cool. Watch for that at noon Sunday, Oct. 2.

Watch for a really cool announcement. I’ll give you a little hint…what do you think about an online youth group? Just wait to see the digital fun God creates.

This or That?

 Cookies or cake? Cake. Particularly carrot cake. Every birthday we have carrot cake because everyone knows it’s my favorite. I also like Red Velvet, Black Forest and cheesecake (although it’s not officially cake).

 Jelly or jam? Neither. I prefer preserves because I like the bits of actual fruit. My favorite is Orange Marmalade, then Strawberry. But, I also love Guava Jelly or Apple Jelly and Apple Butter. Apple Butter and Peanut Butter make a delicious sandwich, by the way.

 Bright colors or darker colors?  Both. In my decorating, clothing and any time color is a choice, I prefer any shade of red, then bright yellows and dark purple.

 Travel by train or travel by bus?  Train travel is definitely preferable, but even so can be rather tedious. About 15 years ago we took our 4 young children from Jacksonville to Savannah, Ga on the train. It was a LOOOOOOOOONG ride with 4 little ones. But we all remember it, and that’s what counts.

 Art museum or science museum?  Science Museum. When my kids were little we had an annual membership to the Jacksonville Science Museum where they could play, or we’d attend the Planetarium and watch the laser lights played to rock music. They especially enjoyed the Dinosaur exhibit. We went to the Orlando Science Museum one time. They had a travel exhibit about the body that was outstanding.

 Socks or bare feet?  Bare feet for sure. Growing up in South Florida I grew up barefoot and never got out of the habit.

 Go for a walk or go for a run? Walk. I can’t run anymore. When I was in my twenties my hubby and I would jog at an exercise park near our apartment in Orlando. I developed shin splints. Ever since, if I don’t stretch well, or go too fast before my muscles warm up, I can hardly even walk. It’s very frustrating.

 Dresses or pants?  I’ve always been one for skirts or dresses. I guess I enjoy feeling feminine. I wear pants and jeans when necessary, but I love all of the full-length, flowing skirts available these days and pretty much live in them with embroidered or crochet-enhanced peasant tops. I’m so happy styles from the ‘60’s have become popular again.

 Dance or sing? Dance. When I was in college, and dating my hubby, we went ‘clubbing’ every Friday night. There was one night we got into a battle between the drummer and us dancing. Everyone left the dance floor at the end of the set, but we kept dancing and the drummer kept going. It lasted at least another 30 minutes before we finally gave up. The whole club cheered us on. It was so much fun. I miss dancing since we moved into a Victorian house with wooden floor and a crawl space. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

 Celebrate with a small group or celebrate with a large group?  I’m definitely a small group gal. I’m quite shy and have trouble connecting with too many people at once. That’s why the Internet is perfect for me. Whenever I’m in a large group, like at a Writing Conference, I always choose the rear corner table and sit in the far corner of the room. The irony is that I was a Middle Grades teacher for 14 years. Talk about being front and center and with the most opinionated age there is.

Rebecca is a multi-published author with Muse. Check out her books when you can.

Thank you to the John 3:16 gang for making our A Summer in Oakville launch day a fun success. Greatly appreciate everyone’s help yesterday! If you’re ever in the mood for a wonderful book, check out the wide variety offered by these sweet friends…

Lorilyn Roberts

Diane Tatum

Saundra Dalton Smith

Tom Blubaugh

Eddie Snipes

Janet Perez Eckles

Elaine Cooper

April Gardner

Kimberley Paine

Paulette Harper

Lisa Lickel

Who is That Character?
By Christine Verstraete

From the mundane and ordinary daily activities, to special interests or tastes, it’s often the little things that help define a character and make them real to the reader.

But that doesn’t mean we need to know every-single-thing that person eats or does. A character isn’t a list. They should be doing something to achieve their goal and solve their problem.

Yes, ordinary activities can be touched on, but keep it light and move on. A line or two showing the character eating breakfast, for instance, or their lack of it, if touched on briefly, can do a lot to show the type of person they are.

Consider: are they a breakfast skipper? They could be someone who is nervous, doesn’t like to waste time, is anxious, or just hates eating in the morning. A hearty breakfaster can be someone who likes to mull things over as they eat, or who is leisurely, calculated, patient, etc. More can be learned by the character’s food choices: eggs vs. Captain Crunch cereal, fruit vs. pancakes. You get the idea.

Other ways to bring your character to life:

* Give them a hobby, a special interest, or collection.

Does it tie into the crime or main story? Does the character’s involvement put them in danger or can it serve as a distraction? How does it further define their personality?

* Make them a pet owner, animal hater or have them fear a certain animal.

* How does an animal define them? How does it define how they do their job or impact their personality?

For instance, their love, fear or hatred of animals can put them at a certain advantage or disadvantage. It can show a different side of their personality, whether good or bad, nice or mean.

* Have their belongings and home, or lack thereof, reflect their social standing.

A lot can be revealed by showing how someone dresses, where they live, and what they own, don’t own, or choose not to have.

* Don’t forget to use the five senses to make the scene and character more alive.

While most of this may seem typical to the writer, as you get involved in the story it is easy sometimes to overlook or gloss over the smaller details.

The sneer of a lip, a smirk, a lowering of the eyelashes, all are actions that combined with a strong plot and a quick-moving story can make that character into someone memorable – a person the reader despises, fears, maybe even adores, but most importantly, wants to know more about. It is then you as a writer have succeeded.

** Christine Verstraete’s latest stories include “The Killer Valentine Ball” from MuseItUp Publishing.

She also is author of the dollhouse collector’s book, In Miniature Style II, and a children’s mystery, Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery.

Meet Jack Dahlgren

Hello. Oh, I thought we were meeting C.K. Volnek today to discuss her book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. But you are not her. Would you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you?

 Sorry. C.K. asked me to take her place today. She’s super busy today getting ready for her book birthday tomorrow, September 23^rd.  She’s so excited; she said she’s going to give one lucky reader who leaves a comment on her blog-a-thon a FREE copy of her e-book, Ghost dog of Roanoke Island.

My name is Jack Dahlgren. I’m the main character from C.K.’s book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. It’s a ghost story for tweens. Pretty creepy if I do say so myself. It’s based upon the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island with a twist of Native American folklore thrown in. I helped C.K. write the story.

But you’re not that old are you Jack?

I’m almost 13. I like to remind my dad of that. He treats me like such a baby.

So, where are you from, Jack?

I’m from Ohio but my dad moved us to this beach house on Roanoke Island about two months ago. I wasn’t too happy about leaving Ohio. That was home. It’s the only place I’d ever lived. But Dad got laid off last year and I heard him and Mom saying something about the bank taking the house. So when my Great-grandma Ellis left us this beach house on Roanoke Island, Dad was excited. He went to scope it out and found a job in nearby Manteo. That was all she wrote. He up and moved us, not even asking if it was okay by me.

What is Roanoke Island like?

Roanoke Island is an island off the coast of North Carolina. I want to say it’s cool living on the ocean, along the Outer Banks. Even Dad keeps making stupid comments, like it’s the neatest thing to live on an Island. I can’t say I like it here. It’s not really the island, but none of the kids at school want to have much to do with me, always teasing me about our creepy house. They say it’s haunted. The house is pretty run down…but haunted? Humph. I get kind of lonely out here since no one from school wants to come out. And Dad is either at work or working on the house. Never has any time for me. He won’t even let me go exploring the woods or the bluff … not since Kimmy’s accident.

Who is Kimmy and what happened to her?

Kimmy’s my little sister. She’s six. She fell of the bluff next to our house three weeks ago and is in the hospital. Hit her head and has been unconscious ever since. Dad blames me for her accident. I’d do anything to take it back. I didn’t know she’d followed me up there! But Dad blames me for it. Guess he’s right, because I wasn’t supposed to be up there either.

Mom has been with Kimmy since she fell. I wish she would come home. Seems like I’m always in trouble with Dad. He’s so mad at me. He promised I could get a dog when we moved to the island. But he hasn’t mentioned it since the accident. But I’ve got to find a way to make him let me keep that big Mastiff I seen on the bluff. That Mastiff must need a good home and he’ll be a great dog to have around. He’s already saved me from whatever that thing was I came across in the cave.

What is this thing you found in the cave?

It’s hard to explain. But, it’s really big and ugly…and scary. This guy I met, Manny, says it’s pure evil, conjured up a l

is the blog stop today? Hope to see you soon!

DRIVEN and the Muse Blogathon:

Sept. 22 – Sue Perkins
Sept. 26 – Lawna Mackie

 A Summer in Oakville’s tour:

September 8 – Agatha Remembered
September 15 – 30 – giveaway on Goodreads.com
September 16 -  Clash of the Titles
September 16 – Peggy Phifer, Whispers in Purple
September 27 – Official Amazon Launch of A Summer in Oakville
October 12 – review of A Summer in Oakville at BookWomanJoan
October 14 & 21 -  with Jessica Keller
October 24 – character fun with A Summer in Oakville, at Shannon Vannatter
November 4 – Booktours and More
November 14 – Blackwood’s Forest, talking about romance
December 19 – KDawn Byrd’s blog with A Summer in Oakville

Live Events
September 23-25, WRWA Conference, Stevens Point, WI and the Unofficial ACFW At-Home Writer’s Conference
October 2 – 8, MuseItUp Online Writer’s Conference
November 4-5, Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference
November 8 – Kewaskum Public Library, panel and book signing
November 12 – Holiday Flea Market, Batavia, 8 AM – 3 PM; crafts and books
November 15 – Grafton Public Library, 1:00 – 2:30 PM, panel and book signing
November 21-Random Lake Public Library, 6:30pm
March 14, 2012 – Boltonville Book Club, 7 PM

Barbara, a retired teacher with a Masters degree in Reading and Writing K-12 and seventeen years of teaching experience lives with her family in Stamford, Connecticut. When she received her Masters degree she began writing seriously. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Barbara’s first YA novel, was inspired by Paula Danziger. Barbara is a NY Literature Examiner for Examiner.com with several articles for them. Her blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/, is networked on both Facebook and Blog Catalog. She hosts Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages on Blog Talk Radio every 4th Thursday. In addition, her children’s story, “The Trouble with Follow the Leader” and an adult story, “Out on a Ledge” are published online She writes book reviews for Authorlink.com. and several of her reviews have been on Acewriters and Celebrity Café. She is a member of SCBWI. Writing is her life!

 An Interview with Jennifer Taylor from If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Welcome, Jennifer. I know you have a very busy schedule and I’m so glad you could take a few minutes to talk with us.

Jennifer: Well, I thought it was important I get my side of the story out there. After all, Carolyn has been going on all these blogs and bad mouthing me. So I figured, well, we figured, that is Brad and I figured I better get on here and tell my story. Who is Brad, you ask? He’s my boyfriend and he’s the number one quarterback on the Mill Valley Vikings.
That’s my school’s team. I’m a freshman at Mill Valley High School and if everything goes right I’ll be in the Olympics in a couple of years. My coach says I have a really good chance if I continue to practice. I’m the best on the team, but I have a problem.

What is your problem, Jennifer?

Jennifer: It’s hard to explain, but it started when I really wanted to be in the Olympics. I had to be a certain weight to stay on the team. I mean the coach weighed us every day and if we gained any weight he gave us a few days to lose it or he would make us sit on the bench during practice. So, in middle school I liked to eat and I kept gaining weight. One day I had enough of not practicing so I decided to stop eating. Oh that worked great! I got all mean and yes, that is when I started bothering poor little Carolyn about her stupid breathing. That day I started it was a big joke, but then it was so much fun to keep bothering her. She’s like a scared little mouse. Maura, she’s my best friend, and I had so much fun deciding where I should get her next. Meanwhile, I got so hungry I would stuff myself with food and feel so guilty. One night I just got rid of it, you know how. After that it was easy and I stayed at the right weight, except sometimes I stop eating again.

Why did you decide to help Carolyn?

Jennifer: Now I can’t really say why I did and maybe it’s best if I don’t tell you about that.  
Maybe the girl just got to me. How pathetically she dressed and how she only hung out with her two friends Becky and Janie. I mean when we did the food survey she only knew those two. But it might be something else and you know I would rather not say, it’s kind of private.

Do you think you are a “mean girl”?

Jennifer: If you go to Mill Valley High School you will see I am the most popular girl in the whole school. I have the best looking guy as a boy friend and people really like me. Is that the profile of a mean girl? Maybe if I were Carolyn Samuels I mi

Here’s your very first chance…(This is the book co-written by Lisa and I, but Goodreads cut-off the full author listing for some viewers:). Ah yes, fun having a long name:D.

Enter to win

Our Fall Blog Blitz Continues with guest poster, Marva Dasef.

TROLLS

Trolls. What do you imagine? Maybe something like the big ugly pictured here. In my Witches of Galdorheim series, I wanted a cave-dwelling bunch of uglies, but dwarves didn’t seem right for my book. Then I started hearing music inside my head. You know how that goes, right? It builds and builds until it has you screaming in frustration, willing to even listen to some other music to at least swap the tormenting sound.

But before I could find a MP3 file of “Henry the VIIIth” by Herman’s Hermits, I stopped and listened. My muse was whacking me in the head via earworm. The music was Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King from the Peer Gynt Suite. Duh. Trolls.

Despite the canards on trolls from the likes of Artemis Fowl or Pratchett’s Discworld, I thought they could be heroic if given sufficient ale.

From the Free Dictionary/Encyclopedia:

A troll is a fearsome member of a mythical race from Norse mythology. Originally more or less the Nordic equivalents of giants, although often smaller in size, the different depictions have come to range from the fiendish giants – similar to the ogres of England – to a devious, more human-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds.

Hey! They’re not all flesh-eating giants who turn to stone in the sunlight. Some are devious little guys who live in wilderness areas (no doubt protecting endangered magical species).

In Bad Spelling, Kat and her smart-aleck half-brother, Rune, (also happens to be a vampire, but has absolutely no resemblance to the Twilight guy except they’re both cute as hell) are directed by Kat’s flash-frozen dad (Rune calls him a popsicle) to visit the Troll King. At the Hall, she requests assistance from King Ole, the Norwegian Troll King. He arranges for her and Rune to ride the Trollercoaster, which starts in Norway and ends up in the Ural Mountains. From there Kat, Rune, and a changeling troll named Andy travel to Siberia to find Kat’s family.

Clearly, trolls are good. They are nice, helpful, cheerful, and sing fairly well too. Yet aspersions continue to be cast upon these misunderstood creatures. Shame on all of you for making them the bad guys all these years!

A bit about Marva:

Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat.  Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation.  Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery. A few more are scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.

Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com

Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef

Twitter Handle: @Gurina

A bit about her latest release,

BAD SPELLING – Book 1 of the Witches of Galdorheim