THE BOOK OF BART by Ryan Hill
I met Ryan Hill at UtopiaCon this year, and when I found out about the BOOK OF BART, I knew I had to feature it. Have a look:Working for the man upstairs stinks, but working with Samantha, an angel in training? Offensive!Only one thing is so…
On Books and Libraries, and the Relevance of Each
Libraries are a vital place for information and books. If you don't believe me, this article by Neil Gaiman might convince you.Most of the time, librarians do everything they can to provide services and programs to the public, mostly by making…
CURSE OF THE BOGGIN by D.J. MacHale
I've been a fan of D.J. MacHale for many years, especially his Pendragon series, and when I learned he had a new series, The Library, I couldn't wait to feature it. Book 1, CURSE OF THE BOGGIN, came out on September 6:Enter the Library, where…
Book Review: THE MARKED GIRL by Lindsey Klingele
I featured THE MARKED GIRL back on August 3, and as soon as I got a copy, I devoured it. It's a unique take on a portal story that offers superb writing, a page-turning plot, and a beautifully layered tale with amazing characters.Here's the…
THE BLACKTHORN KEY and MARK OF THE PLAGUE by Kevin Sands
I first saw Kevin Sands at BEA 2015, when THE BLACKTHORN KEY came out. I then saw him on a panel at this year's Bay Area Book Festival, and found out the sequel, MARK OF THE PLAGUE, was due out in September. It came out yesterday, and I've already…
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Stay tuned for another author interview this Wednesday. In the meantime, I will be following this cat's example:
SOMETIMES WE TELL THE TRUTH by Kim Zarins
I met Kim randomly on Facebook, and found out that we live really close to each other. I'm excited to go to her book launch for SOMETIMES WE TELL THE TRUTH on September 11, but until then, here's a taste (and a giveaway if you pre-order by September…
Pacing, Part Deux: Hamster Wheels, Arrows, and Progress…
Since I focused on pacing in novels last time, this week I decided to hone in on pacing in life. Too often, people can feel like they're behind where they want to be, especially when things don't always turn out the way they're planned (or expected).…
THE POSSIBILITY OF NOW by Kim Culbertson
I met Kim Culbertson during Barnes and Noble's Teen Book Festival in June, and she gave a great writing workshop that transformed my writing process and how I thought about craft. Her newest book, THE POSSIBILITY OF NOW is out now from Scholastic:Mara…
The Pitfalls of Overcompensation and the Scraps Left Over
Pacing. Le sigh. It's always been one of my challenges. It's especially hard to master in the beginning of a book, when you have to include enough clarity and detail to keep the reader interested, while not bogging them down with so much detail…