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A short introduction to this post: my friend Loren Eaton runs an annual micro-flash challenge called Advent Ghosts on his blog, where he invites writers to post a spooky story of exactly 100 words. Fun, right?
Here's my (sort of) kid-friendly play on the theme--a bit of a creepy nod to a children's classic. Hope you enjoy!
The Wardrobe
The previous homeowners had left the wardrobe behind. Mom wasn’t happy.
“That monstrosity takes up half Emma’s room!”
But Emma loved the wardrobe. The floral carvings in the wood. The metal key in the lock even worked. Emma opened the door. Crawled inside.
Smiled as she closed the wardrobe.
Giggled when she saw the secret door in the back.
Held her breath when she turned the knob. Behind the door was no magical world. Only blackness darker than nightmares. Then a big hand pulled her wrist.
Hard.
Until Emma was the darkness. And the secret door blew shut.
****
From the publisher:
In the summer of 1962, the possibility of nuclear war is all anyone talks about. But Scott’s dad is the only one in the neighborhood who actually prepares for the worst. As the neighbors scoff, he builds a bomb shelter to hold his family and stocks it with just enough supplies to keep the four of them alive for two critical weeks. In the middle of the night in late October, when the unthinkable happens, those same neighbors force their way into the shelter before Scott’s dad can shut the door. With not enough room, not enough food, and not enough air, life inside the shelter is filthy, physically draining, and emotionally fraught. But even worse is the question of what will -- and won’t -- remain when the door is opened again. Internationally best-selling author Todd Strasser has written his most impressive and personal novel to date, ruthlessly yet sensitively exploring the terrifying what-ifs of one of the most explosive moments in human history.
My thoughts:
Fallout is very different from Strasser's Thrillogy novels, which is what I'd read before from this author. I was impressed by how he was able to bring the 1960s time period to life in a way that made me forget this happened more than fifty years ago. The writing has that same thriller feel as his other work, and the characters ring very true.
I recommend Fallout as a classroom read to jump start conversation about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and what might have been.
How I found out about this book:
I can't even remember where (Publishers Weekly maybe?), but I read an online interview with the author that had me intrigued. I'm a fan of Todd Strasser's other YA novels, so this quickly made its way onto my book list.
Note:
Fallout is designated by the publisher for ages ten-and-up, so this is definitely an older MG read. I would argue it would fit best in the younger YA category.
For more MMGM reviews, visit Shannon Messenger's blog!
I've been a bit quiet around here lately--apologies for that. After the release of
Double Vision: Code Name 711, I spent a lot of time doing school visits, book signings, and telling everyone who would listen about the book, and how cool George Washington is.
It's been fun. I'm happy to say that the world has a few more Linc readers. And I learned lots of new things while on the road, like that should always bring extra books, a sweater (that airconditioning can be crankin', y'all), and a lot of bookmarks.
One surprise was how fast the paperback of the first book sold! And it makes sense: you want to start a series at the beginning, plus paperbacks are easy on the wallet. I had a lot of people buy
Double Vision as a stockingstuffer (how cool, huh?).
Which made me think it might be fun to do one last giveaway for the year. I like to play Santa...
a Rafflecopter giveawayU.S. only, please, because of postage.
Happy reading, all!
From Fandango:
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.
My thoughts:
It had been a while since I read the book, so some of the story came back to me as I watched the movie. There were only minor differences as far as I could tell... And I loved it! Great action, good archery stuff from Katniss--I forgot to be critical, to tell you the truth. I liked that Effie got a bit of depth in this one.
The ending was very much a to-be-continued. I wonder if the movie works for people who didn't see the first one, or have read the book(s). I'll be interested to hear what others think of it.
An aside:
This is one of those book series (and movie series, too) that works very well for both the YA and MG crowd. I can't put my finger on exactly why... Anyone have ideas?
I'm not a big fan of all this holiday shopping talk before the turkey has been cooked. Not to sound like Scrooge, but how much shopping do we need to do anyway?
But I
am a big fan of Small Business Saturday, especially with this new idea of authors, guest-selling books at various independent bookstores. How cool is that? You can
find out if this is going on near you, and who's doing the selling at IndieBound.
Author friend Sarah Frances Hardy (who wrote and illustrated
Puzzled by Pink) will be at
Square Books in Oxford, MS, in case you're local. She's the nicest person you'll ever meet.
Let's rock Small Business Saturday, all... It's on Nov. 30th this year.
From the publisher:The last year has been rougher than sandpaper for Abbey Force and her dad. He’s in a coma after his accident a year back, wherein he was framed for a terrible crime he didn’t commit. And their home, Reward Plantation, an idyllic spot on the eastern coast of South Carolina, had to be sold to pay off his debt to society. Abbey is stuck living with her uncle Charlie, who, even in the few hours a day when he’s sober, ain’t exactly your ideal parental role model.But it turns out the new family that moved into Abbey’s old house has a daughter named Bee. And she’s just as curious about all the No Trespassing signs and holes being dug out by Felony Bay, in the corner of what used to be Abbey’s home. It appears someone’s been poking around a mystery that dates all the way back to the Civil War—and it just might be the same someone who framed Abbey’s dad.
My thoughts:
This is the kind of book you have to sit back and allow to let you sweep away. Although I'm a bit of an impatient reader, the narrative sucked me in by the end of the first chapter. Abbey has such a unique voice, and I quickly felt like I was right there with her in South Carolina. The setting is really strong in such a good way. This book should be on every Southern (library) bookshelf, in my opinion: it shows the rich history, good and bad, and captures setting uniquely. Nice mystery, too.
Where I found out about this book:
Author J.E. Thompson have the same agent :-) It's a small world, y'all...
For more
MMGM reviews, go to Shannon Messenger's blog....!
It's the truth.
Here's our black kitty, napping before the busy evening. Have a great one, all...
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I hope you're all able to follow along with the blog tour--I've had lots of fun with these interviews...
And then
there are still some giveaways open! I've listed the full tour below, with the end date to each of the giveaways. I owe a big thanks to Harper Children's for graciously donating a set of both books to the winners.
Double Vision: Code Name 711 Blog Tour Stops
Oct. 18:
Unleashing Readers—a review of
Code Name 711 and interview and
GIVEAWAY…
**giveaway closed**
Oct. 21:
This Kid Reviews Books—cool kid Erik gives his verdict on Linc’s second adventure, and another
GIVEAWAY **giveaway closed**
Oct 29: Another amazing librarian,
YA Booknerd, reviews
Code Name 711... Plus, a
GIVEAWAY **ends Nov. 4**
This is one of those fun things that some blogs participate in, and I thought I'd share my reading adventures today.
For some reason, I got to thinking about
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, so I picked it up at my library to re-read. It's still good, I'm glad to say. Below is my kitten Chloe, ready for me to snuggle up with the book. I usually read a kids book at the same time; my MG read is Rick Riordan's
House of Hades. Will let you know how that one stacks up.
Next up, I'll read the Criminal Element short story collection
The Malfeasance Occasional: Girl Trouble. There are lots of good authors in there, so I'm looking forward to it. Also, I plan to read Jay Asher's
Thirteen Reasons Why.
What are you reading???
P.S. If you know a teacher, pass on this link to
Caroline Starr Rose's blog, where I talk about using Code Name 711 with Revolutionary War Curriculum. There's a double giveaway, too...
I'm continuing my blog tour today at Pragmatic Mom's blog: there's an interview where I give tips on pacing for writers, and I explain how the president in Double Vision: Code Name 711 got to be a woman. Stop by, and enter to win books and spy gadgets! Spy stuff is cool.
And I'm signing in Gulfport at the B&N this Saturday. Come say howdy if you're there... I'm bringing stickers, and love to meet new people.
Happy weekend, y'all!
From the publisher: Alex Rider is actually the end of the story.
Yassen Gregorovich was the beginning.
Alex Rider’s life changed forever with one bullet and the pull of a trigger.
It was the cold-blooded contract killer Yassen Gregorovich who changed Alex Rider's life. Aged just fourteen, Alex was thrust into the chaos of international espionage—the world’s only teenage spy. The two have been mortal enemies since.
Yet, as a boy, Yassen was mentored by someone very much like Alex. What turned him into such a ruthless assassin? In some ways, Alex and Yassen are mirror images of each other. One chose to be a hero. The other chose evil.
This is Yassen’s story. A journey down a darkened path.
My thoughts:This was an excellent book. Although Alex Rider wasn't much more than a footnote in this one, it was great (and unusual) to watch the birth of an assassin. I think I held my breath for the first third of the book, as Yassen tries to escape his doomed Russian village.
Things slowed a bit later in the book as he was held captive, but overall, the story held my interest, big time. I had a bit of an issue with a spider plot point in the end--I won't spoil the story for you, but if you catch what I'm talking about, let me know. Still, loved this, and think I'll re-read it at some point, it was that well-written. As an aside, I'm glad Horowitz took the risk to tell Yassen's story. It's a great stand-alone novel.
For parents, teachers, and librarians: there's some underage drinking, in case you're considering this for your middle-grade readers--though in context of Russian culture, it fit the story.
Where I found out about this book:I'm an Anthony Horowitz fan, so when I heard this book was coming out, I pre-ordered it. Glad I did.
This song came on the radio, and the whole family liked it (which is unusual). So I thought I'd share.
Oh, and don't forget to follow the Code Name 711 blog tour! There are lots of book giveaways; today, the amazing Erik at This Kid Reviews Books gives his review of Linc's second adventure...
Hope you have an awesome week!
It's my birthday today! Also, it's my book birthday for Code Name 711, and Double Vision launches in paperback today. That's, like, a triple birthday.
This calls for cake...
I had my fun over the weekend at the SCBWI Southern Breeze Wik conference in Birmingham (there were other people providing food and cake, pretty awesome). I got inspired, learned more stuff about the seriousness of Alabama college football (dude...), and caught up with good friends. This picture was taken by Jo Kittinger (I forgot to take pics, once again...)
So this is a great week for me. And the fun doesn't end: the Code Name 711 Blog Tour is in full swing--check out the tour stops below! There will be virtual cake, interviews, reviews, and BOOK GIVEAWAYS (those must go in all-caps, of course).
Have a great day, YA Sleutheri. The cake is on me...
Double Vision: Code Name 711 Blog Tour Stops
Oct. 21:
This Kid Reviews Books—cool kid Erik gives his verdict on Linc’s second adventure, and another
GIVEAWAY
Oct. 25: The ever amazing in-the-know
Pragmatic Mom reviews
Code Name 711, plus another
GIVEAWAY:
Oct 29: Another amazing librarian,
YA Booknerd, reviews
Code Name 711.. Plus, a GIVEAWAY…
It's hotter than a Thanksgiving oven here in Mississippi right now, so hot that I don't cook much, and say 'Have mercy' every time I go outside. Watching the floods in Colorado, I know I shouldn't complain, but...
Have mercy.
This kind of weather makes me hum BB King tunes, so here he is. Be cool, all. And keep your socks dry, Colorado...
I've been so busy with final edits on Linc's third adventure that I was only half paying attention to the news this week... Apologies.
But I did catch that
it's Roald Dahl Day today! How cool is that... I'm such a fan of his books. I found out that there's even a
Roald Dahl museum. Alas, it's in the U.K., so we'll keep that visit on the ol' bucket list.
Happy weekend, y'all.
From the Publisher:Cody, Quinn, Luke, and M.E. may be really different, but they all share one thing in common: they love playing around with codes. In fact, they love codes so much, they have their own private club, with a super-secret hideout and passwords that change every single day.
When Cody and Quinn notice what could be a code on the window of a nearby house, the one owned by their strange neighbor, the guy they call Skeleton Man, the club gets to work. And it is a cry for help!
Now the Code Busters are on the case—and nothing will stop them from solving the mystery and finding the secret treasure that seems to be the cause of it all!
My thoughts:Oh, this book was such fun! Perfect for your younger middle-grade reader, ages 7-11, I would say, and equally appealing for boys and girls. The writing is tight, the characters fun, the mystery solid. I'll be checking out the rest of the series. I saw that the second book won the Agatha this year--no surprise there.
Where I found out about this book:One of my favorite blogs,
YA Book Nerd, reviewed it not too long ago. Since there are codes in the book, I thought I should check it out. Glad I did.
For more
MMGM reviews, go to Shannon Messenger's blog....
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It's September! I thought this month would never get here... Here in southern Mississippi, each fall month gets us closer to humanly tolerable temps. Currently we're battling the nineties with umptienthousand percent humidity, but we're getting closer to November, when we can go outside and breathe again... :-)
But enough about the weather already. This week on the Twitterz, it was a short week with a hodge-podge of news, like that there will be a new Agatha Christie novel (not sure I'm cool with that, but I'll keep an open mind). For my fellow crime writers: Crime and Science Radio will be hosting webcasts on various crimey topics, starting Saturday with Hollywood Storytelling: Science Fact or Make Believe? This looks like a promising resource...
If you're interested in starting a book club for kids, read my author pal Caroline Starr Rose's blog for a step-by-step guide. Great advice there.
And for some Friday fun, here's a picture of kitten ChuChu, trying to get my attention when I'm editing, but the food bowl is also empty:
Happy weekend, all. Stay frosty...
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It's just six weeks until Linc's second adventure,
Double Vision: Code Name 711, comes out! Which is why I've been a bit quiet here on the blog for the past week: I've been planning launch events and other promotional stuff.
Stay tuned for more cool news on that over the next few weeks...
But for those of you who like to read a book before it hits the shelves: the awesome people at
Harper Children's are running a Goodreads giveaway of advanced copies of Double Vision: Code Name 711. So enter if you feel lucky...Thanks for the support, as always, YA Sleutheri. It's nice to have good friends in my corner.
If you've stopped by this blog before, you probably know that I'm a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, a cool organization that always has something going on.
The Southern Breeze chapter will have their annual Wik conference in October, and asked me to be part of a blog tour, highlighting the great workshops you can attend. I was in Birmingham last year, and can attest that it's a ton of fun, and inspiring too. Take it from me:
you want to be there.
In case you needed more incentive, I'm honored to give you a quick interview with Lou Anders, Editorial Director at Pyr Books. He'll be teaching a workshop, and has a resume that makes your jaw drop.
About Lou Anders:
Lou Anders is the Hugo Award winning editorial director of the SF&F imprint Pyr books, a Chesley Award winning Art Director, and the editor of nine anthologies. He has also been nominated for six additional Hugo Awards, four additional Chesley Awards, as well as the PKD, Locus, Shirley Jackson, and three World Fantasy Awards.
His first novel, Frostborn, book one in a three-book middle grade fantasy adventure series called Thrones and Bones, will be published in August 2014 by Random House's Crown Books for Young Readers. Visit him online at www.louanders.com and on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter @LouAnders.
Q: Your workshop is called Scrip Tips--could you tell us a bit more about it?
Everyone who has tried their hand at writing has a folder full of openings that go nowhere. Many promising ideas bog down in their second half. I'll discuss how a unique approach to structuring story in Hollywood screenplays can be repurposed to help writers struggling with outlining their novel.
Using examples from film, I'll demonstrate how character and structure work together to provide pace and reveal theme. Learn simple techniques that have been demonstrated to help authors bring out the most in their story and maximize their emotional connection with their readers. Whether an author is a plotter or a panser, an understanding of these simple underlying principals in screenwriting can offer valuable insights for all novelists.
Q: You've just sold your middle-grade book series to Crown--congrats! What's it about?
The series is called Thrones and Bones, inspired by Norse myth and folklore. Frostborn, the first book, introduces Karn, who would rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones, and Thianna, half-frost giant, half-human, who team up when they are chased by wyverns, a dead Viking sea captain, and a 1200-year-old dragon.
Publication is slated for 2014.
Thanks to Lou Anders for his time!
He's just one member of the impressive faculty for the 2013 Writing and Illustrating for Kids (WIK) conference, taking place October 12 in Birmingham, AL.
WIK is a great place to get inspired, get tips on your craft, and learn about the business of children’s publishing. It’s also an opportunity to meet editors, agents, and an incredibly supportive network of working writers and artists.
You can meet other members of the conference faculty by following the WIK blog tour:
Aug. 28 Author Matt de la Peña at Stephanie Moody’s Moodyviews Editor Lou Anders at F.T. Bradley’s YA Sleuth Illustrator Prescott Hill at Gregory Christie’s G.A.S. Editor Michelle Poploff at Laura Golden’s Just Write Sept. 5 Author / illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy at Stephanie Moody’s Moodyviews
...or you'll find this:
These are kitten sisters Chloe and ChuChu, play-fighting. After they took care of that box of tissues.
Happy week, all.
Oh, and be sure to stop by on Wednesday, when I'm interviewing Pyr Books' Editorial Director Lou Anders for the SCBWI Southern Breeze blog tour...
This was a sad week in many ways. First, there was the loss of Lee Thompson Young, actor on Rizzoli & Isles. Man, that show won't be the same without him...
Then there was the passing of Elmore Leonard. I could write a dozen posts on how he's influenced my writing, but I'll only be repeating what's been said by others. He'll be missed tremendously.
It's odd when someone you never knew personally, but impacted you anyway, dies. To add to the sadness: I just heard that a young writer friend passed away--we'll miss you, Amy.
It put a dark stamp on the week for sure. All best to the families, who'll be feeling this loss and such a deeper level...
On a happier note: there was this great article on
what kids think the world would be like without libraries.
And in case you're a cheapskate like me:
28 ways a library can save you money.
To end the week with a smile, here's
Steve Martin and Kermit, playing some banjo.Banjo music makes everything a little better. And Kermit, too.
Have a bright, happy weekend, all.
From the publisher:
In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.
Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.
Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.
Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
My thoughts:
Not that this book needs another review, but I wanted to read it as part of an effort to read more classic books I missed (since I'm Dutch and grew up overseas, I missed many U.S. classics). This story was one I shouldn't have liked: military scifi, lots of narrative, kind of a dude book (meaning lots of male characters). But I was sucked in, and didn't skip ahead once.
I did end up flipping to the front many times to check its seventies copyright, because it felt so relevant. For a book almost as old as me *cough*, it held up amazingly well. It's one I'll re-read.
Where I found out about this book:
Well, TV commercials for the movie, sad to say. I thought I should read the book first...
It's Friday, so here's my report on what's been flying by on the internet. It's been a bit of a silly week, with everyone still in summer mode, I think.
So there was Alfred Hitchcock's birthday on the 13th, in case you needed a reason for cake. Also, there was
this very interesting article on cat hair tracing back to a criminal (hat tip to author pal Laura Ellen). Moral of the story: use one of those lint brushes before you commit a crime. Better yet: just stay home with your cats and read a book instead (a cat cozy mystery, maybe?).
Then there was
this link to Google maps, where you can take a look inside the Tardis (for you fellow Whovians). I'm ready to go...
And for some good news:
Rizzoli&Isles was renewed for a fifth season, as reported on Tess Gerritsen's site. I just discovered this show, but I'm looking forward already.
Happy weekend, all!
I don't like to toot my own horn, because... Well, it's sort of tacky. And if you read this blog, you know I wrote a book. Nuf said.
But the best part about writing for kids is when I get a good review--from a kid.
Like sixth grader Nathan, who gave Double Vision five stars, and said, "What I really like about this book is that it is humorous. For example, in the prologue, it talks about how the story isn't about Percy Jackson or Spiderman in a really funny way."
Nathan, you made my day. So here's a big thank you.
I'm a big Sara Bareilles fan, and somehow missed until a few days ago that she had a new album out... Must be the summer heat or something. The album is great, by the way, I highly recommend it.
Here's the video for Brave. See, I dance in public all the time (much to my kids' horror), so it's nice to be called brave.
Happy Monday, all. Hope you dance a little today!
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I often think of going back to Roald Dahl, to books I haven't read. He is quite popular in India.
I grew up loving his books. A hardcover was fairly expensive (relative to the States today) when I was young, and his books were always my 'big' birthday present :-)
I loved Roald Dahl's books and remember saving up money as a kid, so I could go visit the local bookstore and buy them.
I'm re-reading some--they're still great :-)