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Review by Leydy THESE SHALLOW GRAVESby Jennifer DonnellyAge Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upHardcover: 496 pagesPublisher: Delacorte Press (October 27, 2015)Amazon | Goodreads Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo dreams of becoming

Review by Rachel & Andye THE DEAD HOUSE by Dawn Kurtagich Hardcover: 432 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 15, 2015) Language: English Program Type: Audiobook Version: Unabridged Publisher: Hachette Audio Hardcover | Audiobook | Goodreads Welcome to the Dead House. Three students: dead. Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace. Two decades have passed

Review by Sara THE CREEPING by Alexandra SirowyAge Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upHardcover: 400 pagesPublisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (August 18, 2015)Goodreads | Amazon  Romance, friendship, and dark, bone-chilling fear fill the pages of this summertime thriller in the spirit of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie

by andye DAUGHTER OF DEEP SILENCEby Carrie RyanHardcover: 384 pagesPublisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers (May 26, 2015)Language: EnglishGoodreads | Amazon I’m the daughter of murdered parents. I’m the friend of a dead girl. I’m the lover of my enemy. And I will have my revenge. In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell

VANISHING GIRLS by Lauren Oliver Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: HarperCollins (March 10, 2015) Language: English Goodreads | Amazon Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old

"Review My Books" review by Lena @ I Love Books Club <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable;

Review by Reagan ALL FALL DOWNAn Embassy Row Novel #1by Ally CarterAge Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upSeries: Embassy Row (Book 1)Hardcover: 320 pagesPublisher: Scholastic Press; Signed edition (January 20, 2015) Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things: 1. She is not crazy. 2. Her mother was murdered. 3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay. As certain

Review by Andye COMPULSIONSeries: Heirs of Watson IslandHardcover: 448 pagesPublisher: Simon Pulse (October 28, 2014)Goodreads | Amazon Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse. All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a

Review by Valerie FAMOUS LAST WORDSby Katie AlenderAge Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upHardcover: 320 pagesPublisher: Point (September 30, 2014)Goodreads | Amazon Willa is freaking out. It seems like she's seeing things. Like a dead body in her swimming pool. Frantic messages on her walls. A reflection that is not her own. It's almost as if someone -- or something -- is trying to send

"Review My Books" review by Caroline @ The Attic DEAR KILLERby Katherine Ewell Hardcover: 368 pagesPublisher: Katherine Tegen Books (April 1, 2014)Goodreads | Amazon Full of "can't look away" moments, Dear Killer is a psychological thriller perfect for fans of gritty realistic fiction such as Dan Wells's I Am Not a Serial Killer and Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why, as well as television's

Reviewed by Natalie Sleep No Moreby Aprilynne Pike Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: HarperTeen (April 29, 2014) Language: English Goodreads | Amazon Charlotte Westing has a gift. She is an Oracle and has the ability to tell the future. But it doesn't do her much good. Instead of using their miraculous power, modern-day Oracles are told to fight their visions—to refrain from interfering. And

Reviewed by Andye SEA OF SHADOWS Age of Legends #1 by Kelley Armstrong File Size: 773 KB Print Length: 417 pages Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0751547816 Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (April 8, 2014) Mark on Goodreads Buy on Amazon Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times bestselling author, takes an exciting new direction with this big, breathtaking blend of fantasy, romance, horror, and

After nearly 10 years of providing Plot Consultations to writers all over the world, I have come to appreciate the varied ways writers approach the writing process and write. Last week and this, I have had the honor of working with a writer with an unique approach.

He has at least five plot lines going on (nothing unusual there):
Character Emotional Development = inner
Dramatic Action = murder mystery = outer
Thematic Significance
Orphan story
Romance

I first consulted with this writer nearly a year and a half ago. Then, he had a strong character emotional development story with very little in terms of the murder mystery plot. Since then, he has worked non-stop developing well-thought out plot lines for each of the elements most important to his story. For each of the six suspects, he developed complex back stories, motives, and alibis. The pre-work he has done is awe-inspiring.

So why come to me? He needed help weaving all the plot lines together into a suspenseful and exciting, poignant and emotional story.

His Plot Planner is likely the longest one I have ever created for another writer -- my personal Plot Planners always tend to be on the loooong side.

This writer has a two-week vacation coming up in a week. With the plan in front of him, he has only to write each next scene as they appear on the Plot Planner. No need to use his linear, logical, critical side of his brain at all. He's done all that.

Now is the time to write.

Simply write what is in front of him.

Get a first draft on the page.

Let it rest.

Rewrite at least once.

Then send out to the waiting agent and editor....

Sounds like heaven to me.

Inspired process. True dedication. Professional approach. Amazing story.

I wish him all the success in the world!!

In filling out the standard Character Emotional Plot Information (see **below), writers who write in the mystery genre invariably list the character goal as solving the mystery. Writers who write in the romance genre invariable list the character goal as finding love or to get the guy. This is fine.

However, to create more complexity to your plot, you may want to give the protagonist an additional goal(s) as well. 

The protagonist has a life, and thus, goal, before the mystery hits or before the love interest arrives on scene. In other words, the protagonist has a goal before the story itself begins. Identify that goal and you create an additional plot line in the story. Create a personal goal that conflicts with the solving of the mystery goal or the getting the guy = added drama. 

**Character Emotional Plot Information

1. What is this character's goal?

2. What stands in the way of the character achieving his/her goal?

3. What does the character stand to lose if he/she does not achieve his/her goal?

4. What is the character's flaw or greatest fault?

5. What is the character's greatest strength?

6. What does the character hate?

7. What does the character love?

8. What is the character's greatest fear?

9. What is the character's dream?

10. What is the character's secret?

The butler did it, didn't he? He has a tray of poison and a suspicious looking drink in one hand and a bloody dagger in the other ...  is he just cleaning up?

Another in the Murder Mystery series of characters. More will be appearing eventually ...

Check out The Butler card and range of products at zazzle.com

I really hadn't planned on turning her into such a flapper-type character but she insisted on it, and who am I to argue with a sweet innocent ingenue holding a bloody dagger in one hand? So here she is, the second in the Murder Mystery series. I'd watch your step if I were you ... :)

Murder Mystery: The Ingenue cards and matching products are here at zazzle.com!

I've needed to practice drawing characters and faces as they're a huge weakness where my overall drawing is concerned, so when I received a special request to draw some for a Mystery Murder project (more on that later!), I jumped at the chance. I'm a huge fan of detective, criminal investigation and murder mystery stories anyway, whether on paper or on the screen, so this was tons of fun to do!

So here's the first one, the Mob Boss. Once I'd scanned it in I felt it was a bit too light and perhaps had too delicate a touch for the subject matter, so I played with levels and contrast on photoshop and this was my final result:

Better, I think ... off to work on the next character now :)

Mob Boss cards and products at zazzle.com

I've needed to practice drawing characters and faces as they're a huge weakness where my overall drawing is concerned, so when I received a special request to draw some for a Mystery Murder project (more on that later!), I jumped at the chance. I'm a huge fan of detective, criminal investigation and murder mystery stories anyway, whether on paper or on the screen, so this was tons of fun to do!

So here's the first one, the Mob Boss. Once I'd scanned it in I felt it was a bit too light and perhaps had too delicate a touch for the subject matter, so I played with levels and contrast on photoshop and this was my final result:

Better, I think ... off to work on the next character now :)

Mob Boss cards and products at zazzle.com