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Omar Esterly is married to his job. But when Omar sets his sights on a potential, family-oriented client, his confirmed bachelorhood becomes a problem. Fortunately, his friend and employee, Devi Boss, has the perfect plan…
Okay, so it wasn’t exactly Devi’s plan to become her friend’s fake fiancée. Lies aren’t her style. However, Omar offers her a big, beautiful raise—enough to track down the missing father she’s never known—and Devi reluctantly agrees to the whole engagement hoax…
This was supposed to be a no-strings-attached win-win for both Devi and Omar, but when they cross the line between friendship and…well, something more, Devi realizes she’s made a huge mistake that just might cost her both job and friend—falling for her fiancé.
What happens when your plus one becomes “the one”?
Holly Haggerty and Roth Esterly are two besties with everything in common—they’re neighbors, career-driven, and commitment-phobes. Tired of always being set up on dates by well-meaning friends and family, they take matters into their own hands: they will be the other’s plus one—a little friendly arrangement between friends.
Easy…until a steamy night where they cross the line. But that’s okay, they’ll add an addendum—one that includes a little action between the sheets…on top of the sheets…and without the sheets. But there are rules. Dating and sex are exclusive until one of them decides to terminate the agreement. No slumber parties. And if either party becomes emotionally involved they will break things off with no hard feelings.
When unexpected news changes their plans and turns their fun arrangement into something more serious, Holly and Roth must come to terms with what’s more important—what they thought they wanted, or what they really need.
Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her family, one laptop, and a much loved assortment of furry friends.
Besides laughing and a good dose of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing, but no arithmetic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes, and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.
A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website at christine-warner.com
Since I recently reviewed These Broken Stars in all its incredible starry glory, I feel like we need a follow-up review of the sequel: This Shattered World! Because these books are EXCELLENT. And the third book (Their Fractured Light) comes out in December! SO SOON. I am anticipating it greatly by flailing and also planning […]
अमीर बनने की चाह हर किसी को होती है. कोई पंडित जी से पूछ कर कोई टोटका करवा कर कोई अचूक तरीके या वास्तु टिप्स अपना कर अमीर बनना चाहता है. आज एक और बात पता चली…
कुछ देर पहले दरवाजे पर घंटी बजी तो देखा वही बच्चा है जो पिछ्ले काफी दिनों से अखबार ले जाता है और शाम को वापिस कर जाता है. क्योकि मैं उस बच्चे को काफी बार देखती हूं इसलिए आज भी अखबार देते हुए सोचने लगी कि आखिर ये अखबार किसलिए ले जाता है या तो इसका परिवार गरीब है खरीद नही पाते या फिर ये किसी प्रतियोगिता के लिए अपना सामान्य ज्ञान बढा रहा है. मैने सोचा कि इतना छोटा बच्चा है स्कूल भी नही जाता पर अखबार पढने का शौक है क्यू न इसका इंटरव्यू लेकर प्रकाशित करुं.
मैने उसके परिवार के बारे मे, भाई बहन के बारे में और पापा क्या काम करते हैं पूछा तो वो सारे जवाब दिए जा रहा था पर ध्यान अखबार मे ही था. मेरे पूछ्ने पर कि बडा होकर क्या बनना चाहते हो तो बोला कि अमीर बनूंगा. फिर मैनें पूछा कि अखबार में क्या क्या पढने का शौक है तो बोला जी, पढने का शौक ना है वो तो अखबार में आजकल कूपन आ रहे हैं भर कर देने पर कार और खूब सारे ईनाम मिल सकती है इसलिए कूपन काटने के लिए अखबार ले जाता हूं अलग अलग घरों से अलग अलग अखबार ले जाता हूं !! जल्दी ही अमीर बनूगां कहता मुस्कुराता टाटा करता चला गया और मैं हैरान सी देखती रह गई…
The beauty of children’s books is that they lend themselves to so many further experiences beyond the reading of the words. These three books contain just the right mix of language and animation to have you and your little ones practicing a few moves of your own. Puddles are for Jumping, Kylie Dunstan (author, […]
The video clip depicts two young men hiding, recently having escaped abduction by a rebel army. They have lost everything, their home, their parents, and their older brother. Their heads in their hands, they cry.
The victims’ suffering fills the classroom. I am careful to give my students time to process what they’ve seen before turning on the light and initiating a discussion.
“What did you see? How are you feeling about what you saw?”
The students move from their internal dialogues and begin publicly sharing their thoughts.
“It’s really sad. I feel bad for those boys,” one student begins.
“Something should be done, no one should have to live like that,” another student adds.
“I feel embarrassed,” one young man shares. An uncertain silence follows his statement.
“What do you mean, ‘embarrassed’,” I inquire.
“Well, they were crying. I mean, they were crying a lot. I think it was weird to see guys cry like that. It’s embarrassing.”
As a seasoned teacher, this is not the first time I have encountered students, male or female, who are uncomfortable with “guys” exhibiting human emotions that are often culturally ascribed to females.
In this case, a fellow young man interjects, “No. This crying is okay, because their parents and brother died. It’s not girly crying.”
Standing in front of this group of students I am struck by how limiting life will be for them if they persist in believing that the full range of human emotions should not be shared and expressed across genders. Even worse, by assigning crying as a “girly” quality, both the emotion and females are denigrated in a single shot.
This conversation reflects what I experience daily in my high school classroom. It demonstrates how fragile young men and women are in their relationship to gender. By the time teens reach my classroom there is often a very narrow and entrenched idea of what it means to be male and what it means to be female. If not addressed, these ideas can lead to a lifelong struggle with one’s identity.
Books are one of the greatest tools available to teachers in the fight against this type of constricted thinking. In my ten years working with teens, I have seen the transformative power of novels. Books provide a safe and distanced space for adolescents to engage with characters, settings, and events that challenge their confining views of maleness and femaleness.
Just this month my students have been discussing how power is negotiated and navigated in novels like Speak, Thirteen Reasons Why, Rapunzel’s Revenge, Goose Girl, The Power of One, AmericanBorn Chinese, and Maus (just to name a few). Students are given choice to select books that appeal to them, but during their reading the class pauses and discusses in small groups how the characters, settings, and events in the novels reflect existing gender norms and how they push against them. Further, through critical thinking we develop personal opinions about what that means in our lives.
Here are a few notes I have saved from student book discussions.
A freshmen male student wrote: “I’m stuck. In [Speak] the girl gets raped. But she was drunk. Before I read this book I would have said that if a girl is drinking and gets raped, it’s all her fault. But now I am not sure. I mean, she was stupid for drinking. But Andy shouldn’t have done that, no matter what.”
A junior female student wrote: “I am reading American Born Chinese. Ms. R asked me if being Asian changes the way Danny feels about fitting in with the other guys at school. I never thought about that. I guess it’s like if you are small, people think you aren’t strong or maybe you feel self-conscious for being weak. Maybe some people think this about Chinese people, but I don’t.”
These are just two examples from students who felt safe allowing me to share their work. What they demonstrate is the powerful capacity books possess to get students to think outside of the social bubbles they inhabit. In turn, readers begin to expand their understanding of self as it relates to the world around them.
A book provides a vast landscape of exploration. Copious studies demonstrate how one positive interaction with a perceived “other” can change racist, sexist, and dangerously closed thinking. A single novel provides individuals with hundreds of these types of interactions. Consequently, further research suggests that avid readers have greater empathy and a superior capacity to deal with nuanced thinking. In short, navigating stories in which characters both reflect and defy one’s world develops stronger thinking.
Studying to be a Language Arts teacher, I was required to take instructional reading courses. In more than one of the classes I was given a list of Boy’s Books and a list of Girl’s Books. The intention of the lists was to help teachers get reluctant readers into a book. The thinking: people will like reading about what they know and students will engage better with the familiar.
While there may be some initial truth to this thinking, the unfortunate reality is that in the long run, prescribed gender-reading limits, rather than expands, readers. Students stop reading once they have exhausted all the novels where they see themselves as the character. Worse, all that remarkable cognitive development gets lost.
I am tasked with developing students’ critical thinking skills, analysis skills, and their capacity to evaluate the world around them. This is not possible when students are allowed to persist in dogma that leads them to believe that a crying boy is embarrassing and crying girl is a reflection of her innate weakness. That’s why in my classroom we read across gender, across culture, and across genre. We read to understand the “other”, to build empathy, to appreciate nuance, and to actively participate in the greater world. There is no single book, for a single gender, that can do all that heavy lifting.
—————-
Rebecca Richardson teaches Language Arts in the English Department at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah to both native and non-native English speakers. She has served as ESL Department Chair for four years, has created and runs several after-school college-readiness and community programs. She received a Masters in Education from Westminster College and was named the 2014 University of Utah Outstanding Public School Teacher. None of these details can remotely convey the passion she has for education, the love she has for her students, and the work she puts into helping her students have a voice and recognize their own greatness.
I am thrilled that the news has now been released that Meg McKinlay’s A Single Stone (Walker Books Australia) has won the Griffiths University Children’s Book Award in the 2015 Queensland Literary Awards. I hope it becomes a contemporary classic. Thanks for speaking to Boomerang Books Blog, Meg. […]
Saturday, October 24, 2015, 1-4 pm Erlanger Branch of Kenton County Public Library 401 Kenton Lands Road Erlanger, KY 41018 859-962-4000 http://www.kentonlibrary.org/teens/nk-ya-fest
OK, I know I'm not on the list on the website, but I AM on the tee shirt and I WILL be there.
0 Comments on MEET ME AT THE NORTHERN KY YA BOOKFEST! as of 1/1/1900
... and we're going to have a lot of fun talking about Philadelphia as an artistic canvas on November 5 at the Ambler Theater. We've invited Temple University student filmmakers to join us, and we're inviting the community (you) to share your memories of Philadelphia, which we'll stitch together in a virtual storytelling quilt. (Enlarge the poster above, and you'll see how you can share your stories.) I'll be reading as well from Love: A Philadelphia Affair.
I hope you'll join us. I've heard only good things about last year's event, which featured Matthew Quick.
Deep thanks to Lauren Smyth and Cheri Fiory, who reached out to me with this extraordinary invitation, and to Kristine Weatherston of Temple University's film department, who gamely responded to my request for work from her students. Kristine and some of her students have also agreed to join us that evening.
Finally, thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Ambler.
0 Comments on LOVE is chosen as the 2015 Let's Discuss It book by Upper Dublin and Wissahickon Valley Public Libraries as of 10/14/2015 5:08:00 PM
We keep asking Deedy (that's Dorothea Jensen to you) where we came from. We think she knows but she doesn't tell us much. However, we discovered this on her Other Blog. Hmmm. We're not sure what it all means, but I guess we popped into her head some time ago.
Hi all. Hope you’re enjoying the ‘Crimson Cloak Publishing’ author interviews! Today, we meet Paula Roscoe.
1) Do you write books as a career, or are you currently still juggling your author time with a full or part time job?
I write part time purely because I have a daughter with Autism and Dyspraxia so I can only write when she is in school. I also hold regular healing workshops so it takes time to organise and facilitate those. I consider myself as an author and it is a career I have decided upon, however everything else is important to me and so I try to focus fifty- fifty on my career as an author and workshop facilitator whilst being Mum, wife, goddess the rest of the time! For now I am happy and that’s what’s important.
2) Have you always wanted to be an author, or did some time or event in your life set you on the path?
As a fourteen year old I had been writing short stories for years but also enjoyed massaging and messing around with make-up. I couldn’t decide which path to take, so flipped a coin, beauty therapy won. I became a holistic therapist but writing never went away. It wasn’t until the death of our son eighteen years ago that I began to focus my life into writing. The peace and joy I get from it as I delve into my imagination cannot be described; however I am also glad I am a therapist and counsellor as it helps me with all aspects of my life. It’s wonderful having variety.
3) Do you always write in the same genre, or do you sometimes like a change of theme? If you haven’t already, is there another genre you would like to write?
My main theme is supernatural and historical. I love all things spooky as I am a medium, so it’s always been a part of my life. History is fascinating to me. Being adopted I don’t have any history past my 44 years so I love delving into other people’s!!
I do occasionally like to have a go at short stories that have nothing paranormal in them which always surprises my husband! I am also finishing a novella titled ‘Diary of Margery Blake’ which isn’t supernatural, but follows the life of a woman in the 19th century when women were mere pawns in rich family’s affairs.
4) As a writer, what is the best thing that has happened to you, and what is that most exciting thing that could happen to you?
Gosh, so many wonderful things happen, it’s hard to choose one! Possibly the day ‘Echoes’ won the Paris book awards for the best e-book – that was pretty wonderful. Being taken on by two American publishers is also brilliant, but every time a reader contacts me or comes to a book signing and tells me one of my books made them feel an emotion – that is probably the best.
I’m working on Echoes screenplay – to have it made into a film or two part drama would be a dream come true, so I keep sending out positive thoughts because so many people have said it would make a brilliant film – so Ron Howard, get in touch!
5) How do you view the promotion, book signings etc. Is it something you enjoy, or do you prefer the writing stage.
I love the writing stage obviously. I could lose myself in my head all day if I didn’t have other responsibilities! I am terrible at marketing, but I love to contact other authors, swop reviews, be interviewed by kind people and somehow, it works. I’ve been on radio shows in America and have one coming up in my own county of Flintshire, North Wales on 25th. I’ve been in lots of magazines and blogs and met so many wonderful people. However, book signings and chatting to people is my favourite. I meet the readers who have honoured me by buying my book, it is humbling and I get emotional just thinking about it.
6) Could you tell us something about your published books, and let us know what they are about and where they are available?
Echoes is a supernatural thriller set in a fictional village outside of Shrewsbury, England. It moves between present day and 15th century when Henry Tudor claimed the throne. There were many casualties of war, but some refuse to be forgotten.
Bronwen Mortimer moves to a secluded cottage hoping to start a new life after suffering years of abuse, but the echoes of the land will not lie quietly and when she witnesses a horrific murder, she must face the past and win to have any chance of living in the present.
Freya’s Child is a paranormal, historical fiction set on the Wirral. England. What would a parent do to save their child? Fight the dead? Defy the gods?
Helen Gunn moves to Frankby, England with her estranged husband Robert and their young daughter Charlotte in an attempt to save their marriage. When Charlotte starts talking with invisible friends and dark shadows roam the house, Helen must face her worst nightmare and win.
Einaar had never questioned the old ways, but when his child is accused of bringing death to his village, he must face the wrath of his people to save his family.
An archaeological dig has unearthed a Viking village. The gods have woken.
Adventures of Faerie folk – Volume one is a magical collection of four faerie stories for young children. Each story teaches morals and how to live in harmony with nature – or there will be consequences!
I wrote these stories plus many more for my daughter when she was younger. I wrote ‘The Rose Faerie’ for her to show her that being different is okay.
All books are available on Amazon. Echoes is also available on CFA website and will soon be available in various retail stores in America. Freya’s Child will also soon be available on Crimson Cloak Publishing.
They sound fascinating books, Paula. I’m intrigued too by the fact that you are a medium! The supernatural is a great interest of mine. Best of luck with all your writing! Lynne North.
In this modern take on a holiday classic, high school junior, Kerril, faces her past, present, and future to be reminded of the good in others, and in herself.
Haunted by the memory of the worst of her divorced parents’ public Christmas blowouts, Kerril, will do almost anything to avoid the upcoming tinsel-filled season. Unfortunately, a teacher with a grudge casts Kerril as the lead in the school’s holiday production. To add to the misery, she will star alongside ultra-awkward Adam as her love interest. Wanting to ditch the play, Adam, her parents, and Christmas altogether, Kerril accepts an invitation to take off to a cabin with her ultimate dream crush, Perry – only Perry may not be the guy she hoped he was, and it’s not until she’s left Adam behind to fend for himself onstage that she realizes he might just be the guy of her dreams.
Get this new novel by Denise Jaden before October 15th at the special release price of only 99 cents!
Cow Beef ban पिछ्ले कुछ दिनों से सभी चैनल गाय, गौमांस, बीफ पर ही बहस किए जा रहे थे शायद इसका एक कारण चुनाव या वोट बैंक पर सेंध लगाना था. पर अब जब एक अन्य मुद्दा मिल गया और वो बीफ वाला मुद्दा भूल कर किसी दूसरे मुद्दे पर लग गए है.
ऐसे मे गाय हैरान परेशान हैं कि अचानक इतना सन्नाटा क्यों है… इस लिए पूछ रही है कि क्या बीफ वाला मुद्दा सुलट गया है ???
Today we're super excited to celebrate the cover reveal for TRAITOR ANGELS by Anne Blankman, releasing May 3, 2016 from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins. Before we get to the cover, here's a note from Anne:
Hello YABC! I am thrilled to share with you the cover of TRAITOR ANGELS, a standalone romantic historical adventure. About ten years ago, I was daydreaming during English class when I noticed something strange about the poem we were studying. John Milton’s famous epic, Paradise Lost, is supposed to be about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden—but it features one character who shouldn’t be there: Galileo, one of the most well-known scientists in history. How weird, I thought. I wonder if Milton included Galileo as some sort of secret message to his readers. From this initial question, TRAITOR ANGELS evolved into an adventure that includes a scavenger hunt stretching across Restoration Era England, clues concealed in literary masterpieces, a fierce girl skilled in weaponry, a mysterious Italian scientist, and a horrific conspiracy that, if it got out, could shake the foundations of civilization.
When I saw the cover for the first time, I gasped aloud. The team at HarperCollins created an image that perfectly captures the romantic, mysterious feel of this story. Michelle Taormina designed the cover, and special effects artist Sean Freeman composed the letters and textured background. It’s everything I wanted for the book that has consumed the last decade of my life, and I hope you love it as much as I do!
~ Anne Blankman (TRAITOR ANGELS, Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins)
Ready to see?
Scroll, YABCers! Scroll!
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Here it is!
*** If you choose to share this image elsewhere, please include a courtesy link back to this page so others can enter Anne's giveaway. Thank you! ***
TRAITOR ANGELS
by Anne Blankman
Release date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780062278876
About the Book
Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.
Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.
Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?
When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.
About the Author
Anne Blankman has lived in New York, Maine, and England, and currently resides in Virginia with her family. Her debut novel, Prisoner of Night and Fog, was named a “Flying Start” by Publishers Weekly and a Sydney Taylor Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries. She loves hearing from readers, and you can visit her online at www.anneblankman.com.
One winner will receive a signed ARC of TRAITOR ANGELS (when available) and a TRAITOR ANGELS charm necklace (pictured below).
Note from the author about the necklace: The charm necklace was designed specifically to accompany this book. Each charm represents a clue—and only by putting them together can Elizabeth, the main character, figure out the secret behind the “traitor angels”!
Entering is simple, just fill out the entry form below. Winners will be announced on this site and in our monthly newsletter (sign up now!) within 30 days after the giveaway ends.
During each giveaway, we ask entrants a question pertaining to the book. Here is the question they'll be answering in the comments below for extra entries:
What do you think about the cover and synopsis?
Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway:
I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to write about in the topic “Stories for All” and advocating the end of gender-based book assignments. There are no “girl” books and no “boy” books, but I didn’t know what to say other than that, which seemed obvious.
So I decided to write about my dad. My friends always tell me that my stories about my dad, who passed away almost seven years ago, are my best stories, so I will tell one of those.
When I was growing up, I never thought of myself primarily as someone who was defined first by my gender. I mean, I knew I was a girl, I knew girls and boys were “different”, blah blah blah. But mostly, I grew up thinking of myself as a person first. Like, what did I like to do? What did I like to read? I wasn’t fond of sports and I ate whatever I wanted without feeling guilty or weird about it, I cracked jokes, I was clumsy, I was goofy, I read a lot of books, and my parents bought me any book I wanted to read.
I read Jack London and Hardy Boys and Kipling and Roald Dahl and I read Little Women and Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables. I did notice that while I read both Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, some of my friends who were boys only read Hardy Boys. Even back then, at nine years old, I thought that was a shame.
Okay? So what is the Pop story? I’m getting to it. When my sister and I were both students at our fancy Ivy League colleges, I overhead my dad talking to a bunch of his friends during dinner. They were all Filipino men in their 50s and 60s, with children the same age as me and my sis. “How did you do it?” They asked my dad. “How did you raise such accomplished girls?”
My dad loved being famous for being a Great Dad. It was one of his proudest achievements and he loved giving people advice on how to raise their children. He told his friends, “I didn’t raise ‘girls’. I raised people. Accomplished people. There’s no difference. Why would I raise my girls any different from how I’m raising my son?” (In our family we would say the only difference is that our little brother was the most spoiled. Heh.)
Gender mattered very little to my parents, their opinions on the difference between men and women mostly rested around the iron clad belief that husbands should always take out the trash and fill up the family car. (I never saw my mom fill the tank once when my dad was alive.) They believed in manners and chivalry and equal pay for equal work, and that even if the wife was the breadwinner, it didn’t mean it was emasculating for the husband.
My dad would be insulted when provincial relatives would admire him for investing in our educations, that it was somehow special, and he would bristle at the notion that girls didn’t deserve the same expectations asked of boys, that girls “weren’t worth it” or somehow, subtly, lesser.
The practice of separating books by gender is part of this subtle communication to our girls that their stories don’t matter as much as boys’ stories do, and that boys should have no interest in learning about girls. So um, let’s stop doing that.
My dad knew his kids—his daughters and son weren’t perfect, and our family had our own issues. But looking back, I am amazed at how embarrassingly functional my family was. My parents were happily married and we children were loved and felt safe. We were allowed to be whoever we were, and our genders were the least important thing about us. And we were allowed to read whatever we wanted. No boy books. No girl books. Just books, and lots of them.
———————
Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens and adults, including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Witches of East End series, and the Descendants novel, Isle of the Lost. Melissa grew up in Manila and San Francisco and currently lives with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles and Palm Springs.
I've been a fan of dystopian YA long before it became a trend, and confess I had been turned off the genre because of so many jumping on the bandwagon. THE SCORPION RULES by Erin Bow (Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster) however, has such original and multi-layered world-building plus I find the main antagonist (Talis) so fascinating that I can't WAIT for the next book in the series. THE SCORPION RULES is a breath of fresh air for fans of dystopian YA.
I’m Kya Aliana and I'm here to talk about the importance of the Dreams Come True Anthology and Aspirations Press.
I have been writing since a very young age. I wrote short stories since before I can even remember, and I completed my first novel at thirteen. I self-published my first novel at fifteen-years-old. Now, at twenty-one, I am the proud author of nine novels and counting. I’m working hard, writing every day, taking workshops, striving to improve, and following my dreams.
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have an immense amount of support and encouragement from my amazing parents, family, friends, and the outstanding Watauga County Public Library in Boone, NC. It's these positive reinforcements, outlooks, and attitudes that I attribute to finding my passion and being productive at such a young age.
I remember writing my first few short stories and then not knowing where to go. Of course I wanted them "out there"... "published"... "ready to read"... but I wasn't sure where to go. Sure, I found a few off-beat magazines and submitted, but I didn't get much of a response and so came the first few rejection letters.
My parents were amazing and would take my stories to be bound at Staples - I would be so excited! I would show them off to everybody I knew... a real story with a real cover, bound and ready to be read at the next campfire.
The Watauga County Public Library started up the Thingummywut literary magazine that featured stories, artwork, and poetry from young authors and illustrators... it was even more amazing when my first short story was legitimately published in a local magazine.
Earlier this year, I started Aspirations Press to be a positive outlet for young authors and their stories. I'm looking for potential, ambition, passion, and stories that kids love to write. I honestly think that the literary world needs more outlets like the Dreams Come True Anthology. I hope that others will follow a similar path and offer more outlets to our talented youth.
The Dreams Come True Anthology is an important and vital contribution to the literary world. The new generation of horror is here and they deserve to be heard!
I hope you will join me in this great project by passing along this news, helping promote, and encouraging any young writers that you know to read this anthology and submit their stories to future volumes. (Yes, this means your kids, your little brother and sister, your nieces, your nephews, your best friends, and the kids you see quietly writing up a storm in your local library).
The goal is to positively support young authors' ambitions by publishing, professionally editing, promoting their names and stories, and helping them get the recognition and encouragement they deserve. They are the future voices of their generation and I look forward to publishing them and getting their names out there as the premier authors of fiction!
By reading your copy of the anthology and promoting on social media, you are supporting these young writers as well as all the others who desire to be more than just texting teens. You will be reinforcing in future generations that education is necessary and that there are rewards — being published, being a professional. You would help show them that the act of love and commitment it takes to finish a story or novel is worth the effort. You will help build a strong foundation for the novelists and storytellers of our future…the future of horror!
I’m excited to discuss my brand new book, THE FALL. “A heartbreaking and beautiful story about friendship, bullying, and the aftermath of all of it.” — Expresso Reads.
Middle school and high school students can connect a wide range of popular middle-grade and YA authors at the Second Annual Teen Reader Con on Saturday, October 17th, in Albany.
It will be a day-long celebration of teens and literacy designed to inspire and share a love of reading and writing — and it’s all free, sponsored by Capital Region BOCES. The event will run from 9:00 to 4:00 at the University at Albany Downtown Campus.
Featured authors:
* Jennifer Armstrong
* SA Bodeen
* Eric Devine
* Helen Frost
* David Levithan
* Jackie Morse Kessler
* James Preller
* Eliot Schrefer
* Todd Strasser
It’s a pretty spectacular list, filled with accomplished, popular writers (and me). I’m bummed out that I will be giving three presentations, because what I really want to do is sit in the audience to listen to and learn from some of my friends (SA Bodeen, Todd Strasser), while making new discoveries.
Each author will sign books in addition to giving several presentations throughout the day. They work us like dogs at this thing. This is a very cool, inspiring event for readers 11 and up, and a really worthwhile way for teenagers to spend the day or just a few hours.
I’m honored to be invited.
Advanced registration is encouraged, but not required. Go here for that.
Paul Foxton of the blog "Learning to See" says, "I've just posted a voteable list of art instruction books. Most popular doesn't necessarily mean most useful of course. But I'm hoping a general consensus might be reached, at least, if enough people vote."
SCENE: COFFEE SHOP. A HALF-DOZEN PEOPLE LINE UP TO ORDER COFFEE. PERSON ENTERS AND LINES UP, ALONE, NEXT TO THE EXISTING LINE.
COFFEE DRINKER 1 Hello? We're all waiting to be served, too
(COFFEE DRINKER 2 IGNORES COFFEE DRINKER 1)
(CONT'D.) COFFEE DRINKER 1
'Scuse me but he line begins and ends here. Feel free to join us - at the back
COFFEE DRINKER 2
I only want to order a coffee! Nothing else
COFFEE DRINKER 1
Me too!
COFFEE DRINKER 2
You would make me go to the back of the line for just one cup of coffee?
COFFEE DRINKER 1
Why not? That's why we're here but we wait our turn!
(COFFEE DRINKER 2 reluctantly and slowly moves to back of line, talking to people in line as she walks, shaking her head)
COFFEE DRINKER 2
This is so dumb! One lousy coffee that would take less than thirty seconds to order. Ridiculous!
COFFEE DRINKER 1
Not really. A line up is a line up is a lineup. We all gotta abide by the rules. I mean, what would the world be like without structure. Utter chaos. Right people?
COFFEE DRINKER 3
Y'know...I'm not in a rush. You can go before me
(steps aside to allow coffee drinker 2 to move up)
COFFEE DRINKER 4
Me too. Gotta lotta time to kill
COFFEE DRINKER 1
Thank you so very much for backing me up, people! This is a perfect example why the world is in the condition it's in. Nobody cares! Rules are the glue that solidifies civilization!
COFFEE DRINKER 3
Give her a break! You're in front so why do you care?
COFFEE DRINKER 1
That's not the point, my friend. Why do I care you ask? I care because we must retain some semblance of order in society. There are societal rules that are accepted norms and lining up and waiting our turn to be served is one of them. Can you imagine - and I'm sure it would never happen because you people seem civilized - if everyone pushed in and demanded to be served? There would be chaos!
COFFEE DRINKER 2 It's a coffee! That's it! Nothing to go along with it. No danish or pastry or anything that will take more time.
COFFEE DRINKER 1 That's what you say now but how do we know we can believe you?
COFFEE DRINKER 3 AND OTHERS LINING UP "I believe her..."
COFFEE SHOP SERVER
Can I serve anyone over here?
(people rush over to the other line. COFFEE DRINKER 2 waves and smiles at COFFEE DRINKER 1)
COFFEE DRINKER 1
I tried. Can't teach everyone to have manners. 'A large regular coffee - in a china mug, please'
SERVER Only paper cups. Our dishwasher is broken
COFFEE DRINKER 1 Say what? You expect civilized people like me to...to drink coffee out of a paper receptacle? This is absolutely unacceptable. Wash one out by hand, for goodness sake!
SERVER Look over there. See the big pile of dishes in the sink? You expect me to wash out a mug for you? I think not!
COFFEE DRINKER 1 Do I have a choice - but don't expect me to enjoy it!
(COFFEE DRINKER 1 takes paper cup and looks for a table. She sees COFFEE DRINKER 2 seated by herself at the only available table)
COFFEE DRINKER 1 Excuse me...but would you mind if I join you? In my discussion with the coffee server person regarding the non-availability of china coffee mugs, it appears all the chairs and tables are taken. You would think that they would keep extra mugs on hand for people who can't tolerate drinking their beverage out of paper.
COFFEE DRINKER 2 Well...now. How about that. Go figure. There is justice in this world. Why don't you line up and wait for someone to vacate a table.
COFFEE DRINKER 1 But that could take a long time. You on the other hand, are all alone
COFFEE DRINKER 2 I like my space
(COFFEE DRINKER 3 approaches the table)
COFFEE DRINKER 3 Do you mind if I join you?
COFFEE DRINKER 2 Be my guest.
ASIDE TO COFFEE DRINKER 1: Like you said, there are rules and waiting our turn is one of them. I think I just may order another one...or maybe two...
0 Comments on SCENES FROM LIFE - A SHORT PLAYETTE as of 10/14/2015 10:26:00 AM
Courage is tested, myths come to life, and long-held secrets are revealed. Lilith Bennette runs at midnight. She scales walls in the dark and climbs without a harness. She hopes that if she follows exactly in the steps of her strong air force pilot mother, she’ll somehow figure out the mystery of her mother’s death—and the reason why her necklace of Greek symbols has been missing ever since. So when Lil is invited to Crete for a Future Leaders International conference, the same conference her mom attended years ago, she jumps at the chance to find some answers. But things in Melios Manor are not what they seem. Lil finds herself ensnared in an adventure of mythological proportions that leads her and her friends through the very labyrinth in which the real Minotaur was imprisoned. And they’re not in there alone. What secrets does the labyrinth hold, and will they help Lil find the truth about her mother? This book is perfect for older fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus–and anyone who wants to find out the true story behind the magic of the Greek gods.
Photographs of Pefki, Crete, Gr. and Milia Mountain Retreat (the location that inspired the idea of Melios Manor) by Erin Robinson.
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