Three Writing Reads

 A great post on practice, practice, practice when it comes to our craft, plus I found out about a book I didn’t know about called IF YOU WANT TO WRITE By Brenda Ueland. Here’s Lori’s post: L. H. Walker: The Way Forward is Practice

***

 This next post gave me goosebumps. As I read I knew what she meant about not writing to the market. I also had running around in my head a book I’d like to maybe possibly write--deals with suicide--sort of shoved it aside, cause well, it scares me a little (okay alot!). So, I get to the last line in the post:

“This is what you have to offer the world: Yourself. Put it on the page, even if it's scary.”

Like I said...goosebumps.

Here’s the post:

Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent: Write Your Truth

***

The Writer Coaster: Goodies! There is a link here to recommended to watch vid series on story structure! Going to be doing that later today, but wanted to share it now.


Happy Writing!

Winners for Armchair BEA-Day 2-Giveaways Galore! | Just Deb...

Congrats to Natasha and Kristen the winners of my Armchair BEA-Day 2-Giveaways Galore!. Post.

Thanks so much to all who commented and left their favorite reads. I am going to gather them all into one post and..er, post them, lol.

Happy reading my fellow armchair BEA-ers.

Three Writing Reads

There is a new story idea a brewing. Well, not entirely new. It’s a ghost story that over the years morphed into a young adult novel. Now, this novel’s opening had everything but the kitchen sink thrown in (dead parent, absent dad, ghost, teenage angst, journaling, love interest handsome (really crazy handsome) boy in it. The agent who pointed this out to me a couple of years ago was very, very right. Very. It took some time and distance from the manuscript to really see that. Basically it was a whole bunch of ideas jammed into one book. No wonder the middle got so darn mucky and tangly. AnyHOW I am digressing (shocker, I know). I have pulled one idea from the pile that was in that book and am working it back into a middle grade novel. Oddly enough it is the original idea--the one that came from a dream that I_still_ remember. A dream that scared me silly (or sillier depending on you pov).

Came across this timely post at Somewhere In the Middle (she’s also one of the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday gang who does a fabulous round up of middle grade posts every week!)

somewhere in the middle: She's Crafty: Creating Tension


The next writing read is a recommendation to check out The Plot Whisperer Blog (and she has a book coming out!).

Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers

And do check out her YouTube series too (link is on her blogspot).

And rounding this out with a blog that is new to me, found it thanks to the fabu Jan Markley of Three dead moths in my mailbox ... (btw, check out her latest post on characters)

Who Ate My Brain? <<could the name be any better? and his content is kinda GREAT, too!

Happy reading...Happy writing.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday:Trouble in the Trees by Yolanda Ridge

Hat's off to our Marvelous Middle Grade Monday Mom, Shannon Whitney Messenger.If you've not checked out her blog before, you must and not just for MMGM. And I hope all my neighbours in the States are enjoying the Memorial Day.

Before we begin I thought I'd let you know that there’s an interview and book giveaway with Yolanda right here. I’m extending the giveaway to next Sunday (midnight MST, international entries, too), so would love for you to stop by and get to know the author a little better and comment for an opportunity to win her book for yourself, your classroom, library, kids...!

And now, onto the book!

Trouble in the Trees by Yolanda Ridge

Eleven-year-old Bree is happiest when she's climbing the trees at Cedar Grove, her urban townhouse complex. She's the best climber around, even better than an older boy, Tyler, who drives her crazy with his competitiveness. When Ethan, a younger boy, falls from a tree and hurts his elbow, the neighborhood council bans all tree-climbing in Cedar Grove. If Bree chooses to ignore the bylaw, her family could be kicked out of their home, so she vows to change the rule instead. After giving a presentation to the neighborhood council, she realizes this is not a battle she can win on her own, but rallying the Cedar Grove troops is more difficult than she imagined.

****

When I was younger I loved climbing trees. The biggest issue for me was getting back down. There was the one time...er, never mind.
Now Bree, the main character of Trouble in the Trees loves to climb trees. It’s her favourite thing to do. Like some love playing basketball, street hockey or skipping rope, Bree loves the tree climbing. Unfortunately her problem isn’t getting back down. It’s getting to climb them in the first place. Always on the look out for the dark and the dangerous The Neighbourhood Council of Cedar Grove is out to save kids from themselves. So, no more tree climbing. It’s against the law, I mean, by-law. Now, it’s up to Bree to convince her fellow kids, tree climbers or not, that it may not end there. Don’t they know that other sports (and yes, tree climbing is a sport. Check this out.) are more dangerous in terms of injury? Don’t they know that it might not end with the tree climbing ban? They could even go so far as to decide what kind of pet you can have (Mrs. Leary has had quite enough of dogs and their rampant poo-ing).

Will Bree be able to convince her friends to join her in a neighbour hood protest? Let's just say she becomes one of the great unwashed. “No trees, no bath!” Although, I will add here, brushing their teeth would be a good idea given the number of gummy worms that were consumed during the protest meeting. Things might just be looking good for Bree and the neighbourhood kids. Smelling? Not so good.

This is an all around great read for kids 8-11 from Orca Publishers and is part of their Orca Young Readers collection. Yolanda does an amazing job of capturing kids this age and making you laugh out loud and cheer them on as they take on the adults running the council of Cedar Grove. Plus, the over all quality of writing makes this a read aloud dream. I’m looking forward to adding this and others from the series to our library collection and get book talking them this summer. I’m sad that there is no book club this week (we have a big book sale and puppet show this Saturday). But next week...I cannot wait to book talk this to them!

Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday all!

Here’s the rest of the crew (if I don’t have you listed, let me know so I can add you!)

• Anita Laydon Millers Middle Grade Blog
• Book Dreaming
• Kit Lit Frenzy
• Middle Grade Mafioso
• My Brain on Books
• Night Writer
• Novel and Nouveau
• Somewhere in the Middle
• Write About Now

And, if you are really lovin’ the middle grades do check out Cindy’s Love of Books. Each months she hosts a Middle Grade Reading Challenge where you can link up with your reviews and check out what others are reading.http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10049856-trouble-in-the-trees

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday Underage Book Addicts: An Open Letter to Mary Pope Osborne

Stories are Good Medicine: Underage Book Addicts: An Open Letter to Mary Pope Osborne

WOW-Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

I've never done a Waiting on Wednesday post. But, I read about this book, my first thought was how long do I have to wait? Until November, 2011. A long wait, indeed. The minute I read this "The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." on Good Reads, it became a must, must read for me. Love all three of those books and have done for a long time now, including re-readings. So...yep...this is a book I'm waiting on!

Goodreads | Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

48 Hour Book Challenge | MotherReader

48 Hour Book Challenge | MotherReader

Armchair BEA Day 3-A Bag full of Awesome Bloggers

Writing:

Two of my favourite bloggers for writers are Angela Ackerman of The Book Shelf Muse and Stina Lindenblatt of Seeing Creative. And, I know them in real people time! They are as dynamic in person as their blogs. Full of energy and information, both striving to improve their craft and share what they learn along the way.

The Book Shelf Muse is a thesaurus of emotions, settings, character traits (just added) and is an AMAZING tool to have in your writing back pocket. Angela and her partner Becca Puglisi are working on a book for this resource. Thinking it's going to be mighty darn good.

Seeing Creative is Stina's unique spin on writing and photography, you always learn something from her and her Cool Links Friday is a must read.

Book Blogging:

Story Siren (cause she just plain old inspires me with her passion and commitment and I love that she did this for the love of it and look at where it's taken her!) I've been following her since she began and just...wow.

All the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday Crew! Each monday we talk middle grade and I always look forward to their recommendations. And the From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors gang...course  little biased because I'm part of the team, lol.

Social Media

My go to guy is Greg Pincus of The Happy Accident. Used to be in an online crit group with him and he is a funny and seriously talented writer who  also knows his social media! If you ever have a chance to hear him talk, grab it, I know I'm going to!

Oh MG & YA Canada, Interview and Giveaway with Yolanda Ridge

Welcome  Yolanda Ridge to Oh MG & YA Canada.  She is a debut novelist whose middle grade novel, Trouble in the Trees is now out. I’ll be going a giveaway (international, all you have to do is comment). But, don’t forget to check out the giveaway being done on Good Reads, as well! Double your chances of winning a copy.





From Good Reads:

Eleven-year-old Bree is happiest when she's climbing the trees at Cedar Grove, her urban townhouse complex. She's the best climber around, even better than an older boy, Tyler, who drives her crazy with his competitiveness. When Ethan, a younger boy, falls from a tree and hurts his elbow, the neighborhood council bans all tree-climbing in Cedar Grove. If Bree chooses to ignore the bylaw, her family could be kicked out of their home, so she vows to change the rule instead. After giving a presentation to the neighborhood council, she realizes this is not a battle she can win on her own, but rallying the Cedar Grove troops is more difficult than she imagined.

On with the interview!


Yolanda, can you tell me where the idea for you book came from and what the journey was like once you got the idea? Smooth sailing? Stop and start?

When my friend, Claire, had tree climbing banned in her townhouse complex in South Vancouver she put together a short power point presentation called “Tree Illegal”. Claire was 11 years old at the time and although she didn’t fight the bylaw, she gave me the premise for a book that I just had to write. It took me a long time to finish the first draft (I was a stay at home Mom of twins who were two) and the manuscript went through quite a few revisions (including the ending which was changed at the request of my publisher) but relatively speaking, it was pretty smooth sailing.

I _loved_ climbing trees when I was a kid. Will admit to getting myself into a bit of climbing to high a few times. 

What is next for you? Is there another book in the works?

Yes! I just signed a contract with Orca for the sequel to Trouble in the Trees. Tentatively titled Road Block , it’s about Bree’s fight against the construction of a highway through her grandma’s farmland. It’s scheduled to come out in Spring 2012. I have another completed manuscript (in need of some revision) about a 12-year-old girl who’s battling some serious anxiety issues. And my manucript in progress has a 12 year old male protagonsit… so I guess I’m sticking with middle grade for now although I still have a pile of picture book manuscripts desperately seeking a publisher!

Congratulations on the sequel! 

How do you find the balance you need for family, reading and writing (your poetry and your novels)? A color coded timetable on your wall, possibly?

Ha! A color coded timetable – why didn’t I think of that? Basically, family is my first priority and takes up most of my time. I read after my boys go to bed, when I’m too tired to do anything else. I fit writing in the little time that's left… it used to be when my boys napped. Now it’s when they are at preschool or watching Dinosaur Train. I’m very productive with the time I have because there is so little of it. I’m a bit worried that when they go to full day kindergarten, I’ll start finding ways to procrastinate!

Does your poetry help with writing novels and visa versa?

Great question Deb, that’s something I’ve never really thought about before. I love words (a good thing for any type of writing) but sometimes I get a little carried away with things like rhyme, rhythm, alliteration… things you don’t want too much of in a fast paced novel. Poetry gives me an outlet where I can be more fancy and playful.

My book club is filled with aspiring writers, ages 8 to 13 and I’m gathering advice for them. When did you start writing and would you like to share some advice for my young writers?

I think I’ve always been a writer. I started writing for the school newspaper when I was in elementary school and I’ve been bombarding my friends and family with poems and screenplays for as long as I can remember. My biggest piece of advice is to write a lot… it’s a skill that takes practice, just like anything else. Not everything you write will be good but the more you write, and the more you share your writing with others, the more likely it is that you will find your niche.

Speaking of my book club kids, I always like to ask my guests what they would recommend for them. Is there something that is a recent read, or a book you loved when you were a kid?

I just read The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw by Lois Peterson, another book from OrcaYoung Readers. I loved the characters and the original story line (including it’s un-perfect ending.) As a kid I loved Judy Blume which is probably why I am attracted to realistic fiction with strong protagonists.

Thanks for the recommends! I've just ordered some of Lois's books, but didn't get the one you've mentioned...I will be sure to, though. 

Anything you would like to add? Maybe a question you wanted to answer...but I didn't ask?

No – you’re questions were great and my answers were long so I will leave it at that. Thank you so much for your interest in Trouble in the Trees and Oh MG and YA Canada!

Thanks again for being here Yolanda!


ORCA, is at BEA this week. If anyone drops by their booth, Yolanda and I hope you’ll stop, say hi and check out hers and other books ORCA will be showcasing. 


And, what's that, what's that you say...another giveaway? Yep. Just comment on this post I will enter you in a draw for THE TROUBLE IN TREES. You have until next Sunday June 5, Midnight MST.

Armchair BEA-Day 2-Giveaways Galore!

Well, I am having a blast, hope all of you are, too. Welcome to day two of Armchair BEA and Giveaways Galore! I've got two giveaways today.

Giveaway #1

Signed copy of I'M NOT HER by Janet Gurtler. I interviewed Janet here. You can find her website here. Oh---here is a guest post she did about voice (and boy did she capture voice in her book) on Seeing Creative. Finally, here is an interview I did with her. 

From Good Reads:
Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

Giveway # 2

The second giveaway is for TWO books, I've decided. One is  MG by Eileen Cook.  The first in her  Fourth Grade Fairy series, FOURTH GRADE FAIRY. Delight-filled, funny and right on the mark for kids 8-12. Included in the pack is Eileen's latest YA, THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK. I interviewed Eileen here. And here is her website. Do check out her other books if you get a chance, she really is a wonderful author! PLUS---I have signed book plates for each of Eileen Books to add in. Thanks Eileen!

From Indie Bound

All Willow Doyle wants is to be normal, to fit in at her new school, and to have a best friend. But there’s no way Willow will ever be normal. There isn’t anything normal about her or the Doyle family.
Willow comes from a long line of fairy godmothers and she’s expected to be one too when the time comes. (At the moment she’s merely sprite status.) Maybe that would be cool if it were like the old days when the humans -- known as humdrums -- knew fairy godmothers existed and the fairies didn’t have to keep their fairy status secret. Now they’re stuck helping humans who don’t even believe in them. Rather than help normals, Willow would rather be human. She’s sick of being weird.
When she's given the chance to attend a humdrum elementary school for two weeks, this is Willow's chance to finally experience a normal life -- but will she be able to fit in? And can she find her best friend there, even if her parents discourage making friends with humans.

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.
They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?



That is all from me, all you need to do is comment on this post with a way for me to contact you by email. If you wouldn't mind leaving me a favourite latest read (MG, YA, ADULT, NON-FICTION...) I would love to hear them!

Open internationally until this Sunday night, midnight MST. Now...everyone...let's continue enjoying the awesome that is ARMCHAIR BEA. Looking forward to meeting those of us planning on heading there in 2012!

Win an ARC of Wither and it's Sequel!!

Just head over to Lauren DeStefano's blog and read this, do a happy dance of joy for the chance to win...then enter! It took me a little while to type this as I am doing this with my fingers crossed. AND--it's opened internationally. Oh yeah, baby!

Reading my tweets was bound to pay off eventually… | Lauren's Blog

And the winner of Sleeping Beauty:Vampire Slayer/Cinderella: Ninja Warrior

Commenter # 3,

darkangel_1988

The books are on the way to Memrie even as I type this.

Maureen McGowan-Interview & Giveaway-Sleeping Beauty:Vampire Slayer/Cinderella: Ninja Warrior

Thanks to everyone who read and took part. Looking forward to our next Oh MG YA Canada interview and giveaway with Yolanda Ridge...stay tuned!

Armchair BEA: Who I am and How I'm Arm Chair-ing it

Armchair BEA is here and it promises to be an amazing week. Going to figure out how I'm going to do it as I go, and hopefully learn from all of you.

I've got two giveaways planned this week and am going to be reading reading reading, follow along on twitter--getting posts ready for the rest of the week. Plus have a Oh MG  YA Canada interview and giveaway, too!

Really looking forward to meeting new bloggers and getting to know others better. Even better? Making connections for BEA 2012 because--I'm going!

About me (and hopefully not too much....call me Deblah blah blah if you must)

I'm first and foremost an assistant library manager for a small town library just north of Calgary, Alberta. Crossfield Municipal Library to be specific. I've been in public library youth services since 1986 when I started as a Reference Assistant for Calgary Public Library. Haven't looked back since then and even though when I first was being trained I thought I'd never be able to do storytimes? Well, check out the picture. Over twenty years later, I'll do pretty much anything. I live and breath library services to children and teens and live and breath books for them, as well. Also have a storytelling company, although don't do that as much anymore. We do about one residency per year that ties oral story and writing into one and a few performances here and there. This August I am thrilled (thrilled I tell you!) to be giving a session for When Words Collide on hot reads in MG and YA for 2011. Also sitting on a panel about providing readers advisory, my focus being children and teens. Have I mentioned I love talking books for them?

Random, but maybe not a  really random fact-I write for kids and also blog at From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors.

Really Random fact-I played Bassoon in high school. When our band marched I was a flag girl. You cannot march well with a Bassoon.

Hope those of you at BEA are having a blast. And and BIG SHOUT OUT to Janet Gurtler! I had a chance to go with her, but couldn't make it happen. She's even going to try and get a few books for me.  You rock Janet!

Happy Armchair BEA everyone...!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday-Loch & Reef of Death by Paul Zindel

Happy MMGM everyone! As I write this, preparations (and books I need to order for our wee library) for summer reading club are on my mind. In June I will be visiting our schools and talking about the library in general and summer reading club in particular. The theme this year is SPLASH INTO SUMMER. Two books I am book talking for grade 5, 6 and 7 are LOCH & REEF OF DEATH by Paul Zindel:



From IndieBound: Loch and his sister are with their father on a scientific expedition to track lake monsters. Their father's boss, Anthony Cavenger, a ruthless publishing mogul, is determined to prove that the legends are fact. Until now, it has been a fruitless exercise. But suddenly, on a routine exploration, a hideous water beast explodes out of the water, and a photographer, hoping to get the picture of a lifetime, loses his life instead. The plesiosaurs terrorize the secluded lake community, but Loch encounters a baby plesiosaur and realizes that the monsters only attack when threatened. So he risks his life-and the lives of his family and friends-to save the prehistoric creatures from destruction.


From IndieBound: P.C. McPhee is in Australia to help his uncle solve an underwater mystery involving buried treasure. P.C. quickly figures out that they're not the only ones looking for treasure -- an evil geologist is determined to get her hands on it at any cost. P.C., his uncle, and the Aboriginal girl, Maruul; become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse where the winner takes all, including the lives of the losers.

Older books, yes, but still _great_ for the upper middle grade crowd. And I swear I am not trying to scare them away from the library and any swimming fun they have planned for the summer. If any of you have a read that you think would fit into the theme of SPLASH INTO SUMMER, I'd love to hear them.

Be sure to check out the rest of the MMGM bloggers. If you look over in my side bar, they lined up and read for you to go, go, go! Please let me know if you are MMGM-er and I will add you to the list. As always a big shout out to Shannon Whitney Messenger for getting us going on this!

Die for Me by Amy Plum

And now I wait for the next book. Incredible world and myth building in this one. Fell in love with the secondary characters, especially Jules. Had a kick ass ending that left me breathless, action packed fight scene with the _really_ bad guy.  It took me a bit to warm to Kat, to get to know her. But, when she has her "break down" just after the midpoint of the book I realized why. She'd been holding on to a lot of pain and fear. Stuffing it away to keep herself safe. It would not make sense for her to be wearing her heart on her sleeve in a way that would allow the reader in to her life. It is a risky proposition for a writer to do that, but once I was finished reading and saw how everything fell into place, it worked for me and left me waiting....for the next book. As for Vincent, the hero, his path was similar to Kat's-dealing with the horrible loss of loved ones (and in his case, violent loss at the hands of others) that left him reeling with agony and the need for revenge. Kat and Vincent heal each other. It will be interesting to see if this couple build following like others we know. I will recommend this to teens and adults who read the YA Paranormal genre.

An Archive for Book Talk Tuesday

Kelly Butcher of The Lemme Library started something called Book Talk Tuesday. When you go into schools to do presentations, or even just talking to patrons in the stacks--book talks are great tools to have in your back pocket. Either the longer ones for a more "formal" presentation or ones that a those quick, hold up and say a couple of things to hook the reader in.

Well, she is archiving all the precious posts so we can access them quick and easy. Love. It. And I also noticed that you can check out general book talks...for example "New Wordless Books", "Middle Grade Reads". Thanks for rounding them all up for us Kelly!

Book Talk Tuesday (the archives)

Oh YA it's Friday! Was...Talkin' Teen Books Tuesday

So the blog is growing, I think I'm finding my voice. One thing is for sure I LOVE talking books and finding out about books to read to share with my book club kids and to order for my library.

I've been taking part in Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and I follow along with Tween Tuesday.

Am thinking I'd like to start something similar for YA reads. I guess I like all my blogging in little blogging compartments, lol.

Tying in Oh (MG & YA) Canada to the above is working (in the case of MMGM) and would work with TTBT (Talkin' Teen Books Tuesday). On each of those days I would plug in the appropriate interview and giveaway when I had them, but otherwise I'd share a review, recommendation of a YA or two.

Unless....there is something out there that I am missing being of part of?

Teen BookTalk Thursday?
OhYAFriday
TGI-YA-F?
 YA-y for Mondays?

Based on some added thoughts from others, leaning towards "Oh YA It's Friday" or It's Friday, oh YA! do  recommended YA read, plus a round up of ones I want to read based on reviews I've read during the week...or just a round up, of some sort.

The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless by Alan Woodrow

 

From IndieBound:
Are you rotten enough to read this book? Ha! And I mean that in a laugh-in-your-face, you’re not- really-rotten-at-all way. Have you ever destroyed the planet? Turned earthworms into your personal army of doom? Refused to eat your broccoli and hidden it in your underwear? Well, never mind that last one. I mean, who hasn’t? But still, no one is as rotten as Zachary Ruthless. In fact, his adventures are so rotten you might want to just put this book down now and back away very slowly.




Just call me Deb Ruthless. Yeah, that's right. I'm walking into my book club meeting with this book in hand (well, when it arrives, that is...I read this book on my ipad, I will not be lending my kids that no matter how much I love them and they rock our library's book club). So, like I said, as soon as the book arrives I'll be sharing it with my kids. They are aged 8 to almost thirteen. Everyone, including a couple of my almost 13 year olds will love this because of the humour and the illustrations throughout (including one evil bad dude with freckles in the shape of small rats.) And honestly, I'd love to read this out loud to them. I found it that kind of fun and funny. I won't know for sure what they'll think  until they've read it of course, but here's what I'll say to them to at least get them to try:

Zachary may look all innocent, smiley  and oh how his parents love him, but I tell you now he is anything but innocent smiley good boy. He is an aspiring mastermind ready to take down the world...with a microwave if he has to (other methods cost thousands of dollars you know). Only one problem. His parents are sending him to Good Samaritan camp for the summer?!? Seriously? Yeah, seriously. How's he supposed to take over the world when he has to go to Good Samaritan Camp? Read it...you'll find out. 


And, beware. My kids and I may just be joining him. Taking over the world, not going to you know where. Can't say the "g" word too much you know. It's like Zachary says, you could catch being "g" like a cold... or worms.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday-The Invisible Order by Paul Crilley

Before I begin, let me say HAPPY MONDAY and a big thanks to our MMGM Mom...Shannon Whitney Messenger, she got us all rolling with this. And, if you want to spend a lovely Monday growing your MG to read least, head over to Shannon's where she is round up some posts! Plus, at the end of this post I have some more links you can check out.


Today I'm recommending (just a little, lol!) THE INVISIBLE ORDER by Paul Crilley

Emily Snow is twelve years old, supporting herself and her younger brother on the streets of Victorian England by selling watercress. One early winter morning on her way to buy supplies, she 

encounters a piskie--a small but very sarcastic fey creature that has been cornered by a group of the Black Sidhe, piskies from an opposing clan. She rescues him and unknowingly becomes involved in a war between the Seelie and the Unseelie, two opposing factions of fairies that have been battling each other throughout the long centuries of human history, with London--and England itself--as the ultimate prize.

When the Invisible Order--a centuries-old secret society of humans that has protected mankind from the fey's interference--gets involved, things really start to get complicated.

Now she is the central figure in this ancient war that could permanently change Earth. With no one to trust, Emily must rely on her own instincts and guile to make the right choices that could save her family and all of mankind. Do you ever fall in love with a book so fast, you can't wait to share it with people, yet, read it real real slow so you can stay in the world with the characters a little longer? That's me with THE INVISIBLE ORDER. I am in love with this book by Paul Crilley. If you loved Septimus Heap, Magic Thief, Dragon's Egg, it quite possible this will be a pick for you.  So, if you have not read, I highly recommend. This book is on my ipad right now (and on my kindle as I bought it from amazon). I will be getting a hardcover copy, because it's just one of those books that I _have_ to have on my shelf so I can see it. Okay, I will stop now, at this rate I am going to be telling you I am going to marry this book...that would be weird...and it would totally creep out my book club kids. I will be careful not to drool on the book when I am book talking it to them :P  The you might also likes:

  

Follow the MMGM posts! (thanks to Joanne Fritz, I am having a weird time with links and images, so I knew I could hop on over to her blog to get this list)

Joanne Fritz at My Brain on Books

Shannon O'Donnell at Book Dreaming

Myrna Foster at The Night Writer
Sherrie Petersen at Write About Now 
Natalie Aguirre at Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero at Somewhere in the Middle
Deb Miller at Just Deb
Ally Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson at Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller at her middle grade blog

And the winner of Pick Your Own Sarah Dessen is...

lucky number...13!

Lindsay Writes.

Looking forward to hearing which book you pick Lindsay! Thanks to everyone who entered.

Next giveaway and interview is here...two books! Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer and Cinderella Ninja Warrior. This one is for my feature Oh (MG & YA) Canada. Hope you can stop by get to know Maureen and how she developed these choose your path stories...and survived with out exploding her head while keeping track of all the different paths!

Alrighty then...I'm done talkin'!

Maureen McGowan-Interview & Giveaway-Sleeping Beauty:Vampire Slayer/Cinderella: Ninja Warrior

Welcome to another Oh (MG & YA) Canada. Today we have Maureen McGowan on the blog. Telling us a little bit more about her books, SLEEPING BEAUTY: VAMPIRE SLAYER & CINDERELLA:NINJA WARRIOR.  Great titles aren't they? _Great_ reads, too. Here is a little bit more about Maureen from her website:
"Maureen has always been making up stories—her mother called it lying, her teachers creative talent—but sidetracked by a persistent practical side, it took her a few years to channel her energy into writing novels. Before seeing the light, she was: an auditor, a knowledge engineer, a software development manager, a product development director and a hedge fund CFO. " 
As I say in the upcoming interview, I'm pretty darn glad she found her way back to writing, because now we have:

Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer


With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next.

Cinderella Ninja Warrior
Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next.

And now...on with the interview!

Thanks for being her Maureen. This week I'm giving away both of  your books to one lucky commenter (open International). What inspired you to twist up Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella the way you did. I especially loved the idea of Sleeping Beauty as a vampire slayer and how later in the book you used the glass coffin (LOVED it, I tell you). 

Thanks so much, Deb! The original spark for this series actually didn't come from me. A freelance editor, who'd seen some of my not-yet-published writing, came to me with the idea of creating updated fairy tales with a choose-your-own-adventure element. At first I wasn't certain I was interested--I've never been a big fairy tale person--but as soon as I started to develop ideas, I got excited.

Unsure if I'd have creative freedom in writing these books (since the overall concept idea was the editor's) I asked her, "In Cinderella, can there be ninjas?" I was mostly joking at the time, testing my boundaries, but she said yes, I could do whatever I wanted, and immediately, an image of ninjas dropping out of trees to attack Cinderella popped into my mind. 

The original proposal for the series included the first twenty pages and an outline for Cinderella: Ninja Warrior (then called Not Your Mother's Cinderella Story) and I also included up a few possible titles for other books in the series. One of those titles was Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer. I honestly don't know where that idea initially came from. A lightning bolt? 

But I loved the idea of combining Sleeping Beauty with vampires. Elements of the traditional fairy tale are so dark to me, and the idea of a girl sleeping, unable to wake up, with other people watching is just creepy. I knew I wanted to include that glass coffin right from the start.

These are choose your own path books, which you don’t see much of in teen books. What were your thoughts in developing the story this way. Personally, I loved getting to choose the path.

I'm not sure I would have chosen a choose your own adventure format if I hadn't been asked to do it that way, but I found it equal parts challenging, frustrating and fun.

At first, I wasn't sure how to tackle it. The first decision I made was to have a single ending for each book. Because the books are fairy tales, I thought they demanded happy endings, and pretty specific happy endings if they were going to live up to the fairy tale promise. 

I also decided against "wrong" paths. The way I see things, each day we face choices, and the alternatives aren’t necessarily right or wrong—just different. Smart heroines (and smart readers) will make smart choices, so I wanted to present reasonable alternatives at each decision point without making it obvious which choice was better. Also, a capable heroine—even if she makes a mistake—should be able to face whatever challenges her choices place in her way and still reach her goal.

When I decided on the structure, I didn’t realize what a difficult path I was laying out for myself as a writer! My choices created challenges for me—almost as tough as those facing Cinderella in her magic competition, or Lucette when she’s the only one awake and facing vampires in the night. 

Because I decided to have alternate paths that loop into common sections, I had to be very careful to ensure the key story elements either: occurred in the common sections; or occurred in different ways but with similar outcomes, in the alternate paths. There were times while writing these books when my head was spinning so badly I didn’t know which end was up!

I’ve been asking other participants in OH MG YA Canada for author signing, school visit  advice for other authors for they’d like to share. Plus, do you have a great book signing or school visit moment you’d like to tell us about, as well?

I wish I had some advice to share and will be combing the archives on your site for others' advice, as I'll be doing my very first school visit soon. I can't wait to talk to some kids about writing. I've been asked to take part in some teen book clubs at book stores, too. Can't wait! 

You will love it. You’re sharing your passion and kids will know it and respond. Just be yourself. This also reminds me, though, I want to do a post in which I do gather together all the advice in previous posts!

Everyone of my book club kids are aspiring writers, ranging in age from 8 to 13. When did you start writing and do you have any advice for my book clubbers?

I really enjoyed writing when I was a student, and English was one of my favourite subjects, but I got side-tracked by my practical side after high school, and pursued another career before getting back to storytelling. It's not easy to earn a living as a novelist, but I wish I'd had more faith in myself and the courage to try earlier. That said, I don't regret any of the decisions I made. My advice would be that, even if life takes you in a different direction, if you love writing and storytelling, never give it up! 

Never give up...I like it and agree. Certainly glad you didn’t!

Speaking of my book club kids. Anything you'd like to recommend they read or we get for our library? Something that is a recent read, or a book you loved when you were a kid?

If they like funny, I highly recommend anything by Eileen Cook. She cracks me up and she writes for both the young adult and middle grade age groups. She also has an extremely funny adult book that I think older teens would love.

On the darker side, I'm currently a huge fan of Carrie Ryan's books. I just finished The Dark and Hollow Places and LOVED it. But her books might be a little too scary for the younger members of your group.

Yes yes on Eileen Cook. I especially love her latest YA Education of Hailey Kendrik and am currently reading Fourth Grade Fairy for an upcoming giveaway and feature as part of BEA! Carrie Ryan's books are...aaaamazing, too. And have a couple for girls (12 and 13) who love them, so yes on those!

Speaking of that Book Expo America starts this week. Are you going? Have you been before?

Oh, I wish I were going! I've never been, but I did go to Book Expo Canada about five years ago. (Sadly, they don't have it anymore.) It was fabulous to see which titles all the publishers were excited about. My publisher, Silver Dolphin Books, will be featuring my Twisted Tales series this week at their BEA  booth, but sadly, I can't go. :(

Oo, maybe someone could get a picture for you. It would be nice to be there, though, so I totally understand. I’m hoping to go in 2012.

Anything you'd like to add, maybe a question you was hoping I would ask but missed?

Mostly, I want to thank you and all the fabulous book enthusiasts out there. Seeing my books on the shelves has fulfilled a life-long dream, but it's even better to hear from readers. 

Well, you’re welcome. You’re the reason we get to do what we do!

Giveaway time. You have until midnight (MST), Sunday May 22. As always, all you need to do is comment...irregardless of your continent, if you win I will get the books to you. <my loooong winded way of saying this is open internationally. Good luck everyone.

Also, wanted to quick mention that if you are not going to BEA, there is a blog feed you can subscribe to, there are giveaways, interviews and more so head on over to ARMCHAIR BEA!

A new look...

Or should I say a look? And a logo. This is something I think I am ready to work on now that I have a feel for what I am all about (well, a sort of feel!).

Envisioning my grade four self when I loved to read, love to write and I LOVED to play library. Yep. Library. I made up date due slips for all my books, stamped them in and out, I had imaginary patrons that I helped. Between them I read the paper and drank coffee, lol. Not sure why.

If I wasn't doing that I was galloping in the next door open field....on my pretend horse. Sometimes we were caught in a blizzard or horribly lost and we had to live off the land.

I did not think I could get all that in my logo/banner....so, I thought this one might work.

Win 1 of 10 Copies of SCARS, 1 of 3 $10 Amazon giftcards May 15-June 15 | Cheryl Rainfield:

I have a copy of SCARS (generously sent by Cheryl) that is on my to-read this week. I'm also really looking forward to having her on the blog for a feature and interview for Oh MG YA Canada!

In the meantime check out this incredible giveaway she is hosting to help celebrate the May 25 paperback release of SCARS. Wow wow and wow!

Win 1 of 10 Copies of SCARS, 1 of 3 $10 Amazon giftcards May 15-June 15 | Cheryl Rainfield:

Sarah Dessen--to be reads!

It's been a fun week thanks to The Reading Housewives of Indiana and YABibiliophile. Thanks to you both! When I read I have three different hats and these days I find I can interchange them as I go. I read as a plain old me who loves a good story packed with emotion and a heroine you want to cheer for because she's funny and strong in spite of it all. I read as a writer, learning my craft from those who do it really well, seeing how the they master plotting, character, scene transitions. And I read as a library manager of youth services in a small library, who runs a book club for children and teens, who orders book for the library collection (juvenile and young adult). Speaking of library collection and books for teens and kids, have I read them all? Hah, I wish! And that includes (yeah, this will be hard to believe) a few Sarah Dessen including :
THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER Marcy is looking forward to a boring summer: She has a dull job at the library, will log many hours studying for the SATs, and will grieve silently over her father's death. Everything changes when she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew and starts really living life.  Dull?? Dull job at the library?? Okay, it can happen.


THIS LULLABY-When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about? From acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, this is a captivating novel about a tough-as-nails girl and the unexpectedly charming boy who's determined to soften her up.


Both are on my must read list now. They consistently turn up on peoples favorite lists.


And of course, I have to read her latest, WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE. 


Just a quick note at the end, here. If you are a writer it is well worth reading this post at The Reading Housewives of Indiana (and can you believe I just caught on to the play on title...yeesh, lol!) And while there follow the links to more Sarah Dessen posts and celebrations! 


Link to my pick your Sarah Dessen giveaway is here. Happy reading, all!

Favorite Sarah Dessens.

There are many reasons I enjoy Sarah Dessen. As a reader of her books it is about the relationships she portrays, how those relationships are mended, sometimes all the way, sometimes part of the way and always in a way that is real. I never feel like it is an easy fix. That's some good storytelling in my opinion. And, I never feel sorry for her main characters-they are strong, funny-sometimes too strong (if that is possible), thinking they can work through it themselves until they make that tentative reach out for help.

As a recommender of her books I know I am putting a consistently good writer of teen contemporary into the hands of my young patrons (and when I was at the book store, young book buyers). Dessen doesn't write down, she doesn't sugar coat reality-she keeps it real and teens know it.

And I have to say THANK YOU to the organizers of this event, The Reading Housewives of Indiana & YA Bibliophile As I go from blog to blog, listening to what others have to say--I realize I've been leaving out a chunk of patrons (is that like a gaggle of geese?) in my recommends-adults. I get so wrapped up in doing the kid and teen thing, I forget and should know better, cause well, I'm a fan of her Sarah Dessen my own self. These are books that will crossover to an older audience, twenties, thirties, forties--yes, even into us fifty types!

So, my favorites?




When Annabel, the youngest of three beautiful sisters, has a bitter falling out with her best friend--the popular and exciting Sophie--she suddenly finds herself isolated and friendless. but then she meets owen--a loner, passionate about music and his weekly radio show, and always determined to tell the truth. And when they develop a friendship, Annabel is not only introduced to new music but is encouraged to listen to her own inner voice. with owen's help, can Annabel find the courage to speak out about what exactly happened the night her friendship with Sophie came to a screeching halt?







It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce - or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she's been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

When Annabel, the youngest of three beautiful sisters, has a bitter falling out with her best friend--the popular and exciting Sophie--she suddenly finds herself isolated and friendless. but then she meets owen--a loner, passionate about music and his weekly radio show, and always determined to tell the truth. And when they develop a friendship, Annabel is not only introduced to new music but is encouraged to listen to her own inner voice. with owen's help, can Annabel find the courage to speak out about what exactly happened the night her friendship with Sophie came to a screeching halt?










Check out my Sarah Dessen giveaway if you have some time in your blogging travels. Happy reading everyone!

Three (Writing) Reads and Sarah Dessen

Today I meet a couple of good friends at the coffee shop. We write, we talk writing,we write, we talk general, we talk out ideas, stuck bits of story. Just like I have not blogged one of my Three (Writing) Reads features in a long while I have not met with them in a long while either. I am so looking forward to the meet up--and to writing this post. So let’s begin.

Revision is on my mind. I am finishing up a picture book revision (finishing a revision? can I really know I’m done???). It was a tough one. I took out parts of that story that have been there for, well, years. And years. They were my babies. My favorite-est parts. The parts I thought I’d never, ever (ever) let go. A meeting with an editor at a conference and a few suggestions later I had the “huh” moment-it was not that she did not like the story. It was that her questions and thoughts made be realize that my favorite-y bits were actually getting in the way of the story. Funny how this happens when you are in looooove with certain parts of your ms. So---kinda looking forward to being in the writer editor relationship (with an agent to help me along the way!

The Writer and Editor Relationship « Ingrid's Notes


Once I’m “done” with Carolina’s story (the picture book) I am going back to a YA paranormal I wrote years ago. Actually going
back to the original idea and starting over. It’s an exercise almost. I am curious to see if the parts that just are not working in KEEPER are because I never originally intended it to be a YA even--it morphed into that (pre-2000, yep, I’ve been working on that particular book that long. Now, it could be that I need to just let go and go down the dark, dark path I seem to be fighting or go back to the original (middle grade, all parents alive, happy family) ghost story (ghost, not so happy, she’s pretty bad and scary, always was). Andrea Mack’s today post is timely....

That's Another Story: So That's What I Planned to Write About!

Speaking of YA (well, a little bit any way) Query Tracker Agent-Judged YA is up and running.

QueryTracker.net: Agent-Judged YA Contest Is Now Open for Submissions!

And speaking of contests/giveaways, check out the Sarah Dessen Week happening right. now

YA bibliophile: Sarah Dessen Week Kick-Off!

All part of Sarah Dessen’s newest release.

YA bibliophile: What Happened to Goodbye Release Day!

If you’ve got time for one more link, here is my giveaway, you have until May 15th to enter-it’s a pick your own Dessen book and I will get a copy to you! (International entries too!)

Just Deb: Sarah Dessen Week Kick-Off-Giveaway

Now, gotta go grab a coffee, have a shower at some point too...my friends do not want to be sitting in Starbucks with a smelly bed head Deb.

Enjoy the day all!

And the winner of I'M NOT HER is...

Commenter number 1---Tiffany! Congrats to her and thank you to everyone who read and commented.

Just Deb: Janet Gurtler-Interview and Giveaway for OH (MG & YA) Canada!

Current giveaway is for a Sarah Dessen book of your choice, deets are here.

Sarah Dessen Week Kick-Off-Giveaway

YA bibliophile: Sarah Dessen Week Kick-Off! (and you must check this out for a giveaway of AWESOME...U.S. only, but it is for NINE of Sarah D's books. Yeah. Nine!)

Today, when I get to the library, I am going to put up a Sarah Dessen Display. Thinking I will carry on with that each week now. Call it YA Author of the week. Do one for MG author's, as well. But, I digress. As you will from the above link it is a week of celebrating the writing of Sarah Dessen and the release of her newest book (which I will get on my kindle and order for the library, BUT I digress...again!).

To help in the celebratory kick-off I will host a give-away. International...and Sarah Dessen book of your choice. All you need to do is comment on this post. open until midnight, MST, Sunday May 15, 2011.

Happy reading all!

Survival Stories Part 2, no 3!

Survival Stories | From the Mixed-Up Files...:

Recommends from Pragmatic Mom

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
As Easy as Falling off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins (still reading this one)
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia"
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

Recommended (HIGHLY) by Beverly Patt

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday...Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard

From Good Reads:

When 13-year-old Oz Keillor finds a dead body in his family restaurant, he is soon caught up in a mystery where the stakes are high. His older brother is the prime suspect, and Oz quickly finds out that the murder may be tied to the death of their father years earlier, who was accused of selling nuclear secrets to rouge governments.

With the fate of his family in balance, it's up to Oz to try and crack the case, with the help of his best friend, Rusty. It's a quest that has more twists and turns than the dusty roads of New Mexico—with the answer being closer to home than Oz ever could have imagined.

In this fast paced murder mystery Oz’s day is off to a seriously bad start. Find a corpse, discover your dad is nothing you grew up believing, your brother and mom lied to you all your life, and your brother also happens to be the number one suspect. Things don’t get much better when his brother is arrested. What to do? Why, solve the mystery on your own with your best friend who is a CSI junky. Of course, he also breaks, in his best friends words, about a million laws along the way, hiding evidence being one of the big no-no’s. Attracting the attention of the real murderer also not such a good idea. Those kinds of things can get you killed.

This great read for the middle grade crowd who love mystery, murder, action. Think Alex Rider fans, Maximum Ride, 39 Clues. And would also be a possible for reluctant readers, just the right length so they won’t feel like you are handing them a giant book they’ll never get through (um, not that I would ever do that!), moves along well, very tight time frame, easy to read. I have a couple I am going to share this with, see what they think.

Other appeal, besides the fast moving plot is the mystery involving who the dad was (really a traitor to his country?) and Oz’ love hate with his brother and his sense of betrayal over being lied to all this time. Plus, as you read, you really do wonder just who should he be trusting. Not only that, the family’s only means of income, the place that all their money is sunk into is the scene of the crime, the family restaurant. As much a people love to go out to eat, choosing a restaurant where a murder has been committed is not exactly a top choice--no matter how good the head chef (Oz's brother) is. And if the head chef is the one accused of the murder? Not even a Top-Chef Master could cook up a storm to over come that one.

Details on things kids will want to know-The Cold War, WW ll Nuclear bomings, Los Alamos etc, do not bog the story down, the writer smooths the information into dialogue that flows naturally from the text. In other words no information dumps either. The author captured the middle grade feel and voice really well. Combine on all of the above with a kick butt side kick (Rusty) who really could be a CSI kid, you’ve got an all around hit.

Learn more about the author and her book here.

I read this compliments of Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade reads? Check these out:

First, our fearless leader--Shannon Whitney Messenger (and there's a GIVEAWAY...yay!)
Shannon O'Donnell of Book Dreaming
Joanne Fritz of My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs of  My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen of Write About Now  
Brooke Favero of Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster of Night Writer   
Ally Beecher of Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson of Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller of Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Natalie Aguirre of Literary Rambles



Happy Reading!