Michelle L. Levigne's Blog, page 85

Off the Bookshelf: THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL, by Stacy McAnulty

Middle Grade book

You don't know what you've got until it's gone -- in this case, that means LIBRARIES!

I had the pleasure and blessing to see the author in person at a library event several months ago. I got to hear the process she went through as she came up with the idea and characters and did the research for all the calculations and "tricks" of Lucy, our middle school heroine, who is a math genius, but somewhat handicapped when it comes to dealing with people.

Sometimes I do get irritated with the trend that I've noticed on TV and movies, portraying brilliant people as arrogant to the point of stupidity, and refusing to change to get along in the "real world," but rather demanding that everyone change to accommodate them.

Lucy, however, knows she has problems. She's trying to get along, even as she grumbles that it's a waste of time, that people will never accept her. She admits her quirks and OCD and the damage in her own brain from the lightning strike that made her a math genius (hence her name). She simply doesn't understand the reasoning of her age group, and she would much rather retreat than be hurt again, and mocked. But her grandmother loves her enough to refuse to let her hide from the world. And in a lot of ways, Lucy finds out she's a normal kid when it comes to mistakes and squabbling and being afraid and wanting to be liked.

You'll laugh, you'll sigh, you'll want to clobber the bullies, you'll cringe. And in this day of social distancing ... you'll agree with Lucy more than the author probably intended! The book is real. Enjoy.

Update: GOALS

(The plan is to check in every Saturday and tally up what I've accomplished, and add any new goals to the list. Feel free to jeer if I don't get at least half this list done this month!)

MAY GOALS LIST as of 05/02/20:

HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS: AFV Defender Book 2 -- revision 2, revision 3, polish/upload for print

QUITTING THE HERO BIZ: Neighborlee Book 6 -- polish, upload for print

YOUNG DEFENDERS BOOK 1: Outline, 1st draft

Mt. Zion Ridge Press online conference May 16

Format 3 Neighborlee books for Kindle upload

ACFW Ohio May online meeting
Today!

Tweak 4 published Commonwealth Universe novels
Done -- The Lady and the Order,

Coming title: FRIENDLY FIRE

The launch of a new SF series!
Space opera
Print release date June 1NOW available in Kindle/Kindle Unlimited.
www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Update: GOALS

(The plan is to check in every Saturday and tally up what I've accomplished, and add any new goals to the list. Feel free to jeer if I don't get at least half this list done this month!)

APRIL GOALS LIST as of 04/04/20: (remainder)

Outline: MAKING IT ALL UP
Match Girls Book 2
Done!

1st  Revision: HERE THERE WERE DRAGONS
AFV Defender Book 2
Started -- about 1/4 of the way through

Tweak 3 published Commonwealth Universe novels
Done -- Sunsinger; Spacer's Creed; Dead World

Coming title: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF

Neighborlee, OhioBook 5
Print release date January 1, 2021
www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Off the Bookshelf: BLACK ORCHID, by Neil Gaiman

Graphic novel
with Dave McKean

Weeks ago, I indulged and hit Half Price Books and bought a huge handful of anything I could find by Neil Gaiman. This is the first one I've been able to read, between revising books for re-release and reading a lot of books to judge for a published novel contest (and I can't review THOSE books because we're not allowed to talk about the books we read until after the winners are announced, just so you know ...) and other projects.

Oh, the GLORY of being able to just lie down and read for an hour or two. For FUN.

You'd think with all the shelter in place and stay home orders I'd have more time to read, don't you?
NOPE!

BLACK ORCHID is a new kind of superhero. Kind of. I don't see the current Black Orchid flying around the city fighting crime, because she doesn't allow violence or killing ... although as she discovers in the course of the story, it's hard to find a place where hate doesn't intrude. She's been tainted by the memories of other lives, the lives that gave birth to her, so when she finds paradise she can't be satisfied there.

A sad, lovely, thought-provoking, and sometimes mind-bending story. Mad geniuses and greedy, powerful, evil men and sadists and mentally damaged, and souls wrapped in new kinds of bodies and the dream of saving the rainforests ... there's just so MUCH in this story. Plus the jarring little dips into the darkness of Gotham and Batman and Lex Luthor and Arkham Asylum. *shudder*

Essentially, a heroine called Black Orchid is caught and killed, but when she dies some of her memories transfer to a new Black Orchid, who awakens to a quest of exploration, seeking answers, a reason for being, and hope for the future. If the cruel and greedy and psychotic will allow her. And that's about all I can tell you without giving away too much.

Update: Goals

(The plan is to check in every Saturday and tally up what I've accomplished, and add any new goals to the list. Feel free to jeer if I don't get at least half this list done this month!)

APRIL GOALS LIST as of 04/04/20: (remainder)

Outline: MAKING IT ALL UP
Match Girls Book 2

1st  Revision: HERE THERE WERE DRAGONS
AFV Defender Book 2

Tweak 3 published Commonwealth Universe novels
2 Books Done -- Sunsinger; Spacer's Creed

Judge an online writing contest
Done.

Revise: QUITTING THE HERO BIZ
Neighborlee Book 6
Done.

Coming Title: LIVING PROOF (that no good deed goes unpunished)

Neighborlee, Ohio book 4

November 1 release

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Update: Goals

(The plan is to check in every Saturday and tally up what I've accomplished, and add any new goals to the list. Feel free to jeer if I don't get at least half this list done this month!)

APRIL GOALS LIST as of 04/04/20:

Outline: BRIDE OF THE LIVING PROOF
Neighborlee Book 7
DONE!!!

Outline: MAKING IT ALL UP
Match Girls Book 2

1st  Revision: HERE THERE WERE DRAGONS
AFV Defender Book 2

Tweak 3 published Commonwealth Universe novels
1 Book Done -- Sunsinger.

Judge an online writing contest
2 Days left to the contest.

Revise: QUITTING THE HERO BIZ
Neighborlee Book 6
1/4 of the way through!

Coming Title: VIRTUALLY LONDON

Neighborlee, Ohio book 3

September 1

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com