What is the most important award that you have received? What one do you value most?
Recently, I was invited to join the group Writers of the South (USA). It is a small, but enthusiastic group of authors in every type of genre. The group is aimed at supporting and promoting authors in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee.
As we grow, we plan to take several opportunities to showcase the varied and talented people in the group. We will hit it hard over the next couple of days, hopefully gaining some new exposure and introducing you to writings you might not have found otherwise. Looking at the group, there is something for everyone, so be sure to check these posts every day. The plan is to do this again in a few months.
John says,
"I teach art to 7th and 8th grade students for a day job. My ongoing project is THE MONSTERGRRLS, which takes up most of my other time. I like drawing, writing and making stuff in my Monster Shop, and have my own Atomic Brain
named Alfred. I like people, but cannot always eat a whole one all at once."
The MonsterGrrls Book 1: Out From the Shadows
- The first book in the MonsterGrrls series! When the new girls at Clearwater High turn out to be MONSTERS, something strange is bound to happen! But Emily and Theo, two lonely social outcasts at Clearwater, soon make friends with Frankie, Bethany, Punkin and Harriet--the MonsterGrrls. When the Grrls are challenged by the spoiled Jessica Hardin-St. James and her Clique to spend a night in a supposedly haunted house, they accept... but something is already ther
Tansy Piper should be used to haunted houses. It comes with the territory when your mom's a horror writer. Yet, there's something different about her new Texas home. When Tansy discovers an old journal filled with haunting poetry, she finds herself increasingly drawn to its author -- a mysterious boy who committed suicide decades ago. As Tansy immerses herself in Henry's troubled mind, she begins to see his world through the lens of her camera...and the more time she spends there, the less she wants to come home.
Through Her Eyes is beautifully written, in language that is subtle enough not to distract from the story. The contrast crystallizes the moments of poetry sprinkled throughout and makes them all the more striking. The atmosphere of the novel is haunting but not scary, creating a romantic tale rather than a horror story. Tansy's forays into Henry's world are mesmerizing, and
Jennifer Archer's creativity is on display in her use of color and photography as she weaves their tangled tale.
Tansy's self-sufficiency and determination to be strong are winning, though she can occasionally be angsty. Archer deftly manages her flirtation with madness and shows her instability with a precise hand. Likewise, Henry is a deeply troubled young man and his pain is portrayed with poignancy. However, it is hard to see his romantic allure when his behavior is so manic.
Bethyl Ann, Tansy's lone friend in Cedar Canyon, is the most vibrant character in the novel. Her Shakespearean quips and girl genius persona are a breath of fresh air in the somber story. Yet it is Tansy's relationship with her ailing grandfather that is the emotional center of the novel, giving shade to her motivations and complexity to her character. In
Through Her Eyes, Archer weaves a tale of love and friendship, poetry and past mistakes that will enthrall readers with its edge of Gothic menace.
Rating: 
Disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this novel from the author. This did not affect my review in any way.Purchase the newly released Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer.
Part of the
2011 Debut Author Challenge.
Don't miss Jennifer's guest post on the making of her book trailer, and
enter to win a SIGNED ARC of Through Her Eyes! G
Jimmy Stone’s Ghost Town by Scott Neumyer
Reviewed by: Chris Singer
About the author:
Scott Neumyer has ten years experience in online marketing and publicity and has spent the last three years as a media buyer for a major national film distributor. He has a BA in English and Cinema Studies from Rutgers University. Like many of us, Scott is also a pop culture junkie, and he’s still suffering withdrawals as a result of the cancellation of great shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Veronica Mars. His top ten favorite films of all time change daily but always include The Silence of the Lambs, Il Conformista, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Once Were Warriors. A Jersey Boy through and through, Scott also loves everything Kevin Smith touches (and, yes, that includes Jersey Girl).
About the book:
For Jimmy Stone, life in “Boredsylvania” has been pretty tough. His mom’s died, his dad’s completely checked out, and he spends his days running from the Coogan Boys, the local bullies. It isn’t long, however, before “Boredsylvania” gets a lot more exciting. With his new friend, David and his dog, Trex, by his side, Jimmy discovers that the woods beyond his backyard hold the key to a world he could never even imagine. Soon, he ends up in Ghost Town, where he’s greeted by his ghost guide, Gasp, and receives an ominous prophecy.
“Seven things you must find.
One thing for each day.
Seven things you must find.
Or else they all will pay!”
Suddenly Ghost Town becomes as scary as it sounds, and Jimmy Stone realizes that he’s in way over his head.
My take on the book:
Let me start off by saying Jimmy Stone’s Ghost Town is the first book I read on my new Nook. Since it was going to be my first read on the Nook, I had high expectations and I’m pleased to say that Scott Neumyer’s suspenseful story packed quite a punch and left me very much looking forward to the next book in the series. (More on that later…)
This is quite an entertaining and fast moving read, which I can really see being enjoyed by reluctant readers, especially boys in the 10-12 year old range. It’s very well written and I think Neumyer captured the persona of a 5th grade boy very nicely. Although the title might suggest the book would be scary, I didn’t find it to be and doubt kids would be spooked by what’s in the book. I do think the book could be enjoyed by younger readers, but there are some pretty heavy issues which come out in the first half of the book such as the death of Jimmy’s mother and Jimmy’s drunkard father. There is some foul language in the book. If you know any or have worked with 5th grade boys, that might not be too much of a surprise. Like I mentioned above, Neumyer does capture the characterizati
Is There Life After Death- A Ghost Story “Hon, I promise I am not gonna do anything to ya. I won’t try to scare ya.” “I swear to God, Richie,” she persisted. “if you touch me…” she let the words hang as she usually did. That was enough of a threat for him not to [...]
In Chinese tradition, this month, the seventh month in the lunar calendar is Ghost Month, in which ghosts and spirits come out from the lower realm.
We'll celebrate the Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month which fall on 24th August this year!
Learn more about this festival HERE!
鬼节到了，怕怕呀！
By: Sevensheaven.nl,
on 5/24/2010
Blog:
Sugar Frosted Goodness
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Poster design in honor of the 30th anniversary of Namco's classic 8-bit game Pac-Man.
Sevensheaven images and prints are for sale at sevensheaven.nl
Spooooky spirits
Twinkling lights
FRIGHT NIGHT!
Happy Halloween everyone! For more six words, click here.
Happy October - fun topics this month :) I’m in a Halloweeny kind of mood already! Here's my pumpkin madness painting. It's mostly watercolor, with a bit of acrylic and pencil too.
Kitty Ghost
Current word count: 39,107
New words written: 354
Words til goal: 893 / 60 words a day til the end of September
After two days off, my writing was a bit slower this morning, but I’m trying to get back up to speed and finish this book by the end of the week. I’m now so close to my 40K goal, but I still have two chapters to go, so I know the book will be over. That’s ok. Trimming will come in the revision.
I had my critique group last night (got some great advice about the beginning of this novel) and learned about the passing of Patrick Swayze. So sad, although he had suffered from cancer for a while. My critique friend Sara and I remembered Swayze’s movies, especially Road House (buff Swayze) and Dirty Dancing (sexy dancing Swayze) and that oh so memorable line: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
Us writers strive to write clever, fun lines in books and movies, and when they are in movies, we need actors to make them memorable. Patrick Swayze did that for Baby, as well as “Ditto” in Ghost. Oh, Ghost.
Thank you, Patrick Swayze. You’ll be missed.
What’s your favorite Patrick Swayze movie line?
Write On!
With this week's theme, I was reminded of my son's toddler years of him putting a sheet or blanket over his head and saying "boo" to try and scare people. Usually it just made them giggle. And he has always loved dragons. Now he is about to start college in less than a week....
http://www.bemusedart.com/blog
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Author Andi Buchanan worked with a Swedish musician and YouTube star to craft original music for her upcoming enhanced eBook. 
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Lovely use of watercolour, and great characters.