Guest blogger - Shelby Patrick

Today, my guest is Shelby Patrick, author of When Angels Sing, a supernatural thriller, and other titles. Thanks for being my guest today. E :)


Act The Part

By Shelby Patrick

Publishing is a business and like it or not, being an author is a job. It may be a creative one but it's no less important than being a plumber, a banker, or a lawyer. Just as in any business, authors must put on an air of professionalism at all times

Never miss a book signing event, and if possible, show up early. You wouldn't want to be known as an unreliable author with bookstore owners; however, there may be times when an emergency happens (illness, death, accident) and you just can't make it to the signing. Don't leave the bookstore and your fans hanging. At least have the courtesy to call and explain the situation. Most likely, the bookstore personnel will understand and hopefully postpone your event.

During and after your book signing, you should be gracious with your host. They are under no obligation to hold a book signing in your favor. Knowing that they went through all the trouble, you should be appreciative. Don't get upset with the bookstore if no one shows up to your event. A thank you goes a long way.

Don't have certain expectations from your family and friends. Just because they are related doesn't mean they are obligated to purchase your book. In fact, most family and friends probably expect a FREE copy. Don't be skimpy here. If you really want them to have a copy, give them as gifts. Unfortunately, in my case, if my family or friends hadn't bought copies of my latest book, I wouldn't have sold hardly any. Marketing isn't a strong suit with me, especially since my budget is very small, so I was lucky to have sold the 30 books I did so far.

Also, don't expect everyone to be as excited about your book as you are. This is your dream, not theirs, so don't push it on them.

Finally, authors should have realistic expectations. Unless you're Stephen King or John Grisham, don't expect that huge royalty check to be in the mail. You have no assurances of success here and no guarantees that you're writing the next bestseller. All you can do is try your best.

Thank you!

-------------------------
Shelby has self-published two creative writing exercise books, Dark Recesses of the Mind and Forbidden Knowledge, a short horror and science fiction collection entitled The Fear Within, and a supernatural thriller, When Angels Sing.



WHEN ANGELS SING came out in December 2010. The main male character, Blaze Kerrigan, is a typical young guy (with sex on the mind most days), but with one peculiar problem - he has a psychic link to a serial killer. So when Jenna Michaels shows up at his door unannounced and bears an uncanny resemblance to his dead fiancée, it's Blaze's job to keep her safe, especially when the body count starts to rise.



When Angels Sing video
All of Shelby's titles can be purchased on the amazon website.
Shelby's website
Shelby's blog
Shelby Patrick may also be found on Twitter and Facebook




Don't forget to visit Mari Taylor tomorrow when she hosts Debra Eckerling.

Kindle update

A week after receiving my Kindle (okay only five days in but still close enough), I have had a chance to read some books, Jim and Joyce Lavene's two latest in both series I enjoy - Deadly Daggers (a Ren Faire mystery) and Touch of Gold (a Missing Pieces mystery), two short stories (Tea Time at the Baltimore and Emails: A Maeve and Kate mini mystery by Maureen Mullis). I started reading Deadly Daggers Monday after receiving the Kindle and getting everything situated, charged and what not. I completed it Wednesday night. If this had been a regular book, I would have probably just finished it last night or tonight. I started reading A Touch of Gold Thursday sometime between working, picking up the girl, et cetera and finished it last night. Of course, I worked a short bit yesterday and read most of the afternoon since I had to run here, there and everywhere so figured I would just read.

I read both the short stories the same day - while the girl was at the doctor's office - I'm thinking Tuesday - sat in the parking lot and read. The first one - Emails was about 30 or so page flips (so in book format that would have only been about 10 or 15 pages really) and the second one was only 5 page flips (not counting all the introduction stuff) - so this was a very short story - my guess less than 500 words or no more than 750.

I still like holding books and reading them but there are some great advantages reading on the kindle. 1) it is lightweight; 2) feels like a book and reads like a book; the screen looks like a page in a book - it's that clear as far as the sharpness of the letters go; 3) reading is quicker or at least I feel I'm going through books quicker (proof being that I've read two full length novels in less than a week's time already); 4) Kindle isn't cumbersome like books are, especially when reading in bed at night - I don't have a headboard and sleep on my side and usually lie on my side to read and holding a book like that is kind of cumbersome and if it's thicker than a normal paperback, I tend to drop it while reading (Kindle I don't worry about that since I've found a comfortable position to read while lying in bed, not on my back).

The disadvantages to the Kindle are not many but there are some: 1) when lying in bed reading holding the kindle, have to position my hands so as not to hit the page forward buttons which are on both sides of Kindle so you can actually flip pages with either hand; 2) battery life is not as amazon states. After a week and not using it every day or even for hours on end every day, I'm down to just below half a supply batterywise, and this has been with minimum use of my wi-fi feature which is supposed to be the biggest battery drainer.

I have uploaded the PDF files of three of my books so am still wondering if uploading them as ebooks would be the same since the PDF file is pretty set in the format, I wonder if the pages would look right as an ebook. I also have to wonder if my readers would actually find having my books available in ebook format would be a good thing. I'm considering putting the books in ebook format using smashwords.com but am only considering it. Until I have enough feedback, I can't really say that they will do well as ebooks or not. It may be the future of the books but there are some things that are still best as printed books.

It's Here!!!

On the 28th of January after attending a Sisters in Crime meeting and upon returning home and joining a chat, I was the winner of the Kindle giveaway (yeah, that's how long ago it was - see posting on my JGDS blog). So last Friday, I emailed the Dorothy again saying I didn't have my kindle after being told the week before I should have it in a couple of days since the check from the publicist had cleared and she needed my phone number. I figured a week of waiting after giving my phone number to her was long enough. So anyway, she was kicking herself saying that she forgot to order the Kindle so how about her paypaling me the funds and letting me order it myself. Works for me. So Friday afternoon, after the funds had been transferred, I ordered my Kindle and by the confirmation email, I figured I would have my Kindle sometime between Wednesday and Friday, the 9th and the 11th. Well Saturday I got an email from amazon stating that my Kindle had shipped - woohoooo!!! -

I don't check my post office box on the weekends but try to at least check it every day when I pick the girl up from school (she has early dismissal, getting out at 1:35 every day and doesn't have much to do before play practice at 3:30, so side trips to the store or gas station or post office are a normal thing now). So I opened my box and there was the yellow slip indicating I had a package. I went inside to get my package and guess what I had? My Kindle. Now it's only Monday, March 7th so consider me surprised to be receiving my Kindle 2 to 4 days earlier than expected.

I had ordered some books (the latest two Jim and Joyce Lavene books - the one in the Missing Pieces Series that just came out a week ago, and the last one in the Ren Faire series that came out last fall that I hadn't read) early this morning (payday) so that I would have books on my Kindle ready for me to read after I explored it a bit. As soon as I got home and turned on the Kindle and started charging it and got the wi-fi turned on, I had books available to me. How cool is that? I also loaded some freebies and a few from Smashwords.com (had to send those to my computer and save them to upload to the Kindle). I explored and read most of the Kindle guide on the Kindle and charged my Kindle up - says it has about a 3-week battery time, will have to see about that. I started reading the latest in the Ren Faire series - Deadly Daggers - after getting set up.

I took some pictures of my new toy. I'll post later in the week about the reading on the kindle, and all - stay tuned - E :)

Here is the box the Kindle comes in - as you can see it's not too big.




This is what the kindle looked like when I opened the box - I thought this was one of those plastic covers on the screen to protect it but this is actually one of the screens that pops up as you shut down the Kindle - this is the first one - it is the definition of kindle.





This is my favorite of the screens that comes up - too bad it isn't in color since the birds would be so colorful - it would be an explosion - lol.






This is a comparison shot of the Kindle and the two boxes - the one it came in and the one the accessories came in (I had ordered those a couple of weeks after winning the Kindle - it's an extra charger, car charger, screen protector, and earphones). I wish I had my ruler up so you could see how thin the Kindle really is but I think you can tell from this picture



Will share more later this week after I've really started using my new toy - E :)

The Almost Ides of March Educational Buzz

It's almost the Ides of March (okay it's only the beginning of the month) but let's see what's buzzing around so far:



MacKenna Stevens presents Our Kids, Our Future: Top 50 NonProfit blogs that Benefit Children posted at Masters in Social Work

Pat presents Children with Autism in the Classroom posted at Successful Teaching.

Marino Dixon presents The History of Online Education in America: The Ultimate Web Guide posted at Sir Learnalot's Knowledge Blog.

Sage presents The Next Big Thing in Digital Education posted at Free the Sage.

Susan Riley presents Why I Can?t Keep Up ? And My Students Can posted at Education Closet.

dragana presents Pictures with straws posted at Every Child is an Artist.

Denise presents Math Teachers at Play #35 posted at Let's Play Math!.

London Jenks presents The Search for Student Feedback in a Paperless Classroom posted at digitalteach.

Liam Goldrick presents The Tide Will Rise posted at The Education Optimists.

Mathew Needleman presents Close the Computer Lab posted at Creating Lifelong Learners.



The next Education Buzz will be back at Carol's blog on March 16. To submit an article for the education buzz carnival, please click here. If you would like to host an edition of the education buzz, please contact Carol at her email - mybellringers@gmail.com. If you find any broken links, please let Carol know also.

Five Reasons You're Not Writing Your Novel

5 Reasons You’re Not Writing Your Novel

This post was written by Jessica Stilling who also writes for pharmacy technician and medical assistant

So you’ve always wanted to be a writer. Maybe you got that fancy MFA, or you sit in your room during all hours of the night typing away, or maybe you fantasize about what it would be like to be a best selling author at your day job. Whatever the case, you know it’s time to write that novel and yet you’re waiting. Why? Here are a few reasons you might be waiting, and a few reasons why putting it off would be the worst mistake of your life.

#1. You don’t have time. Make time. Yes, you have a job, a family, a social life. There are bills to pay and a girlfriend to keep happy. You don’t need to give up your life, or your income, to write, just set aside some time. Wake up an hour earlier and write a few pages every day, set aside a few hours on the weekend when you would otherwise be breezing through an entire season of Dexter. Evaluate how you’re using your time and see where you might find room for writing.

#2. You’re not inspired. This is a problem and no, the solution is not simply get inspired. Though inspiration may seem like a magical force that comes and goes whenever it feels like it, there are ways to jumpstart creative juices. Sit and think for a while, go for a walk, sit on a park bench and listen and watch people. Maybe the inspiration for the heroine for your best seller is standing over by the hot dog vendor.

#3. Your head is not in the right place. Again, this solution is not so simple, you can’t just get your head in the right place to write a novel. Still, there are ways to evaluate where your head is and where it needs to be. Is your boyfriend being a pain, does your best friend need to cry on your shoulder about her latest break up? You don’t need to drop every emotional connection you have, on the contrary, those connections can feed creative juices, but you might want to re-evaluate where you’re spending your emotional energy.

#4. The Market. The market is bad, the market is flooded, the market doesn’t want this. Whatever the reason, the all mighty market seems to take a lot of blame for a lot of unwritten novels. What does the market have to do with your writing? Maybe by the time you finish this project the market will have turned around, maybe you’ll be the lucky one person who hits it big? And if not, so what? You’re writing a novel, not working for the market.

#5. You simply do not believe that you and/or your idea is good enough. Well that’s just silly. You’ve wanted to write since you were how old? You’ve been planning this novel at least in the abstract for how long? Of course you have talent, and of course your idea has merit and even if those publishers and agents tell you otherwise, don’t listen. Your ideas, your talent will grow as you write this novel.

Overall, you owe it to yourself, you owe it to your work and the greater literary society to write this novel. So go for it.

VBT Writers on the Move

I forgot to post this yesterday but I was featured on Jennifer Gladen's blog as part of the VBT Writers on the Move monthly tour. Please stop by and see what I have to say about making a name for oneself. - E :)

Five Must Have Books for Writing Books for Writers

5 Must-Have Writing Books for Authors

By: Joy Paley who also writes on the best social work schools and for various other websites like this site.

There must be thousands of how-to books on writing out there. It makes sense, right? If you’re a writer who is good at writing, clearly you’ll want to share your knowledge with others through your favored medium. Have you ever heard an expert trying to explain their field, though?  Just like listening to a nuclear scientist tell a layperson about their latest research, writers aren’t always the best at explaining the tricks of the trade to a broad audience. There are some good ones out there—you just have to persevere. I’ve sifted through the chaff and found five books on writing that won’t leave you groaning or scratching your head.

The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction

By: Stephen Koch

For the beginning writer, reading about craft can be, well, mysterious. It doesn’t seem so much a craft as some mystical process which happens in a writer’s head under a full moon on the winter solstice. Koch taught at Columbia University’s creative writing program for decades, and he’s clearly used to explaining the mechanics of fiction to those who are new to writing. His tone is that of a kind mentor, and he offers practical tips and interesting quotes from some of the most well-known authors out there.

• Good for: the new short story writer or novelist

Zen in the Art of Writing

By: Ray Bradbury

Sci fi legend Ray Bradbury serves up inspiring writing advice in these ten short essays. Here you won’t find tips like how to outline or pace a story. The book is more about getting outside one’s head and tapping the creativity inside of them; consider this the zealous antidote to Koch’s sage, practical advice. While some might dismiss this as the same vague mysticism that comes with lots of writing advice, it’s more empowering than that—it can get me excited about writing, even when I’m sure I’m ready to give the whole thing up and become an accountant.

• Good for: the depressed writer

Women Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews

Edited by: George Plimpton and Margaret Atwood

I would recommend all three volumes of this set, even though I’ve only linked to one. These Paris Review interviews are by far some of the most intimate and candid ones out there: instead of the standard Time magazine softball questions, you find the writers in a relaxed atmosphere actually sharing how they work and think about their writing. As fiction writing is still largely a man’s game, this set can be inspiring for any experienced or amateur lady writers out there.

• Good for: women writers

The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers

Edited by: Vendela Vida

You can consider this the antidote to the Paris Review interviews. If you’re familiar with the literary magazine The Believer, you’ll recognize its funny, slightly off tone in the interviews of this book. Writers as diverse as Grace Paley and Haruki Murakami are interviewed by fellow writers. The questions aren’t only casual and funny, but also revealing—you’ll get a glimpse into their personal life, which, as a neurotic writer myself, I am always interested to see.

• Good for: the seasoned writer

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By: Anne Lamott

It’s only the truly masochistic person that decides to pursue writing seriously. Because of this, most writers have a pretty close relationship with self-deprecation. As you watch a new work unfold from its choppy, undeveloped self into something more readable, it’s always tempting to abandon it midstream and call yourself a failure. Lamott’s book offers valuable advice on getting over your own perfectionism and self-esteem hang-ups—something that all writers deal with. It’s personal and well-written, and I often turn to certain chapters for an inspiring pick-me-up.

• Good for: the unsure writer

Guest Blogger - Dallas Woodburn: Sticking with your goals

Today, my guest is Dallas Woodburn, another accomplished person at such a young age. Dallas will stop by during the day to answer any comments and questions, so don't be shy, ask away. Dallas has provided us with an article about short-term goal setting. Thank you for joining us today, Dallas.

STICKING TO YOUR GOALS
by Dallas Woodburn

How is 2011 going for you so far? How are those new year's goals and resolutions holding up?

To really make a new habit stick, I've heard that you need to do it consistently for three weeks, and then it much more likely to be a permanent part of your routine.

But, as we all know, new habits set with the best of intentions can be difficult to stick to. Especially in the hectic weeks of a new year after coming back from a holiday break. Especially in the frigid February snow. Especially when there are so many other, important things clamoring for your attention.

I'm a big believer in daily goals, and I'm also a big believer in baby steps. Break down something that seems huge into small steps you can take every day. Just do a little bit every day. Consistently. Baby steps add up to huge accomplishments.

Here's a motivation tool I found, courtesy of the wonderful positive-news site Gimundo, that has been helping me with my goal of writing a certain number of words every day: Joe's Goals. It's supposedly inspired by a motivation concept of Jerry Seinfeld, with the simple idea: Don't break the chain. You enter a goal you want to do consistently -- every day, three times a week, etc -- and it is marked down on this calendar for you. Every day, if you do the goal, you get to check it off. Your checks soon become a chain of happy green check marks, and the last thing you want to do is "break the chain" and have to start all over again! It sounds simple, but it has really helped me stay on top of my writing goal so far.

Case in point: last night, I got home late, and I hadn't written enough yet for my word count goal, so I plunked down in front of my computer and wrote some before I went to bed. All so I could truthfully have that little green check mark. If not for that website, I very likely would have thought, I'll just write more tomorrow. But, as my role model Coach Wooden used to say, "You can't do anything about yesterday, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right now. We kid ourselves: 'I'll buckle down tomorrow and work twice as hard.' No. If you can work twice as hard tomorrow, it means you're holding something back today. I want 100% today. And tomorrow."

Of course, it requires that you be honest with yourself, but I think that is a requirement no matter how you are going after your goals.

Good luck! I'm rooting for you!


Bio: Dallas Woodburn is the author of two award-winning collections of short stories and editor of Dancing With The Pen: A Collection of Today’s Best Youth Writing. Her short stories have twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the Dzanc Books “Best of the Web” anthology and have appeared in numerous literary magazines including Monkeybicycle, Arcadia Journal, flashquake, and The Newport Review, among others. She has also written articles and essays for Family Circle, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, and The Los Angeles Times. Dallas is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Fiction at Purdue University, where she serves as Assistant Fiction Editor for Sycamore Review. She is also the founder of Write On! For Literacy, an organization that empowers youth through reading and writing. Learn more here.




Where to find Dallas:
Write On! Books
Dallas's Blog
Order 3 a.m. from amazon
Find Dallas on Fictionaut
Follow Dallas on Twitter
Dallas's Facebook page




Be sure to follow the VBT Writers on the Move tour with Mari Taylor tomorrow when she hosts Heidi Thomas.

Spindle clarification

Remember a few days ago there was a posting about what the British equivalent of a spindle was? Well, it seems my first impression or first-and-a-half (because after reading the definitions Diplo_Dad posted from wikipedia about what a spindle was, I turned to the metal stick where you push papers on it - posted a picture and all; but originally I was thinking on the lines of this clarification. I think this does a little bit of clarification but suffice it to say how a 5-year-old would come up with a statement like "Be careful of the spindle or it will cut your fingers off." is kind of beeyond me - lol. Leave it to kids. So now we have the "word" spindle solved. Go read the enjoyable post over at Diplo_Dad's blog and enjoy the entertainment. Mrs. E :)

Unanswered Questions, part 2 - Saturday Centus

It's Saturday again and we are visiting with Ms. Jenny Matlock for the Saturday Centus meme. The rules are simply: pen a short story, 100 words or less excluding the prompt and post to your blog; link back to Ms. Jenny's blog for the Saturday Centus and post your blog posting's link on the McLinky portion of her blog. Don't forget to visit the others who have posted and leave comments. Oh yeah, keep it PG or lower rating, no pictures. Happy writing - E :)


Today I decided to take the prompt, which is provided by Ms. Ames of Girl Raised in the South. I wasn't really sure I was going to participate this week as I have a lot to do on the JGDS series and need to do my taxes and all kinds of other things. After reading the already posted writings, I came up with a continuation of the first part I started last week. This story will fully develop (I hope) and take me in a new direction. For the first part of the story, click here. My total word count for part 1 was 100 (including the prompt of She lifted the letters from the ancient chest). I hope this story develops deeper but only when I can really let the character develop in my mind and the story really get a footing. I know it is a past life story but not sure where it is leading me.


Unanswered Questions, Part 2

The letters had transported Geri to another time. As she peered in the newly acquired chest, it grew bigger by the minute. She rubbed her eyes. She wasn't believing what she saw. The stark emptiness of the chest. No letters filling the chest. But then she remembered, she had to put the letters in before the emptiness would shrink. She started penning the first of many letters that would fill the void. (total word count 72)

Spindle - what is it in Britain?

I've been following a stay-at-home father's blog, Diplo_Dad, who is living in the United Kingdom. He posted an interesting thing about something his 5-year-old son repeated from what the teacher said. Now when I saw the word, my mind went directly to this image (which by the definitions he found in a wikipedia article, this is what he is associating the word with):

So if a teacher says, “Don’t stick your fingers in the spindle, or they will be cut off,” one would not expect the image of this to be what a spindle is.

So I ask you all - what would you think a spindle is in British terms? What is the American version of said spindle? Something that could cut your fingers off if you so happened to get them caught in in it? If anyone finds out what the equivalent of a spindle is, please let me know, or pop over to Diplo_Dad's blog and let him know - E :)

Unanswered Questions - Saturday Centus

I found Jenny Matlock's blog from another blogger who commented on a teacher's blog I'm following and Jenny is doing a weekly writing prompt - called Saturday Centus - the object is to write 100 words, excluding the prompt, of a story, poem, or whatever inspires you. Link back to Jenny's blog and post your story on her Mr. Linky area so that visitors can read all the stories, and then post your story.

I wasn't going to participate because I was having so much fun reading the other people's postings but this just came to me and something said this was the one, so I am sharing this and this may turn into a longer story - something about past lives so maybe in a year or two, you may see this story published or heading for publication. I'm not too big on the title right now as it is really just a thought of a story that may develop later. If you all have any ideas for a title, please feel free to post them here. - see you in the postings - E :)




Unanswered Questions

Geri loved auctions. She never knew what the find of the day was going to be. She enjoyed delving into the past lives of people she could only imagine who had long since passed this way. She had many questions about her past and kept hoping that one day she would find the answers. Today's auction brought many treasures including the chest that seemed older than anything she had ever seen before. She lifted the stack of letters from the ancient chest and started reading. The words came so easily putting her in another world with many more unanswered questions. (total word count, including the prompt 100 words)

PW and the CPSIA

Well, the one-year stay is upon us and nothing has been finalized as per this article in PW today. Congressional members haven't finalized anything on the way books for children will or should be tested for lead (remember the legal limit of lead is 300 ppm as per the CPSIA which came to fruition in November of 2009, but it has been proven that the lead content in children's books is somewhere in the less than 10 ppm). If you are interested in PW's timeline of the events leading up to this date, you can view them here. Most of us haven't really spoken out much of late because it is kind of one of those "raised a ruckus thing and then was forgotten". I do get the emails from both the CPSC and the Amend the CPSIA folks but really haven't paid much attention to them of late. The article with PW today kind of made me go, "hunh - I need to be more involved now since I'm self-publishing books" for the targeted age group that is affected by this stupid act that is damaging a ton of businesses in the children's industry. I don't have a clue what will happen to the book publishing industry if the stay is not extended, finalized or the CPSIA is not totally revised soon. All I can keep on doing is publish my books until I'm told to stop. I may have to check with createspace folks to find out how this will affect me and/or them in the near future. Hopefully, before the 10th of February, the committees and congressional folks will have made a decision on extending or just totally amending the CPSIA. See you in the postings. - E :)

Book Review: Revenge for Old Times' Sake by Kris Neri

SNOW

Twice in less than a month - this was staken from the little stoop that is actually my front porch this morning. The school closing actually came to my email before the snow started (weird) - anyway - this is what my driveway looks like so guess we aren't going anywhere for a while - E :)


- My car is parked on a slight upward slant so you can see how much snow there is up to the tires.






I was going for the tree that is off to the side behind my car because I think it is cool how the snow is just there.




For thos of you who live where snow is a constant pretty much all winter long and sometimes before winter, then you won't think this is a big deal. For those of you in the south, not in the mountains or anywhere where you see snow several times a year, this is a sight to see. I like it one day and thn for it to disappear - hope it's gone tomorrow - because if it lingers much more than a day, then I go stir crazy - lol. Enjoy it today - see you in the postings - E :)

Blogging pet peeve

This is kind of a followup posting to the one on my JGDS blog this past weekend about finding teacher blogs to follow.

Why is that when you find some really good blogs to follow that hopefully will get your foot in the door that most of them don't have an email subscriber? I don't mind following blogs and having them in my blogroll, but following a blog isn't enough for me. Following means I have to open my dashboard every day and see who has posted something new, but I don't have time for that. RSS feeds don't do it either since I don't open my blogger every day. Email subscriptions on the other hand I open my every day and some days several times a day. I can read the posting, decide if a comment is needed or not. I wish more people in the blogosphere would utilize email subscribers (feedburner or feedblitz or even allow them on wordpress). I have come across a ton of blogs this morning, again, from one person's comment on a blog posting I am getting the email notifications for, and many of them don't have an email subscriber.

I would like to see more folks utilize the email subscribers out there so I can keep up with the relavent blogs. I keep saying, you never know when the right connection will be made - See you all in the postings - E :)

Sunrise

This morning was my day to take the kids (every other week I have Wednesdays and Thursdays or Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays). The sunrise was very pretty this morning. Hailie had her camera with her and snapped this picture. Enjoy - E ;)



- The best she could do from the car while waiting for her friend to come to the car to go to school -

Snow on Christmas Day

I took a much needed trip to visit with my folks and knew before coming up to North Carolina it was supposed to snow this weekend. After doing gifts this morning and eating breakfast, father was checking the weather info for Boone (where his church is located) and I happened to look out the window and sure enough it was snowing. Not sure when it started but still Christmas day and it is a white Christmas. I probably will be snowed in until Monday but it will be fine, I hadn't planned on going home until Monday anyway. Wishing you all a wonderful time wherever you may be and hoping Santa was good to you all - see you all in the postings - E :)

Stop by and find out what the perfect gift is

Stop by Donna McDine's Golden Pathway blog and find out what the perfect gift can be. I'm featured with an article today - hope to see you all in the postings - E :)

Guest Blogger - Heidi M. Thomas

Today, we look at Heidi's second book, Follow the Dream, the sequel to her Cowgirl Dreams. I thank you Heidi for gracing my blog with your book about your grandmother's dreams of being a cowgirl.






Synopsis: Nettie Moser’s dreams are coming true. She’s married to her cowboy, Jake, they have plans for a busy rodeo season, and she has a once in a lifetime opportunity to rodeo in London with the Tex Austin Wild West Troupe.
But life during the Great Depression brings unrelenting hardships and unexpected family responsibilities. Nettie must overcome challenges to her lifelong rodeo dreams, cope with personal tragedy, survive drought, and help Jake keep their horse herd from disaster.

Will these challenges break this strong woman?

This sequel to Cowgirl Dreams is based on the life of the author’s grandmother, a real Montana cowgirl.


Reviews coming in for Follow the Dream:
“I enjoyed Heidi Thomas’s bittersweet novel with its accurate depiction of the lives of cowgirls in 1930s Montana and its tender portrait of a marriage.” --Mary Clearman Blew, English professor U of ID, award-winning author of All But the Waltz: A Memoir of Five Generations in the Life of a Montana Family, Balsamroot: A Memoir; Bone Deep in Language: Writing, Reading, and Place; Lambing Out and Other Stories, and Jackalope (Flyover Fiction).

In her poignant tale of Nettie Moser's diligent pursuit of a dream, Heidi Thomas gives a stunning example of what it means to "Cowgirl Up." Follow the Dream is a dynamic story of a woman's strength and determination that is sure to inspire as well as entertain.
—Sandi Ault, award-winning author of the WILD Mystery Series, including Wild Indigo, Wild Inferno, Wild Sorrow, and Wild Penance.

Follow Your Dream draws the reader into the lives of tough Montana ranchers, Nettie and Jake Moser. Dreams come and go, but their ranching life goes on with hardships and struggles for basic survival, but also with abiding love and humor. A wonderful story of courage and endurance. --Mary Trimble, award-winning author of Tenderfoot, Rosemount and McClellan’s Bluff.


5 stars A Dream Never Forgotten
By Dan A. Johnson -

This is the second novel written by Heidi M. Thomas that is loosely based on her Montana grandmother who grew up riding horses and competing in local rodeos. In the book, Nettie's childhood dream is to become a successful rodeo rider like her dear friend Marie. Follow The Dream begins when Nettie is invited by Marie to compete in a wild west rodeo in London, a chance of a lifetime. But fate has another plan for the newly married Nettie. The dream is put on hold, but never forgotten The story is set in Montana in the 20s and 30s. Nettie struggles with personal tragedy and the challenges of getting by raising horses with her husband. They face many droughts and blizzards, let alone the harsh realities of surviving in isolated rural settings. This book deserves a place on the bookshelf next to Ivan Doig's coming of age in Montana novels.

Bio:
Heidi M. Thomas grew up on a working ranch in eastern Montana. She had parents who taught her a love of books and a grandmother who rode bucking stock in rodeos. Describing herself as “born with ink in her veins,” Heidi followed her dream of writing with a journalism degree from the University of Montana and later turned to her first love, fiction, to write her grandmother’s story.

Autographed copies of both books are available from the author’s website, from her publisher Treble Heart Books, and Follow the Dream is available on Kindle.



Be sure to follow the rest of the VBT Writers on the Move stops:

20th Marietta Taylor is featuring Dallas Woodburn
21st Robert Medak is featuring Kevin McNamee
22nd Donna McDine is featuring Elysabeth Eldering (Tis the season of giving - check out my article about giving the gift that never gets old).
23rd Shelby Patrick is featuring Martha Swirzinski
24th Mayra Calvani is featuring Heather Paye (wonder what my illustrator has in store for us this time)

Remember we are taking a break in December and January and will be returning in February, so hopefully you all will have a blessed holiday season. Wishing you all "Cowgirl Dreams"

Book Review - The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade

The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade
Written by Lori Calabrese
Illustrated by Chet Taylor

The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade is a delightful story of Matt, a third-grader who finds a rare bug and is hoping to win the "Bug-A-Fair" with his unusual entry. The day of the fair, Matt has another bug that plagues him, and in turn the entire class.

I love how Lori has woven a common every day "bug" into this children's story of finding a rare bug for the school bug-a-fair and disrupts the whole class due to the bug escaping but everyone thinks he is just trying to make the whole class sick with his illness. With this being cold season, I can totally see how this bug would go around. The illustrations enhance this story that you feel sorry for Matt because he gets sent home before he can catch his real bug and enter it in the fair, but in the end it all works out well.

Anyone who likes bugs and creepy crawlers will enjoy this book. Lori's rhyming story is a delight to add to any library.

Product Details
Paperback: 24 pages
Reading level: Ages 4 to 8
Publisher: Dragonfly Publishing, Incorporated (August 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936381052
ISBN-13: 978-1936381050
Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.3 inches


SCHEDULE OF TOUR STOPS
November 17
Raising Itty Bitty Bookworms

November 18
There's a Book

November 19
The Iron Bodkin

November 30
Into the Wardrobe



Lori's Bio:

Lori Calabrese is an award-winning children’s author. Her first picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, was awarded DFP’s Best Children’s Book Award. She writes for various children’s magazines, is the National Children’s Books Examiner and enjoys sharing her passion for children’s books at festivals, schools and events. Visit her website to learn more. Lori Calabrese has a bachelor's degree in Communications from St. John's University in Queens, New York, and is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Lori currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, two sons, and the family pets: two guinea pigs named Up and Down.

Skinks (lizards) and Snakes, oh my!!

Yesterday was critter day in my house. It's bad enough I have a mouse running around driving me nuts in the walls and stuff but the snake was the one that about did me in.

I had to pick my daughter up at the library after school and headed to the bathroom before I left. I turned on the light and almost stepped on the snake. I jumped back in panic mode at first and grabbed whatever I could find to kill him. It took me a bit of time but I found a sturdy oar standing in the corner of the hall area to smash him with. He didn't die too easily though; took me about 3 or 4 minutes to really make sure he was dead. I'm sure he was harmless and would have probably caught the mouse if given the opportunity but I do not like snakes and definitely do no like them in my house, in any shape or form, even though he may not be after me. I took him outside and I think Reeses got him and took him away somewhere because he is no longer where I dropped him. Did I mention I DO NOT LIKE SNAKES AT ALL!!!!

The skink on the other hand has been flitting around on some boxes that are behind my computer desk the last few days but yesterday he got brave and actually came on my desk and visited me on the tray where my laptop sits (very old desk with pullout tray for a keyboard but I use it for my laptop). I got him shooed away from the computer and the desk and I think he did escape to the rainy outside. He ended up going up the outside wall and under the plastic I have covering the bay window that lets in a lot of cold air, so hoping he made it up into the window area and found his escape to the outside.

I think the mouse must have known that I killed his enemy because he was partying in the wall behind my bed last night and driving me nuts. I even bought some mouse traps - those covered glue traps a few weeks ago and he has avoided them completely. As long as hee stays out of my bed and away from me I'm okay with it for now.


And a totally off note not related to critters - State of Heights was proof copy ordered today so hopefully that will be released next week for purchase. This is the fifth book in the series. So far this year, State of Reservations, State of Successes and State of Heights have (will be) released along with Train of Clues (the story that started it all) and my Passport Across America (a supplement to keep track of the books in the series or to use for a traveling companion). Next year, we will release State of Nature, State of Acceleration, and State of Imagination between January and June and two others later in the year (as of yet they are untitled, although a tentative title for book #10 is State of Production, but that will be after I finish tweaking the clues and run it by my friend who usually comes up with my titles; this particular title is because Benjamin got to hear the clues and thought some of them were pretty cool and State of Production was descriptive of the state in more ways than one). I do have a cover for State of Nature, which will be released in January. You can check out all the information on all books available now on my website. All orders placed from the website will be autographed copies except for the Passport Across America as this is not really a story, just an activity booklet to supplement the series.

See you all in the postings - E :)

Good News - Butterfly Halves

I wrote a story for young adults either last year or the year before that had been printed as an ebook, although it didn't win that contest. The first part of this year, I submitted the story to an anthology - a children's story anthology but it was rejected for that anthology asking if I would let them consider it for the faery anthology they were planning. Yesterday (Sunday) when I checked my email, there was notification that the story had been accepted for the anthology. So congrats to me for getting that story published again. Here is the cover that was attached to that story as an ebook:






Grant it, this won't be the cover, but my name will be getting out there in other places. When I have a cover for the anthology, I'll share it. From what I can tell, the publication date is slated for March 2011. Rebel Books will be the ones publishing the anthology. (Looks like the title is Rebel Wing and I'll share a cover when available.) I'll keep you all posted on the updates of the anthology - E :)

Book Review: Little Shepherd by Cheryl Malandrinos

Little Shepherd by Cheryl Malandrinos
reviewed by Elysabeth Eldering



PRODUCT DETAILS
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 16 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (August 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616330856
ISBN-13: 978-1616330859
Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.1 inches


Belief. Faith. Miracle.

In Little Shepherd, Obed is given the responsibility of keeping watch over his first flock of sheep. While keeping a watchful eye, the angels from Heaven appear to the shepherds and proclaim the birth of the Savior. Obed and his father and the other shepherds make their way to Bethlehem to see the new King. Obed worries that the flock will not be safe if they all leave, but leaves anyway. Upon returning, he sees that the flock is unharmed and exactly in the same spot he left them.

I have to agree with other reviewers that this is a great Christmas story and is definitely from a different viewpoint. My problem with the story is that the age of 5 seems to be too young to really be given a flock of sheep to herd or to have the fears the Obed experiences when asked to come to Bethlehem to see the newborn babe in the manger.

The story is truly a delight in all other aspects in that it takes the reader through the journey of what those shepherds many years ago experienced. I think Ms. Malandrinos brings a delightful way to tell the Christmas story to readers. A glimpse in the day of a young boy trying hard to find his place in the village.

I encourage families to sit down and read the Little Shepherd and then explore the story from reading the Bible. Have a little faith and stay strong to your beliefs and you can witness a miracle.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children’s book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.

You can visit Cheryl online or the Little Shepherd blog.

Book Tours continue

Tomorrow, I'll be posting a review for Cheryl Malandrinos' book, Little Shepherd, as part of her virtual book tour. Don't forget about her giveaways as outlined here.







Remember to check out the VBT Writers on the Move ongoing book tour (see schedule on side bar). We have many new authors and some great information to pass on to you all.







Donna McDine is winding her tour down this week for her book The Golden Pathway, so don't forget to catch up with her.









Lori Calabrese's tour starts next week and here is the schedule. Stop the many stops and see what Lori has to offer us. I'll be hosting Lori on the 16th with a review of her book The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, and Lori will be stopping by throughout the day to answer any questios you may have.

LORI'S BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
November 2 - Mayra's Secret Bookcase

November 3 - Ingrid's Notes

November 4 - Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz's One Writer's Journey

November 5 - Book Dads

November 8 - Brimful Curiosities and The Children's Book Review

November 9 - Mrs. Hill's Book Blog

November 10 - Miss O's Library Land

November 11 - Tara Lazar's Writing for Children (While Raising Them/PiBoIdMo

November 12 - N.A. Sharpe's Realms of Thought

November 15 - Beverly S. McClure's The Story of a Writer

November 16 - Elysabeth's Stories

November 17 - Raising Itty Bitty Bookworms

November 18 - There's a Book

November 19 - The Iron Bodkin

November 30 - Into the Wardrobe





I hope to do a tour the first of the year showcasing the five new books in the state series that will be available. It is a busy time, so just bear with me on working up some new information for a short tour - may only be about a week or so long. See you all in the postings - E :)

Come find out what type of writer you are

Come visit me on Robert Medak's blog for an article about writing by outlining or by the seat of your pants, written in honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNo) which is just around the corner. Come check it out and see you all in the postings - E :)

Mari Taylor - author of Surviving Unemployment series

My guest today is Mari Taylor, author of Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go and her newest book - Girlfriends on Surviving Unemployment. Please join me in welcoming Mari for a quick interview and more info on her books.



Mari, why two books on the same subject?

The reason my publisher wanted two books was because the first was a devotional. Not everyone is going to connect with that type of book. So Girlfriends On...Surviving Unemployment is a “girlfriends having tea, cookies and a heart-to-heart talk about surviving unemployment” book. There are some stories and advice here that weren't included in the devotional. And I think the voice is very conversational, just as if I was sitting across the table from my reader. I absolutely love the cover she chose for it. It plays right into the feeling of the book. I'm hoping it reaches those the devotional book might have missed and solidifies a relationship with those who read the devotional.

What's next after these two books?

I am currently under contract for a holiday book. The working title is Celebrating Frugally Elegant Holidays. It will release in 2011. The theme of frugal elegance is one that will run through the majority of my books with See Media, Inc. The holiday book will release under the Simple Joy imprint. The first two books were purse-sized so that readers could slip it in their purse and read it “on the go”. The holiday book will be a full size book. I'm really excited about it!

What exactly is frugal elegance?

My definition of frugal elegance is concrete, simple ideas for maintaining or infusing elegance into your lifestyle without having to “beg, borrow and steal” from other areas of your household budget/spending plans. I know, I hate the “b” word and the “sp” combo as well! But lets face it, in today’s economy, they truly are a necessary evil. This type of lifestyle leads to less stress, more joy, less cash outflow and a life that looks and feels rich, classy and elegant. The bonus to this lifestyle is more time and energy to be extravagant with the relationships in your life. After all, it is quality relationships that truly make your life rich anyway, not the stuff!

So will this year's holidays be “frugally elegant” for your family?

They will. My goal is to test everything in the book before it goes to print. Most of it are things that I've done over the years, but some are new ideas. Those are the ones I want to test drive with my very picky family! I don't want to offer any advice that I haven't used myself. I am also hoping to get a friend or two to join me in using the ideas for the fast approaching holidays. I think it will add more dimension and authenticity to the book.



MARI'S BIO:
Marietta (Mari) Taylor resides in Raleigh, NC with her husband of seventeen years and her two teenage daughters. The move from Chicago, IL to Raleigh proved a breeding ground for dusting off her dream of writing. Mari is the author of Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go, released March 2010 and Girlfriends On…Surviving Unemployment, also scheduled to be released in 2010. Mari was also published in Penned From The Heart VOL XV, a devotional anthology. Her column, Frugal Elegance, appears in Girlfriend 2 Girlfriend, an online magazine published by Extreme Diva Media.

Mari strives to show women how to manage the critical aspects of their lives elegantly, frugally and cohesively. Now if she could just get her two high maintenance daughters and one high maintenance husband on board. That ultimately will be the true test of her skill!

Mari has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and currently works in Healthcare IT. She loves forensics and Cafe World on Facebook. She’s a work in progress and ever evolving. The most important thing to her is that through her writing, others would come to know, accept and adore the God who has created such a crazy jumble of things that make her who she is.

To find out more about Mari, check out her sites:
Mari's blog Her personal blog is a hodge podge of book reviews, inspirationsl posts, family and personal news nad whatever else I might think of on a given day

website Her website explains more about my life philospohy of "frugal elegance". You can also find book release information and links to follow me on Facebook and Twitter

twitter account

Facebook

Book Review - The Golden Pathyway by Donna McDine

As promised in my previous posting, here is the review of The Golden Pathway, written by Donna McDine. Hope you enjoy.

The Golden Pathway by Donna McDine
Reviewed by Elysabeth Eldering

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
· Reading level: Ages 9-12
· Hardcover: 26 pages
· Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (August 12, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 1616330813
· ISBN-13: 978-1616330811
· Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
· Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces


In the Golden Pathway we are taken back to a time of slaves and rights from wrongs. David's father is an abusive drunk who doesn't care who he hurts, as long as his way is the right way. One didn't have to do anything wrong in his eyes; just being a slave or a young boy coming of age could warrant a beating.

David is a compassionate child who knows that the beatings the slaves receive are not right by any means. He listens to the wails as his father beats the slave Jenkins, a boy not much older than David, but who really looks and acts much older than his stated age of 16. After many nights of helping the slave boy, cleansing his wounds after the beatings, risking his own life to do so, David gets a chance to go into town with his Pa and makes plans to help the slave move to a better life.

Although the book is well written and illustrated, I felt that the ending was too abrupt and that the events occurred too quickly. Knowing that the history of the time period is that for a slave to escape through the Underground Railroad (the actual Golden Pathway to Freedom) takes many days and sometimes even many months to plan and act upon, I felt that the timeframe was off on that this story seemed to occur only over a period of a few days. I almost wanted more story. The story only gives you a glimpse into the time period of slaves and the road to freedom. I give kudos to Donna for writing a children's story focusing on this difficult subject. Donna has taken a complete block of history and condensed it down to a 20-page story in the form of "A Day in the Life of a Slave." I rate this story 4 stars.

Book is available through Guardian Angel Publishing as well as many other online sourcces. Ask your local bookstore to carry the book too.

Promoting through virtual book tours

As many of you know, I participate in the VBT Writers on the Move virtual tour which is an ongoing, monthly tour where we host a group of authors. We offer an array of articles, book reviews and author interviews. See the schedule on my side bar for who is beig hosted by whom. I will be hosting Mari Taylor on this blog on the 6th, Heather (my illustrator for the remaining JGDS books) will be hosting Nancy Famolari on the 9th. I'll be featured on Robert Medak's blog on the 22nd and Heather will be featured on Carolyn Howard-Johnson's blog on the 8th.

My good friend Donna McDine is in the midst of her virtual book tour for The Golden Pathway, a historical fiction story about the Underground Railroad. I'm not on her schedule to host her but I will be posting a review of the book tomorrow for her. Her tour has been running since the 7th of September and runs through the end of this month. You can find more on her tour schedule by clicking her name above. Donna is also part of the VBT Writers on the Move and these planned stops are part of her full tour. Stop by and see what Donna has to offer many writers.

Another of my friends, Cheryl Malandrinos, author of the Little Shepherd is starting her 75-stop tour tomorrow. For a full schedule, please visit Cheryl's blog. I will be hosting Cheryl on the 29th of this month with a book review. Cheryl is running two contests concurrently for this tour, which offer readers opportunities to win two different prize packages. Both are open to all, even overseas folks. For the details of the contests, please stop by Cheryl's Pump Up Your Book site. She is offering a package worth about $65 for those who comment during the tour and a package worth about $97 for those who have purchased a copy of the book since its release in August and through the end of the tour. For more on the Little Shepherd, you can follow the book on it's own blog.

The last of my friends (that I'm aware of or participating in a tour with) is Lori Calabrese, author of The Bug That Plaqued the Entire Third Grade. Apparently, there are two tours going on for this book, one through the Indie-Debut roup and one that she is doing in November. If you are subscriber to her newsletter, The Book Bugz, and follow her tour and leave comments, letting her know you are a subscriber, you will be eligible for a prize package. The othe part of the tour starts November 3 and I will be hosting Lori here on the 16th with a review of her book. For more information on both tours, please visit Lori's site and find out where she will be heading on this new adventure.

Other than participating in the VBT Writers on the Move tours, I've not planned any more for my series, yet. I'm working on a new aspect for the study guides (not taking them away as they are geared for individual books, but an added bonus for the series) and so I'm not concentrating on promoting my books like I should. I really need to promoting myself as well but just find myself tied up with work and other aspects of writing that I haven't spent as much time promoting (well, okay not true since I've been gone almost every weekend since the middle of August at one event or another - Love to Learn homeschool conference in Charlotte, NC; Mint Hill's Sunday in the Park in Mint Hill, NC (on the outskirts of Charlotte); Springwater festival in Williamston, SC; Celebration of Books in Highlands, NC; Geofest through the SC Geographic Alliance in Columbia, SC; and the SCBWI-Carolinas fall conference in Charlotte, NC). I'm at a loss this month since I only have one festival scheduled and it's local - the Sugarfoot Festival in my town. Next month I'll be at the CBF in Charleston, SC the first weekend of the month and the following weekend at the Savannah Children's Book Festival - I can't wait for this one; been planning and thinking of it all year. I guess I should work on some more virtual tours for my series since I do have more books available. For those of you following my JGDS series, all information on new releases can be found at either the JGDS blog or the JGDS website. Keep checking back for new books and for the info on the added bonus to the study guides for teachers and homeschoolers and co-ops.

For now, find an author, follow a virtual tour and have fun reading some new books.

Please visit me today

I'm being hosted by J. Aday Kennedy today as part of the VBT Writers on the Move blot tour. Please come visit and leave a comment. I will be back this afternoon (at a conference this weekend) and will answer questions and leave comments when I return home - see you all in the postings - E :)

Meet Janet Ann Collins

It is my pleasure to introduce Janet Ann Collins, author of the Peril of the Sinister Scientist.

Let's find out a little more about the person behind the book:




Janet Ann Collins used to write feature articles for a newspaper in the Bay Area, is a columnist for the Antique Auction Explorer and her work has appeared in many other publications.





She is the author of two fiction books for children. The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is about a middle school boy who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin because a scientist who had worked on that experiment is stalking him.




Secret Service Saint is a picture book about Nicholas, who discovers the fun of doing secret good deeds and eventually becomes known as Santa Claus.







Signs of Trouble, an early chapter book about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their class on a field trip, will be released in October 2010.

Collins is a retired teacher, enjoys public speaking and often teaches workshops at conferences. With her husband, she raised three deaf foster sons with special needs in addition to their birth daughter, and has one grandson. They live in the beautiful Sierra foothills of Northern California. To learn more about her please visit her website.


Janet can be found doing reviews on her blog

More information about Janet and her books can be found on her website

Books reviews and interviews for, by, or about people with disabilities are occassionally posted on her other blog.




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VBT schedule and who's coming next:
Learn from new and experienced authors. Join Writers on the Move September 2010 Authors' Tour.

Visit Helena Harper with more on Debra Eckerling tomorrow.

Visit my illustrator, Heather Paye, on the 9th for a visit with Diane Sagan, ghostwriter.

Check out Heidi Thomas's blog for more info about Heather on the 16th, and visit with Jessica Aday Kennedy on the 26th of this month to find out more about me.

Meet Janet Ann Collins

Tomorrow, I am hosting Janet Collins, author of the The Peril of the Sinister Scientist, a middle-grader/tweener novel. Stop by and see who is behind this fun sounding book.

Book blurb:

The Peril of the Sinister Scientist by Janet Ann Collins is a tweener, or middle grade, novel about a boy who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin because a scientist who had worked on that experiment is stalking him. It is available in local bookstores and on many online sites, including Amazon.





Book information:

Paperback: 98 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (July 31, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935137794
ISBN-13: 978-1935137795
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces



Janet can be found doing reviews on her blog

Janet's website

Books reviews and interviews for, by, or about people with disabilities are occassionally posted on her other blog.

Book review - Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely! Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite . . .

Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischevious satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.


Fablehaven was recommended to me by Mr. Hughes' 6th grade class. I try to read books that are mentioned during class time if I can find it in our local library system (we now have a 10-county lending system across the state so it is easier to find authors and books that are available to folks in the entire state as opposed to just being limited to our 10-library county). When I first started reading Fablehaven, I found the writing to be passive - no dialogue to speak of, no action, no description, I felt compelled to continue reading until the end. The descriptions come but not so mucch as in your face, out there for the world to see kind of descriptions.

The further into the story I got I did almost feel like I was in a fairy tale land and viewing the creatures as best as I could see them (one needs magical milk to see the fairies and other creatures). The adventures one experiences are not fast-paced or constant but are slowly revealed and what seems like a normal excursion turns out to be a life-turning adventure for Kendra.

If you like mythical creatures and mythology, you will enjoy this book. I'm off to get the next in the series and find out more about the mystical preserve Fablehaven.