Bibliophile's Corner

Echo
by Pam Munoz Ryan

Flap Copy Description:
Music, magic, and a real-life miracle meld in this genre-defying masterpiece from storytelling maestro Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo. 

My Thoughts:
This beautifully written and uniquely crafted novel is one of those stories that I'd hoped would not end! For me, its two main attributes are its extraordinary plot development and its cast of characters. Echo is one of those books that cannot be put in a box; its independent, yet interwoven story lines, emerge as a colorful tapestry in the final chapter. Exquisite! I highly recommend Echo to readers from the ages of eight to eighty. Bravo, Ms. Ryan!

Click here to learn more about the author, Pam Munoz Ryan.

Champions of Creativity

   Lewis Carroll

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so today I'm focusing on the author of that beloved children's classic.

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born on January 27, 1832; he was later known to millions as Lewis Carroll. The Englishman wore many hats in his lifetime, including: author, poet, mathematician, logician, photographer, and deacon in the Anglican Church.

Carroll was from a family that included a long line of clergymen. He was educated at home; as a testament to his gifted intellect, he read such books as Pilgrim's Progress at the age of seven! He wrote poems and short stories as a young person, and was a gifted storyteller and mimic as a young adult - even though he struggled with a stammer.

Lewis Carroll was later educated at Oxford University receiving a degree in mathematics and first-class honors - placing first in his class. He became a Mathematical Lecturer at Christ Church/Oxford which gave him a certain amount of financial security. In 1856 Henry Liddell became the new dean at Christ Church; Carroll was to become close with the dean, his wife, and their three daughters: Lorina, Edith, and Alice. (It has been debated for decades whether or not young Alice Liddell was the inspiration for the protagonist in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, even though late in his life Lewis Carroll denied that his character was based on any real child.)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865 and became an overnight sensation. It brought Carroll fame, and with it, significant changes to his life - such as receiving loads of letters from adoring fans of the book. Even Queen Victoria was quite taken with the novel.

One of Lewis Carroll's own illustrations of Alice.

In 1871, a sequel - Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There - was published. That darker story also includes Carroll's famous poem: Jabberwocky.

Throughout his life Mr. Carroll juggled the roles of author, mathematician, poet, logician, and photographer. Amidst these endeavors he unfortunately dealt with migraine headaches and "seizures," according to his personal journal.

Lewis Carroll died on January 14, 1898 of pneumonia, following influenza. He was 66 years old. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland became extremely influential in popular culture and literature - especially in the fantasy genre. Carroll's children's classic has been translated into 174 languages, and has never been out of print.

"One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others." Lewis Carroll

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This past summer I was lucky enough to find this rare copy of both stories by Lewis Carroll in an antique store on the Oregon Coast. It seemed fitting that this edition was published in 1915 - fifty years after the first book was published, and exactly one hundred years ago.

Since my current novel in progress includes a secondary character obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, I just had to buy this book. Research, right?

Whimsical Word of the Week

Tautology - (n.)
the saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style.
Example: The author's work was an unfortunate lesson in tautology due to her redundant writing.

Bibliophile's Corner

An Interview with Kriston Johnson
Author of The Legends of Elyndia

It is with great pleasure that I feature the author Kriston Johnson as my guest author today. Kriston's most recent novel - Ensnared - in her Legends of Elyndia Series, just released earlier this month.

Before we get to my interview, here is the gorgeous cover and flap copy description of the latest book in her young adult fantasy series:

Ensnared 
Facing monstrous demons, a ravenous dragon, and a malicious faerie queen are the least of Jade’s worries.

It has been a fortnight since Jade confronted Draven, and he has emerged from the battle more terrifying than ever. Armed with a new plan and fueled with unrelenting determination, Draven casts a dark spell and calls forth new players that no one ever expected, bringing him one step closer to opening the portal to The Fathom.

Jade vows to bring an end to the madness she feels responsible for and works to harness her elemental power, but unforeseen consequences arise. Her power is growing beyond what she can control, and it’s on the verge of destroying her from within.

Was learning to use her magical ability the beginning…or the beginning of the end?  
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VL - Welcome to Writ of Whimsy, Kriston! Before we proceed with the interview, I feel we should let our blogging buddies know - if they don't already know - that we've been writer friends for years. That being said, I couldn't be more excited to have you as my guest author today.

KJ - Thank you for having me, Victoria. It’s been quite a journey since we first met and were both aspiring authors, yet we lived to tell the tale!

VL - What inspired you to write The Legends of Elyndia Series?

KJ – Several years ago I witnessed my husband receive an antique knife as a gift. The knife is of Egyptian origin with a copper colored blade covered with a tattered sheath. He carefully grasped the sheath and slowly pulled it off of the blade. As he did this I imagined a glowing light emanating from the blade, filling the entire room as if a wave of magic had been released. From that moment on the world of Elyndia came to life, and I focused the story around a magical dagger and the young lady who controlled it.

VL - You seem to have a passion for writing (and reading) fantasy, Kriston. Where did that originate?

KJ – I have been fascinated by fantasy stories since I was a young child. I cannot remember a time that I was not drawn to magical and make believe worlds. As a young person I would always beg my mom to rent The Dark Crystal and The Last Unicorn. I’d watch them over and over until they had to go back to the rental store. I can’t ever remember a time that I was not obsessed with Star Wars, and these obsessions have just followed me through life.
 

VL - What is one of the most important things you've learned on your storyteller's journey?

KJ – One of the most important things I’ve learned is the balance between writing life and family life. So I guess I’d have to say…to always be in the moment. If you're writing, don’t feel guilty about what you're missing out on. And when you’re relaxing don’t feel pressed to go write. Otherwise you will fail at both. Make a schedule and stick to it.

VL - What is your work in progress, Kriston?

KJ – I am working on a story about a young woman who is falsely accused of killing her father, the Chieftain of her clan, and finds herself tied to the mast of a warship set ablaze. She narrowly escapes and we follow her journey while she tries to prove her innocence, and looks for a way to save the people she was forced to leave behind.  We actually meet her in Ensnared. Her name is Linnea. 

VL - That sounds like a fascinating story! What advice would you give to a novice writer?

KJ – I would tell them not to let another writer’s success, or failures, keep them from following their dreams. It is so easy to watch someone that you feel is successful sell tons of books, and interact with legions of fans, then wonder why you don’t have the same thing yourself. It is also easy to watch someone fail, then think if they can’t do it, how can you expect to. Everyone’s success comes at different times in life, and sometimes it take years to get established, or write that special story that is going to catch on. Don’t get discouraged, if you quit, you’ll never know what could have happened. You must persevere!

 

VL - Great advice, Kriston. Thanks for being my guest author today on Writ of Whimsy!

 

       Here are the online sites where you can visit Kriston Johnson:

 

                  Blog  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Amazon

Kriston is also the founder and owner of an interior book design and formatting company called Tattered Page Ink.  Facebook  Twitter

Storyteller's Journey

A Writer's Voice

If you've been a serious writer at least a few years, you are well aware of the importance of discovering your own voice, your own style of writing. That being said, it's not as easy as one might think!
(Photos: Public Domain)

Here's a definition of a Writer's Voice: The writer's voice is the individual writing style of an author, a combination of their common usage of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works).

While that definition seems easy enough, if you're a new writer (like I was eight years ago), then you're constantly thinking of the rules of writing; it feels like you don't have the luxury to discover your voice just yet. Consequently the quote above could have seemed frightening to someone like me, having only started seriously writing in 2007.

The thing I did have at my disposal back then was time. Time to write as fast and as frequently as I desired. So that's what I did. I wrote like I had to make up for lost time, which in a sense was true. (But that's a topic for another post.) In the process I began to see that just because someone says they've been a writer for umpteen years, doesn't mean they're an expert writer - we're all on our own storyteller's journey. As that truth dawned on me, I felt less frustrated at being a "late bloomer."

What has happened in the last eight years, is that while I am by no means a veteran writer, I do feel comfortable with the rules of writing. (One of them is to have an editor!!) Only recently do I feel I have begun to see my voice emerge on the pages of my manuscripts. It has taken years. The thing is, I believe my writer's voice will keep evolving over time. However, I no longer find myself thinking of rules while I write; I'm thinking about my protagonist's thoughts, her challenges, her journey.

       This quote sums up the journey all creative souls should take:

 

Have you discovered your writer's voice yet?

Whimsical Word of the Week

Ambit - (n.)
the scope, extent, or bounds of something.
Example: The ambit of the enemies' aggressions went on for years.

Bibliophile's Corner

Can You Say Peace?
by Karen Katz

Flap Copy Description:
Children everywhere wish for peace.

International Peace Day is September 21. On this day and every day throughout the year, children all over the world wish for peace. Karen Katz takes readers on a bright and colorful journey around the globe to meet some of these children and learn about the many ways to say peace!

My Thoughts:
The inspiring Can You Say Peace? was written and illustrated by Karen Katz - what a find! This delightful little book would be perfect for parents or teachers to introduce the topic of peace to little ones.

           Happy International Peace Day!