tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48573778730188937162024-03-13T09:27:11.111-04:00LA DennisonThe online home of writer and book blogger Laurie DennisonLaurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-77954169136158580362016-04-11T20:09:00.001-04:002016-04-11T20:09:21.910-04:00Anticipated Releases in 2016Hello, Blogger my old friend. It's been too long!<br />
<br />
2016 is flying, bringing us closer to some of the most anticipated releases of the year. Here are the top three books I can't wait to read in 2016:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EA_OarMw8EU/Vww3vF5L6JI/AAAAAAAAA1M/-7niJNalBzIHl2w4z8Wrm2H6MEzma6XTwCLcB/s1600/29056083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EA_OarMw8EU/Vww3vF5L6JI/AAAAAAAAA1M/-7niJNalBzIHl2w4z8Wrm2H6MEzma6XTwCLcB/s320/29056083.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child<br />
Expected publication: July 21, 2016<br />
<br />
I know, I know, there is basically no way it can live up to my expectations. But I just can't help myself. We're getting another Harry Potter book!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-82MEUHbmk2A/Vww5e3f99hI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/K5C0QZlnnSoLyuwQdwHhLGF8YL8nmoFGwCLcB/s1600/17378527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-82MEUHbmk2A/Vww5e3f99hI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/K5C0QZlnnSoLyuwQdwHhLGF8YL8nmoFGwCLcB/s320/17378527.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater<br />
Expected publication: April 26, 2016<br />
<br />
The Raven Cycle has been a wild ride full of lovable characters, and I can't wait to see this series reveal all of its secrets.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QX8JU30MlI8/Vww60dNO-NI/AAAAAAAAA1k/aDpqvm2yTAADwtAS-ug24RUoZFec9lrdACLcB/s1600/22299763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QX8JU30MlI8/Vww60dNO-NI/AAAAAAAAA1k/aDpqvm2yTAADwtAS-ug24RUoZFec9lrdACLcB/s320/22299763.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<br />
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo<br />
Expected publication: September 27, 2016<br />
<br />
Six of Crows had an excellent ensemble cast and tons of adventure. I can't wait to see where the band of outlaws goes next.<br />
<br />
Do you have any books you're excited to read as we rush on toward summer?<br />
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-8687154334834030352016-01-18T14:00:00.001-05:002016-01-18T15:27:27.051-05:00SCBWI Florida 2016 Regional ConferenceHappy New Year, everyone! If you write children's books, I have one more resolution for you for 2016. If you don't belong to SCBWI, join. If you're a member but not an active one, get involved. And if you're already involved, step up and volunteer to help or join the regional team. I promise you won't regret it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUFs8nhV25M/Vp01Muo-5QI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/xhZbyrRbt88/s1600/logo-scbwi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUFs8nhV25M/Vp01Muo-5QI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/xhZbyrRbt88/s1600/logo-scbwi.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scbwi.org/">Click here for more info.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) is a fabulous organization. Since joining, I've learned and grown as a writer and found my tribe as a person. At this year's Florida regional conference in Miami, we heard from so many fabulous faculty members: Jonathan Maberry, Michele Hodkin, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Debbi Ohi, and Tammi Sauer--and those are just a few of the authors, not mentioning the agents and editors.<br />
<br />
My top three takeaways from the conference this year:<br />
<br />
1. Help other people in the industry as much as you can. The publishing business is a business, but it's not a competition. Helping each other matters. I am so grateful for the opportunity to help writers in my local critique group and celebrate their successes. I often learn even more from them in the process.<br />
<br />
2. Step outside of your comfort zone. Maybe this means striking up a conversation with someone in the field, even if you're an introvert. Maybe it means writing ambitiously or accepting well-considered feedback. As your comfort zone grows, so will other areas of your life.<br />
<br />
3. Tension is everything. Whether internal or external, in the setting, tone, action or in relationships, keeping tension on every page of your manuscript will keep your readers turning the pages.<br />
<br />
If you're a member of SCBWI, what are some the reasons you love it? Do you have other organizations that have made a huge impact on your writing life? Feel free to share below in the comments!<br />
<br />
Music for today: I Know What I Am by Band of SkullsLaurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-23989515065979040232015-11-21T16:37:00.001-05:002015-11-21T16:41:41.045-05:00Cover Reveal: The Rogue RetrievalI am so excited to share the gorgeous cover for Dan Kobolt's The Rogue Retrieval today! While this isn't the YA or MG fare I usually review, I am so excited to read this one. Dan is an awesome member of the online writing community. He has a gift for all things sci-fi and fantasy, and his blog is filled with useful information for writers of all genres and age groups; you can check it out <a href="http://www.dankobolt.com/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Without further ado...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRV6Rk2Flp8/VlDjQqR5hzI/AAAAAAAAAz8/xm5Y55zzOQE/s1600/9780062451903_p0_v2_s192x300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rogue-retrieval-dan-koboldt/1122343531">Pre-order it here!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The summary, courtesy of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25943838-the-rogue-retrieval">Goodreads:</a><br />
<br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Sleight of hand…in another land.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Stage magician Quinn Bradley has one dream: to headline his own show on the Vegas Strip. And with talent scouts in the audience wowed by his latest performance, he knows he’s about to make the big-time. What he doesn’t expect is an offer to go on a quest to a place where magic is all too real.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">That's how he finds himself in Alissia, a world connected to ours by a secret portal owned by a powerful corporation. He’s after an employee who has gone rogue, and that’s the least of his problems. Alissia has true magicians…and the penalty for impersonating one is death. In a world where even a twelve-year-old could beat Quinn in a swordfight, it's only a matter of time until the tricks up his sleeves run out.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Scientist and blogger Dan Koboldt weaves wonder, humor, and heart into his debut novel, The Rogue Retrieval. Fans of Terry Brooks and Terry Pratchett will find this a thrilling read.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Doesn't it sound amazing? The Rogue Retrieval releases January 19, 2016. You can <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rogue-retrieval-dan-koboldt/1122343531">pre-order it here at Barnes and Noble.</a></span>Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-76159118563873145722015-09-15T10:05:00.002-04:002015-09-15T10:05:51.840-04:00Book Review: Until I Find Julian<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6bPs6IaFCHo/Vfgcjnvc4QI/AAAAAAAAAzU/LFRWpF22qqA/s1600/24040566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6bPs6IaFCHo/Vfgcjnvc4QI/AAAAAAAAAzU/LFRWpF22qqA/s320/24040566.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/until-i-find-julian-patricia-reilly-giff/1120913025">Buy it here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I received an Advance Review Copy of Until I Find Julian by Patricia Reilly Giff this summer, and it released on September 8, 2015.<br />
<br />
The Summary:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Twelve-year-old Mateo lives in Mexico with his mother and grandmother, and his older brother Julian works across the border in the United States to support their family. When a raid on Julian's work site leaves him out of contact and possibly arrested, Mateo journeys across the border himself to find out what really happened. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The Review:<br />
<br />
I enjoyed this contemporary middle grades story on several levels. The vivid descriptions of life in Mexico transported me into Mateo's world. Both his voice and his heart kept me turning the pages; I read the entire book in one day. And yet, the story as a whole left me a bit unsettled.<br />
<br />
As an adult who reads mostly YA and MG novels, I rarely find myself reading through the lens of a parent. I've never been troubled by twelve-year-olds slaying monsters or going away to magical boarding schools, maybe because the fantasy element always reminds me that I'm reading a story. But in Until I Find Julian, I couldn't shed my "mother" glasses. Mateo travels alone through Mexico on foot. He pays a coyote to smuggle him across the border, then makes his way to Arkansas relying on the kindness of strangers. With no money, no food, and without speaking English, Mateo manages to find his brother's abandoned home. Until I Find Julian does ultimately end happily, but all along I felt more worried about Mateo than a desire to journey with him.<br />
<br />
I plan to have my own eleven-year-old read this book to see how his reaction differs from mine; this may be a time when I'm too far out of the target audience to be objective.<br />
<br />
3 out of 5 stars.<br />
<br />
Music for today: First by Cold War Kids Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-63458499086513253372015-08-24T13:37:00.000-04:002015-08-24T13:38:16.425-04:00Writer ResourcesThe online writing community can be phenomenal, but it can also be overwhelming. Some great resources have been shared on the Pitch Wars hashtag over the past week to help navigate the rules and language of publishing. Here are my favorites:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://dailydahlia.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/an-abridged-glossary-of-pub-speak/">1. Dahlia Adler's Abridged Glossary of Pub Speak. </a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What is a WC, you ask? (Hint: It's not a potty in France.) The publishing biz loves abbreviations. A few years ago Dahlia Adler shared a fantastic glossary to help you wade through the alphabet soup of MSs, LIs, and CPs. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://queryshark.blogspot.com/2015/08/wpa.html">2. Query Shark</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Literary agent Janet Reid hosts this must-read resource for querying writers. Though new-comers should read the entire website, in the post linked above, the shark herself boils down the answer to the essential question: What is a query letter? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/05/wordcount-dracula.html">3. Wordcount Dracula</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Literary agent Jennifer Laughran keeps her former blog open for references like these, and <i>Wordcount Dracula</i> is one of the most popular posts. In it she explains the accepted norms for word counts (WC) in children's books.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://johnmcusick.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/am-i-any-good-taking-the-measure-of-yourself-as-a-writer/">4. Talent and hard work</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Literary agent John Cusick addresses taking measure of yourself as a writer. He also recently posted <a href="https://johnmcusick.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/a-pretty-much-foolproof-never-fail-silver-bullet-query-opening/">here about effective queries</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-75588765782923136592015-08-07T08:30:00.000-04:002015-08-07T08:30:02.529-04:00Pre-order of the Week - My Seventh-Grade Life in TightsLast year, my friend Angelica R. Jackson wrote great post on what pre-orders mean for authors. (You can read the full post <a href="http://angelicarjackson.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-do-pre-orders-mean-for-authors.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) Today I wanted to share some of that information, along an awesome middle grades book available for pre-order now!<br />
<br />
Ordering ahead rocks for readers. You get the book delivered to your door on or sometimes even before release day, and you don't have to worry about a brick-and-mortar not having the title you've anxiously awaited.<br />
<br />
Pre-orders can also be a great boost for the author. These numbers can increase the size of the initial print run and/or the promotional budget.<br />
<br />
For all of those reasons, I was thrilled to pre-order My Seventh Grade Life in Tights by <a href="http://www.brooksbenjamin.com/" target="_blank">Brooks Benjamin</a> last week! Check out the gorgeous cover and all the info:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ct0lg98i2bY/VcNpjGNIZLI/AAAAAAAAAyg/AmrUmf_bY3s/s1600/7%2Bgrade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ct0lg98i2bY/VcNpjGNIZLI/AAAAAAAAAyg/AmrUmf_bY3s/s320/7%2Bgrade.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Grade-Life-Tights-Brooks-Benjamin/dp/0553512501/" target="_blank">Pre-order it here!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<i><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Football hero. Ninja freestyler. It's seventh grade. Anything is possible.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">All Dillon wants is to be a real dancer. And if he wins a summer scholarship at Dance-Splosion, he’s on his way. The problem? His dad wants him to play football. And Dillon’s freestyle crew, the Dizzee Freekz, says that dance studios are for sellouts. His friends want Dillon to kill it at the audition—so he can turn around and tell the studio just how wrong their rules and creativity-strangling ways are.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">At first, Dillon’s willing to go along with his crew’s plan, even convincing one of the snobbiest girls at school to work with him on his technique. But as Dillon’s dancing improves, he wonders: what if studios aren’t the enemy? And what if he actually has a shot at winning the scholarship? </span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Dillon’s life is about to get crazy . . . on and off the dance floor in this kid-friendly humorous debut by Brooks Benjamin.</span> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I can't wait to read it! Congratulations, Brooks!<br />
<br />
Music for today: Mercy by Muse<br />
<br />
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-35815585007272502562015-07-30T22:58:00.000-04:002015-07-30T22:58:43.781-04:00Heart ProblemsI had a post on books all ready to go last week. But the far too common tragedies, national and local, washed over my news feeds, and a familiar sadness and frustration came with them. Suddenly my book love felt small and unimportant in the face of more and more brutality.<br />
<br />
We all like to think these things won't keep happening, maybe because we all like to think that other people are basically good. But that's the problem. People aren't good. I'm not suggesting we don't have a gun problem, and a racism problem, and a sexism problem. But truly, deep down, we have heart problems.<br />
<br />
We all feel sadness, anger, hurt, or entitlement. It's how we react to those feelings that not only define us, but also tear down or build up the people around us. I read the sentiment on social media this week that we need more regulations and enforcement, not more prayers. The comment broke my heart a little more, because it's not a one or the other proposition for me.<br />
<br />
I am a Christian, so I see the world in the light of those beliefs. I believe the world is broken. That people are broken. I believe we need God, and that Christians and non-believes alike make messes of our own lives and God's intentions for us.<br />
<br />
Even if you don't believe the Gospel, try to imagine loving someone enough to sacrifice the life of your child to save him. A person who hates and curses you. Who may be a liar, thief, or murderer. Or maybe just someone who tries to be good, but makes mistakes. I know I wouldn't be able to do it. But God did. And we are commanded to love each other as He did. Sometimes it's hard to love the people close to me, much less strangers or even people who would do me harm.<br />
<br />
I think we could see amazing change if only we could genuinely love like that, and see that love multiplied out in the world. And as Christians, that kind of love can impact lives for Jesus. So I pray that I can love more like that, and that others will, too.<br />
<br />
Next week, I'll be back to the book scene. But today, I just needed to share a little of the faith that keeps me going, even when things in this world look bleak.<br />
<br />
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-60836110721988370622015-06-30T22:18:00.000-04:002015-06-30T22:18:56.006-04:00Book Review: How We Fall<div class="MsoNormal">
Today I’m reviewing <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-we-fall-kate-brauning/1119045650?ean=9781440581793">How We Fall</a> by <a href="http://www.katebrauning.com/">Kate Brauning</a>. This book has been on my TBR list since its release, and I was lucky enough to win a copy at the SCBWI mid-year workshops in Orlando this month. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l90uXiaukig/VZNJr0majBI/AAAAAAAAAxc/H2Hz7GTYPw0/s320/21865261.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="208" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-we-fall-kate-brauning/1119045650?ean=9781440581793">Buy it here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The summary, adapted from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21865261-how-we-fall?from_search=true&search_version=service">Goodreads:</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Ever since Jackie moved to her
uncle's sleepy farming town, she's been flirting way too much--and with her own
cousin, Marcus.</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="background: white;">Their
friendship has turned into something she can't control, and he's the reason
Jackie lost track of her best friend, Ellie. Ellie has been missing for months,
and the police, fearing the worst, are searching for her body. Swamped with
guilt and the knowledge that acting on her love for Marcus would tear their
families apart, Jackie pushes her cousin away. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The plan is to fall out of
love, and, just as she hoped he would, Marcus falls for the new girl in town.
But something isn't right about this stranger, and Jackie's suspicions about
the new girl's secrets drive the wedge deeper between Jackie and Marcus.</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="background: white;">Then Marcus pays the price for
someone else's lies as the mystery around Ellie's disappearance becomes
horribly clear. Can Jackie leave her first love behind, and can she go on living
with the fact that she failed her best friend?</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The review:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really enjoyed How We Fall. The relationship between two
cousins, Jackie and Marcus, is steamy, intriguing, and uncomfortable in a way
that amps up the tension from the opening chapter. The family dynamics,
including both sets of parents and many siblings, also give the story depth and
authenticity. I was skeptical at first to see how the mystery of Ellie’s disappearance
would play out with the complexity of the love story, and while I would’ve
liked a bit more of that plot line developed in the first half of the book,
Brauning did pull it all together in the end. My favorite secondary character was
Will, a fantastic alternative love interest. I would recommend this book to
fans of YA contemporary romance and suspense. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5 out of 5 stars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Music for today: 15 Step by Radiohead<o:p></o:p></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-11479683342205841742015-05-28T10:51:00.000-04:002015-05-28T10:51:54.104-04:00Cover Reveal: Library JumpersBrenda Drake has done more to support other authors than just about anyone I know on the Internet. Thank you so much, Brenda, for all the time, love, and support for the YA community and beyond. I am so thrilled today to be able to share in the cover reveal for her book Library Jumpers! Isn't it gorgeous?
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5tRiNBD4OiM/VWYo-VLrVUI/AAAAAAAAeZ8/MtEaYcd_BaI/s1600/library%2Bjumpers_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5tRiNBD4OiM/VWYo-VLrVUI/AAAAAAAAeZ8/MtEaYcd_BaI/s400/library%2Bjumpers_500.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Library Jumpers</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012713.Brenda_Drake">Brenda Drake</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Release Date: January 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Entangled Teen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Summary from Goodreads:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.</span></i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17669243-library-jumpers?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--JkXDH_ranM/UjOiwxs5rVI/AAAAAAAAQ7I/98TLR-JzTcU/s1600/add+to+goodreads+black.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pre-Order Links:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Library-Jumpers-Brenda-Drake/dp/1633752216/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432758031&sr=8-1&keywords=brenda+drake+library+jumpers" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amazon</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">│</span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/library-jumpers-brenda-drake/1121817874?ean=9781633752214" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
<br />
<center>
<iframe height="475" id="library" seamless="seamless" src="http://chemicalscream.net/entangled/library/" title="Library Jumpers" width="220"></iframe></center>
<center>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://chemicalscream.net/entangled/library/">Get your own countdown widget here!</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</center>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span color:black="" lang="EN" mso-ansi-language:en="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" mso-fareast-font-family:="" new="" roman="" serif="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" times="">About
the Author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span color:black="" lang="EN" mso-ansi-language:en="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" mso-fareast-font-family:="" new="" roman="" serif="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" times=""><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span color:black="" lang="EN" mso-ansi-language:en="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" mso-fareast-font-family:="" new="" roman="" serif="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" times="">Brenda
Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the
continual new kid at school until her family settled in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. Brenda’s fondest memories growing up is of hereccentric, Irish
grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So
it was only fitting that she would choose to write young adult and middle grade
novels with a bend toward the fantastical. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span color:black="" lang="EN" mso-ansi-language:en="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" mso-fareast-font-family:="" new="" roman="" serif="" style="font-family: "; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" times=""><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: ''; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When
Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries,
bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic
(much to her disappointment).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: ''; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgoXwnWNg18/VV08aadGSCI/AAAAAAAAeRs/7N-duEEsnIQ/s1600/brenda%2Bdrake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgoXwnWNg18/VV08aadGSCI/AAAAAAAAeRs/7N-duEEsnIQ/s200/brenda%2Bdrake.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Author Links:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png" border="0" src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u367/nereyda1003/new/social%20icons/iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png" /></a><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012713.Brenda_Drake" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png" border="0" src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u367/nereyda1003/new/social%20icons/icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png" /></a><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/brendadrake" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png" border="0" src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u367/nereyda1003/new/social%20icons/icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png" /></a><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Drake/171424269657164" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png" border="0" src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u367/nereyda1003/new/social%20icons/iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Cover Reveal Organized by:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nbmLmh4nCBQ/UnwT5ZlHScI/AAAAAAAARlk/PlmBG0Zzy7I/s1600/YA+Bounk+Tour+Button.png" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-45961233735979864992015-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:002015-05-12T06:00:12.052-04:00<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am so excited to be a part of the Crow's Rest blog hop! Happy Book Birthday, Angelica! I *may* have been lucky enough to read this book a while before the official publication date, and let me just say, you're going to love it. Make sure you read to the end of the post for a special giveaway!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ttqrQCtafo/VUPVGDpQQEI/AAAAAAAAAmg/csSegfaay3s/s1600/CrowsRestcoverimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ttqrQCtafo/VUPVGDpQQEI/AAAAAAAAAmg/csSegfaay3s/s1600/CrowsRestcoverimage.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Title: </b>Crow's Rest</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Author:</b> Angelica R. Jackson</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published:</b> May 12, 2015</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Spencer Hill Press</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Isbn:</b> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">9781633920040</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>Pages:</b> 288</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>Retail:</b> $9.95</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>Buy Links:</b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crows-rest-angelica-r-jackson/1120253898?ean=9781633920040" target="_blank">BN</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crows-Rest-Angelica-R-Jackson/dp/1633920046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430615030&sr=8-1&keywords=crows+rest" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Crows-Rest-Angelica-Jackson/9781633920040" target="_blank">BookDepository</a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The summary:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666;">
</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Avery Flynn arrives for a visit at her Uncle Tam's, eager to rekindle her summertime romance with her crush-next-door, Daniel.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
</i></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>But Daniel’s not the sweet, neurotic guy she remembers—and she wonders if this is her Daniel at all. Or if someone—some thing—has taken his place.</i></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
</i></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Her quest to find the real Daniel—and get him back—plunges Avery into a world of Fae and changelings, where creatures swap bodies like humans change their socks, and magic lives much closer to home than she ever imagined.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As part of the blog hop, we're supposed to share a creepy experience. I'm sorry to say I haven't had many. About the creepiest thing to happen to me relates to living in multiple military towns. I've woken up many nights to the ear-splitting, droning sounds of mysterious aircraft flying over the house. Not too creepy, I know, but when you're half asleep, they kind of sound like the end of the world in action.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And now, for a special sneak peak of Avery's spooky experience in Preston Castle from Crow's Rest!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe height="480px" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0B2RhCO-sM2ZkTWlBZl9IbHRlTlU&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v&chrome=false&embedded=true" width="580px"></iframe>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>GIVEAWAY!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Now that you know you want to read Crow's Rest, here's your chance!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>
</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMtiB4Bqc3U/VUgioi5izXI/AAAAAAAAAns/789UYcQSxmc/s1600/CR%2Bswag%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMtiB4Bqc3U/VUgioi5izXI/AAAAAAAAAns/789UYcQSxmc/s320/CR%2Bswag%2B2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>
</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="text-align: left;">
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="text-align: left;">click image to enlarge</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*US entrants only</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*Must be 13 years of age or older (or have parents permission)</div>
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="fb198c444" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fb198c444/" id="rcwidget_5ra80viw" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TJKZEF9WJ-o/VUPiaVVn5mI/AAAAAAAAAnA/6LWxPsF-cpc/s1600/Angelica%2BR%2BJackson%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TJKZEF9WJ-o/VUPiaVVn5mI/AAAAAAAAAnA/6LWxPsF-cpc/s200/Angelica%2BR%2BJackson%2Bphoto.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About the author:</span></b><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, Angelica R. Jackson has far too many interests to list here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She has an obsession with creating more writing nooks in the home she shares with her husband and two corpulent cats in California's Gold Country. Fortunately, the writing nooks serve for reading and cat cuddling too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Other pastimes include cooking for food allergies (not necessarily by choice, but she’s come to terms with it), photography, and volunteering at a local no-kill cat sanctuary.</span></div>
<div class="font_8" dir="ltr" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://twitter.com/angelicarjaxon">Twitter</a></span> | <span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001046475887&fref=ts" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook</a></span> | <span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8334505.Angelica_R_Jackson" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Goodreads</a></span> | <span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.angelicarjackson.photography/" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo Galleries</a></span> | <span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.angelicarjackson.com/#!blogger-feed/c1dhr" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blog</a></span> | <span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.angelicarjackson.com/" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Website</a></span></b></span></span></span></span></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-18648218608402362642015-04-09T10:41:00.000-04:002015-04-09T17:50:10.855-04:00For the Love of Reading<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Imagine if I told you, an
adult who reads for entertainment, that you’ll now be required to answer a
question with a written response every time you put down a book or an article.
The articles will have more questions, with both multiple choice and long
written responses. They’ll ask you questions like this: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">What is the purpose of
this sentence? <b>They had a tiny yard.</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Is it A.) To tell you the size of their
yard or B.) To explain why they built a tree house </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(That’s an actual question from
my son’s homework last night. The correct answer is B.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">And books…well, to make
sure you understand what you’ve read, you’ll have to write short responses <i>every time</i> you read, as well as a longer
summary and review when you finish the book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m a writer, and that
doesn’t sound like “reading for pleasure” to me. The thing is, I’m also a teacher. I know that
you need kids to read, and you need them to get better at reading as fast as
possible, because your paycheck depends on it. Even the ones who didn’t eat
breakfast this morning or any morning. Even the ones who speak English as a
second language. Even the ones who hate reading because it’s hard and boring
and just doesn’t make sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">No child left behind,
right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">You need them to read, and
you have to hold them accountable, and you have to prove that you tried,
even if you can’t show growth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">My fifth grade son starts
two full weeks of standardized testing Monday. My third grader already completed
his. I expected the homework to
decrease at this point. Silly, I know. Instead, my older son’s online lessons
increased from two to five. That means five online lessons in addition to his
hour+ of old fashioned paper and pencil homework.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But the real kicker is for
my third grader. The one who already finished his tests. Instead of nine online
lessons per week, in addition to regular homework, he now has sixteen. Sixteen
online lessons per week. Plus homework. Plus projects. Plus “pleasure” reading
and responses every night. Except, when is he supposed to do this reading for fun?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I know, I know. I could
homeschool them. I could pull them from their accelerated/advanced magnet
school. But it’s not just their school. This pervasive sickness is invading
education culture in our country. I’m not venting to complain, but to
lament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">They’re killing the love
of reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">If you want kids with
higher lexile levels, make them fall in love. Hook them with whatever hooks
them so they can’t put the words down. Make them hunger for it. Comic book
superheroes, wimpy kids, princesses, elephants, or wizards away at boarding
school. Feed whatever stokes that fire. Read aloud and silently, outside or on
bean bags or stretched out on the floor. Open up their imaginations and pour
stuff in until something sticks. Celebrate the day they’re late to class
because they couldn’t stop <i>reading.</i> Let
them draw their book reports, or just stand up and talk about what was awesome
or what was cheesy, or write their own fan fiction with a new ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Because once they fall in
love, they won’t be able to stop. They’ll read that longer, more complicated
book because everyone’s talking about it at lunch, and it has a zombie <i>and</i> an
evil alien warlord. Or they’ll learn what the word obsequiously means because
that’s how that freshman acted around the student body president in that one contemporary
romance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">See, my son should be able
to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with joy and anticipation and
maybe even a little disappointment that the beginning is so long. He shouldn’t
have to worry that if he doesn’t read the right number of pages each night, he
won’t make his goal of 1,050 pages for the quarter, or that he might have to
stop and read some easier, short books in between to complete the right number
of reports. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There are some things you
just can’t measure on standardized tests or additions to the portfolio. Every kid
is different. If you teach a kid to love reading, maybe you won’t see the
results right now. But you will change the world. You’ll change his or her world. And isn't that what really matters? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Music for today: Everything Is Wrong by Interpol. </span></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-17509692485622636002015-03-13T09:16:00.000-04:002015-03-13T09:16:26.861-04:00Book Review: Brown Girl Dreaming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GM2ZypCL3jE/VQLeLWQ0zGI/AAAAAAAAAxA/mSvmhL_Of8s/s1600/brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GM2ZypCL3jE/VQLeLWQ0zGI/AAAAAAAAAxA/mSvmhL_Of8s/s1600/brown.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I've read plenty of books since my last book review. But none of them struck me with enough force to put fingers to keyboard to sing praises. I haven't really fallen in love with a book for a while. I want to thank Jacqueline Woodson for reminding me what that feels like.<br />
<br />
In Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson gives an autobiography of her childhood in captivating verse. She explores issues of geographical identity, race, religion, and personal dreams in a way that keeps the pages turning and leaves the reader hungry for more.<br />
<br />
You may notice the seals on the picture above; Brown Girl Dreaming has won the National Book Award, a Newbery Medal, an NAACP Image Award, and the Coretta Scott King Author Book Award. I'm sure even more will follow. When reading this book, you know in just a few pages that you've discovered a modern day classic, timeless and stunning, that children and adults alike will be reading for generations to come.<br />
<br />
If you haven't already, stop what you're doing and go read this book!<br />
<br />
5 out of 5 stars.Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-68511976823954942912015-03-02T09:55:00.001-05:002015-03-02T09:55:49.042-05:00Writer Recharge (The End)<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria;">Thank you so much to</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"> <a href="http://www.sarabiren.com/" style="color: #5b0551; text-decoration: none;">Sara Biren</a>, </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://katyupperman.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Katy Upperman</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://alisonmiller20.blogspot.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT70_com_zimbra_url">Alison Miller</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://www.lizparkerwrites.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT71_com_zimbra_url">Liz Parker</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, and </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT72_com_zimbra_url" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://elodienowodazkij.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Elodie Nowodazkij</a> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;">for helping me set some goals this February! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">Writer Recharge was a four-week jump start in the middle of a cold, dreary winter to set goals, check in once a week, and connect with other recharging writers. Check out <a href="http://www.sarabiren.com/" style="color: #5b0551; text-decoration: none;">Sara's website t</a>o see how everyone did!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddm6xE4dC-4/VOIu6rHCzgI/AAAAAAAAAwc/x-cZ-vNxM50/s1600/Writer%2BRecharge%2BFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5b0551; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddm6xE4dC-4/VOIu6rHCzgI/AAAAAAAAAwc/x-cZ-vNxM50/s1600/Writer%2BRecharge%2BFB.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">WRITE/REVISE:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I've spent the last week plotting and outlining for an R&R. In the next two weeks, I plan to revise the first six chapters of my manuscript and write at least 10,000 new words on the full revision.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">So, this one isn't exactly a win, but it's not a total fail either. I did revise the first 10 chapters and managed to cut two full scenes and over 4,000 words. I also saw another plot thread that may end up getting the ax, so that part worked out fine. On the new stuff side I've only written a measly 3,000 words. It's so hard to get all those old scenes out of my mind and start fresh! But I feel like now that I've gotten one chapter down, the flow will start to pick up. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">READ:</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I've just started All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, which I expect to finish in a few days. As usual, I'm much more drawn to the male MC, Finch, in the dual narrative. I usually buy books in bulk, and my stack has dwindled to nothing. So of course I am open to suggestions for what to read next! </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I did finish All the Bright Places, and I've got Brown Girl Dreaming bought and ready to read next.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">STRETCH:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I want to strike up more conversations with strangers. I am so hopelessly introverted when it comes to those types of interactions. I want to ask at least one person per week what she is reading, how her day is going, or something like that. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">This one is a fail. In my defense, I had my in-laws at my house visiting for a full week, so that cut down on much interaction with strangers. But I have a doctor's appointment today, so I'll try to sneak it in this afternoon! </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">SELF:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I need to get all the sugar out of my house. Between Christmas, kids' birthdays, and Valentine's Day, the candy and cookies just keep sneaking in to my kitchen. I know we'll all feel so much better if we can get back to healthier eating habits.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Well, we've managed not to buy any more sugary things, and I guess it's actually a good thing that we haven't eaten all the Girl Scout Cookies yet....</span><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">CONNECT:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">My local critique group has been in an awesome groove; we ended January with a workshop that helped us grow personally and as a group. We keep growing in numbers, too, and I need to get all my critiques done this week before our February meeting! I also have this weird tendency to never share a first draft of anything. With the revision I have in the works, though, I want to get over myself and get the feedback I need as soon as possible.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I did finish all my crit group comments in time, and I had some great feedback from my group on my own chapter as well. It's amazing how you can see your work differently when someone else reads it aloud. Like, man, this scene is going on forever! And I am planning to share the opening of my work-in-progress for my other online group, so that's a big step!</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">FUN:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">The hubs and I haven't been out on a date in a while. I'm hoping I can get one set up before March gets here!</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Neuton;"><span style="line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Oh, another fail. Maybe soon! </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.6400012969971px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; font-size: 17.6000003814697px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">Thanks for hosting this, ladies! I can't wait to see how you did!</span>Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-27073216291620318602015-02-16T13:01:00.000-05:002015-02-16T13:01:53.598-05:00Writer Recharge 2015Okay, so I'm super late to the party. But Writer Recharge is just what I need to kick myself into gear. Maybe just getting some goals down and out in public will help me to power through! <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">Hosted by <a href="http://www.sarabiren.com/">Sara Biren</a>, </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://katyupperman.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Katy Upperman</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://alisonmiller20.blogspot.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT70_com_zimbra_url">Alison Miller</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://www.lizparkerwrites.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT71_com_zimbra_url">Liz Parker</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, and </span><span class="object" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><a href="http://elodienowodazkij.com/" style="color: #507d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT72_com_zimbra_url">Elodie Nowodazkij</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, Writer Recharge is a four-week jump start in the middle of a cold, dreary winter. Set goals for yourself, check in once a week, and connect with other recharging writers. Check out <a href="http://www.sarabiren.com/">Sara's website t</a>o join in!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddm6xE4dC-4/VOIu6rHCzgI/AAAAAAAAAwc/x-cZ-vNxM50/s1600/Writer%2BRecharge%2BFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddm6xE4dC-4/VOIu6rHCzgI/AAAAAAAAAwc/x-cZ-vNxM50/s1600/Writer%2BRecharge%2BFB.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">WRITE/REVISE:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I've spent the last week plotting and outlining for an R&R. In the next two weeks, I plan to revise the first six chapters of my manuscript and write at least 10,000 new words on the full revision.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Neuton;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">READ:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I've just started All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, which I expect to finish in a few days. As usual, I'm much more drawn to the male MC, Finch, in the dual narrative. I usually buy books in bulk, and my stack has dwindled to nothing. So of course I am open to suggestions for what to read next! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">STRETCH:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I want to strike up more conversations with strangers. I am so hopelessly introverted when it comes to those types of interactions. I want to ask at least one person per week what she is reading, how her day is going, or something like that. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">SELF:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I need to get all the sugar out of my house. Between Christmas, kids' birthdays, and Valentine's Day, the candy and cookies just keep sneaking in to my kitchen. I know we'll all feel so much better if we can get back to healthier eating habits.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">CONNECT:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">My local critique group has been in an awesome groove; we ended January with a workshop that helped us grow personally and as a group. We keep growing in numbers, too, and I need to get all my critiques done this week before our February meeting! I also have this weird tendency to never share a first draft of anything. With the revision I have in the works, though, I want to get over myself and get the feedback I need as soon as possible.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">FUN:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">The hubs and I haven't been out on a date in a while. I'm hoping I can get one set up before March gets here!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">Thanks for hosting this, ladies! I can't wait to catch up with all of you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Neuton; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-26019824717623244782015-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:002015-01-23T09:00:06.204-05:00Crow's RestI<span style="font-family: inherit;"> have followed the publication journey of the YA urban fantasy Crow's Rest for a while now. I am so excited to share the book trailer today!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The summary:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="" id="ecxyui_3_16_0_1_1421768419545_9470" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><span class="" id="ecxyui_3_16_0_1_1421768419545_9469" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">Avery Flynn arrives for a visit at her Uncle Tam's, eager to rekindle her summertime romance with her crush-next-door, Daniel.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span class="" id="ecxyui_3_16_0_1_1421768419545_9473" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><span class="" id="ecxyui_3_16_0_1_1421768419545_9472" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">But Daniel’s not the sweet, neurotic guy she remembers--and she wonders if this is her Daniel at all. Or if someone--or something--has taken his place.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span class="" id="ecxyui_3_16_0_1_1421768419545_9504" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><span class="" id="ecxyui_3_16_0_1_1421768419545_9503" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">Her quest to find the real Daniel--and get him back--plunges Avery into a world of Fae and changelings, where creatures swap bodies like humans change their socks, and magic lives much closer to home than she ever imagined.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><span class="" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><span class="" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><span class="" style="line-height: 22.7199993133545px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Qrgdm5OAmdA" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Written by the fabulous Angelica R. Jackson, Crow's Rest will be available in May of 2015. Angelica made the trailer herself on a tight budget. You can learn more about the author on her<a href="http://www.angelicarjackson.com/"> website here</a>. And for more information on how she put this awesome trailer together, <a href="http://angelicarjackson.blogspot.com/2015/01/crows-rest-book-trailer-reveal.html">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
Crow's Rest is up on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22573426-crow-s-rest">Goodreads</a> and available for pre-order <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crows-Rest-Angelica-R-Jackson/dp/1633920046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421946291&sr=8-1&keywords=crow%27s+rest">here</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crows-rest-angelica-r-jackson/1120253898?ean=9781633920040">here</a>.Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-17282622525799319512015-01-17T09:45:00.000-05:002015-01-17T09:45:32.546-05:00Book Review: Chronicles from Chateau Moines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today I'm reviewing Chronicles from Chateau Moines by Evelyne Holingue. It is available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chateau-Moines-Evelyne-Holingue/dp/0988390515/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421505154&sr=8-1&keywords=chronicles+from+chateau+moines">here on Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chronicles-from-chateau-moines-evelyne-holingue/1120689558?ean=9780988390515">here at Barnes and Noble. </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSHNhC8fFYo/VLpxwI1OQuI/AAAAAAAAAwM/7S62fuysnRg/s1600/chateau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSHNhC8fFYo/VLpxwI1OQuI/AAAAAAAAAwM/7S62fuysnRg/s1600/chateau.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Summary: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Twelve-year-old Scott is still reeling from his mother’s
death. Why is his father dragging the family from their home in California to
the small French town of Chateau Moines? With his dad keeping secrets and his
sister fitting in right away, Scott struggles to adjust to his
new life. Enter Sylvie, a music-loving classmate who won’t admit how fascinated
she is by this American boy. If she can overcome her resistance, and her best
friend’s crush, Sylvie may be the perfect friend to help Scott find his place
in France. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War protest era, Chronicles
from Chateau Moines is about loss and friendship, music and peace, and
overcoming family secrets.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Review:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a girl, I dreamed of visiting France one day. As an adult, my visit there holds special memories. Not only did I spend an anniversary with my husband in Paris, but I also started writing seriously when I came home. I may be a little biased, but I absolutely loved the setting of Chateau Moines. From the
opening chapters, the author whisked me away to this small town in France. Set
in 1970, the characters' varying stances on the Vietnam War also give a unique
international view of the time period.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sylvie and Scott’s distinct voices were also a high point. I
related quickly to Scott as a main character—I sympathized with his grief over
his mother’s death, and I rooted for him as he stood firm in his beliefs while
leading a war protest. Although the characters are younger, I think both the
theme and the voice would appeal to upper middle grades readers who enjoy
character-driven historical fiction and anyone who loves all things French.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5 out of 5 stars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-49841914340674112162015-01-09T10:15:00.000-05:002015-01-09T10:15:13.662-05:002015!<div class="MsoNormal">
2015! I am so ready for the flying cars, house cleaning
robots, and the slimming, monochromatic body suits we were promised. As we all sky rocket into
the future, I have a few bookish goals for the year ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1. Review more books.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
I really skimped on my book reviewing last
year. I hate writing bad reviews. I know they’re helpful to other readers, but
as a writer, I really struggle with tearing down someone else’s work. I enjoy
critiquing and beta reading, but at that point the work is still in flux. If
the writer shares it with me, she is still willing to make changes. That
knowledge gives me the freedom to share what doesn’t work for me. But a
published work is complete. Just because I didn’t love it doesn’t mean someone
else will. And unfortunately, I only read a few books that I really loved last
year. Here’s hoping goal #2 changes that in 2015.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Read more debuts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Last year I mostly read big name, highly publicized
books, partially because I’m entrenched in so many series. I enjoyed the fresh
voices in the debuts I did read, and I plan to push myself in that direction
this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. Really enjoy the fun parts of writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Drafting is my favorite part of the writing
process. It’s messy and free and private. Things may really take shape in the
revising stage, but that part is as much work as it is fun. This year I just
want to soak in the joy of creative process, instead of always focusing on the success
or failure of the end product. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas
and are off to a great new year!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
Music for today: There is a Light that Never
Goes Out by The Smiths<o:p></o:p></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-10706956515026034802014-12-14T17:06:00.000-05:002014-12-14T17:06:48.223-05:00Connections<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been fairly quiet on social media lately, other than
tweeting about the occasional silly, unimportant thing. It’s not because I
don’t care about what’s really going on in the world, but because I do. I care.
My heart breaks for the people who are hurting. For the brokenness in the media
and in our country and in the world as a whole. But I haven’t wanted to add my
voice to the fray when I didn’t have anything new to say. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe I still don’t. But in this season of thanksgiving,
reflecting, and rejoicing, as I read about protests and conflicts alongside the
updates I follow in the world of children’s publishing, two ideas keep swirling
in my head. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->We really need diverse books.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
We need them to be published. We
need to buy them. And we need to read them. The surest way to understand
someone else’s point of view is to become his friend. Maybe I can’t befriend everyone
I meet in real life, but I can connect with characters in books. In a book, I
can see the world through different eyes. And maybe that little bit of understanding
can grow into a real-life change in perspective. And what better place for that
to start than in books for our children. I’ve tried to write characters with
backgrounds outside of my own experience, and I’m sure I’ve made missteps. But
I won’t stop trying. For more information about the We Need Diverse Books
campaign, <a href="http://weneeddiversebooks.org/">click here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The golden rule is a good first step.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
I’m pretty sure I’ve said this
sentence every day since my children were old enough to understand: Treat other
people the way that you want to be treated. It’s such a simple thing, but oh
what a difference it would make if we all really put it into practice. We all
want to be loved, appreciated, and respected. And if we could just start to
show those attitudes toward the people around us, I bet we’d see some big
changes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
At Thanksgiving, my son found a
W.W.J.D. plaque at my in-laws’ house and asked what it meant. Those letters,
representing, “What would Jesus do?” were printed and worn on bracelets when I
was a teenager. I hadn’t seen one in over fifteen years. I explained to my son
that it was a reminder of how followers of Jesus should act toward ourselves
and others. A week later, while going through my desk at home, I found a purple
W.W.J.D. bracelet. I don’t know how old it is, or where it came from, but it
was just another string tying my thoughts and emotions together. This year as I
celebrate the birth of Jesus, I plan to try to honor him by treating others not
only the way that I want to be treated, but the way that Jesus did. With grace,
understanding, and love. And for more
about what that means, <a href="http://simplychurchjax.com/about/our-beliefs">click here.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Thank you to all of you out there,
in the writing community and beyond, for being a part of my 2014. Merry Christmas. <o:p></o:p></div>
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-57569370979710307932014-11-21T10:49:00.000-05:002014-11-21T10:49:04.706-05:00Photo Blog FridayI'm finally home from the United Kingdom. England is my favorite place to visit, and I was so inspired by the spooky and endearing Corfe Castle and Old Harry Rocks, both in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. Our day in Windsor was like stepping onto the set of Downton Abbey. (No, I didn't cheat and watch the new season while I was there.) And of course London was magnificent as always, a fascinating blend of cultures and history and modernity, all wrapped up together. I wish I had pictures to share from the Treasures Collection at the British Library. They have the original draft of <i>Persuasion</i>, in Austen's own hand, with revisions. An original draft of <i>Jane Eyre</i>, in Bronte's own hand, with revisions. First printings of Shakespeare and <i>Wuthering Heights</i>. The Magna Carta. A Gutenberg Bible. It's just an overwhelming affirmation that words, writing, and their power of communication matter, not just now, but in the past and in the future.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JI3YSCZttU/VG9dNARtypI/AAAAAAAAAu8/-7xzNguI8hA/s1600/20141107_043342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JI3YSCZttU/VG9dNARtypI/AAAAAAAAAu8/-7xzNguI8hA/s1600/20141107_043342.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oakley Court grounds, Windsor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HburxBPtN9E/VG9dMUG98yI/AAAAAAAAAuw/UyLVO-PMdbY/s1600/20141107_043621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HburxBPtN9E/VG9dMUG98yI/AAAAAAAAAuw/UyLVO-PMdbY/s1600/20141107_043621.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oakley Court</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iN3fA8wRm8M/VG9dMD84fzI/AAAAAAAAAus/a2_sPOKv1Gk/s1600/20141108_051518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iN3fA8wRm8M/VG9dMD84fzI/AAAAAAAAAus/a2_sPOKv1Gk/s1600/20141108_051518.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Isle of Purbeck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auugG9cN1Pg/VG9dRYMwIiI/AAAAAAAAAvE/6hC8hRtjwP4/s1600/20141108_063332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auugG9cN1Pg/VG9dRYMwIiI/AAAAAAAAAvE/6hC8hRtjwP4/s1600/20141108_063332.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corfe Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptlJSlIV9CE/VG9dSdwClpI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/rpQA7bgfmbI/s1600/20141109_051727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptlJSlIV9CE/VG9dSdwClpI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/rpQA7bgfmbI/s1600/20141109_051727.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jurassic Coast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U2fNko2rUl4/VG9dYZmsYTI/AAAAAAAAAvs/B4UouSzM59k/s1600/20141109_055719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U2fNko2rUl4/VG9dYZmsYTI/AAAAAAAAAvs/B4UouSzM59k/s1600/20141109_055719.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Harry Rocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBbcHpe8H_A/VG9dXNsC2pI/AAAAAAAAAvk/Ol7Pi6x06p0/s1600/20141109_061349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBbcHpe8H_A/VG9dXNsC2pI/AAAAAAAAAvk/Ol7Pi6x06p0/s1600/20141109_061349.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many delightful pubs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vkJJWsHr3x8/VG9dWGLoFuI/AAAAAAAAAvc/VkKY917pgZA/s1600/20141114_214843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vkJJWsHr3x8/VG9dWGLoFuI/AAAAAAAAAvc/VkKY917pgZA/s1600/20141114_214843.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Band of Skulls concert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bUbYb1nnZgs/VG9datCMgfI/AAAAAAAAAv0/dO6lq77vvfA/s1600/20141115_153024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bUbYb1nnZgs/VG9datCMgfI/AAAAAAAAAv0/dO6lq77vvfA/s1600/20141115_153024.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eye and the aquarium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YO7tfTXwc9o/VG9dbOo63DI/AAAAAAAAAv4/x2gB_AMGUJo/s1600/20141115_154231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YO7tfTXwc9o/VG9dbOo63DI/AAAAAAAAAv4/x2gB_AMGUJo/s1600/20141115_154231.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Ben, from Westminster Abbey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-72864009327308538922014-10-25T10:53:00.001-04:002014-10-25T10:53:48.552-04:00Finding GoodFor my last post, I felt a bit down about the constant ugliness in the world. I didn't want to link to the specific issues that bugged me because I didn't want to give them any more coverage. So I challenged myself to find good things happening. People helping people, instead of tearing each other down. Today I want to share two of those <b>Good Things.</b><br />
<br />
One day this week, the person in front of me paid for my latte at Starbucks. It took me by surprise, even though it's happened to me before, and even though I've done the same thing on occasion. Confession: I did not offer to pay for the person behind me. It struck me in that moment that those of us in line at Starbucks, myself included, could afford to pay for our own overpriced coffees. But what about the people who are truly hungry, sleeping on the sidewalks downtown?<br />
<br />
My first thought was to take a donation to our local <a href="http://www.wenourishhope.org/how-to-help-nourishment-network-north-florida-food-bank">food bank</a>. I came home, researched, and found a partner of our local organization, called <a href="http://farmshare.org/">Farm Share.</a> Farm Share focuses on distributing fresh fruits and vegetables in bulk to agencies like food banks and soup kitchens with no fees. Farm Share is an exciting organization, and just the kind of thing I want to support. So, no, I didn't pay for the next latte in line at Starbucks. But it did spur me to make a donation to Farm Share when I got home. For every $10 donated, Farm Share distributes 110 pounds of food. That sure sounds like a Good Thing to me. Please click on the <a href="http://farmshare.org/">link</a> for more information.<br />
<br />
In the world of reading and writing, where this blog usually lives, I found my second Good Thing. The We Need Diverse Books Campaign continues to grow. The leap from awareness to action is now providing grants, support, educational kits, and more. Now we can lend our support through the <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/we-need-diverse-books#home">IndieGoGo Fundraising effort here</a>. From swag packs to agent-offered prizes for writers, you can't go wrong.<br />
<br />
I hope you all are out there finding your Good Things, too.<br />
<br />
Music for today: Shiny Happy People by R.E.M.<br />
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-70983200834103184862014-10-15T10:56:00.000-04:002014-10-15T10:56:43.025-04:00The Public Eye<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ce6tjE08_RI/VD6Irqh59LI/AAAAAAAAAuc/j-6Zk1p420I/s1600/glass%2Bearth.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ce6tjE08_RI/VD6Irqh59LI/AAAAAAAAAuc/j-6Zk1p420I/s1600/glass%2Bearth.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We all live in glass houses in this digital age.<br />
<br />
I write about this loss of privacy in my YA fiction, and the idea just won't stop cropping up in the real world. Athletes and celebrities seem to take the brunt of the public eye, but they're not the only ones anymore. It spans such a huge range of situations, from the embarrassing to the criminal.<br />
<br />
I can't help wondering what it will mean for our society in the long run. Will it make us better, eventually, knowing that someone's always watching us? Or will it just expose more of the darkness we already fear exists?<br />
<br />
The ugliness weighs on me, as a woman, a mother, and a Christian. We have access to multitudes of information and countless people in the palm of our hands, and what do we do with it? Threaten and intimidate? I'm not sure what's worse, the hatred or the indifference.<br />
<br />
I don't have any real answers. But over the next few weeks, I'm challenging myself to use this technology that's supposed to make our lives better and easier for something good. I hope you'll take on that challenge, too.<br />
<br />
Music for today: Lightening Bolt by Jake Bugg<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-43040528011979846062014-09-16T09:29:00.000-04:002014-09-19T08:17:07.858-04:00Fall Contest Round-UpI mentioned in a previous post that I have a thing for contests. It may be time for me to step back and do things the old fashioned way, but as a PSA to all of you out there in the query trenches, here are a few of the amazing contests coming soon to a blog near you!<br />
<br />
1. Pitch Slam<br />
<br />
This is <a href="http://www.tangynt.wordpress.com/">Leatrice McKinney's</a> amazing contest that provides feedback in between rounds. This fall's theme is Agents of Shield, and I can promise she makes every part of the experience amazing. The entry window for 35 word pitches begins October 4, 2014. You must enter the first round to continue, and the first page window begins on October 6. You'll get feedback on both, with the chance to revise for the final round on October 9. <a href="http://tangynt.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/calling-all-pitchslam-recruits/">Click here for more information.</a><br />
<br />
2. Nightmare on Query Street<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/">Michelle</a>, <a href="http://www.writersoutworld.blogspot.com/">Mike</a>, and <a href="http://www.scwrite.blogspot.com/">SC</a> host this <b>fear</b> themed contest. Along with your query and first 250 words, you must include a short paragraph explaining what your main character is most afraid of. The submission window opens on October 19, 2014. <a href="http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/2013/09/announcing-nightmare-on-query-street.html">Click here for more information.</a><br />
<br />
3. Baker's Dozen Agent Auction<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/">Miss Snark's First Victim, Authoress</a>, hosts this event each year. Submissions include a log line and the first 250 words, and there is a $15 entry fee for this one. There will be three rounds available for log line critiques on September 22, October 6, and October 20. Submission dates for the auction are October 28 and October 30 for adult entries and November 4 and November 6 for YA and MG.<a href="http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-2014-bakers-dozen-agent-auction.html"> Click here for more information. </a><br />
<br />
4. An Agent's Inbox<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kristavandolzer.com/">Krista Van Dolzer</a> hosts this contest, with submissions of a full query plus the first page. Not for the faint of heart, the agent provides an honest reaction to what works or what doesn't. September's agent is <a href="http://www.knightagency.net/about-us/">Melissa Jeglinski of The Knight Agency</a>. The contest opens Monday, September 22, 2014. <a href="http://www.kristavandolzer.com/2014/09/an-agents-inbox-contest-alert.html">Click here for more information.</a><br />
<br />
5. Operation Awesome Mystery Agent<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> hosts a mystery agent contest most months of the year. The October lottery is open now until September 25, 2014. Fifty entries will be selected. This month's agent is looking for MG, YA, women's fiction, historical fiction, and romance. Entries include a twitter length pitch and the first page of your manuscript. <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2014/09/october-mystery-agent-lottery.html">Click here for more information!</a><br />
<br />
6. PitchMas<br />
<br />
Hosted by <a href="http://www.jessarusso.com/">Jessa Russo</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FeakySnucker">Tamara Mataya</a>, this is an awesome December contest. Dates have not yet been set, but you can <a href="http://www.pitchmas.blogspot.com/">click here for more information.</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Please be sure to check on all the submission guidelines before entering, and feel free to mention any contests I missed in the comments!<br />
<br />
Music for today: Butterflies and Hurricanes by MuseLaurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-41923490715100933202014-09-04T12:42:00.000-04:002014-09-04T12:42:14.181-04:00What Really Makes Contests Worth ItOnline pitch events are exciting and addictive when you have a query-ready manuscript. Recently we've had <a href="http://www.writeoncon.com/">WriteOnCon</a>, <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome's Secret Agent Conte</a><u>st</u>, <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/">Brenda Drake's Pitch Wars</a>, and <a href="http://adventuresinyacontests.blogspot.com/">Adventures in YA Publishing's Pitch Plus Five</a>. And that was just August!<br />
<br />
The primary goal of contests seems to be grabbing an agent's attention and garnering requests for your work. But these four were fabulous for another reason. Each offered feedback before the judged component, often from many critiquers at once. <br />
<br />
The multitude of feedback has been a tad overwhelming for me, but also helpful. In the interest of helping and supporting others, when I landed a spot in Pitch Plus Five, I decided to read every entry and give at least one line of response. If you enjoy entering these contests, I highly suggest you try reading all the entries at least once. Here are a few things I learned:<br />
<br />
<b>1. It really is subjective.</b><br />
<br />
You can hear it over and over again, but experiencing it first hand gives you new perspective. There were some amazing, well-written pages in Pitch Plus Five that just weren't for me. I'm not a huge fan of straight historical, and some jump-off-the-page voices just rub me the wrong way. I get that they're good. I admire them. But they just don't fit my personal tastes.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Contests take more time than you realize.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
When I set out to read all entries, the simple math looked like this:<br />
<br />
5 pages X 50 entries = 250 pages<br />
<br />
Most books I read have more than 250 pages. I should've been able to go through them easily in about two days. But starting at the beginning and trying to immerse yourself in a new story takes more time than reading a book straight through. Then you have to think about what you enjoyed and what questions you had to frame your feedback. I didn't log my time, but it took much more than I expected. Contest judges volunteer their time on an even larger scale. Even if you don't agree with the feedback you get, you should always appreciate that someone took the time to try to help you. Time that could've been spent on their own writing, reading, or outside lives.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Your opening pages need to match the tone of your pitch.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In the first round of Pitch Plus Five, you only see the pages. The pitches don't come in until the second round. For all of my favorites, I got a clear sense of the genre, tone, and the main character without the pitch. For so many others, I felt like I was missing something. I enjoyed many of those pages. But the ones with the clearer tones stood out.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Seeing what works and what doesn't can help you improve as much as a specific crit on your own work</b>.<br />
<br />
My top five submissions were in different age groups or genres, but they all had certain things in common. Each pulled me in from the opening paragraph. They gave just a bit of exposition before jumping into the action. None fell into opening chapter cliches, and I didn't have to go back and re-read sentences for clarity. As I revise this time, I'm trying to check off these items on the list.<br />
<br />
If you're out there in the contest trenches, I wish you luck and throw my support in your corner. I also encourage you to get the most out of the experience, from finding new writer friends to improving your craft.<br />
There are so many ways to win.<br />
<br />
Music for today: All the Rage Back Home by Interpol<br />
<br />
<br />Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-78095277814899886832014-08-27T11:46:00.002-04:002014-08-27T11:46:56.841-04:00Remembering WhyI had this great conversation with a teenager a few weeks ago. He was a stranger to me, and circumstances just happened to have us sitting next to each other. He started by asking me what I was reading. (It was Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo.) I gave him a quick summary, and he shared with me how he used to enjoy reading so much, but things were just too busy between high school and his job to read for fun anymore.<br />
<br />
He was a non-native English speaker, and it was learning to enjoy reading that brought the language alive for him. Any guess what the book that hooked him was? I wasn't surprised when he said Harry Potter, because I witnessed that same magic with my students in middle school year after year. My first revelation that day was a sense of regret that our education system hasn't picked up on this trend. In elementary and middle school, we encourage kids to read whatever they enjoy, to foster a love of books. We are dying for kids to read for fun. But in many high schools, the emphasis shifts. I think we'd do better to support reading as a source of entertainment instead of just work.<br />
<br />
Next he asked me if I was a teacher. He said I just had that look, though I think it was more my enthusiasm for talking about Harry Potter, and books in general, that gave me away. So, here's the thing. I told him I was a teacher, but I didn't tell him I'm a writer. (I'm embarrassed to say I didn't relish the follow-up questions that come with that.) He could've asked more about teaching, or even stopped talking to this mom-aged lady, but next he asked me what I'd wanted to be when I was his age.<br />
<br />
I can't remember anyone asking me that question in my adult life. So I told him. I told him how I'd always loved reading. Though there were many things I'd wanted to be throughout my childhood, when I was eighteen, I wanted to work in publishing as an editor. It was the only way I could see where reading could be my job. I didn't think I had the creativity to write, but I'd known I wanted to work with books. Teaching did let me do that, but not in the way I'd imagined.<br />
<br />
It's taken a long and winding road, but I am finally following that dream. I'm really glad we crossed paths that day, because he reminded me why I'm doing what I'm doing. I love writing, and I'm proud of the novels I've completed. But whatever the outcome of my own writing career, joining this community, through SCBWI and social media, has allowed me to practice exactly what I wanted to do. Supporting writers. Reading books on the front lines of the industry through CPs, betas, and ARCs. And helping, even in some small way, books come to the shelves that bring our language and our world alive for young readers.<br />
<br />
Music for today: Five Seconds by Twin Shadow <br />
<br />
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4857377873018893716.post-70566595366134058702014-08-18T16:16:00.001-04:002014-08-18T16:16:33.999-04:00Fall InspirationWith summer slipping away, so many changes are coming. In the grand scheme of things, after a month filled with one tragedy after another in the news, I'm looking forward to ushering in a new season full of potential, growth, and thanksgiving. Today I'm photo blogging with images to remind me of where I've been and keep me inspired for the times ahead.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ByHwvHC6pfE/U_JLkPHtcFI/AAAAAAAAAtg/5LcS-lKgz4w/s1600/20140726_085155-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ByHwvHC6pfE/U_JLkPHtcFI/AAAAAAAAAtg/5LcS-lKgz4w/s1600/20140726_085155-EFFECTS.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Upper West Side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AUAGn_Meua8/U_JLkgrhE5I/AAAAAAAAAtk/nLdxoenOSio/s1600/20140727_132937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AUAGn_Meua8/U_JLkgrhE5I/AAAAAAAAAtk/nLdxoenOSio/s1600/20140727_132937.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Met</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cUSuVpZ-Rrs/U_JLj5BgoiI/AAAAAAAAAtc/UGnI8tmDsd0/s1600/20140727_204758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cUSuVpZ-Rrs/U_JLj5BgoiI/AAAAAAAAAtc/UGnI8tmDsd0/s1600/20140727_204758.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NYC at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEGbieiJ1jw/U_JLnkRjEZI/AAAAAAAAAt4/yv8A-I_FQaI/s1600/20140730_142943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEGbieiJ1jw/U_JLnkRjEZI/AAAAAAAAAt4/yv8A-I_FQaI/s1600/20140730_142943.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston and Cambridge from the Charles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tV13q10LjKo/U_JLniPnPeI/AAAAAAAAAt8/YgiJE7VC9vI/s1600/20140731_193900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tV13q10LjKo/U_JLniPnPeI/AAAAAAAAAt8/YgiJE7VC9vI/s1600/20140731_193900.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boothbay Harbor, Maine at Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urQwfRFq0aU/U_JLnTrP46I/AAAAAAAAAt0/FJPBuy60g10/s1600/20140801_115352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urQwfRFq0aU/U_JLnTrP46I/AAAAAAAAAt0/FJPBuy60g10/s1600/20140801_115352.jpg" height="187" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnHIyZqZyug/U_JLpNu0AvI/AAAAAAAAAuM/ocZl-BzYlak/s1600/20140802_200727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnHIyZqZyug/U_JLpNu0AvI/AAAAAAAAAuM/ocZl-BzYlak/s1600/20140802_200727.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peaceful Summer </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Laurie Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01089552813955890768noreply@blogger.com2