Hello and welcome to #wipmadness for May! Hope April treated you well and you are ready to tackle May with your writing, reading and blogging projects. Looking forward to hearing how you are doing and what you have planned.
This month I plan on -writing some non-fiction articles for parenting sites via Demand Studio. -a new draft of the paranormal middle grade I am working on. Blogging and reading middle grade as I am hosting #middlegrademay.
What about all of you?
Plans?
Hopes?
Up and downs to share? We wipsters are here cheer you through the ups and be there for you through the downs.
Finally, I will leave you with this photo of the crocuses that were growing evey at the cabin the hubs and I were at this weekend. Spring is here. Wishing you all a wonder filled and inspiring week.
Book deals that happen when you keep on forging ahead even when the going gets tough.
However we need to do it, we will do it we will get there. That is evident from all the responses to last week's post. I'm pretty darn glad we are taking this journey together and mighty grateful for the inspiration you provide to just keep on keeping on and looking forward. So, THANK YOU, for sharing.
This past week I've been slammed with course work as I try to get it done by the end of _this_ week. Decided to go this route so I can give my writing and reading next week my all and everything. SO--this week will be all about getting my assignments in and getting those exams writ. Not quite the #wipmadness I was going for when I stepped into October, but I think this change in plan is going to work. Feeling in the zone. 'Course, there will be the odd break in the schooling and you can bet I will do me a bit of writing.
How about all of you? Sticking with the plan? Changing the plan, even scrapping it for another? Looking forward to hearing how you are all doing. And hope to all of our #wipmadness peeps heading to Surrey and the SIWC this week...have a blast and learn lots!
Now, as NANO doth approach I shall leave you with this short 'n' sweet TED TALK. Has me thinking about other 30 day possibles to try out once NANO has come and gone. They could be writing, reading...anything. Enjoy the week and go, go GO with #wipmadness!
Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! Hope you are all turkey filled or on your way to being so.
Second up!
This turkey filled writer peep is looking forward to another week of #wipmadness. What about all of you? Did it go well? Mine went pretty well. Got that work for hire project in the mail, another query sent out, some reading for #cybils done...oh! and a picture book popped into my head so I wrote it down fast. Also started reading Denise's book, Writing with a Heavy Heart. It's good. Yep, it is. Goals this week are to carry on with:
-writing each day -finish reading, do some of Writing With a Heavy Heart exercises -explore more work for hire possibilities -#cybils...gathering more of the nominees, btw if you haven't yet do check it out and make your noms!
Third up!
Those of you who need to send your inner editor on a vaca here:
If that doesn't work. Use this:
And fourth...hope all you writer friends at SIWC have a fantabulous time and our very own Heather is going to be there signing her book. Maybe you could find some time to swing by her table and say hi!
Finally is have a great week and looking forward to seeing what you are all up to!
Greetings to all my fellow #wipmadness readers, writers, bloggers and more! Here we are at the beginning of October. Hope your Septembers went well? Mine was a bit of a crazy, plate filled kind of time and October will be no exception. I am serious going to have to remind myself (and some good, good writing and reading peeps have pointed that out in the comments on this post) to take the time to breath, enjoy the beauty of fall in my back yard, sit and listen to tunes for no other reason than enjoy the music. Heck, I also need to learn to just sit and enjoy the silence and still of the old church we are renovating.
I thought, if that's okay with you, I'd make that a theme to this months check-ins. Reminding ourselves to slow it down at some point in the day-enjoy a view, enjoy a song, play around with a sketch book and doodles. Read a book, allow yourself the time play on Pinterest, visit some blogs you've been missing. One of my favourite Sunday blogs is Brain Pickings. Haven't had much time to read it. So! Following my own advice today and going to read this:
Is there anything else you'd like to talk about or see me post? I'm all blogging ears and looking forward to offering support and a place to check-in, share your goals, voice your frustrations on days when you are think "gaaaaaaah, why won't my characters do what I want them to." "what the heck is wrong with the middle of this story?!?!"
Here's my month:
Reading for Cybils
beta read YA novel for friend
Explore writing a novel on grief, get Denise Jaden's book (this is a subject I know a fair bit about, but am always afraid to write. When I started reading about Denise's book it got me thinking maybe now is the time
Revise ZIP ZOOM JAKE IN THE NIGHT TIME
Including a course I am taking for work. Have to finish that this month.
What is your month like? Do you have goals set for the first week? How do you slow yourself down so you can take a breath, enjoy the moment, fill that writer's well?
REWRITING- HAPPY MEDIUM from scratch. yes. not done though, because the from scratch also became re plotting, revisioning some of the characters, the town, the history, so very much still in the notebook and research stage again.
BLOGGING
-carry on with Marvelous Middle Grade Monday's. Reading middle grade novels and writing posts to go up every monday. I'd like to try and get ahead of the game and have posts ready to go one or two weeks in advance. Yes on carrying on with MMGM's, getting lots of reading done. No on the 2-3 weeks in advance. Sunday before the post seems to be my go to day and that totally works for me!
-carry on reading and commenting on the blogs I follow. Up the time to one hour per day. I tried half hour and that was just not enough time Yep and sometimes, it is two hours--I know that is a lot of time, but it is part of my writing and blogging life!
-start new feature called YA ROUNDTABLE. Inspired by a group of writer friends I lunch with. We talk books, exchange books. I can't go as often but I can still share the books I would tell them about if I could go. When possible we'd try to get the round table at one of the restaurants we go to. Most of the ladies I hang with a YA writers (mix of published and not). Hence...YA ROUNDTABLE for a feature. Yes, got post one up and running last week (Just Deb: YA Roundtable-13 to Life by Shannon Delany and Mighty Fine Use of Backstory) and have the ideas and books for the next few.
-get to scheduling more OH MG YA CANADA posts for March and April in preparation for my OH MG YA CANADA week long reading challenge, Just Deb: Oh MG/YA Canada Mini Reading Challenge-Sunday April 29- Sunday May 6, 2012 . Love for you to check it out, sign up? know of an author (Canadian) who might like to be featured? This will be an April Goal as well, I do have some blog guest posters and features lined up already but need to grow those participating in the reading week.
-get blog re-designed in terms of content and for gorsh durn sakes get tags organized and consistent (I mean really!) AND...this has been moved to April!
READING
-ARC's get caught up with the back log, especially NET GALLEY.the backlog mostly done-now am building a new to read list -books authors provided for review (have a couple) yep yep yep
Realistically some of this will spill into April, but I shooting for the stars so I can land on the moon! SO, I landed on the moon in March, heading for the stars in April!
Well, friends we are almost ready to bring all this March Madness to an end. It's been a great time sharing the hosting duties. I loved reading what you all have been up to as the month progressed and must say I am going to miss it! But--now's not the time for goodbyes. We have today and tomorrow left to bring it all home, cheer each other to the finish line. Some of us will be sitting back, sighs of relieve, goals reached and ready to start thinking into April. Others of us (like me) will be writing like mad (ness) to achieve the goal before month's end or at least take another good chunk out of it before April hits. So. Where are all of you at? Sitting back, relaxing some, thinking about April? Going in for a last dig of revisions, reading, blogging before the end of March?
AND! We've got another winner for the draws. GIRL PARKER, step on up and let Denise Jaden (d @ denisejaden . com) know which prize you would like. Congrats to you! Here are your choices:
UNRAVELING ISOBEL by Eileen Cook (Courtesy of Shari Green)
OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL by K.M. Weiland (2 e-copies up for grabs!) (Courtesy of Deb Marshall)
And our awesome Kim Baccellia has donated another ARC: THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer Smith(US mailing only)
Wishing you all the best with the rest of your March Madness and the upcoming month as we carry on reading, writing, blogging! It's been an absolute pleasure. Tomorrow's check-in is over on Jaye Robin Brown's Hanging on to Wonder.
Favorite day of the week is here again. You guessed it, it is:
And naturally I give a shout out to the fabulous Shannon Messenger who has her own Marvelous Middle Grade, KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, coming out in the fall.
Today I'm sharing the love of a few recent reads as a means of helping celebrate Jill's (The O.W.L.) month long celebration of middle grade called MARCH OF MIDDLE GRADE. Reading it, writing it, interviewing authors, guests posts and...giveaways! Lots of giveaway. Hope you have time to head on over and check. it. out.
Let's begin shall we? And I am thinking I have something for everyone. All descriptions are from Indiebound.org.
CHOMP by Carl HiaasenWahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle. His father is the unpredictable one. When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out. They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . . It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival". . . .
I am here to say I think the author is a master at multiple pov storytelling in middle grade. Gives you this larger than life feel for the whole story and really builds tension as you see all the players and storylines on a collision course...and not in a way you expect. You have fun guessing as you read along, but being the great storyteller the author is, you never quite get it right. There was humour, real life scary situations and our young hero rose to the challenge, not only of taking care of his dad, but taking care of those around him--animals and humans included. Loved it, including loving to hate (okay, maybe I should say it was more a dislike) Derek Badger of the over bloated ego driven fake star of "Expedition Survival". Copy from the publisher via Net Galley
STORYBOUND by Marrissa BurtWhen Una Fairchild stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, she thinks nothing of opening the cover and diving in. But instead of paging through a regular novel, Una suddenly finds herself Written In to the land of Story--a world filled with Heroes and Villains and fairy-tale characters.
But not everything in Story is as magical as it seems. Una must figure out "why" she has been Written In--and fast--before anyone else discovers her secret. Together with her new friend Peter and a talking cat named Sam, Una digs deep into Story's shadowy past. She quickly realizes that she is tied to the world in ways she never could have imagined--and it might be up to her to save it.
Whoa on the premise behind this one. A land of story with a mysterious past filled with nasty Muses, Heroes, Villians. One lonely girl falls into that world from ours and becomes the key to unravelling the mystery and saving the world. I now await the arrival of book two. Patiently. Or, I might stalk the author's website and blog. You know, for my future book club kids. Won the ARC (eek!) in a contest. It's signed and everything!
THE HOP by Sharelle Byars MoranvilleA small toad named Tad is in grave danger. Rumbler, a monstrous earth-eating machine, is poised to destroy his home, Toadville-by-Tumbledown. The green grass, the blue pond—everything Tad knows might disappear. It is foretold that one brave young toad can help—but at a terrible price. Only if a toad kisses a human girl will Toadville be saved. Tad is called to rise to the challenge, disgusting though it seems. In the company of his best friend Buuurk, he sets off into the unknown. Meanwhile, a girl named Taylor is determined to stop her grandmother’s pond from being turned into a strip mall. Perhaps, somewhere along the way, she will cross paths with a small, brave toad. Little does she know that his quest is the same as hers. ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
I cannot express how much I loved this one. Alternating points of view between, Tad (the toad) and Taylor (the girl). Both have a quest, one to save his family (Tad) and the other save the pond she loves (Taylor). The author weaves together both quests with magic, both real and figurative, and leaves you satisfied at the end. (and teary eyed--okay, I cried, not from sadness but from sad, happy and whoa...awesome end). I could totally see this as a movie...the larger than life heroes (Tad and Taylor) could carry it and the power of Mother Earth/Nature (aka, the magic) would make it a hit. Imo :)
For more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday check out the following:
The month seems to be flying by. Hope you are all reaching those goals or taking deep breaths and revamping them as needed. It's all good and it all works AND having this incredible team of readers, writer and bloggers cheering and offering support and understanding is made of AWESOME. I know I appreciate it. BTW---"and" is one of my words I have to watch out for in wips. Apparently the same holds true for my blog posts?
And (heh heh) with that said I have an announcement. Fearless leader Denise Jaden decided it was time to announce the next person to pick from the March Madness prize packs! That person is:
Linda Jackson!
Linda, you can email Denise (d AT denisejaden DOT com) with your pick. Speaking of that, your prize choices are listed in red. CONGRATS!!!
First page critique by agent Katie Grimm from Don Congdon Associates
(Courtesy of Angelina Hansen)
Advance copy of ARTICLE FIVE by Kristen Simmons (Courtesy of Jaye Robin Brown)
UNRAVELING ISOBEL by Eileen Cook (Courtesy of Shari Green)
Query and 10-page critique (Courtesy of Anne Hale)
Copyedit critique of 50 pages (Courtesy of Laura Taylor)
OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL by K.M. Weiland (2 e-copies up for grabs!) (Courtesy of Deb Marshall)
DARWEN ARKWRIGHT AND THE PEREGRINE PACT by A.J. Hartley (Courtesy of Laura Taylor)
Wishing you all the best today and into the weekend. Way to go with all the work done this week and looking forward to hearing how today is going!
Today I am going to share the love of EMERALD CASKET.Happy to say I have my own copy of this as I won my pick of a book from Walden Pond Press, who put out consistently good middle grade books. A big thanks to them!
Next in line is EMERALD CASKET and coming out in May is THE MASK OF DESTINY! Love this series oh yes I do.
To get us started here is THE EMERALD CASKET short description from Indiebound.org:
Thirteen-year-old billionaire Gerald Archer and his friends Ruby and Sam Valentine go on vacation to India, hoping to forget about Mason Green and his diabolical quest, but secrets from Gerald's family history and Green's minions have the trio in trouble again.
Now, doesn't 13 year old _billionaire_ catch your eye? Vacation in India? Diabolical quests? Tie that all in with a writer who knows how to weave a middle grade novel and you have winner number two in this series.
I have it on good authority that his third book, THE MASK OF DESTINY, is his best yet. You gotta love it when a series just gets better and better. And if you have fans of the GREY GRIFFIN series and 39 Clues, to name a couple, I'd say Richard Newsome books are well worth suggesting.
Speaking of middle grade and series I wanted to point you all over to Jill @ The O.W.L. where there is a MONTH LONG (yay!) celebration of middle grade. And, on Thursday, Idid a guest post on middle grade fantasy series and shared a handful of my favorites. I'd love for you to stop by there, share some of yours (you'll beentered in a giveaway for a MG fantasy of your choice!) and if you have some time to look around, check out some interviews and other posts. What Jill is doing for MG this month is FABULOUS!
Enjoy your Monday, all. See you next week and for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday check out some of these guys:
I swear, there is nothing like a community of writers offering support to each other. We really do spend much of our time alone in front of the computer, with the notebook, researching etc. and etc. I am loving March for this reason. We "get" each other, which is awesome. That's why I loved this video. It was so funny and on point! Plus, it's darn good to have a laugh or ten every now and then! Many of you may have already seen, but just in case you have not here it is.
So, with all that said, here is too some laughter and writerly companionship this weekend. Oh-my fave part of this vid ('cause I know you want to know, lol) is the desperate writer trying to get an internet connection. Yep. That would be me!
Enjoy your weekend all. I am officially on the road to B.C. to visit my daughter and family. Tomorrow's check-in is over on Jaye Robin Brown's Hanging on to Wonder.
By the way, there is still time to sign up, oh yes there is! Head over to Denise Jaden's blog, check out the prizes and giveaways, then join us to finish up the latter half of March!
EDIT TO ADD: Didn't make it to B.C. Hit an ice patch and landed in the ditch after a few truck rolls. Tiny bit shook up, bruising, sore hand, but man oh man I will take that. That was one heck of a scary moment (or two). Just at hotel, got mug of coffee, wrapping head around what I walked out of and my poor truck is totalled. BUT and anyhow. Shall be hanging with you all and once I've processed this all---you can bet...fodder for the writing well. All best everyone!
Edit edited to add-and my precious new macbook air has a couple of dints like me, but still up and running. Can you believe it was the first thing I looked for after I realized I was pretty okay? Yup.
Today I am happy to welcome Judith Graves,author of the Skinned series, to my blog. She's here to share her thoughts on finding balance as we blog, write, promote our books, ourselves. It is a tricky thing to do and often I find myself tipping the scales too far one way or the other.
Before I hand over the blog to Judith, though, I want to share a little bit about SECOND SKIN which is the second in her series, Under My Skin, being the first.
The book trailer:
My thoughts:
Just released. Just received a copy from the author...and well. It does not disappoint. In fact I think she upped her game with this one. Smart (a**) heroine with a huge secret (can you say wolven?) that keeps trying to bust out of her skin. She hangs with her friends doing the "usual" stuff- hunting paranorms (demons, vampires, hell spawn, werewolves) while balancing school, relationships and all the fun of living in a small town that seems to be a magnet for all the baddies. The action is fast paced, heart stopping and heart breaking. Judith found a balance in her writing that I found compelling-kind of like the humour and feel of Supernatural (t.v. series). Speaking of T.V. I think this would translate well to the screen. From Goodreads: With FIENDS like Eryn…
Monsters. Bloodsuckers. The evil. The damned. Eryn McCain knows they exist— she’s been hunting them since she was a child. At sixteen, she’s ready to take on all comers. Being a shapeshifter gives her an advantage when it comes to her unusual part-time job. The hours suck and the pay is, well, non-existent, but bonuses like inhuman strength and night vision make tracking scary beasties a dream come true. Especially in a town like Redgrave.
When an ancient demon targets Redgrave High, Eryn and her crew of hunters must face their innermost fears to prevent the Harvest Moon Dance from becoming one serious Monster Mash. Loyalties are tested and temptations abound. With questions ever brewing, can Eryn share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec—the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy’s son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?
What happens when you’re both the beauty and the beast? Alright. Nuff from me. On with Judith's thoughts about finding balance in your writing life! More about her books and the giveaway at end of post.
On Finding Balance:
There are several things I struggle with in life. Constructing killer sentences, avoiding chocolate, and finding that elusive beastie known as BALANCE.
Each day of our lives is filled with things we hope to accomplish and while we’re tackling Today, we add a few dozen goals for Tomorrow. To keep us on track we’ve got daytimers, to-do lists, email alerts, and stickie note jungles growing around our laptops/workstations.
If we’re lucky, we might even build in some family / real life / fun time, although that will be penciled in and likely shifted around – or scratched out. Or forgotten.
The life of a young adult author is a frenzied, multi-tasking, social networking event – every single day. However, several years into this gig, I can finally say I think I have a handle on the whole work life versus social life issue.
At least, I do in theory. There are always hitches in my plans for a balanced day, let alone my hopes for a balanced life. But here’s how I attempt the impossible.
I have a schedule. And most days, I live by it. Rigid, you say? OCD? Perhaps, and yet in the few months since I’ve created this schedule I’ve managed to get more pages written, have more down time, and have been able to focus my attention when with my husband / my hyper labs (rather than obsessing over scenes I could be cranking out), and enjoying my other interests (playing guitar, singing/songwriting) than ever before.
If a few days here or there are wonky, so be it. I ALLOW myself to trip occasionally, as long as I get back up, and back on track.
I offer you my writing schedule in hopes that it helps fellow writers, or any other soul floundering in a sea of TO-DOs:
NOTE: 5am wake up time is usual for me, but might seem extreme to others. J
WRITING DAY SCHEDULE
5-8am: breakfast, reading, exercise
8-NOON: update blogs, answer interview questions, write guest posts/articles, update social media (FB/Twitter, etc.)
NOON-1pm: lunch – play with the pups / take them to mailbox
1-4pm: write (daily goal 3 pages can be on one or spread over multiple projects)
Evening: research, watch film/TV, outline, brainstorm…and live a little.
***
Thanks so much for doing this for us, Judith. Love your writing day schedule and how you do allow yourself the trip ups, but always get back in the saddle...or should say back in the boat! Now, if you'd liked to learn a little more about her, here are the places to go:
Twitter: @judithgraves and @AStrangeways Blog Tour: Second Skin
To win a copy of Judith's book all I ask is that you comment. If you'd leave some thoughts, tips, techniques on how you find your balance, it will get you another entry. Contest is open until midnight on Monday. Open to U.S. and Canada. Enjoy your day everyone!
As I've been reading how everyone's been doing I'm heartened to see a recurring notion. We get that it's always important keep moving forward. If one day doesn't go so well, we get up and start over the next or know the weekend (or evening, or...pick your best time) is on the way so we can sit down and get even more done. There is also an awareness that, yep, life happens. It gets in the way. So, what do we do? We deal as we need, then step back into the March Madness. It all boils down to moving forward and knowing that each word, each bit of time, each page written or read is moving us towards achieving our goals.
I kind of like how Stephen King put it (and this can be applied to reading that book, writing that post, re-designing that blog, completing that illustration).
“When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "One word at a time," and the answer is invariably dismissed. But that is all it is. It sounds too simple to be true, but consider the Great Wall of China, if you will: one stone at a time, man. That's all. One stone at a time. ”Stephen King
Onward, I say! One stone at a time Wipsters, one stone at a time. Speaking of, how'd it go this week? I am managing at least two hours each day for blogging, reading, writing. AND-on the writing, I am doing it long hand. _Loving_ it.
Yay! Time for another MMGM (brainchild of Shannon Messenger). And I am telling you I loved the book I am about to talk about. Wanted to start reading it all over again when I finished it, actually. 'Course have about a billion other books on my TBR to get to so that will have to wait. Sigh, it is a tough job we have, eh? Reading all these books (not!).
Thanks to Raincoast Books (Canadian Distributor) and Roaring Brook I was provided with an ARC of DANGEROUS WATERS by Gregory Mone. This book will be released MARCH 13! Read and fell in love with it yesterday. It's full of adventure, mystery, attempted murder, crazy stowaway, theft of a valuable rare book and the kind of hero, twelve year old Patrick Waters, you want to cheer for from the beginning. In other words great kid appeal and bang on middle grade feel. And, it's set on the Titanic! Also, needless to say, this is one for middle grade fans of anything Titanic and those who love historical fiction and ones whole love danger, adventure and running for your life. And. (really, could I use anymore "ands"?) The author crosses a number of genres and does it well. I think one thing that could have happened (but did not) is the larger than life setting (after all it is the Titanic) could have overshadowed fictional characters and plot. The author does an amazing job of ensuring that the ship and the real-life characters are only the backdrop or the canvas, if you will, but included enough to make you always aware of just where you were and where the ship was heading. The ship is on a collision course with an iceberg and the MC is on a collision course with that crazy, murderous stowaway.
More from Indie Bound: A stowaway, a stolen book, a murderous villain: an adventure on the most famous shipwreck in history. The great ocean liner Titanic is preparing to cross the Atlantic. On board is a sinister thief bent on stealing a rare book that may be the key to unlocking infinite treasure, a wealthy academic traveling home to America with his rare book collection, and Patrick Waters, a twelve-year-old Irish boy who is certain that his job as a steward on the unsinkable ship will be the adventure of a lifetime. Disguises, capers, and danger abound as the ship makes its way toward that fateful iceberg where Patrick will have to summon all his wits in order to survive.
Greetings all! This is going to be a rather quick check-in post. Had a computer issue that left me scrambling a bit to get a post put to you. Here is to all of us up and runnin like mad. Writing, blogging, reading, or all three! How did your first day go? Mine was interesting. Have a mentor in my wip. She was good. Until, as I started digging into her backstory, I realized she is in fact bad. Very very...BAD. Happy Friday! I am off to calmly calmy figure out what up with computer.
If you are interested in still signing up, there is time. Head over to Denise Jaden's blog and read all about it.
And here is the list of your weekend check in hosts.
Happy Marvelous Grade Monday all. It has been a interesting week of slowing it down and taking stalk of how to balance reading, writing and blogging. Now, one thing I know I will always be doing is MMGM. Er, except this week! Ran out of reading time for MG as I have been catching up with some YA reading.
On the other hand I could share a MG I have started to read and am finding deliciously ghostly, scary (really) and kind of makes me think I could pair it with Coraline by Neil Gaiman. That book would be:
Breathe by Cliff McNish. From IndieBound-Jack is not a normal boy. He can talk to ghosts. In his new home, an aging farmhouse, he meets the Ghost Mother, a grief-stricken spirit who becomes very attached to himtoo attached. He learns that the Ghost Mother is preying in the cruelest imaginable way on four child ghosts who are trapped in the house, stealing their energy to sustain her own. Before Jack can figure out how to help them, the Ghost Mother takes possession of his real mothers body. Jack wants to fight back, but he has severe asthma and risks fatal attacks with any physical exertion. It will take all his resources, and his mothers as well, to fight off the Ghost Mother and save the ghost children from a horrible fate.
So, for sure not for kids who like their ghosts funny and scary. The ghost in this one is bad, bad..bad.
Enjoy the rest of you Monday and posts from some of the following MMGM bloggers:
Greetings again fellow wipmadness-ers. It is time for the final February check-in. I hope the past found you all reaching goals, reassessing them if need be and discovering new inspiration to keep you moving a long. My way of thinking makes be believe that even if we accomplish a little of what we set out to do we are still moving forward one word, one sentence, one line revised at a time. And to that I say way. to. GO!
My week was a slower than planned. Got bits of everything done, but realized there was a need to step back from it all and figure out what time would be devoted where. I work full time. I read, I write, I blog and really must decide what is the most important thing to work on for each. Think I am getting there with making those decisions, which is a good thing because MARCH MADNESS is on the way!
Looking forward to reading about your last week and your goals for the upcoming month when you post them to the inaugural March Madness. I be working on mine and will be ready to post on Denise's blog February 29. Oh, that post will include starting my wip from scratch...
And finally, a quote that struck a chord with me this week.
“If you're having difficulty coming up with new ideas, then slow down. For me, slowing down has been a tremendous source of creativity. It has allowed me to open up -- to know that there's life under the earth and that I have to let it come through me in a new way. Creativity exists in the present moment. You can't find it anywhere else.”Natalie Goldberg
Wednesday February 29 we are heading into another month of madness. This time it is reading, writing, blogging. Set some goals and do daily checkins (not required, just you'll be entered to for prizes each time you do). I have done this a couple years now and it is fun, intense and...fun. Plus you will be in there with fellow writers, readers, bloggers! The wonderful Denise Jaden is organizing and leading the charge again, so head to her blog to find out more details and how to sign up on February 29. In the meantime think of some goals for March that you'd like to share when you do sign up. One of mine will be...eek!...start from scratch on a novel of mine. Yep. Out with the draft I have. Also need some writing and blogging goals, working those out still.
I am taking a page from Ms. Yingling and having my posts do double duty when possible. Today it's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (brain kid of Shannon Whitney Messenger) and my own Oh MG/YA Canada. (see side bar) With that said, let's begin!
If you loved Rules. If you loved Waiting for Normal. Wednesday Wars. Okay for Now. If you loved Crooked Kind of Perfect, then I highly recommend you add this book to your to read list. Buy it or borrow, just do read it. This book was recommended to me some time ago. Didn't read it until now. I can see why my friend loved it and why the kids in her book club (middle grade readers) loved it as well. It is real and raw in the pain that Jeremy is dealing with after a horrible accident (that he blames himself for) takes his father's life. But not only that Jeremy is in a new school in the city, struggling to re-find himself and fit in, suffering from horrible nightmares. And then there is Aaron who Jeremy thinks is weird and a pain and he wants nothing to do with him. Hard to do when he is partnered with Aaron for a study of mealworms. As if that isn't enough, Aaron decides that Jeremy is his best friend. That's the last thing Jeremy wants with everything else he's dealing with...the school weird kid wanting to be his friend. The author skillfully and with a whole lot of heart weaves all of these issues together without wasting a single word or introducing a storyline or character that doesn't add to the depth and colour of this novel.
From Indie Bound:Mealworms are small creatures that live in dark secret places. Jeremy is a bit like that when he leaves his home in rural Nova Scotia and moves to Toronto with his mother. Lots of things keep him from enjoying his new life, but the worst is his science partner, Aaron, who is more annoying than sand in a bathing suit. Jeremy is also burdened by the secret he carries about the motorcycle accident that injured him and killed his father. Although Jeremy is haunted by his past, he starts to feel at home in Toronto when he realizes he has some skills he can share with his classmates. And when his mealworm project yields some surprising results, Jeremy is finally able to talk about his part in the fatal accident.
Why did I wait so long to read this? Not sure-but you can bet I am reading her other two books, one of which is a stand alone sequel to Meal Worm Diaries, Better Than Weird.
I got my copy of this as an e-book from the library. I love my library!
Now if you looking to buy, you can also go the following places:
