Junction of Sunshine & Lucky -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

 “Love is the answer to everything. It’s the only reason to do anything.

If you don’t write stories you love, you’ll never make it. If you don’t

write stories that other people love, you’ll never make it.”

~ Ray Bradbury ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Revision. Revision. Revision. I hate the word, but I know it’s necessary. Janice Hardy has a good post HERE on how to approach revision. 

It sure would be nice to make a living as a writer. Elizabeth S. Craig has ten hints on how to go about that HERE on Anne R. Allen’s blog. 

Part of the deal I have with Sacramento Book Review is that occasionally I write sponsored book reviews, ones that are paid for. I think most book reviews do this. Even Kirkus does. Anyway, I am reading a sponsored book right now, and the dialogue is just terrible. Half the time I don’t know who the speaker is. The author should have read Susan Uhlig’s post HERE on taglines and beats. 

I am in the middle of doing a house flip right now, and, honestly, I'm having trouble keeping up with things, so if I miss a post now and again, forgive me. I have to say, though, it is so much fun. This is something I have wanted to do for years, and it's finally happening. Now, if the market just holds a little longer.

Last week I offered an ARC of Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart to one of you. This week's winner is Danielle Hammelef, who always shares my link lots of places and gets extra chances. Sometimes that pays off, as it did this week. Thanks, Danielle. I will get your book out to you this week. For the rest of you, please keep reading. I have another book giveaway this week.

I am really, really late to the party on this one. The Junction of Sunshine & Lucky by Holly Schlinder has long been on my TBR list and on my Amazon Wish List. My daughter gave me a copy for Christmas, and just loved it. It was so worth waiting for. 

Auggie was named for her grandfather, August or Gus, as he is best known, a junk dealer. Auggie lives with him. Their home, in a poor part of town, is a place they both love. The local school has been closed and Auggie and her neighborhood friends have to start at a new school. This brings about plenty of challenges for all the kids, but for Auggie it's really hard when her best friend forever seems stolen away by a rich, rather powerful girl named Victoria. Victoria's father is on the city council, and they set up a beautification committee that makes rules that seem to be designed to push Auggie and the people of their neighborhood out of their homes. Try as they might to make their homes more beautiful, the rules seem to become more and more stringent, causing fines to pile up. Auggie and her grandfather try to beautify their home with sculptures, but Victoria makes fun of their "junk." 

Middle school is such a difficult time, and Holly Schlinder paints the picture

Holly Schindler

beautifully what it is like to get through that time, facing loss of friendship, facing ridicule, and facing losing one's home. I think this a such a wonderful book not just for young people but for anyone who loves strong characters and a fine story. I recommend it highly. I will be looking for more books by this author. She is a terrific writer.

I have my own gently-read hardback to pass along to 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.

Scar Island -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

~ Thomas A. Edison ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Jessica Strawser has an interesting post on Writers in the Storm HERE about Acting Out of Character and how that can add interest and layers to our writing. 

Janice Hardy always has such great stuff on her blog, Fiction University. The one HERE is all about How to Write with a Teen Voice. It’s chock full of good info. 

If you are confused about plot and why it’s so critical, you will want to read the post HERE by K. M. Weiland.

I know I disappeared last week. It was my birthday and one of my former students gave me tickets for a San Jose Sharks game (that's hockey, folks, in case you don't know). I took my grandson and was gone until very late. Even though my team lost in overtime, it was a great game and we had a lot of fun. Anyway, I'm back!

Last time I showed up here, I promised a copy of Garvey's Choice by Nikki Grimes to one lucky winner. This time, our winner is Myra. Congratulations, Myra! I will get your book out to you soon. Thanks for reading and commenting. I have another book to giveaway, so everyone please keep reading.

I am always searching for terrific middle-grade books, especially those that will engage boy readers. When I ran across a new mystery-adventure available for review for the San Francisco Book Review, I grabbed it. It is Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart, and I love it's nod to several classic novels. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR.

Jonathan Grisby has been sent to Slabhenge, a reform school for boys. It used to be an insane asylum and is on an island in some very rough seas. Run by by the Admiral and a crew of nefarious men, it might seem that the inmates have taken over the asylum. When a crazy accident kills all the adults, the boys are on their own. They are prepared to send a rescue message with the mail boat that comes every day when a few decide it might be interesting to just be on their own for awhile, so they trick the mail boat driver and form their own little society. That’s when things get interesting. 

Author Dan Gemeinhart takes a helping of Shutter Island and mixes it with a bit

Dan Gemeinhart

of Treasure Island and a huge dollop of Lord of the Flies to create a contemporary middle-grade novel that will capture its intended audience and keep them turning pages until the surprising and exciting climax. This is a terrific book, and middle-grade boys — those boys that are so hard to get to read a book — especially will love it.

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.