Book Blast & Giveaway: Cranberry Bluff by Deborah Garner

Cranberry Bluff by Deborah Garner Molly Elliott's quiet life in Tallahassee, Florida, is disrupted when routine errands land her in the wrong place at the wrong time: the middle of a bank robbery. Accused and cleared of the crime, she flees both media attention and mysterious, threatening notes, to move across the country to Cranberry Cove, where she has inherited her Aunt Maggie's bed and breakfast on the Northern California coast. Her new beginning is peaceful - that is, until five guests show up at the inn for a weekend, each with a hidden agenda. Mix together one blushing honeymoon couple, one flamboyant boutique owner, a deadpan traveling salesman, and a charmingly handsome novelist, and there’s more than scones cooking at Cranberry Cottage Bed and Breakfast. As true motives become apparent, will Molly's past come back to haunt her or will she finally be able to leave it behind?

Amazon

 

  Author Deborah Garner Deborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. Born and raised in California, she studied in France before returning to the U.S. to attend UCLA. After stints in graduate school and teaching, she attempted to clone herself for decades by founding and running a dance and performing arts center, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories, and tackling both spreadsheets and display racks for corporate retail management. Her passions include photography, hiking and animal rescue. She speaks five languages, some substantially better than others. She now divides her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines along whenever possible.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

    Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/23/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Robyn Abdusamad

Today I have the honor of introducing you all to author Robyn Abdusamad and her new book You Are Beautiful. The coming of this book, along with many others being published that tackle the issue of racism and racial bias and promote diversity, is quite timely. Children need a safe place to discuss these issues and picture books are the perfect medium to help children understand and navigate this tough topic. Without further ado......Robyn Abdusamad.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your book?

Well, I am from North Carolina but my family recently relocated to Texas, the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  I am a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor in Communications/ Public Relations and a Masters in Public Administration from National University.  I have over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. I’ve also worked in the secondary school system in North Carolina. Right now, I am a stay at home mom.   In my spare time I enjoy volunteering in my community, traveling, shopping, and connecting with family and friends.

My new book, "You Are Beautiful" is about two sisters who have their first encounter with a racial bias and are saddened by what they hear.  It is a heartfelt and inspirational lesson that provides both children and parents with a solution to embracing diversity with knowledge and kindness.

What was your favorite children’s book growing up?

I recall several of my favorite children’s book growing up, but the ones that stand out were ‘Bambi Gets Lost’, ‘Mooch the Messy’ and ‘Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret’.

What author inspires you the most and why?

Wow, I have so many but if I have to select one it would be Iyanla Vanzant.  I am inspired by her well-grounded and passionate approach to life.  I also like her ability to connect and engage with her audience-- it is through her books or lectures.  Her straight to the point approach is a breath of fresh air.

What are your earliest memories of writing?

My earliest memory of writing is in middle school.  During the summer, my mother would always have my brother and I writing reports on various topics. Most of the time if we traveled we were required to write mini reports about our experiences.  Also, I didn’t grow up in the era of email, texting and instant messaging so I was always writing letters to my relatives and friends.  Back then we had pen pals too and my mother encouraged us to write.  She saved a book I wrote in middle school titled “Summer Love”.  As an adult, I read it and found it to be quite cheesy, but she liked it.

Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came natural?

Both. My mother encouraged me to write because she realized that writing was a natural extension of reading comprehension. And because writing (hand writing and not typing) was a thing of my generation is was second nature to write both for pleasure and for communication purposes. During the summer, writing was a fun activity we did and when I turned 14 I started journaling; I still journal to this day. So, writing has always been a part of my life.

 
What do you do when you’re not writing or promoting your books?

When I am not writing or promoting my book, I am spending time with my husband and children or connecting with friends and family.

What do you hope that readers will take away from your book?

The message I would like for children to take away from YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL is that despite the outside differences, people are similar on the inside.  After reading my book, every child should understand that their skin color is unique and beautiful.  As for adults, I would like for them embrace having conversations with their children about race and other forms of bias they might encounter away from home.  I am sure the conversation will be uncomfortable for some, but I would like for my book to be a catalyst for that conversation.

How can your book be used in the classroom?

Educators may use my book in their classroom as an introduction to teaching diversity and multiculturalism to their students.  Also, I have activities on my website that they can print and use for their class at www.robynabdusamad.com.

You Are Beautiful will release November 28, 2014

Thank you for your time, Robyn and best of luck with your new book release.

Location! Location! Location!

This year, I decided to do something a little different. Instead of hiding away in my room, I decided to make my NaNo writing space a little more spacious.

I have commandeered the dining table for my writing pleasure for the month of November. I have access to the kitchen and my never-ending stash of tea, a big window that lets me have a wonderful view of our backyard and trees, also, the table, is a tall one. It allows me to still type standing when I get tired of sitting in the somewhat comfy chairs. The black file holder doubles as my snack box and a place to post my "do not disturb" sign! :D  You don't see it but I have headphones that allow me to block out noise and the random family member who poke about in the nearby kitchen. And the lighting is perfect! So far, it has been great for high daily word counts!

Location is everything! So, where is your writing space this month? What does it look like?

How Do You Start Your Story?

At the beginning, end, middle, with the title, the pitch, the hook?

There is the whole divide of planning and plotting your story or simply writing from the seat of your pants. One thing I have noticed with my own writing, I don't plot or plan my story out. I try to but it turns out into a synopsis then goes into storytelling. Sometimes it starts at the beginning, the middle or with a simple title.

This year's story, Picture Perfect, (working title only) started in a crazed smathering of me trying to figure out my story. I had an idea but the idea was not really fully coherent but it was moving around quickly in my head so I just wrote it all down until about 3000+ words later, the story began to form more fluidly. Page five on my word doc begins chapter one. But this is NaNoWriMo. The first draft is expected to be trashy until we go back through it and wash, rinse and repeat a gazillion times.

So, how do you start your story? 

Are you ready for #NaNoWriMo 2014?

Tips for a Happy NaNoWriMo

Whether joining for the first time or making this year your annual trip down writer's lane, here are some of my tested and proven tips to get you through this hectic month of word collecting.

1) Clear your schedules. If you are like me, writing 1,667 words a day is slow but steady work. Other than work, my time will be spent either on my laptop or writing in a notebook, I wont have time to socialize, read books, cook, clean, blog, facebook or twitter (unless it is #NaNoWriMo related).

2) Create a comfortable work space. Yes, I used 'work' because NaNoWriMo will work you like a job! I like soft music, large table, cup of tea and preferably a window to write.

3) IF you just HAVE to get on the internet, visit NaNoWriMo.org. Create an account and join your fellow NaNo-ers for tips, support, motivation, encouragement and accountability throughout the month.

4) Write. Write. Write. Do not worry about perfection. Forget you have a delete button. This challenge is about getting your story down on paper, not craft. You can edit it later.

5) Got writer's block. Get up and stretch. Change writing space for a bit. Take a walk. Exercise. Visit Nanowrimo.org and get inspired by your fellow NaNo-ers.

6) Participate in Write-ins. Writing can be a lonely profession but it does not always have to be so solitary. Whether online or in person, join group writing activities. Write-ins are really fun. Check out this link to find one near you.

7) Snacks. Gotta have them! My faves are tea (you should see my tea stash :D ) fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate (almonds, peanuts, cashews or macadamias).

8) But the most important of all.......HAVE FUN!!!!!!! 50,000 words or not, just getting however many words you muster up on paper (or screen) alone is an achievement in itself!

You got this!

Happy Writing!!

NaNoWriMo 2014

As I sit here waiting for the hours to tick away to begin NaNoWriMo, I wonder how I will fit this challenge along with PiBoIdMo (another fun writing challenge for picture book  writers), work (why does teacher-parent conferences HAVE to be in November?)and then of course Thanksgiving, with all the cooking and entertaining family (my dad and step-mom insist on coming here for Thanksgiving to check out my new living space.) Can someone please add a few extra hours in the day, pleeeeaaase! It only has to be for the month of November!

So how WILL I fit everything in this month? Plot and Planning, of course.

First off, EVERYONE in the house knows I'm participating in the challenges and have accepted the responsibility of grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning for the month of November.

Second, I have sketched a writing schedule for myself (in stone but it is flexible if I find some time outside of it to write) so do NOT bother me (unless the house is on fire) during that/those times.

Third, I have secured a spot on our brand new dining table as my place of writing. NO ONE is allowed to be in my spot during writing time.

Fourth, absolutely NO distractions. If I don't answer you, do NOT come looking for me to see if I heard you. Most like not because I will be wearing head phones to block out noise and distractions.

Fifth, if everyone abides by the rules, I will write them into my novel as good guys/gals. If not, well, you all know where I am going with this :D

In #NaNoWrimo, the object is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. If I write 1,667 words a day, that will get me to the winners line. But My goal is to write at least 2,000-2,500 words a day, that way, on Thanksgiving day I wont have to ignore my dad. I also hope to write outside my normal genre which is children's fiction and science fiction.

So what are your writing goals for the month of November?

Guest Post: The Editing Process by Richard H. Hardy

 

The Editing Process

by Richard H. Hardy
Author of The Infinity Program

It’s interesting that a four letter word like ‘edit’ has so many different meanings.  I’ve heard that Eskimos have a dozen or so different words for ‘snow’.  I think it should be the same for the word ‘edit’.

When I was a young writer banging away on a typewriter, I thought of editing as the last stage in the process.  I thought it was just about correcting spelling and grammar.  Later I realized that editing was also about style and began editing for clarity, concision and flow.  When I reached this stage, the first draft then became little more than a warm-up—the real work began only upon its completion.

As I learned more about writing, I started to include structural changes as part of the editing process.  Like a tall building, a story’s structure must have a solid foundation.  In particular, I began to focus on the opening scene.

Starting points are not always obvious.  For example, if I wrote a story about a bank robbery, where would I begin?  Would it start with the thieves planning the heist?  Would it start as they entered the bank?  Would it start when a gun was stuck in someone’s face?  Would it start during their getaway?  The possibilities seemed endless to me.  My head used to spin!  Finally, I realized that imagination could create problems as well as solve them—it could present far too many options.  I learned then that logic and analysis also have a place in storytelling.  I began to break my story down to the bare essentials, the themes and ideas that engendered it.  Only then would I select a beginning that best suited my theme.  

When Camel Press accepted The Infinity Program for publication I thought I knew something about editing.  But my editors at Camel Press taught me a lot.  Their first copy edit caught numerous examples of inconsistencies.  A character I described as strong in one scene, suddenly became weak and wimpy in a subsequent scene.  And sometimes the physical description of my characters and their back stories were too sketchy.

The copy edit of The Infinity Program also required the addition of entirely new material.  The copy editor requested two new chapters and I discovered opportunities to pull the reader into the very heart of the story.

The final Edit of The Infinity Program was the line edit.  I had always thought I was a concise writer.  I was astonished when my superb editor showed me that I was not.  She stripped away dead phrases that weren’t really needed and replaced weak words with stronger ones.  She improved the cadences, creating a much better flow.   It was a humbling experience but an invaluable lesson.

The editing process is enormously important.   If you can’t find a skilled editor to read your work, my advice would be to find all the books you can about the editing process.  In a way, I think, writing is like a three stage rocket at Cape Kennedy.  The first stage, the creativity and the imagination, gives you the lift-off.  The second stage, your own editing skills, gets you into orbit, and the third stage, the editor, gets you to your destination.  

The Infinity Program Summary

Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer, but his abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is a handsome and easy-going technical writer, the low man on the IT totem pole.

Sharing a love of nature, the men set out together, planning to go their separate ways--Jon on a hike and Harry, fly fishing. Three days later, Jon arrives at the rendezvous point, but his friend is nowhere in sight. When Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave, Harry claims to have been lying there the entire time. But he is neither cold nor hungry. What Jon doesn't know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern, where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer.

Back at work, Harry jettisons his regular tasks and concentrates exclusively on inventing new operating language to access the alien system. In the process he crashes his office's Super Computer and is fired. Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, arguing that the system he has invented will make them millions.

Jon has no idea what havoc Harry is about to unleash.
Richard H. Hardy's Bio:

Richard H. Hardy was born in Glasgow, Scotland, during a week of relentless bombing raids just before the close of World War II. The day he was born an incendiary bomb fell on the church across the street from where he lived, so he is fond of saying that he entered the world with a big adrenaline rush.

His family later moved to England and then on to America.

After college Richard bounced through a series of temporary jobs as he traveled around the country, wanting nothing more than to write fiction. A job driving a library van allowed him free time to write several short stories and work on a novel.

He and his wife moved to New Hampshire, where he took an entry level job at a software company. He was soon promoted to the technical writing department and ended up producing over 500,000 words of online documentation. After a few years he was promoted to the programming department and ended up as the Senior EDI Programmer, creating EDI maps and writing UNIX scripts and troubleshooting on AIX systems throughout the U.S. and Canada.

After he retired, he started writing fiction again. The Infinity Program is his first published novel. 

Formats/Prices: $5.95 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Pages: 250
Release: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Camel Press
ISBN: 9781603819336

Amazon buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603819339?tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes and Noble buy link
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-infinity-program-richard-h-hardy/1118958489?ean=9781603819336

Smashwords buy link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422304

iBooks buy link
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-infinity-program/id849045494?mt=11&uo=4

Kobo buy link
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-infinity-program

Teaser Tuesday (14) Mr. Monk on the Couch by Lee Goldberg

I'm starting back up my Teaser Tuesdays (again! I know!) This week, I am reading Mr. Monk on the Couch by Lee Goldberg. I love the MONK show and Mr. Goldberg does an excellent job of capturing Monk's very essence on the page. 


It was shortly after eight the next morning when my phone rang. As soon as I heard it, I knew for certain that it was Captain Stottlemeyer and that someone was dead. I was right.

Sunrise in San Francisco almost always casts light on a corpse.

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold

Book Blurb:
Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. 

This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 
 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

There are currently four books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series available for sale on Amazon:

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold: http://www.amazon.com/Kitty-Flying-Detective-Agency-Series-ebook/dp/B00AGY6WWK/

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost: http://www.amazon.com/Hemingways-Flying-Detective-Agency-Series-ebook/dp/B00F4A6WXA/

Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue: http://www.amazon.com/Icelandic-Intrigue-Flying-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B00CGS8862/

Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic: http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Titanic-Flying-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B00IIY8V1U

 

About Iain Reading

Iain Reading is passionate about Root Beer, music, and writing. He is Canadian, but currently resides in the Netherlands working for the United Nations. He has published 4 books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series. For more information, go to http://www.kittyhawkworld.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kittyhawkworld

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276101.Iain_Reading

 My Review:

A surprisingly fun but a bit tedious read. Kitty Hawk is an adventurous young lady whole is spending her summer in Alaska observing whale social behavior that she believes will be valuable to researchers and students alike. Just as her summer is coming to an end, she stumbles upon a mystery and an even greater adventure she thought would come out of her summer study.

What I liked:
I liked the character, Kitty Hawk, because she was intelligent, ambitious, brave, strong-willed and filled with curiosity. Kitty certainly knew how to get herself into trouble and how to get out of it, her and her "little voice" inside her head. The story is filled with historical facts and information about the Gold Rush era which makes it a fascinating read. I love she was a girl all about science and nature, she didn't get all love-struck and turn her summer into Edward-ville. I wish Walter the whale made a few more appearances throughout the book :) But I loved the various twists in the story :D

What I didn't like:

It was a tedious read. It took a long time to get to the actual 'adventure' and 'mystery' described in the book blurb. I feel like much of her summer adventure could have been summed up into a chapter or two (certainly did NOT need a chapter zero) at most before delving into the crust of the story which was about her getting herself kidnapped, forced to trek up a mountain, then have her plan hijacked to retake stolen property all the while getting educated about the history of the Yukon gold rush and other historical facts and legends. I was a little concerned about how quickly she became an endeared friend to the guys who kidnapped her and forced her into helping them.

 

But in all, I give Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold 3 stars because I really did like it.

Blog Tour: The Tesla Gate by John D. Mimms

The Tesla Gate

When a cosmic storm enters Earth’s atmosphere, scientists are baffled by its composition and origins, but not nearly as much as they are by the storm’s side effect – anyone who has died and chosen not to cross over is suddenly stranded here, visible, and can interact with the living.

With the world thrown into chaos, Thomas Pendleton is eager to make up for many broken promises to his six-year-old son, Seth. Soon after the storm, they set out on a road trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, completely unaware of the social and political maelstrom they’re heading into that will change their lives forever.

Review:

Thomas Pendleton is a hard-working and loyal father and husband but he lets his work get the better of him. He is always busy and breaking his promise to his family. But when a cosmic storm hits the planet, he is given a second chance to show his son, Seth, just how much he loves him by finally taking him to the museum. But their vacation is cut short when dead people start showing up and the government decides to capture them and get rid of them once and for all.

Despite the awkward writing style, it was written in hindsight (Thomas retold the events of his life and adventure) I found the story line interesting enough to read on till the end. I’m glad I did. The ending was the best. Thomas Pendleton becomes the father he was meant and always wanted to be by making the ultimate sacrifice for his son, Seth.

The Telsa Gate took some getting used to. The writing felt more like the main character was reliving the story as oppose to me reading along and experiencing it with him, there was too much hindsight. The story was still enjoyable. Lots of action, suspense, betrayal, stupid mistake after stupid mistake, but in all, Thomas was a good father to the end. After getting used to the writing, I could enjoy the unique story line. The description of impals were vivid and interesting. The ending was the best. Thomas Pendleton becomes the father he was meant and always wanted to be by making the ultimate sacrifice for his son.

Even though this was not one of my favorite reads, it was still very interesting and I would definitely be interested in following this story if the writer continues with what happens to Thomas and his son and the Tesla Gate

Book Blast: The Telsa Gate by John D. Mimms

The Tesla Gate 

When a cosmic storm enters Earth’s atmosphere, scientists are baffled by its composition and origins, but not nearly as much as they are by the storm’s side effect – anyone who has died and chosen not to cross over is suddenly stranded here, visible, and can interact with the living. With the world thrown into chaos, Thomas Pendleton is eager to make up for many broken promises to his six-year-old son, Seth. Soon after the storm, they set out on a road trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, completely unaware of the social and political maelstrom they’re heading into that will change their lives forever.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

Excerpt (The prologue)

 The day the storm hit, the world was changed forever. Its severity would not be measured in property damage or loss of life, although the latter could be argued. This storm’s impact turned man’s beliefs completely upside down; the social upheaval would be worse than the aftermath of any storm in history. Though this storm did not bring hurricane force winds, driving rain, cyclones or even floods, its effects would be far more subtle … but the impact every bit as palpable. This storm had unique origins and, unlike most weather events, it was not relegated to one geographic area. Indeed it covered the entire planet; no one was left unaffected. Living or dead

.   Author John D. Mimms John D. Mimms is a business owner, paranormal researcher, and author. John served as the Technical Director for the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST). During his four-year tenure with the organization, he helped supervise over 100 investigations and wrote more than sixteen technical articles. One of John's articles, titled "A Christmas Carol Debunked," was read live on Parazona Radio by Paul Bradford of Ghost Hunters International fame. John also wrote the ARPAST technical/training manual which is a comprehensive guide on equipment usage, investigation protocol, and scientific theory for paranormal research. In 2009 John decided to couple his knowledge of paranormal phenomena with his lifelong love of literary fiction. Among his titles are The Great Keep, Death Theory, and The Lemonade Girl. John is currently working on book two of The Tesla Gate trilogy.

Facebook * Website * Blog * Twitter

        Blast Giveaway 

 $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 8/7/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer School 2014: Building Character

This summer I am going to summer school!
That's right, Summer School 2014: Building Character with Nerdy Chicks Write.
I need this challenge to reboot my writing and honing my craft. Thanks Nerdy Chicks Write!!!!!

Originally posted by Sudiptabq

Welcome to Summer School 2014: Building Character
Are you looking for a way to keep writing through the dog days of summer?
Do you want to be inspired by some of the best writers in children’s literature?
Join a fun and fabulous community of  people who are as passionate about kidlit as you are!

Enroll in Summer School now! (It’s free!)

What is Summer School?
Summer school is defined as a school or a program that provides lessons during summer vacation. Studies have shown that participation in summer school has substantial beneficial effects on its participants. 

Kidlit Summer School is a four week writer’s workshop that will run from July 21 through August 15. Because we (Kami and Sudipta) both enjoy teaching writing classes, we wanted to find a way to offer craft-based writing advice on a particular topic each summer. Our 2014 course is going to focus on writing great characters.

Read more and register here. I did!!! So what are you doing this summer!

Book Review: The Muslimah Speaks: Her Voice, Her Spirit

The Muslimah Speaks: Her Voice, Her Spirit by Janette Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Muslimah Speaks is a diverse collection of poetry filled strong and powerful voices of women largely unseen and ignored.

There is so much emotion and soul written into the lines of each poem that it was really hard for me to choose which one I liked the best but there were a few that really touched me because I was able to connect personally with the emotion and experience of the poem.

With such a wide range of themes and topics, there is something for everyone. I don't thin anyone will be able to walk away from this collection without at least one poem touching their heart and soul.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy

The Infinity Program

Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer, but his abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is a handsome and easy-going technical writer, the low man on the IT totem pole.

Sharing a love of nature, the men set out together, planning to go their separate ways--Jon on a hike and Harry, fly fishing. Three days later, Jon arrives at the rendezvous point, but his friend is nowhere in sight. When Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave, Harry claims to have been lying there the entire time. But he is neither cold nor hungry. What Jon doesn't know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern, where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer.

Back at work, Harry jettisons his regular tasks and concentrates exclusively on inventing new operating language to access the alien system. In the process he crashes his office's Super Computer and is fired. Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, arguing that the system he has invented will make them millions.

Jon has no idea what havoc Harry is about to unleash.

 

My Review

 

What I liked: The story was intriguing. I love the idea of using science and technology (an ancient alien one at that ) to fix our environmental problems. Some of the world incidents were kind of funny. I found the characters interesting. Jon I felt was the most fleshed out. While I don't get why he became such good friends with Harry, he was definitely a loyal friend. And I find that honorable. Harry was very mysterious, would have loved to know a little more about him. Lettie was a little harder to connect with. There was an element of romance between Jon and Lettie, but I was happy the author did not focus on it too much. A lot of it was relayed in flashbacks. The ending was brilliant! I did NOT see it coming! :)

 

What I didn't like: There was a lot that went over my head because of the technical jargon used throughout the story. Since I know next to nothing about hyper-computers and its technology, I often found myself skipping over it. At times, it felt like the story moved slowly before something major and interesting happened. Lettie's character was the only one that I could not connect with. It seemed like she was there but played no major role in the story. She was the token female character. There were quite a few typos and grammar mistakes throughout the books, more than I would have like to see in a book.

 

I give it 2 1/2 stars (Goodreads)

We Need Diverse Books

I am joining the campaign and spreading the word! We need diverse books. And we need them NOW! You can join to by visiting http://weneeddiversebooks.tumblr.com/ Let the publishing industry know it is time to diversify the bookshelves!

Of Thoughts & Words www.worddiaries.blogspot.com



Of Thoughts & Words  www.worddiaries.blogspot.com

 

 

 

And the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Digital Gold Award goes to........

And the gold goes to...... 

A Troop is a Group of Monkeys written by Julie Hedlund!!!!!

Congratulations Julie!!!!!!!!!

 

 

About the Book:
A surfeit of skunks, a troop of monkeys, a clutter of spiders.... These colorful and poetic words for animal groups are called collective nouns and children will learn all about them in this rhyming picture book by Julie Hedlund. With beautiful painted illustrations by Pamela Baron, each animal group is brought to life in color-splashed environments sure to fascinate any child. The magnificent illustrations and playful use of language make it perfect for design-savvy parents and inspired gift givers. First published as a series of interactive book apps for the iPad, A Troop is a Group of Monkeys has received much industry praise and was included in the Top 50 Apps for Kids in 2013.

About the Author:
Julie Hedlund is the author of "A Troop is Group of Monkeys," "A Shiver of Sharks" and the upcoming bedtime story "My Love for You is the Sun." Her website, juliehedlund.com, is an incredible resource for writers and her blog posts and resources have helped many an aspiring kidlit writer reach their goals. Julie is the founder of 12 x 12, a forum for authors to kick-start their manuscript writing over the course of 12 months.

About the Award
The Benjamin Franklin Digital Awards honors innovation in electronic book publishing by individuals and organizations of all sizes, including publishers, software developers, designers, manufacturers, institutions, and technology leaders. The definition of “book” continues to expand, and the Independent Book Publishers Association wishes to honor and encourage the field’s innovators with a unique awards program.

Book Blast: The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy

The Infinity Program
by Richard H. Hardy 

Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer, but his abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is a handsome and easy-going technical writer, the low man on the IT totem pole. Sharing a love of nature, the men set out together, planning to go their separate ways--Jon on a hike and Harry, fly fishing. Three days later, Jon arrives at the rendezvous point, but his friend is nowhere in sight. When Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave, Harry claims to have been lying there the entire time. But he is neither cold nor hungry. What Jon doesn't know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern, where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer.

Back at work, Harry jettisons his regular tasks and concentrates exclusively on inventing new operating language to access the alien system. In the process he crashes his office's Super Computer and is fired. Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, arguing that the system he has invented will make them millions. Jon has no idea what havoc Harry is about to unleash.

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Richard H. Hardy's Bio:

  Richard H. Hardy was born in Glasgow, Scotland, during a week of relentless bombing raids just before the close of World War II. The day he was born an incendiary bomb fell on the church across the street from where he lived, so he is fond of saying that he entered the world with a big adrenaline rush. His family later moved to England and then on to America. After college Richard bounced through a series of temporary jobs as he traveled around the country, wanting nothing more than to write fiction. A job driving a library van allowed him free time to write several short stories and work on a novel. He and his wife moved to New Hampshire, where he took an entry level job at a software company. He was soon promoted to the technical writing department and ended up producing over 500,000 words of online documentation. After a few years he was promoted to the programming department and ended up as the Senior EDI Programmer, creating EDI maps and writing UNIX scripts and troubleshooting on AIX systems throughout the U.S. and Canada. After he retired, he started writing fiction again. The Infinity Program is his first published novel.

Format/Price: Paperback ($13.95)
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 250
Release: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Camel Press
ISBN: 9781603819336
Amazon buy link - $13.95

The Infinity Program GoodReads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20794011-the-infinity-program
Richard H. Hardy's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richard.hardy.31924

Richard H. Hardy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhfh944

Richard H. Hardy's GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7844267.

Richard_H_Hardy Richard H. Hardy's blog: http://richard-hardy.com/blog/

Richard H. Hardy's website: http://richard-hardy.com/

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

The Infinity Program book blast site: http://theinfinityprogram.blogspot.com/

Book Review: A Taste Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle

Book Description:

Introducing an animal-loving Gal Friday with a telepathic cat, a shapeshifting dog, and a ghost of a chance of solving supernatural crime…

Meet Deirdre “Foxtrot” Lancaster. Trusted employee of eccentric zillionairess Zelda Zoransky, Foxtrot manages a mansion, a private zoo, and anything else that strikes her boss’s fancy. Her job title is Administrative Assistant, but chaos handler would be more accurate. Especially after she glimpses a giant ghost-beast in Zelda’s pet cemetery. For some strange reason, Foxtrot is seeing animal spirits. And, ready or not, in this mystery from Dixie Lyle, the fur’s about to hit the fan…
Still reeling, Foxtrot comes home to find her cat Tango—her dead cat Tango—alive and well and communicating telepathically. But that’s not all: There’s an ectoplasmic dog named Tiny who changes breeds with a shake of his tail…and can sniff out a clue like nobody’s business. So when a coworker drops dead while organizing closets, Tiny is on the case. Can Foxtrot and her new companions ferret out the killer among a menagerie of suspects—human and otherwise—before death takes another bite?

My Review

Dixie Lyle is my new favorite detective author! Whiskey, Tango & Foxtrot will be taking shelf space right next to my Cat in the Stacks mystery series.

Foxtrot is an outstanding assistant, cool, calm and collected when chaos knocks on her door. That includes talking dead animals. Foxtrot is called upon to save a graveyard that is more special than she can imagine, and the life of her boss from someone who would do anything to get their hands on the land that the graveyard sits on, that includes murder. With the help of her dead cat, Tango, and shape-shifting ghostly dog, Tiny (aka, Whiskey) you are in for the  supernatural experience of your life! Nothing scary here though! My favorite scene *spoiler alert* is the exchange between Foxtrot and the badger! I laughed so hard I cried! I wont be able to hear the word MUMBLE for a while without cracking up!

Blog Tour: Children of the Knight

Children of the Knight Book Summary:

According to legend, King Arthur is supposed to return when Britain needs him most. So why does a man claiming to be the once and future king suddenly appear in modern-day Los Angeles?

This charismatic young Arthur creates a new Camelot within the City of Angels to lead a crusade of unwanted kids against an adult society that discards and ignores them. Under his banner of equality, every needy child is welcome, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, or gang affiliation.

With the help of his amazing First Knight, homeless fourteen-year-old Lance, Arthur transforms this ragtag band of rejected children and teens into a well-trained army—the Children of the Knight––where even gay boys and gangsters work side by side. Through his intervention, they win the hearts and minds of the populace at large, and gain a truer understanding of themselves and their worth to society. But seeking more rights for kids pits Arthur and his children squarely against the rich, the influential, and the self-satisfied politicians who want nothing more than to maintain the status quo.

Can right truly overcome might? Arthur’s hopeful young knights are about to find out, and the City of Angels will never be the same.

The Knight Cycle begins . . .

 

 

Michael J. Bowler's Bio:

Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author of three novels - A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time, and Children of the Knight - who grew up in San Rafael, California.

He majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University and earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and another master's in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills.

He partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and “Things II,” the reviews of which are much more fun than the actual movies.

He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.

He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to seven different boys with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, something that is sorely lacking in this state. He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the Year. The “National” honor allowed he and three of his Little Brothers to visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.

He has already completed the two continuations of Children of the Knight that complete the trilogy - Running Through A Dark Place & And The Children Shall Lead. Both will likely be released in 2014.

 

My Review:

 

I was a little disappointed in this book because it was not what I had anticipated based on the book description.  There was far too much about sex (gender and relationships) and children exploring sexuality for my taste of reading. To be honest, I did not begin to enjoy the story/characters until the very end when there was actually a problem and the children pulled together to face that problem. I was sad at the outcome and even cried for Lance though he annoyed me to bits in the first part of the book.

 

I understand some of the issues the book tried to address, my mom worked as a social worker for years as well as a peace-officer in the juvenile detenction center in our county. So I understand that some children have it really hard and some of the worst things happen to them, so I am not knocking the subject content of the story.

 

The writing and dialogue threw me for a loop until I got the hang of it but it was hard to connect with it. If this had been a non-fiction piece, I could have seen it for what it was, an eye opening awareness of how are current system is unfair and neglectful of children on the streets or already in the system. But the fact that this was fiction, I could not get into the story.

 

I do however, appreciate the author's attempt at exposing the truths of the streets for young disadvantaged children and the lack of empathy from the authorities and society at large.

Book Review: Fireborn: A Dragonborn Novel by Toby Forward

Fireborn: A Dragonborn Novel by Toby Forward
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This story follows the adventures of Cabbage, an apprentice to Wizard Flaxfield, Perry, a roffle, from the Deep World, and Bee, a young girl whose powerful magic is stolen and creates a wild kind of magic that goes on a destructive path that threatens to kill everyone, including her. When the wizard, Flaxfield loses his magic, it is up to Cabbage and Perry to help Bee and stop Slowin and his hungry beetle army and return balance to the world.

When I first began reading Fireborn, I almost did not finish it. The beginning felt disjointed with the different story lines of Bee and Cabbage, it was hard to tell where the story was going. However, once I had a sense of the story arc and plot, I was able put the pieces together and enjoy the story. This was unlike any story about magic that I have ever read, which is great because I don't normally like to read about magic and sorcery.

I can see preteens liking the characters, Cabbage and Perry. They are brave, adventurous, loyal, witty and funny. They are boys from two different worlds, that would rather keep them apart, but they forge a friendship despite the rules in place to separate them. They are the reason I kept reading and cheering for their success. I was a little disappointed in Bee's character and the lack of her presence and journey in the book. I wanted to see more of her the way I experienced Cabbage and Perry.

View all my reviews