Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”

~ Phillip Roth ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I have mentioned before that I receive an email each day from "TUT, The Universe." They are uplifting and fun and once in awhile, so pertinent to what we as writers do, that I just have to pass them along. This is one I received recently. 

"It's true, Rosi, the early bird gets the worm. 

So does the late bird and the bird in-between. Because, by design, there are always more than enough worms. 

In fact, the only bird that doesn't get a worm is the bird that doesn't go out to get one. 

Oh, to be alive... The Universe"

Just in time for NaNoWriMo HERE is a post on how to start writing a novel. 

I don’t think a writer can read enough about balancing showing and telling in thier stories. HERE is a good post on exactly that from The Write Life. 

I have been doing searches for filtering words in my novel, and, while an arduous task, it’s worth it. HERE is a good article from Writers in the Storm about that. 

I still have not solved my spacing problems, so please forgive me the sonny layout.

When I posted two weeks ago, I offered a copy of Edna in the Desert by Maddy Lederman to one of you. The winner is Alex Baugh. Congratulations, Alex! I will get your book out to you soon. The rest of you can find out more about Alex at the Randomly Reading blog HERE. Please keep reading. I have another 

giveaway this week.

I read and reviewed a fun book recently -- Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom by David Neilsen. How can you not love a book with that title? It has been getting a lot of buzz and with good reason. Here is the review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review.

An abandoned old house has long been the playground of the neighborhood’s children, so when moving vans show up and begin to unload, there is both curiosity and disappointment. The children feel like their best times are being taken from them. Trucks and trucks are unloaded, and a funny-looking old man moves in. A couple days later, the most amazing playground–a combination of castles, pirate ships, and other exciting things–appears outside the old house. Soon children are swarming the place and seem to fall under a spell. The old man, Dr. Fell, seems able to enthrall all the parents and cure injuries miraculously. Three of the youngsters think something doesn’t quite add up and begin a quest to discover what’s really going on. But can they take on the strange Dr. Fell and win? 

Author David Neilsen has conjured up a story that will positively fascinate

David Neilsen

middle-grade readers and cast them under some kind of reading spell–a very good thing. The story is a combination mystery, supernatural, suspense, horror and will keep those eyeballs fast to the pages. Great characters and excellent writing will make this a true winner in the middle-grade category.

I have a gently-read ARC for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Edna in the Desert -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Keep a small can of WD-40 on your desk-away from any open flames-to remind yourself that if you don't write daily, you will get rusty.” 

~ George Singleton ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I write some children’s poetry and am always interested in good ideas for that genre. Today’s Little Ditty has a fantastic guest post by Carrie Clickard on using made-up words. Check it out HERE.  

Kristen Lamb always cuts to the chase. HERE she will tell you what a synopsis will reveal about your book. Good stuff. 

Any time I can get new ideas for the editing process, I am happy for it. HERE you will find 9 Tips to Become a Better Self-Editor. 

Just a heads up -- I probably will be MIA next week. I am going to North Carolina for a poetry workshop and will be flying home on Sunday. But I will be back the week after. 

Last week I offered a copy of the wonderful Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles. This week's winner is Sue Heavenrich. Congratulations, Sue! If you don't know her, Sue is a writer about science and environmental issue and runs THREE blogs! Holy smoke, I can barely run one. You can find her blogs by clicking on the titles: Archimedes Notebook, Sally's Bookshelf, and The Marcellus Effect. They are all worth a look. Sue, I will get your book out soon. For the rest of you, I have another giveaway, so please keep reading.

I was contacted by Maddy Lederman a few weeks ago and she offered to send me her debut novel, Edna in the Desert, for review. I really liked the concept so put it at the top of my TBR list and, miracle of miracles, I found time last week to get to it. I would call it a tween book, but sophisticated, upper-middle-graders would probably enjoy it. 

Edna is thirteen and lives with her parents and little brother in Beverly Hills. To suggest that she is spoiled is an understatement. Her parents have created this monster, but they are sick and tired of the chaos she creates at school, so they decide the best thing is to drop her off with her grandparents who live in a little cabin in the middle of the desert. They have no television, no computer or internet, and no cell phone reception. There are no restaurants or shops nearby. Edna will spend the summer there. (I must say, as a grandparent of a fifteen-year-old grandson, I must never let my daughter or son-in-law read this book.) Edna will sleep in a tiny pantry and have chores to do every day. She doesn't think she can survive this punishment and actually walks out into the desert in a kind of attention-getting run-away attempt fueled by some thoughts of suicide that actually ends up giving her the impetus to accept her situation after she is

Maddy Lederman

rescued by a drop-dead gorgeous teenage boy. She spends the summer trying to find ways to spend time this boy, Johnny, and inadvertently gets to know her grandparents and herself a whole lot better.

I do like the story, although I think it is a little too neatly wrapped up. The biggest problem I had was the point of view shifts that practically gave me whiplash. It was Edna's story and mostly told from Edna's PoV, but the author seemed unable to stay there, shifting to other character's PoV frequently, sometimes even in the same paragraph or sentence! All that said, the story is good enough to keep most young readers engaged and, who knows, maybe teach them a little something along the way. 

I have a gently-read paperback for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Still a Work in Progress -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“The mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated, neurotic, caffeine-addled, crippled by procrastination, consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing, and soul-crushing inadequacy. 

And that’s on a good day.” 

~ Robert De Niro~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I have long been a fan of fractured fairy tales. HERE is a terrific post from Group Blog with good advice for writing them. 

Janice Hardy at Fiction University does it again. The great post HERE is about the important difference between a surprise and a trick. 

From the Mixed Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors you will find a great post HERE on subtext. 

Still having spacing problems. I can't figure it out. Someday maybe I will move to WordPress. I have heard good things.

Last week I offered a copy of The Slowest Book Ever (such a funny and good book!) by April Pulley Sayre to one of you. This week's winner is Jenni Enzor. Congratulations, Jenni! Jenni is a writer and a blogger. You can check out her blog HERE where she posts reviews of middle grade books and also posts about the writing process. Check it out. It's worth your time. I do have another giveaway this week, so stay tuned.

I don't remember where I first heard of Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles, but as soon as I read about it, I requested it for review. It sounded like such a good book. I was not disappointed. Here is the 5-star review I wrote for San Francisco Book Review. 

Seventh grade isn’t easy, but for Noah it’s especially hard. He has great friends—Ryan and Sam—but things are changing. Sam has a girlfriend, and Ryan seems so angry that the three of them are having trouble just being friends. And, of course, The Thing They Don’t Talk About is like a dark cloud over Noah, his sister Emma, and his parents. He worries about it all the time and wonders if it’s his fault or if he should have done more or if it will happen again. And no one, not even his best friends or his teachers or anyone else, seems to worry or care about it. And then it happens all over again, and Noah feels incredibly responsible and alone. 

Author Jo Knowles has written a beautifully crafted novel about a very tough

Jo Knowles

topic, encapsulating it in a laugh-out-loud, very real story of a young boy. Noah tells his story in the pitch-perfect voice of a boy who worries about pimples, girls, farting, a hairless cat, homework, and his best friend, his sister Emma, who seems to be disappearing. This is a profoundly important book that should not be missed.                                I know I said this last week, but it's true again. I kind of hate to give away my copy of this one, but at the same time I feel it deserves to be shared, so I have a gently-read hardback for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

The Slowest Book Ever -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out." 

~ Ray Bradbury ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I don’t know if you receive message from the Universe each day in your email, but I do. Sometimes they are the perfect kick-in-the-pants I need. A perfect one I received recently was this: 

Until the really "great" stuff comes along, Rosi, do the not-so-great stuff. 

The not-so-great stuff always leads to the great stuff. Whereas doing nothing pretty much leads to nowhere. 

And do it with a passion. 

Tallyho, 

    The Universe

If you need a fun, inspirational message in your email each day, sign up by emailing the Universe at theuniverse@tut.com. Isn’t that perfect for a writer?

HERE is kind of a fun chart with 33 often misused phrases from Writer’s Digest. 

Kristen Lamb has a great guest post by Alex Limburg HERE on her blog that will help you to infuse your writing with body language to show your characters state of mind. 

I found a fun list of "28 Underused Words You Really Need to Start Using." Some of them (HERE) are humdingers. Enjoy!

Still having spacing problems. Please be patient. I'm trying to find a way to fix it.

Last week, I offered a gently-read ARC of Unbound by Ann E. Burg. The winner this week is Danielle Hammelef. Congratulations, Danielle! It pays to spread the word for extra chances in the drawing. I will get your book out to you this week. If you didn't win, keep reading. I have another giveaway this week.

I love books that cover superlatives -- the biggest, fastest, strongest, etc. When I saw The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre on the list of books for review from the San Franscisco Book Review, I grabbed it right up. I'm glad I did. It is just so much fun. Here is the 5-star review I wrote for SFBR.

Everyone probably is familiar with the story of the tortoise and the hare. On reading the story, one is reminded that slow and steady is often a pretty good way to go and when reading this book, it definitely pays to slow down and savor all the wonderfully slow things presented. There are nine sections including nature, animals, plants, geology, stuff, and more. There are also “Two pages on which to rest your face as you ponder the slowness of the universe.” That alone give one a flavor of the book which is a bit irreverent and fun. 

Author April Pulley Sayre has explored the world far and wide to find the slowest

April Pulley Sayre

things to talk about — everything from the expected snail to the largely unexpected cow digestion and the weathering of tombstones and the incredibly slow growth of the Atlantic Ocean. Super fun illustrations, all in black, white, and various tones of orange, help tell the stories and keep young readers interested. Sayre includes a good glossary and index which sandwich a must-be-read end notes section. The writing in this terrific tome is superb — crisp, funny, and smart. Kids will love this one.

I kind of hate to give away my copy of this one, but at the same time I feel it deserves to be shared, so I have a gently-read hardback for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.