Brides of Eden: A True Story Imagined
A mysterious man tears a small town apart with his seductive new religion.

I started a few other books since I last posted, but none of them grabbed me, including that other one in verse that shall remain unnamed here. However, last night I picked up this fabulous book by Linda Crew. It’s very exciting as well as based on fact, which I usually love to read. And of course, there’s the draw that it’s set in Oregon, which is where I was born and raised. I actually love all of Linda Crew’s books, but I hadn’t read any of them in a long time. If you’ve never read her, pick one up, you’ll love it. And if you have read some of her stuff, but not this one, I highly recommend it. I would’ve read it in one sitting but I started reading too late and had to finish it over breakfast.

Hi, All.

Well, I was going to start this on Monday, but I just realized I forgot to post today anyway, so I may as well start now. I am taking a break from this blog until the end of July. No, not a vacation. A vacation would involve beaches, waiters bringing me drinks, and lapping waves. I am going to remodel my kitchen. Now seems like a good time as I’ve finished a first draft and it needs to sit for a month or so anyway. I will probably keep up on Need To Read (’cause there’s always time to read, right?) and I may post here periodically. Don’t forget about me while I’m gone though! Come back, come back!!!

What are your summer plans?

I decided to take the day off since my pal, Arthur Slade wrote a humorous animal story this week and it was hilarious. Enjoy! See you tomorrow with a new author interview or profile (haven’t decided yet). And don’t forget to enter to win free books!

  I am doing my favorite part…revision. Last week I finished my new YA. Usually I can’t wait to jump into the revision, but this time I just let it sit for a week or so. I started to worry that maybe I wasn’t excited about it or something, but when I picked it up this week, I’m still loving it. I’m a little freaked out about this manuscript because it appears to be very tight to me. Could that be? Why is it in better shape than most? Am I just imagining it? I guess we’ll find out when I hand it off to my critique group at the end of the week.

My agent has her hands full with two of my other manuscripts (not to mention everyone else’s stuff that she reps), so if they send it back and say, “Ummm…Joelle, what were you thinking? Get back to work!” it won’t matter. No one’s waiting for it. I intend to take the month of July off to read anyway and then get to work on it after that. Even though Miss Snark has retired, her words ring in my head…no…not, “WTF?” but “Don’t do anything with a new manuscript for at least one month!”

What Snarkisms keep you on the straight and narrow?

Are you joining a summer reading program at your local library? I was checking some out across the country and found some interesting stuff. At the Multnomah County Library, in Portland, OR, you can not only participate, but volunteer to help. Sounds like fun to me. Check out their teen reading list. Have you read any of them? I consider myself well-read, but I’ve only read two of these books! I better get cracking.

On the Nashville Public Library site, they list summer reading lists for area high schools. Interestingly enough, almost none of the books are YA, but adult fiction.

At the Vancouver Public Library in British Columbia, Canada, they are offering my sort of thing! Check out their Book Camp .

I intend to read lots this summer, how about you?

As always, free books here.

I loved this book. I knew I would because I also loved his book FRAMED. It’s impossible to read this book without being amazed at the sheer knowledge he packs into it without being boring! In FRAMED, he gave the reader a wonderful art education. In this one, you learn about Saints. But you never think you’re learning. You’re just reading along enjoying yourself. This is really good stuff. Don’t miss it.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF GIRLHOOD is written in what I guess is called free verse. I’m not a big fan of free verse. In fact, I’m not a fan at all. I can honestly say that I picked this up at the library on accident, not noticing it was written in this style. There is only one other free verse book that has ever held my attention (not that I’ve read a lot or anything) and then plot-wise it had a sucky ending so it did not win me over! This book has won me over though. At least for this book. Ironically, the next random book I picked up out of my stack was free verse too! How did this happen? I am not as excited about it, so I won’t say the name right now, but if I like it in the end, I’ll write about it here too.

In addition to these two books, I also read half of one I couldn’t bother to finish (unnamed, of course), and watched a lot of baseball. Read anything good lately?

Kathy Erskine’s YA novel, QUAKING, was released yesterday, so run out and get your copy today! Also, one of Kathy’s friends, Anne Marie Pace, is giving away a signed copy of QUAKING, so drop in and visit her live journal to enter (through today only). Just so you know, I’m probably going to win, but you should stop by and enter anyway.

You can read more about Kathy and her books here. She’s currently working on two novels, tentatively titled “The Absolute Value of Mike,” about a teen with both math and parental problems, and “Saying Grace,” a tale of jealousy, friendship, and self-discovery set in Newfoundland, Canada.

What were your favorite books when you were a teen? Books by Enid Blyton (Castle of Adventure), Edith Nesbit (Five Children and It), Arthur Ransome (Swallows and Amazons), Nevil Shute (A Town Like Alice), Richard Adams (The Plague Dogs), L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), and anything with adventure, intrigue, and strong girls.

What’s on your iPod or CD player? Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African group, and “Women of Africa,” a Putumayo production including three South African singers. Since those are my earliest musical memories, it’s still music that soothes my soul.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you (or you learned from a book)? Never give up. I heard that from my mom, I heard that from Patti Gauch long before she was my editor, and I tell it to my own children, who spout back our favorite line from the movie, “Galaxy Quest” . . . “Never give up! Never surrender!”

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully still writing, hopefully writing better, maybe teaching seminars on writing.

Do you use an outline when writing, or just let it flow and write as fast as you can? I let it flow. Often, the characters tell me what to write and I just take dictation! I think all over the place and am not very organized, so tying it all together can be very difficult. But even at its most difficulty, it’s such a great ride!

Thanks to Kathy for stopping by and being interviewed! Don’t forget, you can also enter to win books from me.