Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen (and covers)

by | Mar 20, 2009 | Daily Writings

I picked up a library discard of this book at the Friends of the Library book sale a few months ago and just got around to reading it. I was saving it for when I knew I needed a sure thing and after starting two books, one YA, one adult, and not getting sucked in, I...

Holding out for Colbert

by | Mar 17, 2009 | Daily Writings

Once you have a book out, everyone from strangers to relatives suggest that you should go on Oprah to promote it. In fact, there’s even a hilarious video about a guy whose friend calls and suggests it, but I can’t find the link anywhere (if you have it,...

New Article!

by | Mar 16, 2009 | Daily Writings

I had a good mail day. Got some money refunded (which I knew was coming), but it was a fair amount more than I’d expected. Bonus! And then I went to the biz P.O. Box and there was my new SCBWI bulletin and inside was the article I just sold them in January....

Lucky me, I have a pea!

by | Mar 15, 2009 | Daily Writings

When I was first looking for an agent, well over two years ago, or is it three? Three I think. Anyway, I was reading agent blogs and Rachel Vater was on my list of ones to check daily. One day, she posted an excerpt from a book by her writer, Eileen Cook. I laughed...

EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert

by | Mar 14, 2009 | Need to Read

I know…I know…I’m always telling you how much I love this book or that book, but OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK. And yeah, I know that I’m kind of late to the party and that everyone around the world has been loving it for a while now, but what can I...

Please Welcome Guest Blogger, Janette Rallison

by | Mar 12, 2009 | Daily Writings

I’m very excited that I’ve coerced convinced author Janette Rallison over to my blog to tell us a story. But first, I want to say that Janette is launching yet another fabulous book. This one is called Just One Wish and I think it is my favourite book of...

Who loves ya, baby?

by | Mar 11, 2009 | Daily Writings

I do! I love you all. That is why I have arranged to have the hilarious (often on purpose) author, Janette Rallison step into my shoes and guest blog for y’all. She’ll be here Friday telling us about her new book, heroes, and a few other funny things. And...

STICKS by Joan Bauer

by | Mar 10, 2009 | Need to Read

This is a perfect book. I know, I know…I love everything I write about, but this is really good. It’s also 13 years old and perfectly timely, even though it was a contemporary book at the time. The only thing that dated it was the cover, and now it’s...

FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen

by | Mar 9, 2009 | Need to Read

Alex recommended this book to me (for once I actually remember who recommended the book) and she had me pegged. I LOVED this book. You could say I flipped over it. I actually listened to it on audio, which added a bit to it, I think because there are two points of...

Why I love Joan Bauer

by | Mar 9, 2009 | Daily Writings

For those of us who find ourselves taking the linear approach to describing a character (he had blond hair, blue eyes, and a great smile…) and especially those of you who are guilty of #16 – Using coffee, cappuccino, and café latte to describe black people’s...

Ransom My Heart by Princess Mia (Meg Cabot)

by | Mar 5, 2009 | Need to Read

I am pretty sure that this is the only adult romance novel I have ever read. Boy, was it fun! The characters were kind of stock, but true to Cabot’s style, they were all well drawn. It was laugh out loud funny in places, and the adventure took some good twists....

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

by | Mar 5, 2009 | Need to Read

I am happy to announce the release of JUST ONE WISH. I think this is Janette’s best book yet. Definitely worth putting on your to-buy list. Janette is always funny, but I think that in this book, she takes her writing up a notch. I am sure you’ll enjoy it...

THE WINK OF THE ZENITH by Floyd Skloot

by | Mar 2, 2009 | Need to Read

I’ve been reading some nonfiction lately (for adults – more YA reviews coming soon). The subtitle of this book is: The Shaping of a Writer’s Life I put this book on hold at my library back in September when Janet Reid wrote this post about it. Not so...

Talk about good company!

by | Feb 28, 2009 | Daily Writings

Last year, Sarah Dessen wrote several blog posts about her husband’s bicycle accident. I think he broke his pelvis…and maybe his collarbone? Either way, it was not good. Last week, Meg Cabot’s husband broke his arm when he swerved his bike to avoid...

Friday 5

by | Feb 27, 2009 | Daily Writings

I haven’t updated this blog in a while (not writing, so nothing much to say) and I haven’t done a Friday 5 in ages, so I thought I’d throw one out there. 1. I eat the same snack every day for months until I am totally sick of it and then I pick a new...

Bloggity, blog, blah, blah, blah!

by | Feb 23, 2009 | Daily Writings

I’ve been reading a bit about blogging lately. First I read The Huffington Post book about how they got started. Well, I read about 2/3 of it, but after a while I was kind of over it. Plus it was due at the library. It did accomplish one thing though (which was...

Writing in my sleep?

by | Feb 18, 2009 | Daily Writings

I am not one of those writers who carries a notebook, and I definitely don’t keep one by my bed for writing down ideas that I might suddenly wake up with in the middle of the night. My thoughts have always been that if whatever idea I come up with has enough...

Middle of the Night Ramblings

by | Feb 18, 2009 | Uncategorized

I was standing out in one of our fields with four other people. I wouldn’t call them friends, but that didn’t seem weird at the time because nothing was normal. For one thing, our field was sort of electric green, kind of like those postcards you see of the English...

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

by | Feb 16, 2009 | Daily Writings

 I’m putting this book on the main blog, rather than Need To Read, because I have a few things to say besides, “you should read this book”. But I won’t totally disappoint my regular readers. Here I go… I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! Okay, now, back...

Barcodes -continued! I’m not the only one annoyed!

by | Feb 13, 2009 | Daily Writings

Apparently barcodes on books bug EVERYONE! I’ve been getting emails and comments and even linked to other blogs because of my barcode post. Cool! What I found out, much to my disappointment, is that many libraries seem to do it however works best for them and...

I need your help!

by | Feb 11, 2009 | Daily Writings

If you read this blog, you will know that it drives me crazy when the library barcode obscures the title, author name, blurb or photo on a book jacket. I often have wondered if book designers ever go into libraries. When I mentioned this to my agent, he was kind of...

Cathy Cassidy & Families

by | Feb 11, 2009 | Daily Writings

I know I just mentioned this BBC radio show, Go4it a few weeks ago, but I am happy to write about it again because this week they had one of my favourite authors as their main guest. Cathy Cassidy, author of Scarlett, Dizzy, Lucky Star and many more, gave a great...