Bibliophile's Corner

The Flame in the Mist
by Kit Grindstaff

Amazon Description:
Fiery-headed Jemma Agromond is not what she thinks she is, and when secrets and lies behind he life at mist-shrouded Agromond Castle begin to unravel, she finds herself in a chilling race for her life. Ghosts and misfits, a stone and crystals, a mysterious book, an ancient prophecy - all these reveal the truth about Jemma's past and a destiny far greater and more dangerous than she could have imagined in her wildest fantasies. With her telepathic golden rats, Noodle and Pie, and her trusted friend, Digby, Jemma navigates increasingly dark forces, as helpers both seen and unseen, gather. But in the end, it is her own powers that she must bring to light, for only she has the key to defeating the evil ones and fulfilling the prophecy that will bring back the sun and restore peace to Anglavia.

My Thoughts:
Kit Grindstaff has created an Old World magical tale full of twists and turns in a magnificent medieval setting. Although I thoroughly enjoyed this upper middle grade adventure fantasy, I would have liked to have seen the heart of the protagonist, Jemma, developed more. That being said, this story is well-written, and has a unique plot that I believe readers from the ages of eight to fourteen will enjoy immensely.

To learn more about the author, Kit Grindstaff, click here: http://www.kitgrindstaff.com/

Storyteller's Journey

Free Public Domain Photo

Conquering Challenges

For those of you who have followed my blog for some time, you know that in the past I featured quotes on Sundays. However, since discontinuing that practice I have realized how much I miss researching awesome quotes. So...today I thought I'd feature a few awesome quotes on the subject of conquering challenges, since that is a topic with which everyone can relate. Here we go...

The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead.
Bette Davis

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people.
Randy Pausch

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein

The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience, but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges.
Martin Luther King

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
Robert F. Kennedy

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have.
Norman Vincent Peale

I've learned that success comes in a prickly package. Whether you choose to accept it or not is up to you. It's what you choose to do with it, the people you choose to surround yourself with. Always choose people that are better than you. Always choose people that challenge you and are smarter  than you. Always be the student. Once you find yourself to be the teacher, you've lost it.
Sandra Bullock

Accept challenges, so that you many feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton

It is not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up again.
Vince Lombardi

Life is  either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
Helen Keller

Do you enjoy quotes? If so, do you have any favorites?

Whimsical Word of the Week

Funambulist -

a tight-rope walker.

Example: The travelling circus fired the freeloading funambulist.

Bibliophile's Corner

Like Pickle Juice On A Cookie
by Julie Sternberg

Amazon Description:

I had a very bad August.

A very bad August.

As bad as pickle juice on a cookie.

As bad as a spider web on your leg.

As bad as the black parts of a banana.
I hope your August was better.

I really do.

When Eleanor's beloved babysitter, Bibi, has to move away to take care of her ailing father, Eleanor must try to bear the summer without Bibi and prepare for the upcoming school year. Her new, less-than-perfect babysitter just isn't up to snuff, and she doesn't take care of things like Bibi used to.  But as the school year looms, it's time for new beginnings. Eleanor soon realizes that she will always have Bibi, no matter how far away she is.

My Thoughts:
This delightful novel in verse is a wonderful story about change. The reader is invited into the whimsical world of Eleanor in a tale that was written in first person - that made this beautiful story magical for me. Although this book was written for the middle grade reader, I found the prose to be so charming that I'm sure I'll read it again. I would definitely recommend Like Pickle Juice On A Cookie to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!

To learn more about the author - Julie Sternberg - click here: http://juliesternberg.com/

Sentimental Serendipity

   Grand Giveaway Winner!

For those who participated in the Book Blast for Kriston Johnson's debut YA novel - Awakened, today is the day that the lucky winner of a free e-copy, a $25.00 Amazon gift card, and a signed bookmark is announced! So without further ado, the winner is....drum roll, please...
       ******Emmi Visser! ******
I will forward your information to the author, Kriston Johnson and she will send your gifts to you. It appears that the giveaway is about to travel to Europe! Congratulations, Emmi! 

For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of Awakened, here are the links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.
Congratulations to Kriston Johnson, and thanks to all who participated in the Book Blast - I hope you all have a chance to read Awakened!

Storyteller's Journey

Springfield, MA - Free Public Domain Photo

Inspiration in Springfield

Attending the New England SCBWI Conference last weekend was a learning experience on multiple levels. Beyond the great information I received in the workshops, just traveling alone so far from my home was a bit of a challenge as well. Thankfully, the members of NESCBWI that I met were so friendly and helpful that it made my visit something I'll always remember. (The Sheraton Hotel where the conference was held is in the middle of the photo - the tan building with the dark band at the top few floors.)

Author, Sharon Creech

One of the main reasons I chose to travel so far to this conference was the chance to hear Newbery Medal winner, Sharon Creech...boy, am I glad I did. Listening to Ms. Creech describe how she approaches her writing from a somewhat organic place was music to my ears! She was quick to remind the attendees in the workshop that she was a professor of literature prior to becoming a writer, so she already had a great understanding on the craft of writing.



Author, Grace Lin

When I first began to write seriously I decided to begin blogging. I researched blogs of published authors and discovered the blog of Grace Lin, and in so doing, discovered her book: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - a Newbery Honor book. The book was, and is magical. I became a huge fan not only of her work, but of her level of professionalism and warmth online. When the opportunity to hear her speak at the NESCBWI Conference came up my husband said, "Go hear Grace Lin! I've heard you go on and on about her; it's about time you actually meet her." Well, my husband doesn't understand how SCBWI conferences work - one does not just meet a keynote speaker in person. But, guess what? After her keynote address I was wandering around the foyer outside of the Ball Room and who should walk toward me but none other than Grace Lin! I did actually meet her and had a lovely chat. She seemed genuinely touched that hearing her speak was a big reason why I had travelled so far from the Pacific Northwest to the conference.

I know that some writers might see my desire to hear accomplished authors speak as a somewhat "groupie" mentality. However, for me, I seem to learn as much (if not more) from hearing keynote addresses as I do from laboring over dozens of books on the craft of writing. Because, like Sharon Creech, I write from an organic place. Thanks to the New England chapter of SCBWI for putting on one whale of a conference!

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Care to share any of your experiences in attending writer events?

Sensational Scribe

        BOOK BLAST!

My close writer friend - Kriston Johnson - has just released her first young adult novel: Awakened. In honor of her debut novel I am participating in her book blast...including a grand giveaway of one e-copy of Awakened for Kindle, Nook, or even your laptop to one lucky winner who leaves a comment. In addition to the book, the one lucky participant will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift card, as well as an Awakened bookmark - which Kriston will sign!

But first, the excerpt from Awakened, by Kriston Johnson:
    
Jade was an expert at ignoring everything and everyone around her - except when there was a demon hovering at the doorway. It was supposed to be the time of her life, but so  far junior year sucked. Day after day she spent her lunch in the school library, sitting at the same table in the back corner. The farther away she was from everybody else, the better. It was the easiest place to escape the scrutinizing stares and smart remarks she received from the wonderful students she was supposed to consider her peers. Jade's clammy hands gripped armrests on her chair until her fingers turned white, her chest frozen mid-breath while other students moved around the room with careless ease.

Why don't they see him? He's right there. She moved only her eyes and scanned the room. If anyone else acknowledged it, she would know she was not as crazy as everyone accused. She just needed one other person to see him. Just one. The demon stood upright like a human, hunched over with a slight hump on its back. She didn't worry about fighting back tears; those had dried up a long time ago.

After watching it for what felt like an eternity, she saw Sadie Baker strut through the doorway; followed by her boyfriend Seth. For half a second, Jade wasn't sure what surprised her more:  the demon or that Sadie even knew where the library was. She breezed past the demon as if he weren't there, because to  her he wasn't.

Sadie caught the demon's attention, and he watched as she sauntered across the room. His face was partially hidden beneath his draped hood, but Jade could see it was barely more  than a skeleton. His cheeks were sunk in, his skin was practically white, and his eyes were nothing more than solid black orbs. He slithered from side to side like a serpent as he glided across the tile floor, following her as the tattered shreds of his charcoal gray cloak  rippled behind  him. Mr. and Mrs. Perfect plopped down one table over from Jade and dropped their backpacks on the floor. Sadie wore Seth's class ring on a chain around her neck, and she played with it often to make sure everyone could see it. She loosely held the ring in her fingers and slid it back and forth along the delicate silver link chain. The demon honed in on the ring, his head swaying to and fro like a cobra, saliva dripping from its mouth.

Jade wished the demon would get bored and move on, but something about the ring had him mesmerized. More than anything, she just wanted to grab her things and pretend none of it was happening. Despite the fact that Sadie was cold-hearted, thought she was better than everyone else, and had made Jade's life a living hell every school day for the last five years, Jade didn't want her to suffer the unholy wrath a demon could inflict on a person.

Cautiously, Jade stood. The demon hissed, exposing blackened, jagged teeth, and reached out with gnarled hands toward the unsuspecting Sadie. Jade rushed over and grabbed the ring out of Sadie's hand. She yanked down hard on the chain, breaking it free from Sadie's neck.

     "What the hell?" Sadie screeched, rubbing the back of her neck.

The demon jerked his head and lunged for the ring. Jade threw it across the room. Clinking across the tile, the ring slid in front of the window and down into a grated vent in the floor, the chain trailing behind it. The demon gave chase and hovered over the ring's resting place. Before dematerializing into vapor, he faced Jade, a sadistic smile spreading across his pale face.

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Be sure and leave a comment if you'd like to have a chance at winning the grand giveaway. If you'd rather just go ahead and purchase Awakened, here are the links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.

I'll be back on Writ of Whimsy on Saturday, May 11th to announce the name of the grand giveaway winner!