Shayne Leighton writes novels, screenplays, and songs. "I just LOVE storytelling because it is the easiest way to experience magic and escape reality," she explains. "I think we all need that escape now and again." She's currently preparing for the release of her next novel and the recording of her debut album. Now it's time to learn more about this young writer:

How old were you when you wrote your first story?

I was in the second grade when I wrote the first short story that I actually liked. It was a story about what it would be like to live inside of a bubble and was originally prompted to the class by our teacher. She told me, after reading it, to never stop writing, and so I think the rest is history!

I began writing seriously when I was about sixteen, tinkering around with different story ideas, until I eventually landed on Of Light and Darkness, an I idea that I loved.

What about your first song?

I wrote my first song when I was fourteen, but it was absolutely terrible, and I wouldn't actually call it a SONG. Ha ha.

You shot your first feature-length film, The Incubus, right after high school. How long did it take to write, and how long to shoot?

When I wrote the screenplay for The Incubus, I didn't have much of a plan about where it was all going to go. I started writing the story early on in my senior year of high school. In the winter, I met Marcie Gorman, the woman who would become the film's executive producer and director. From that point on, I didn't realize how absolutely LUCKY I was going to become. Marcie worked tirelessly alongside myself and the rest of the team for about two and a half years. Production spanned a long time, because we were trying to get the film to be as close to amazing as possible. For a lot of us, it was our first time out on a project that was so huge and such a massive undertaking. But after that nearly three-year time span from production to finish, I'd say we accomplished what we set out to do. We created a good story. We created a family. We brought in thousands of fans online who learned to love it as much as we did, and we had a damn good time doing it. I wouldn't exchange that experience for anything in the world.

Did you write it with the intention to also direct and act in it, or did that occur to you during the casting and pre-production process?

To clarify, when I initially wrote the screenplay, I hadn't the slightest inclination that it was even going to be produced. I stumbled upon Marcie Gorman purely by kismet. When I was sixteen, I wrote, directed, and starred in another independent feature that never saw the light of day. Because of that, something I considered a failure, I always dreamed of the chance to try my hand at directing again. I have been acting since I was very small, so if my screenplay was going to be produced, I sort of figured that was a give-in. Especially at an independent level when we small people can still have our opinions be heard! So, when I found out The Incubus was going to be produced, it was established early on that Marcie and I would helm the project together and that I would act as "Marnie" in the film. As the project evolved, however, I soon came to find that directing was really not my forte, especially while trying to act at the same time) and Marcie took over directing from there. I love to write and act, but directing I think I'll leave for the big guys from now on.

Like Incubus, your YA book series Of Light and Darkness has a paranormal flavor. Have you always liked the fantasy genre?

[I've] always loved fantasy. Ever since I can remember, my mother was reading me fairy tales. When I was fifteen, I fell in love with Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire specifically. I think I will almost always write and create within the fantasy genre. Because reality leaves a lot to the imagination!

What are some of your favorite fantasy books or movies?

My all-time favorite is Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. I am also a HUGE Potterhead. I think the Harry Potter series is superior and I bow down to Ms. Rowling because I think she was able to speak to so many of us through her books. Readers of all ages. She not only told a good story, but she told a cathartic story that we could all relate to, something we all want to experience: magic in our lives. I only hope to do the same thing she did someday with my stories - have them speak to people just as effectively.

Whose storytelling has influenced your own? Authors, screenwriters, directors, actors...

I think there are three people on the list who have effectively changed the way I write and make films. Those are Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, and Guillermo del Toro for his film Pan's Labyrinth. They each have a way of creating a story that is both utterly imaginary and impossible; at the same time, the story is poetic and it actually has substance and means something. I can't stand novels and movies that are just a good story but do not contain the sort of poetry and substance that we see in day to day life. Without it, the story falls flat and your magic is suddenly something that nobody can relate to, nor can they believe.

What has been the biggest challenge you've faced when adapting Of Light and Darkness from the original novel form to a screenplay?

For this project, I have opted not to transpose the story myself. It is far too difficult for an author to try and squeeze her 90k word novel into a 90 page screenplay. I think I would find myself crying miserably as I hacked away chunks of my story as I tried to push all of the remaining detail into a script. So we found somebody else to transpose it, and as it is, I think the screenplay came out really great. It is exciting and well-paced at the same time it holds true to the story. The current status is that the film is in development, which means it hasn't been given the "green light" yet. But our plans are to make a series of feature films.

How many books are planned in the series?

Right now, there are seven books planned for the series. However, as I continue to write, my cogs continue turning with ideas of spin-off novels and additions and things - so we'll see what happens!

Congratulations on your record deal with Spectra Records!

Thank you! I am really, really excited about the deal. I think Spectra (already a fabulous label) is really going to be on its way up this year. They have just signed a deal with the UK's talent show Live & Unsigned, and they are working on a few other top-secret but exciting things. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. They've got some great talent on their roster, so I am just honored to be a part of the whole thing. We are beginning writing and production now.

Do you approach songwriting and novel writing in a similar fashion, coming from the story and the words first, or does the melody line come to you before the lyrics?

Songwriting and novel writing are two totally different approaches for me. I don't relate the two much at all. With writing songs, it's almost always different. Sometimes it's the lyrics first and sometimes it's the melody. When I write novels, I hardly ever plot beforehand. I just kind of let the characters take me where they want to take me.

Share a random fact about yourself.

I have a strange obsession for stationery of all kind. Notebooks, pens, paper, journals. It's the best gift anyone could get me. My favorite foods are mushrooms and olives (but not together), and I can speak some conversational Czech: Dejuki a naschledanou! (Thank you and goodbye!)

Visit Shayne's website.

Add a Comment

Need a website that's both functional and fun? In addition to my work as a freelance blogger, I am also a freelance webdesigner.

Visit Rock the Rock for examples of my work and a list of my clients.

If you would like me to create, design, redesign, update, and/or maintain your website, email me or leave a comment below!

     

     

To see the larger versions of these designs and other sites, please visit Rock the Rock.

If you need a domain and/or website hosting, I strongly recommend Your-Site.com I've been using their web and domain services since 2000. Hosting costs only $5 a month ($60 a year) with the plan I use, and a domain is only $20 a year. If you sign up for Your-Site, please tell them that Little Willow of http://www.slayground.net referred you. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much!

Add a Comment

Mary E. Pearson's imaginative Fox trilogy has come to an end. I wasn't ready.

What began in The Adoration of Jenna Fox and continued in The Fox Inheritance concludes in this third volume, aptly titled¹ Fox Forever. This final chapter in the story feels like a continuation of book two, which was also told from Locke's POV. When Locke is told he must do a Favor (with a capital F), he is drawn into a movement that is both political and personal. Far away from the people he trusts, working alongside people he doesn't yet know, it would be easy for him to retreat into himself or openly rebel against orders, but as the story develops and he realizes what's really at stake, he becomes determined to see things through.

One of my favorite exchanges of dialogue appears on page 237. Note I've omitted the narrative and descriptors for the sake of clarity; the book is written in the typical prose style - specifically, in first-person, past tense - and not in the script-like manner in which I'm about to present this passage.

Locke: "Do you ever get used to it, Jenna?"
Jenna: "What's that?"
Locke: "Not being who you once were, not being like everyone else?"
Jenna: "Being like everyone else is highly overrated."

Yes, it is, Jenna. Yes, it is.

Another favorite moment comes when Locke is among the lower-class Non-pacts, who are making the most of what they have, combining ingredients to make a meal for everyone, enjoying their life and their community despite their hardships. At one point, Locke observes an unnamed girl:

A younger woman stands near the fire in the middle, telling a story to a few who are close by, her hands expressive, chopping the air with punctuation and passion. - Page 74

As with the volume which preceded it, Fox Forever offers action, intrigue, and even romance while Locke navigates through darkened passages, watches a rooftop, a ladder, and a girl, and encounters old friends, new allies, a variety of bots, low-class citizens fighting for freedom, and corrupt figures bloated by power. The "spy-on-this-person, fall-for-this-person" beat will appeal to fans of Gallagher Girls while retaining the "Fight the Future!" sci-fi / I heart dystopia audience from the previous books.

We held hands. We crossed a line. We made one another braver.⁽²⁾

I must admit, I initially wanted Jenna to be a bigger part of the story, but I quickly realized that she didn't have to be: her story was told in the first book. She was used sparingly in Fox Forever; she was there when Locke needed her, and he, in turn, was there when she needed him. Their friendship endured trials that some of their friends (and enemies) could not and did not endure. They were loyal to one another 'til the end.

1) Read the book, get to the final line, and then we'll talk.
2) If you like the TV show Fringe, you will like these books. #CrossTheLine #WeCrossedTheLine

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Book Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Book Review: The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
He Said, She Said: The Adoration of Jenna Fox and The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
Book Review: A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary E. Pearson
Interview: Mary E. Pearson (2008)
Interview: Mary E. Pearson (2011)

Add a Comment

If you were not able to rock the drop yesterday due to time, weather, or other such uncontrollable things, don't fret - you can totally drop a book today, this weekend, whenever time allows! When you do, leave us a comment here at the readergirlz blog or on Facebook, and tweet @readergirlz with the hashtag #rockthedrop - and include a picture if you took one!

You can also participate on a larger scale, if you'd like, by donating a bunch of books to the place or cause of your choice. Visit a local shelter, a school, a library, a children's hospital, and ask if they take donations. Once you've gotten the okay, gather up new or gently used books from your friends, family, classmates, and co-workers, add the bookplates, tuck in some bookmarks, then drop the books off!

For example, you could send Ballou High books from their wish list via Powells books! That would be a cool way to tie-in both readergirlz and GuysLitWire. Here's how you can help out Ballou High: It's Time for the Annual Spring Book Fair for Ballou High School Library!

You can also donate books to 826NYC, a non-profit organization that assists young writers between the ages of 6 and 18 as well as the awesome folks who teach them. If you'd like to send them books, here's the address:

826NYC
Attn: Joan Kim
c/o: readergirlz Rock the Drop
372 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215

During yesterday's tweets and texts, we heard about World Book Night, which is happening on April 23rd.  Learn more about that, and see if an event is happening in your neck of the woods.

Is this the first time you've heard of Operation Teen Book Drop? Anyone anywhere in the world may participate. It's free, it's fun, and it's global. Want to learn more about it? Click here!

Add a Comment

When the hands of time

evict the smile from the apartment building of your face.

When you get punched in the esophagus by a fist full of life

Remember

The human heart beats approximately 4,000 times per hour

And each pulse,

each throb

each palpitation is a trophy

engraved with the words

“You are still alive”

. . . So act like it

- by Rudy Francisco

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Add a Comment

It's time to ROCK THE DROP! Today is the day for Operation Teen Book Drop 2013!

Love books? Share them! In honor of Support Teen Lit Day, readergirlz has teamed up with Figment, I Heart Daily, Soho Teen, and 826NYC to celebrate the sixth annual Teen Book Drop. Anyone anywhere in the world may participate simply by leaving the book of their choice in a public place (a coffeehouse, a school, a skateboard park) for someone else to find. It's just that easy! Plus, there's the bonus fun when someone contacts readergirlz to tell them they found the book that you dropped.

If you want to chronicle your drop, share it on social media like this:

* Follow @readergirlz on Twitter and tweet #rockthedrop
* Print a copy of the bookplate and insert it into a book (or 10!) Drop a book in a public spot (park bench, bus seat, restaurant counter?) with a note or Post-It on the front saying something like, "THIS BOOK IS FREE!" or "READ ME!" Lucky finders will see that the book is part of ROCK THE DROP!
* Post the banner at your blog and social networks. Proclaim that you will ROCK THE DROP!
* Snap a photo of your drop and post it at the readergirlz Facebook page. Then tweet the drop with the hashtag #rockthedrop to share the news with other readers.

This year's bookplate was designed by the super-talented Lindsay Frantz. Thank you, Lindsay!

You can also participate on a larger scale, if you'd like, by donating a bunch of books to the place or cause of your choice. Visit a local shelter, a school, a library, a children's hospital, and ask if they take donations. Once you've gotten the okay, gather up new or gently used books from your friends, family, classmates, and co-workers, add the bookplates, tuck in some bookmarks, then drop the books off!

This year, readergirlz is encouraging folks to donate books to 826NYC. If you're interested, here's the address:

826NYC
Attn: Joan Kim
c/o: readergirlz Rock the Drop
372 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215

If you're in New York, drop by Figment today - they are giving away TWO books (one to keep, one to drop) to all participants while supplies last! Click here for details.

Visit the readergirlz blog, Facebook page, and Twitter for more news and pictures before, during, and after the event!

Earlier TBDs

Our previous book drops: TBD 2008, TBD 2009, TBD 2010, TBD 2011, TBD 2012

 

Add a Comment

Are you ready for this year's Operation Teen Book Drop? Not only is Figment ready to rock the drop, but they're going to help you rock the drop, too! Figment is giving away two free books to everyone who stops by our Upper East Side office on Thursday, April 18th. Here's what they have planned:

You keep one. Then drop the other in a public place for some lucky new New York reader to find!

We'll be outside from 12pm to 1:30pm and then again from 3pm to 4:30pm...or until our supplies run out!

Want to come at a different time? Tweet us at @figment and ask!

Figment's address:
118 E 64th Street
(between Park and Lexington)
New York, NY 10065

Thank you so much to Figment for doing this doubly-good drop!

Not in New York? No problem! Anyone anywhere may participate. This Thursday, April 18th, Operation Teen Book Drop is happening all over the country - and all over the world! Operation TBD was created by readergirlz in 2008 in honor of Support Teen Literature Day. Every year, the movement grows stronger and stronger. It's free to participate, and it's always fun to share a good book. Learn more about Operation Teen Book Drop.

Drop books. Donate books. Find books. Use the hashtag #rockthedrop and follow the happenings this Thursday!

Add a Comment

We're just three days away from Operation Teen Book Drop 2013! Are you ready to Rock the Drop?

Readergirlz are happy to announce Operation Teen Book Drop 2013! On April 18th, readergirlz will be teaming with Figment, I Heart Daily, Soho Teen, and 826NYC to celebrate YA lit in honor of Support Teen Lit Day on Thursday, April 18th. We can't wait!

This year, in addition to rocking out and dropping our favorite YA titles in public spaces for lucky readers to discover, we're also directing supporters of teen fiction everywhere to consider a book donation to 826NYC to help grow their library.

Here's how you can get involved:

* Follow @readergirlz on Twitter and tweet #rockthedrop
* Print a copy of the bookplate and insert it into a book (or 10!) On April 18th, drop a book in a public spot (park bench, bus seat, restaurant counter?) Lucky finders will see that the book is part of ROCK THE DROP!
* Post the banner at your blog and social networks. Proclaim that you will ROCK THE DROP!
* Snap a photo of your drop and post it at the readergirlz Facebook page. Then tweet the drop at #rockthedrop with all the other lovers of YA books.

This year's bookplate was designed by the super-talented Lindsay Frantz. Thank you, Lindsay!

If you'd like to donate books to 826NYC, here's the address:

826NYC
Attn: Joan Kim
c/o: readergirlz Rock the Drop
372 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Visit the readergirlz blog, Facebook page, and Twitter for more news and pictures before, during, and after the event!

Earlier TBDs

Our previous book drops: TBD 2008, TBD 2009, TBD 2010, TBD 2011, TBD 2012

Add a Comment

She's gonna learn that this life will hit you, hard, in the face, wait for you to get back up so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air. There is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by Band-Aids or poetry, so the first time she realizes that Wonder Woman isn't coming, I'll make sure she knows she doesn't have to wear the cape all by herself. Because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers, your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe me, I've tried.

- an excerpt of B by Sarah Kay

I am only posting a piece of the piece here because you simply have to see and hear the entire thing as it was intended to be seen and heard, as performed by the poet herself: Watch Sarah Kay's TED Talk on YouTube.

Visit Sarah Kay's official website.

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Add a Comment

Love has crept out of her sealéd heart
  As a field-bee, black and amber,
  Breaks from the winter-cell, to clamber
Up the warm grass where the sunbeams start.

Mischief has come in her dawning eyes,
  And a glint of coloured iris brings
  Such as lies along the folded wings
Of the bee before he flies.

Who, with a ruffling, careful breath,
  Has opened the wings of the wild young sprite?
  Has fluttered her spirit to stumbling flight
In her eyes, as a young bee stumbleth?

Love makes the burden of her voice.
  The hum of his heavy, staggering wings
  Sets quivering with wisdom the common things 15
That she says, and her words rejoice.

- Flapper by D.H. Lawrence

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Add a Comment

Looking for a graphic novel that will make you giggle? Check out ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: Re-Entry by Dave Roman. This series follows the hijinks of students enrolled in a school in outer space. And we're talking highly funny hijinks: shapeshifters that will steal your heart (literally), time travel, detention, a bilingual panda, heartbreak, robots, and Fireball, a game that resembles lacrosse and Quidditch, but with FIRE. And there's a competition montage. This story is so ready to be made into an animated film.

I laughed out loud several times while reading this book, which includes subtle pop culture references as well as different characters' definitions of OTP. Yes, you read that correctly. At one point, someone goes "Squee!" Then there's this exchange between two characters:

"Labels can't define who we are on the inside."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"Only if you want me to be."
"I [heart] sarcasm. (No, seriously.)"

The cast of characters is multicultural, which is delightful. Roman's black-and-white-and-gray illustrations clearly show kids with different skin colors, different hair styles, and different fashion senses. Some are shy, some are outspoken. Some are bullies, some are friends. A few are spies. A few are ninjas. Did I mention there's also a raccoon or two, a rabbit or two, and that this is book two in the line? Read the ASTRONAUT ACADEMY graphic novels in order:
#1 Zero Gravity
#2 Re-Entry

I just dropped by Dave's blog to see what's new, and I discovered that he's signing copies of his books for his local bookstore, WORD, which is also holding a really cool contest. Want to get an Astronaut Academy-style portrait of yourself (or a friend), hanging out with the character of your choice? Click here to learn more.

ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: Re-Entry will be available May 14th, 2013 from :01 First Second Books.

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Interview: Dave Roman
Graphic Novel Review: Teen Boat!

Add a Comment

In the world of Magic Zero, everyone and everything is magic.

Everyone, that is, except for Timothy. For his own safety, his kind father kept him hidden away for years, providing him with a safe haven and a chance at a decent - albeit magic-free - childhood.

When his father passes away, Timothy is flung back into the world. Now everyone knows he exists. Who can he trust? Where can he go? He must decide who his allies are - and quickly, because assassins are coming for him.

The books are packed with action, fantasy, and drama. Timothy is surrounded by intriguing, strong characters: a warrior who can blend in with his surroundings; a robot buddy of his own creation; firebreathing, war-torn dragons; a talking raven named Edgar; and Cassandra, a girl who may or may not be on the same side as her power-hungry grandfather.

You simply must put Magic Zero in the hands of kids who love magic and fantasy series. There's something here for everyone, whether you like the otherworldly creatures in The Spiderwick Chronicles or the battles and tribunals featured in Star Wars. This is a great introduction to the works of the imaginative and prolific authors Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Each author has released a multitude of titles individually, including Golden's chilling Shadow Saga (thankfully, these vampires do not sparkle) and Sniegoski's best-selling teen angel series The Fallen. Older readers (meaning teens and adults) should check out the pair's dark fantasy series The Menagerie, which I often compare to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and give to fans of the X-Men.

Back to Magic Zero: Is this for the Harry Potter crowd? Yes, no doubt about it. At the core of the story, you've got a boy who becomes an unlikely hero in a world filled with magic. The really cool flip in Magic Zero, what sets it apart from other books starring a Young Boy on a Magic Quest, is that Timothy's the only person who cannot wield magic. Also, we know this going into the book, rather than being a loss or gain of powers somewhere along the way. Magic Zero is inventive, the premise well-developed and executed. Just wait 'til you see what happens when Timothy approaches a door protected by magic. Also, there are dragons, robots, talking animals, and more, more, more. Steampunk aficionados, check out the alternate sources of energy used in these books; Star Wars fans, prepare thyself for a battle of epic proportions.

Here's the official book flap summary:

Timothy has great potential for power - no magic necessary - in this start to an action-packed fantasy series from two New York Times bestselling authors.

In Timothy's world, everyone has magical powers. Except him. He has spent his entire life as an outcast hidden on a remote island. When he is finally taken back to the city of his birth, Timothy is fascinated by the current of magic that fuels the world and mesmerized by the buildings and orbs that hang weightlessly in the sky. But he is also marked for death.

Assassins are watching his every move, and some very powerful people want him destroyed. Timothy can't imagine what threat he could possibly pose; after all, he wields no power in this world. Or does he?

The Magic Zero quartet, originally known as the Outcast series, features an unforgettable adventure. Read the books in order:
Magic Zero - available today, April 2nd!
Dragon Secrets - available today, April 2nd!
Ghostfire - coming in June
Battle for Arcanum - coming in August

Get the Magic Zero series online now!

Add a Comment

For adults and older teens
The Graves of Saints by Christopher Golden
Last Breath by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Throat Culture by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala

For ages 10 and up
The Lovely Shoes by Susan Richards Shreve

Short Story Time
Down to a Sunless Sea by Neil Gaiman

The Play's the Thing
Translations by Brian Friel

Add a Comment

You know that scene in Disney's Snow White when all of the forest creatures gather around Snow, and she sings A Smile and a Song? I feel as though Hilary McKay's newest protagonist, Lulu, would appreciate that scene. I know I do. Pretty much every time an animal crosses my path, I say hello. Whether that animal has two legs, four legs, or a tail matters not; I greet most passersby and wish them well.

Sadly, I am not hugging a deer as I type this post. Happily, I did have the chance to speak author Hilary McKay about her animal-friendly characters and her past and future stories.

The protagonist of your latest series, Lulu, has a wonderful way with animals of all kinds. What inspired this series? Have any of your own pets, past or present, wiggled their way into the books?

Yes, I grew up with pets as a child: dogs and rabbits, birds and guinea pigs, and a pet hedgehog rescued from a bonfire (named Bonny!) Everything except cats, because my father could not bear cats. It has been just the same with my own children (only we have a cat as well). Naturally, they found their way into my stories - in fact, my daughter's hamster and its epic journey across rooftops and inside wallspaces gave me the entire plot for the sixth of the Lulu series, LULU AND THE HAMSTER ON THE ROOF.

How many books are currently planned for the series?

There are six books here in the UK, and I have two more to write.

(Note for American readers: Book #3, Lulu and the Cat in the Bag will be available fall 2013.)

You are known for your books about the Casson family - Rose, Saffy, Caddy, Indigo. Do you have siblings who resemble any of the Cassons?

No, I don't have siblings who resemble the Cassons. Nor do my own children resemble them, or their friends. Deliberately. They would not appreciate being used as book-stuffing! But on the other hand, we do have guitar players, and drawing-on-the-wall artists, and animal lovers, so how can I truly say? I suppose I borrow little bits from time to time.

Which character is the most like you?

Which is the most like me? None of them. They are all much nicer than me.

Your novel Wishing For Tomorrow is a Sequel to A Little Princess. What moved you to write this story?

I always loved this story, and when my daughter was very little I read it to her and she loved it too. One of her many questions was, 'What happened next?" And so I did wrote the book for her, but also for me, because I also wanted to know what happened next.

Did you have to get the rights/clearance to write the sequel?

I did not.

Which of your novels has taken the longest to write?

I have written so many books that I really cannot remember which has taken the longest. Even after I finish them there is still so much work to be done with cover art and illustrations and things like that. They generally take a couple of years, start to finish.

What do you do when you have writer's block - or when it's tough to sell a story?

Writer's block is hard. I go for walks. I make the characters speak in a different way -- write a diary or a letter, have a conversation etc. I doodle!

It's never been tough to sell a story. I sold my first and went on from there. I've always had somebody wanting to publish my work. I have been lucky, lucky, lucky, and met the right people at the right time. I am very aware of that.

Are you working on anything presently?

Yes, I am working on two more Lulu stories and a sequel to my latest longer novel, Binny For Short, which is already out here in the UK and will be published in the US this summer.

Ask (and answer) a question you always wish someone would ask you, but no one ever does.

Would you like wings to fly? Yes, please.

Name ten of your all-time favorite books.

Well, I will name five, just in case by the end of this tour I am listing dozens!
The Once and Future King (T H White)
The Worst Journey in the World (Apsley Cherry Garrard)
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint Exupéry)
David Copperfield (Charles Dickens)
Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein)


Tomorrow's tour stop is Biblio File.

Follow Hilary McKay's blog tour.

Visit Hilary's website.

Add a Comment

I am fevered with the sunset,
I am fretful with the bay,
For the wander-thirst is on me
And my soul is in Cathay.

There 's a schooner in the offing,
With her topsails shot with fire,
And my heart has gone aboard her
For the Islands of Desire.

I must forth again to-morrow!
With the sunset I must be
Hull down on the trail of rapture
In the wonder of the sea.

- The Sea Gypsy by Richard Hovey

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Add a Comment

This shaking keeps me steady, I should know
What falls away is always, and is near
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow
I learn by going where I have to go

- lyrics from The Waking by Kurt Elling

Watch Kurt perform the song live.

I discovered this song recently, thanks to Norbert Leo Butz, who covered the song on his album Memory & Mayhem: Live at 54 Below. I highly recommend that album. I highly recommend anything and everything sung by Norbert Leo Butz.

Norbert's newest project is the Broadway musical Big Fish, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. His credits include the role of Fiyero in the original cast of Wicked, which was based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. So, you see, this all leads back to books.

...but if you want me to, I can talk about Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years as performed by Norbert Leo Butz and Lauren Kennedy for a really, really long time. Just ask me about it. :)

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Add a Comment

The Graves of Saints, a brand-new Christopher Golden novel about Peter Octavian, is now available.

I'm excited. First of all, brand-new Christopher Golden novel. Those are magic words, and his words are magic.

Second of all, it's part of The Shadow Saga - If you like fictional vampires, then you need to read this inventive, thought-provoking, myth-twisting, heart-racing series RIGHT NOW.

Third of all, the previous novel, Waking Nightmares, ended on a what-just-happened-no-no-NO tragic turn of events, and the fallout from that starts Saints off with a bang.

But don't listen only to me -- Check out what other horror and fantasy writing juggernauts have to say about The Shadow Saga series:

"Christopher Golden was writing kick-@$$ urban fantasy before the genre even had a name. The Peter Octavian novels are smart, fast-paced, lyrical and vicious." - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory and Rot & Ruin

"Christopher Golden scared the unholy $#!& out of me. Thank god I was reading with the lights on! WAKING NIGHTMARES is one deliciously terrifying, un-put-down-able book. Totally, compellingly creepy. (I hate him now and shall have to kill him because I'll never be able to sleep again.)" - Kat Richardson, author of the Greywalker novels

"Startlingly original." - Charlaine Harris, author of The Southern Vampire Mysteries which inspired the TV series True Blood

"A delightfully different take on vampires." - Kelley Armstrong, author of the Women of the Otherworld series and The Darkest Powers trilogy

Cover flap summary:

For centuries, Vatican sorcerers kept demons and monsters out of our world with the magic found in a grimoire called The Gospel of Shadows. Years ago, to save his people from madmen, Peter Octavian defeated those sorcerers and the Gospel of Shadows itself was banished from the Earth. Ever since, the evils and monstrosities lurking in parallel worlds have been waking to the realization that our magical defences are down - the barriers keeping them out of our world are crumbling.

With massive demonic incursions in locations around the world, Octavian should be focused on using his own sorcery to drive the evil out and rebuild our defenses. But a renegade vampire named Cortez has murdered the person Octavian loves the most and, even with his friends and allies around him, he is so lost in grief that he can think of nothing but revenge. There are others who can fight the darkness - mages and Shadows, witches and Reapers and vampire samurai - but only the warrior-mage, Peter Octavian, can defeat it.

If he will answer the call.

Additional Information
Published by Simon & Schuster UK
March 14th, 2013
368 pages
ISBN-10: 0857209647
ISBN-13: 9780857209641

eBook available:
Get it from Amazon.com
Get it from Amazon.co.uk

Read the entire series:

Add a Comment

I recently made the acquaintance of Leslie Stella, a novelist, journalist, and former magazine editor whose newest book, Permanent Record, is her first release in the Young Adult market. This story of a bullied Iranian-American teenager has caught the eye of many a reviewer (hello, Liz at Tea Cozy and School Library Journal!) Its serious tone is a stark contrast from her previous comedic novels, which were written for adults. Many thanks to Leslie for talking to me about her books and for encouraging kids and adults alike to stop bullying and start listening.

When did the idea for Permanent Record first take hold in your mind? How long did it take to get it from brain to paper (or computer), then from first draft to final draft?

It first emerged as adult fiction about ten years ago. I wrote the book with the same setting (a Chicago private school) and many of the same characters, but from the perspective of a teacher who no longer appears in the book. Bud, the protagonist in Permanent Record, appeared in that version, but as a supporting character. That version didn’t work for a variety of reasons, so over the years and in between other projects, I rewrote it twice. Third time was the charm. I realized what I had liked about the earlier versions were not the adult characters and their arcs, but the teens. When I gave the story to Bud, it all came together.

Did you ever reinvent yourself, as a teenager or as an adult?

Not really. I’m generally the same person on the inside that I was as a kid, a direct result of that one-two punch of growing up weird and shy.

Did you feel like an outsider in high school?

I felt like an outsider in elementary school and junior high, but not high school. My high school was an all-girls school, and removing boys—and perhaps the kinds of girls who were overly focused on boys—helped tremendously in terms of me fitting in. I was not bullied to the extent Bud was, but I had my share of cruelty handed to me in junior high from girls who stalked me and made a game of ostracizing me. Crippling shyness and being known for being strange didn’t help, but on the other hand I didn't have to deal with a physical or mental issue that would call up daily sh!tstorms of abuse. But there are children who have those issues, and who do endure that kind of daily abuse. I was lucky because many of the girls in my high school classes were nerdy like me and didn’t expect a high "coolth" quotient from anyone else.

How can we help the next generation break the cycle of bullying?

Smaller class sizes and more faculty/adult supervision out of the classroom can make it more difficult for mean children to bully, but I realize our schools are overburdened as it is; advocacy on the part of parents of bullied children may be the answer. Don’t tell a bullied child to “just get over it” or “ignore it,” as my mother told me, because it makes the child feel responsible for fixing a situation that she cannot possibly fix. Certain children can stand up to bullies, but for the most part children are targeted by bullies in the first place BECAUSE they are not the type of children who feel capable of standing up for themselves. Classmates began calling my house in seventh grade, threatening me and hurling invective over the phone (my punishment because I was friends with another ostracized girl they disliked). I believe if my mother had called their mothers, it would not have happened again. But she told me to ignore it, and it kept happening. So I stopped telling her.

How can we teach tolerance in a real and effective way?

As far as teaching tolerance, it begins in the home of course, but let’s face it: there are just some fundamentally cruel children (and adults) out there. Teaching kindness by example does not always work. In other words, school bullying initiatives need to hold to account bullies and the adults responsible for them.

How did you get your publishing deal with Skyscape/Amazon Children's Publishing?

My agent had originally sold the book to Marshall Cavendish Children’s Publishers in summer of 2011. In 2012, Marshall Cavendish Children’s was acquired by Amazon Children’s Publishing—a brand-new publishing division of Amazon. We Marshall Cavendish authors just went with the flow. This year, Amazon Children’s has divided up into two imprints, Two Lions (which publishes picture books and books for young readers) and Skyscape (my publisher, which is dedicated to young adult books). Luckily, I kept my same editor from Marshall Cavendish, Robin Benjamin, so editorially speaking, it was pretty seamless. Robin and I still worked together on the manuscript just as we had begun to do before Amazon acquired the imprint.

Permanent Record is your first YA novel, and your fourth published novel. What's the publishing story behind your first novel?

My first novel, Fat Bald Jeff, was adult fiction—the story of a disaffected copyeditor who hatches a plot to bring down her employer with the help of a disgruntled tech support guy—and it was published in 2001 after a relatively quick and easy submission process. Down the road, this taught me that nothing in publishing is as easy as it might seem; that nothing is a sure thing. I had three novels published in five years to middling acclaim when I found myself in the space of one day dumped by both my publisher and my agent. Those were dark days. It took me years of writing and throwing out, writing and throwing out, hoping to hit upon the magic formula that would please a new agent and fit into whatever was hot at the moment. Surprise: it didn’t work. Finally I said, fine, I may not be published ever again, but that doesn’t mean I have to stop writing. So I wrote to please myself, and that book was Permanent Record, and that is what sold.

Do you approach writing YA differently from writing adult fiction?

My approach for YA is much different than adult fiction. I felt cynicism and bitterness creep into my writing when I wrote for the adult market. It just wasn’t for me. Writing for young adults feels right. There is an openness and honesty that comes naturally in writing for teens; life is still ahead of them, no matter what they’ve been through. I love that sense of possibility. Their emotions are not blunted by life; everything is raw.

Do you find it easy to title your books and name your characters?

Naming my characters has always been easy. I either draw from people I’ve met, or the names themselves have significance. Coming up with a title for the books is harder. In fact, my first novel was the only one I titled that was not changed by the publisher. A collaborative effort with my editors determined the other titles.

Do you have a writing routine?

Before I had children, my routine was very strict—I had to get up and start writing in my office before I interacted with humans or read the newspaper or ANYTHING—and I felt if I varied from it at all, that I “couldn’t think right” or be creative enough to get any writing done. How lovely it was to have that choice! Now, I have learned to make use of the snatched moments of time that I get, late at night, before everyone gets up, weekends, whatever it takes. I open up my laptop and launch into it; I don’t have time to be a prima donna about this or fool around. If I have to work in the library because it’s too noisy at my house on a Saturday afternoon, then that’s what I do. My brain works differently, perhaps even more efficiently, now that the demands on my time are greater.

Name your top ten favorite books.

My list is going to be all over the place here, not just YA, and not even just fiction. These are the books that have stuck with me, books that I have read many times over, that shine as examples of their authors’ craft.

1. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (I love how he lampoons the world of academia)


2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (Thus began my love affair with the unlikable protagonist)


3. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (A very realistic portrayal of human cruelty and conformity set in the microcosm of high school)


4. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (Sports writing as art form)


5. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (Mystery/crime/noir all bundled into razor wit)


6. Division Street by Studs Terkel (Love letters to Chicago)


7. Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien (Fantasy writing as art form)


8. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling (Middle-grade fantasy for EVERYONE)


9. Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau (Perfect example of setting functioning as character in nonfiction)


10. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (Yes, an obvious choice, but with reason: I read this at age 13, when so much is hidden about the world and about yourself too, and this book pulled back the veil for me.)

Visit Leslie Stella's website at http://lesliestella.com/

Add a Comment

February 2013: 45 books and scripts read

Recommended for ages 8 and up
Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book Three by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith

Recommended for teens and adults
The Waking: A Winter of Ghosts by Christopher Golden and Thomas Randall
Brain Trust by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Newspaper Blackout by Austin Kleon

The Play's the Thing
The Skin of Our Teeth by Thorton Wilder

Add a Comment

Kelly from the Stacked blog rounded up a bunch of bloggers, booksellers, and librarians and asked them to list the YA novels they'd recommend to someone who is just starting to dip their toes in the waters of the Young Adult bookshelves. When she asked if I'd like to kick off this round, I replied, "Twist my arm!" Here are a dozen books to get you started.

Body Bags by Christopher Golden begins with the line: "It was a beautiful day to grow up." Body Bags is the first in a line of ten novels - collectively known as Body of Evidence - which follow Jenna Blake as she begins college and starts working as an assistant at the Medical Examiner's office. I highly recommend this series. Both adults and teenagers will discover plenty to relate to and enjoy in this line. Readers will find Jenna visiting crime scenes and autopsy rooms nearly as often as she's in her dorm. Her relatives, friends, and studies factor into the books just as much as serial killers and detectives.  Throughout the series, Christopher Golden - and, later, collaborator Rick Hautala - created characters who are believable but anything but cookie-cutter. The quality of Body Bags is above and beyond most suspense novels, and it continues throughout the series, versus other series which lose the momentum after a few books, or series in which the books become carbon copies. If you enjoy medical thrillers with great characters, especially if you watch(ed) television series such as CSI or Profiler, or read or watch Rizzoli & Isles, then you need to read these books right now. You won't be sorry.
Read my review of the book, and the entire series.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart is, dare I say, a coming-of-age story. It's not about breaking the rules, nor it is about controlling others. It's about daring: daring to be yourself, daring to stand up for yourself, daring to step outside of your comfort zone, daring to change the world. This novel possesses all of the elements necessary for a good bildungsroman, following the protagonist's journey through her formative years. Both snarky and serious, this History is written by the victors: the memorable narrator and the author. Frankie is smart, grounded, and direct, but she also has a quirky side. Author E. Lockhart (The Boyfriend List, Dramarama) writes with heart and authentic feeling. History has an incredible conclusion, and Frankie becomes a remarkable young woman.
Read my full-length review of the book.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen is about grief, acceptance, and everything in-between. It's about running - running for fun, running out of fear, running from yourself, running from the truth. It's also about to-do lists, kitchen messes, and really good waffles. It's about long conversations and comfortable silences. It's about forever, which is yesterday, today, and tomorrow - and forever is never long enough. Dessen is always good, and this is Dessen at her best.
Read my reviews of all Sarah Dessen's novels.

Deb Caletti writes really fantastic realistic novels. My favorite Caletti novel to date is The Nature of Jade, about an overachiever who has developed panic disorder. Jade doesn't know yet that she wants something more out of life - and that she is about to meet someone that will change her life.
Read my reviews of all of Deb Caletti's novels.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is an absolute staple of modern YA fiction. This story is an example of how to use first-person narration to connect readers to a largely silent and introverted protagonist - and how to reveal things slowly, to connect actions and emotions. This book is gritty and real without being gritty for the sake of it. Often imitated, never replicated, this book is what inspired the wave of YA books that tackle tough issues.
Check out my Speak playlist.

The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark. Wow, wow, wow. After her mother passes away, Alison is reluctant to confide in anyone other than Laurie, her long-time best friend. She pulls away from pretty much everyone else and decides to quietly lives by the rules she's made for herself. Read it, then share it.
Read my full-length review of The Alison Rules.

I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak, which you should go into completely spoiler-free, so I'm not going to tell you anything about it. Go read it, and when you're done, tell me what you think, because you will definitely have a reaction to how this story unfolds and how it turns out.
Check out my interview with Marcus Zusak - and then read The Book Thief.

Feathered by Laura Kasischke tells the story of two best friends who travel to Cancun for Spring Break. After an auspicious start, the unexpected happens, and their dream vacation turns into a nightmare which they can't simply escape by waking - which, perhaps, they cannot escape at all. Feathered wonderfully captures that feeling of freedom one gets while far from home, when it's possible (easier?) to be uncharacteristically impulsive. Fueled by the toxic intensity of perfect strangers, fast friends, and foreign cultures, the girls find themselves in an extremely dangerous situation, and, in the blink of an eye, everything changes. Every high school student who is planning a big-deal trip for Spring Break (or for any break) needs to read this book - and so do their parents, teachers, and chaperones. So do writers who aspire to craft stories with alternating points of view.
Read my full-length review of the book.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is not your typical boy meets girl story. Sure, it starts when boy meets girl - but then boy asks girl to pretend to be his girlfriend for the next five minutes, and girl agrees. Over the course of one night, two perfect strangers fall in and out of love with life, music, friends, cars, food, the city, and maybe - just maybe - each other. This book definitely popularized multiple narrators in modern YA fiction.
Read my review of Nick and Norah - Check out my own Infinite Playlist

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers shows that sometimes, what you don't do can be as consequential as what you do. Parker was a good girl. A nice girl. A cheerleader. A straight-A student. Then something happened. Something which changed Parker completely. Something she wishes she could change. Her mood, her grades, and her spirits have all plummeted. Haunted, Parker is no longer the girl she once was - and she doesn't want to be, not anymore. Courtney Summers' debut novel is not to be missed. When the characters speak, they sound authentic: some kids swear and some kids laugh while others toss out a word or two while swallowing down what they really want to say. Adult readers will quickly be transported to the halls of high school and feel as if they never left. Pick up Summers' other novels while you're at it, but start with this one.
Read my review of the book.

The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski led the pack of immortal/angel fantasy/action stories that now line the YA shelves. The premise: Aaron has always known that he was adopted, but he never suspected he was half-angel - or that he could be a hero in the ultimate fight between good and evil. Fun fact: Before he portrayed Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, Paul Wesley starred as Aaron Corbet in the film adaptation of Fallen - and Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad played Lucifer!

Check out the Fallen website.

Looking for Alaska by John Green has energized a new generation of readers, writers, and all kinds of people searching for their great perhaps. It's thought-provoking, poignant, and lovely. Please read it.
Here's my Looking for Alaska playlist.

Bildungsroman: A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character. (dictionary.com)

Looking for additional YA staples and recommendations? Click through the blog and the corresponding archive for reviews, exclusive author interviews, and more. I have a slew of booklists I hope you'll check out, including:

Tough Issues for Teens
http://slayground.livejournal.com/74061.html

Coming-of-Age Novels
http://slayground.livejournal.com/178045.html

Transition Times / Set in School
http://slayground.livejournal.com/78353.html

Add a Comment

Get ready for surf, sand, and murder. Talk about perfect timing: Brain Trust by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala has been re-released just in time for Spring Break. In the eighth Body of Evidence novel, college freshman Jenna Blake heads off to Florida with her best friend for a much-needed vacation. It's all fun in the sun until the girls witness a horrible accident - one they barely escape themselves, or so they think. Jenna quickly becomes convinced that it was no accident, and she learns more about the victim, she realizes he's not the only one who has been killed in this fashion. But who's next?

This is a really cool story, not only because of the tension (and nifty scientific factoids) that Golden and Hautala have in all of the BoE books, but also because the readers know early on who the perpetrators are - and can only helplessly watch (that is, read) as they work their way through their list of targets. Without giving anything away, let me just say the villains of the piece are creepy and calculating.

If you're looking for an awesome series of thrillers, pick up the Body of Evidence books by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala. You won't be sorry.

Cover flap summary:

"Maybe the odds are against the cases being connected, but I'd hate to find out that it was some contagious, horrible disease."

Spring break is prime time for R&R, fun in the sun, and all things low-key. So when Jenna Blake goes to Florida with her roommate, Yoshiko, the last thing she's expecting to find is another mystery. Well, you can take the girl out of the ME's office, but...

A series of seemingly natural deaths turn out to be suspicious when each of the bodies proves to have mysterious growths of some kind. Needless to say, despite Yoshiko's concerns that her roommate is missing the point of a vacation, Jenna can't stay away from this case.

After autopsies, another common denominator among the victims presents itself. And when further research reveals similar deaths in other states, Jenna starts to wonder if the deaths were indeed natural. As the body count climbs, Jenna's break gives way to a dangerous chase. With Slick and Danny back in Massachusetts,  Jenna has only herself to rely on...for survival.

Get Brain Trust on Amazon

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Head Games by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Skin Deep by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Burning Bones by Christopher Golden

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

Amazon.com Widgets

Add a Comment

Calliope Reaper-Jones doesn't want to be daddy's little girl anymore.

Too bad her father happens to be Death himself.

From the creative mind of award-winning actress and writer Amber Benson comes an inventive and witty series of fantasy novels to die for.

The Golden Age of Death, the fifth and final novel about Calliope Reaper-Jones, is now available. For the sake of humanity, read it. Callie's work as CEO of Death, Inc. isn't easy - understatement of the year - but it's certainly never boring.

Read the entire series:
DEATH'S DAUGHTER
CAT'S CLAW
SERPENT'S STORM
HOW TO BE DEATH
THE GOLDEN AGE OF DEATH

For more about Calliope and her creator:

http://www.deathsdaughter.com

http://www.amberbenson.us

Add a Comment

A soul looking outside itself for the source
To find what cannot be defined, delivered, or forced
Perception and projection make up every point of view

These days it seems like everyone is bidding on love
But it's not up for sale, a concept new to some
I like to share my soul with many, I don't save it just for one

Now what to do with all that freedom hitting at once?
You can exercise your will to call the actor's bluff
You're just playing a part until your time is up

- lyrics from Sail On by The Good Mad

This is one of my favorite songs by The Good Mad. I also really love In the Grey and Falling Asleep (Shine Don't Shadow) I hope you like them as much as I do.

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Add a Comment

Take a deep breath and dive into Last Breath by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala. The ninth Body of Evidence novel finds protagonist Jenna Blake prepared to enjoy the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of college. Summertime and the livin' is easy, right?

Maybe not so easy. At  least, not when you're working for a medical examiner and attempting to stop a serial killer who is drowning people left, right, and center and leaving the victims in public places.

I love the prologues in this series. Akin to the "cold open" of Law & Order or CSI, the Body of Evidence prologues tend to introduce us to our first victim. The prologue of Last Breath takes place in an aquarium, and deserves a Jaws-worthy underscore.

As with the other books in the line, Last Breath made me want to visit Boston right away. The locations are beautifully detailed. Jenna's emotional journey will pull in readers and keep them turning pages. Her strength is really tested in this book, and the events which take place in the last few chapters will change her forever.

If you like modern-day murder mysteries with characters, pick up the Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala. Check out the widget at the bottom of this post to get all of the books.

Cover flap summary:

"When a psycho wants to make a statement, and nobody gets it, he's only going to say it louder the next time."

Jenna thought spending her summer in Somerset would be quiet and relaxing. With classes over and the students home on break, the campus is a ghost town. But the summer is not chock-full of R&R. In fact, her latest case at the medical examiner's office is anything but quiet.

A psycho killer is on a rampage, drowning the victims in Boston's most public places. It seems everyone is talking about the murders, yet no one has any leads.

Then Jenna uncovers a key piece of evidence, and she is quickly drawn into the puzzle. But the closer they get to the killer, the more frequent -- and more violent -- the drownings become. And before Jenna realizes how deep in she's gotten, it's suddenly sink or swim time for her...literally.

Get LAST BREATH from Amazon.com
Get LAST BREATH from Amazon.co.uk

Related Posts at Bildungsroman

Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Head Games by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Skin Deep by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Burning Bones by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Brain Trust by Christopher Golden

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

Amazon.com Widgets

Add a Comment

Throat Culture, the final volume in the Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala, begins by the sea and ends on a strong note.

Anyone that's worked in food service could tell you a story or two about what goes in the kitchen and on the floor. There are the regular patrons, the menu changes, the interesting requests, the difficult co-workers, and more. After an employee at Oceana's By the Sea conducts a deadly experiment on the customers - just as, quote, "a field test to see how things work" - he decides not to stop there. Shortly thereafter, he taints the food at a faculty luncheon at Somerset University - a luncheon celebrating the marriage of Criminology professor Frank Logan and English professor Shayna Emerson. And Shayna's reaction to the tainted food lands her in the hospital, paralyzed.

Enter Frank's daughter, Jenna Blake, who works for the Medical Examiner's office and has both the personal and professional motivation to catch this guy. Readers who have followed Jenna through all ten novels in this series will be cheering her on as she investigates the crime that's hit so close to home - but will she go too far this time?

As extremely sad as I am to see this series come to an end, I am glad that the authors gave us such a solid final scene. That image has stuck with me, and it still strikes me when I re-read it. Jenna is a fiery, intelligent, and resourceful woman, and her strength and determination make her a great protagonist. The characters who surround her - Danny, Slick, Yoshiko, Hunter, Dyson, her friends, her family - matter to her, and to the readers.

Throughout the course of the series, we've seen Jenna grow and change, but she's always stayed true to herself, and she's always fought for the victims, refusing to give up until she finds the perp or at least makes things better for those touched by the crimes. If there ever was another book in this line, and it was set a few years in the future, I wouldn't be surprised to find Jenna working Homicide or Undercover - and her partner would be Veronica Mars. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Cover flap summary:

"Could she have become infected without showing any symptoms herself? Could she be contagious?"

Wedding bells are ringing for Jenna Blake's dad, and she couldn't be happier for him. His new wife, Shayna, is just the greatest. And their wedding luncheon is perfect -- until the food arrives. When guests start experiencing unusual symptoms, Jenna knows something is terribly wrong. Then all too quickly, Shayna winds up paralyzed.

But Shayna's not the only victim. The mysterious illness begins to sweep Jenna's college campus, leaving two students dead. Doctors suspect that this is no ordinary virus. Highly unusual and destructive, it could only be the work of human hands.

While the Center for Disease Control is blanketing the campus, Jenna and the rest of the medical examiner's team scramble to put the pieces together. But the longer it takes to solve the puzzle, the more critical the situation becomes...

Because this virus is deadly -- and very contagious.

Get THROAT CULTURE from Amazon.com
Get THROAT CULTURE from Amazon.co.uk

Related Posts at Bildungsroman

Radar Recommendations: Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
Book Review: Body Bags by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Thief of Hearts by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Soul Survivor by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Meets the Eye by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Head Games by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Skin Deep by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Burning Bones by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Brain Trust by Christopher Golden
Book Review: Last Breath by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala

Get all of the Body of Evidence books available for Kindle:

Amazon.com Widgets

Add a Comment