Emma Michaels's Blog, page 70
December 9, 2010
Review: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson
Sorry I have been gone for the week! Was having trouble getting to a computer with my files on it but I am back!!! <3
Novel: Witch and Wizard
Author: James Patterson
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Everything is about to change. The government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For 15 year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no apparent reason. It's clear that the new government will stop at nothing to suppress Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager.
For the sister and brother, the chaos started when Whit's girlfriend, Celia, was spirited away in a black van, never to be seen or heard from again. Locked inside their cells, the two fear that they have been taken to the very same complex that swallowed Celia and realize that a daring escape is their only hope of survival.
While imprisoned together, Wisty and Whit start exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never knew they possessed. Their new talents lead them to believe that maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly minted witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?
(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)
This book had everything. I was laughing so hard yet there were moments where I would sit up in bed and hardly be able to calm back down until I could find out what would happen next! It was a crazy roller coaster ride that had be shocked into fits of giggles, near screams and a LOT of surprised gasp expressions that kept my fiance worried as we watched my face and I watched the pages flying by. I have not checked out many of James Patterson's novels but now, I think I will be. If all of his novels can make me laugh this hard I want them as a part of my collection!
5 Stars!
Would I suggest you read it:
Yes! It is a great young adult fantasy and great for the younger side of Young Adult readers as long as they can handle the content. It was just so much fun to read and has so much humor in it!
Novel: Witch and Wizard
Author: James Patterson
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Everything is about to change. The government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For 15 year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no apparent reason. It's clear that the new government will stop at nothing to suppress Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager.
For the sister and brother, the chaos started when Whit's girlfriend, Celia, was spirited away in a black van, never to be seen or heard from again. Locked inside their cells, the two fear that they have been taken to the very same complex that swallowed Celia and realize that a daring escape is their only hope of survival.
While imprisoned together, Wisty and Whit start exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never knew they possessed. Their new talents lead them to believe that maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly minted witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?
(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)
This book had everything. I was laughing so hard yet there were moments where I would sit up in bed and hardly be able to calm back down until I could find out what would happen next! It was a crazy roller coaster ride that had be shocked into fits of giggles, near screams and a LOT of surprised gasp expressions that kept my fiance worried as we watched my face and I watched the pages flying by. I have not checked out many of James Patterson's novels but now, I think I will be. If all of his novels can make me laugh this hard I want them as a part of my collection!
5 Stars!
Would I suggest you read it:
Yes! It is a great young adult fantasy and great for the younger side of Young Adult readers as long as they can handle the content. It was just so much fun to read and has so much humor in it!
December 3, 2010
Follow My Book Blog Friday
To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com and http://www.crazy-for-books.com/} and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - none this week
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Happy Follow Friday!
NEW! Follow it up with your twitter address if you want to get that one out!
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What do you do besides reading / reviewing as a hobby??
Writing!!!
November 28, 2010
In My Mailbox (Week 2)
Welcome to In My Mailbox! You can find out how to participate and the "official" details on the IMM page.
IMM is a meme I started here at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.
The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.
Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.
____________________________________________________________
IMM is a meme I started here at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.
The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.
Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.
____________________________________________________________
November 26, 2010
Follow My Book Blog Friday and the Blog Hop!!!
To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com and http://www.crazy-for-books.com/} and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - none this week
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Happy Follow Friday!
NEW! Follow it up with your twitter address if you want to get that one out!
*********
"What is your favorite book cover?"
: p My favorite book cover changes fairly often but today I think it is:
November 22, 2010
Teaser Tuesday and side note!
Teaser Tuesday
As had happened the night before, Elphame watched in awe as a gold thread spooled within the stone beneath her hands. Like a flash of lightning it whipped, glowing through the wall, snaking around the room to come to rest in a thin disk of incandescent gold that shimmered in an area of the wall across the chamber from where she stood.
Elphame's Choice by P. C. Cast – page 255
By the way if you want a free $25 dollar Amazon card please use this link and sign up. all you have to do is invite 15 people!!!
Scroll for side note/ great movie trailer I am looking forward to!!!
Side note:
This movie trailer looks so good! I really want to get to see this one when it comes out next year. What do you think?
As had happened the night before, Elphame watched in awe as a gold thread spooled within the stone beneath her hands. Like a flash of lightning it whipped, glowing through the wall, snaking around the room to come to rest in a thin disk of incandescent gold that shimmered in an area of the wall across the chamber from where she stood.
Elphame's Choice by P. C. Cast – page 255
By the way if you want a free $25 dollar Amazon card please use this link and sign up. all you have to do is invite 15 people!!!
Scroll for side note/ great movie trailer I am looking forward to!!!
Side note:
This movie trailer looks so good! I really want to get to see this one when it comes out next year. What do you think?
November 21, 2010
In My Mailbox (1) New!!!
My first week of In My Mailbox!!!
Welcome to In My Mailbox! You can find out how to participate and the "official" details on the IMM page.
IMM is a meme I started here at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.
The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.
Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.
___________________________________________________________
Welcome to In My Mailbox! You can find out how to participate and the "official" details on the IMM page.
IMM is a meme I started here at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.
The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.
Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.
___________________________________________________________
Project to Published: Querying Publishers Directly
Querying Publishers
This topic has raised a lot of controversy for me since I was published. I queried quite a few agents and I received over a hundred rejections before I took the plunge and began to query publishers directly. It was an eye-opening experience, filled with quite a few surprised and twists and turns in the road for me.
Other writers, who were also querying agents, heard what I was doing and would stare at me or send me messages about how I was making a mistake. Why? Because many publishers are not able to keep up with the flow of manuscripts they receive and use agents to sift through to find the best and most marketable novels. It's smart business for the publisher and it gives business to the agents. So I didn't stand a chance, right?
Wrong. Not only did I stand a chance, I started to receive acceptance letters right away. I currently do not have an agent and unless one pops up and comes to me with a really great offer I'm not sure I will ever have one. I learned a lot after I began querying the publishers directly. For instance, what an agent does and what an agent doesn't do. It is still up to the author to do a lot of the marketing and to reach out to his or her audience. If the author wants to schedule events like book signings, the author or publisher has to hire someone who can set these up. That's right - most agents don't do that.
An agent also acts as a go-between for the author and publisher. I think if I had an agent do this for me I would have lost out a lot when it comes to my publisher. I've learned so much, gotten to share ideas and I even was able to give input on the cover I wanted for my first book. I've made wonderful friends and I've seen firsthand what a publisher is capable of achieving when working directly with an author.
Does that mean it is for everyone? Definitely not. I know agents have some very big plusses (it's their job to know what sells and who to talk to), but I think publishers are worth speaking to directly. So if you are like me and crazy enough to attempt it, just remember that you have even more research to do regarding publishers than you did for agents. Know who you want to submit to, why you want to submit to them and are they accepting your genre and idea. If they are not doing so at that time, check back with them or ask what time of year they open submissions. Some publishers will accept unsolicited manuscripts if they see you've taken the time to do the work they expect in a quality manuscript.
Querying publishers directly can be difficult, but well worth the effort. Don't take it to heart if they send you a rejection. However, do listen to what they give as the reasons behind their decisions. At the very least you will learn something new about your query and/or manuscript that will help you in your second attempt or with the next publisher.
I do feel that everyone should try to get an agent before querying directly to publishers. So, to my readers out there: Would you ever consider querying directly?
This topic has raised a lot of controversy for me since I was published. I queried quite a few agents and I received over a hundred rejections before I took the plunge and began to query publishers directly. It was an eye-opening experience, filled with quite a few surprised and twists and turns in the road for me.
Other writers, who were also querying agents, heard what I was doing and would stare at me or send me messages about how I was making a mistake. Why? Because many publishers are not able to keep up with the flow of manuscripts they receive and use agents to sift through to find the best and most marketable novels. It's smart business for the publisher and it gives business to the agents. So I didn't stand a chance, right?
Wrong. Not only did I stand a chance, I started to receive acceptance letters right away. I currently do not have an agent and unless one pops up and comes to me with a really great offer I'm not sure I will ever have one. I learned a lot after I began querying the publishers directly. For instance, what an agent does and what an agent doesn't do. It is still up to the author to do a lot of the marketing and to reach out to his or her audience. If the author wants to schedule events like book signings, the author or publisher has to hire someone who can set these up. That's right - most agents don't do that.
An agent also acts as a go-between for the author and publisher. I think if I had an agent do this for me I would have lost out a lot when it comes to my publisher. I've learned so much, gotten to share ideas and I even was able to give input on the cover I wanted for my first book. I've made wonderful friends and I've seen firsthand what a publisher is capable of achieving when working directly with an author.
Does that mean it is for everyone? Definitely not. I know agents have some very big plusses (it's their job to know what sells and who to talk to), but I think publishers are worth speaking to directly. So if you are like me and crazy enough to attempt it, just remember that you have even more research to do regarding publishers than you did for agents. Know who you want to submit to, why you want to submit to them and are they accepting your genre and idea. If they are not doing so at that time, check back with them or ask what time of year they open submissions. Some publishers will accept unsolicited manuscripts if they see you've taken the time to do the work they expect in a quality manuscript.
Querying publishers directly can be difficult, but well worth the effort. Don't take it to heart if they send you a rejection. However, do listen to what they give as the reasons behind their decisions. At the very least you will learn something new about your query and/or manuscript that will help you in your second attempt or with the next publisher.
I do feel that everyone should try to get an agent before querying directly to publishers. So, to my readers out there: Would you ever consider querying directly?
November 18, 2010
Review: Manifest by Artist Arthur
Novel: Manifest
Author: Artist Arthur
Pages: 256
Genre: YA
Krystal Bentley is an outsider at her new high school, having just moved to a small Connecticut town. Lately she's been hearing the voice of a teenage boy in her head, and he has become her friend and confidant. The only problem is, he's dead...
Ricky Watson was killed a year ago in the alley behind Krystal's new school. The rumor mill is filled with stories of Ricky and his untimely death. Unfortunately, as a ghost, Ricky is unable to investigate his own murder, so Ricky needs Krystal to find the truth and she needs someone to listen. When Krystal befriends Sasha and Jake, both outcasts at her high school, the threesome soon discover that they have more in common than their outsider status. Each has a unique paranormal ability and an unusual birthmark in the shape of an "M." Jake announces that the M must stand for misfits, and so the three form an unusual clique. They soon realize that solving Ricky's murder can help them understand the mystery behind their powers and may reveal whether there are others like them.
(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)
This book seemed to have turned me on my head. Suddenly the main girl who is alive is sulky and acting like Ricky, who is dead, should be. Only Ricky isn't your average dead joe. He is fun and blunt and when these two characters are next to one another they seem to compliment both the good and bad in each other making the story even more interesting. There is a wide variety among the cast of characters each of them having their own constant and unique personalities. I want to find out what will happen next! I really think this series has the potential to branch out and becoming even better with its second novel.
3 ½ stars!
Would I suggest you read it:
I would suggest this novel to someone who is looking for a paranormal YA series that has a lot of potential to grow. It may be one of those novels that reach some and not others but I know I loved it and hope you will too!
(This novel was received through netGalley. This does not change my stance, opinion or effect my views in any way.)
November 14, 2010
Project to Published: Shutting Down Your Inner Editor (Great for nanowrimo)
"Project to Published" Helpful information for aspiring authors
Shutting Down Your Inner Editor
One of the biggest problems I have with myself is my tendency to question how good my last bit of writing was and if I could have made it better. Because of this, I sometimes switch to my 'inner editor' mode and I begin to go back through and edit everything I have written. Now don't get me wrong - editing is vital when it comes to writing, especially when it is a professional career. But on the other hand, switching to your inner editor during the middle of writing is not only counterproductive, but it could completely kill your inspiration of the moment.
Organization is very important when I write. I like outlining and I make it a point to write everyday at the same time, with a word count that I am aiming for. I have goals and I like to stick to them. My inner editor is a part of my organization process, but I only let the editor in me out at a certain time. Personally I prefer to do so after the first draft of my manuscript has been finished. This allows me to write without feeling pressured and I like to think it provides me with a higher quality manuscript in the end because I can go through my own work as a whole. It also allows me to write faster.
I would submit that for anyone, especially a first time writer who is plagued by an inner editor that pops up, it would be best to write out your first draft without pausing for editing. Some might disagree with this, but shutting down your inner editor will prevent you from thinking too much about mistakes and allow you to focus on what is important - writing.
Your inner editor is important but so is getting the writing inside of you out and onto paper. Don't cut yourself short by getting distracted. Think about it - when do you do your best? Is it when you are having fun and not thinking? Or is it when you are constantly stopping, looking back over what you just did and seeing mistakes you might have made? Allow yourself to do your best and in so doing, you will allow your inner editor to do his or her best when it counts - afterward.
Do you ever hit road blocks because of your inner editor?
Shutting Down Your Inner Editor
One of the biggest problems I have with myself is my tendency to question how good my last bit of writing was and if I could have made it better. Because of this, I sometimes switch to my 'inner editor' mode and I begin to go back through and edit everything I have written. Now don't get me wrong - editing is vital when it comes to writing, especially when it is a professional career. But on the other hand, switching to your inner editor during the middle of writing is not only counterproductive, but it could completely kill your inspiration of the moment.
Organization is very important when I write. I like outlining and I make it a point to write everyday at the same time, with a word count that I am aiming for. I have goals and I like to stick to them. My inner editor is a part of my organization process, but I only let the editor in me out at a certain time. Personally I prefer to do so after the first draft of my manuscript has been finished. This allows me to write without feeling pressured and I like to think it provides me with a higher quality manuscript in the end because I can go through my own work as a whole. It also allows me to write faster.
I would submit that for anyone, especially a first time writer who is plagued by an inner editor that pops up, it would be best to write out your first draft without pausing for editing. Some might disagree with this, but shutting down your inner editor will prevent you from thinking too much about mistakes and allow you to focus on what is important - writing.
Your inner editor is important but so is getting the writing inside of you out and onto paper. Don't cut yourself short by getting distracted. Think about it - when do you do your best? Is it when you are having fun and not thinking? Or is it when you are constantly stopping, looking back over what you just did and seeing mistakes you might have made? Allow yourself to do your best and in so doing, you will allow your inner editor to do his or her best when it counts - afterward.
Do you ever hit road blocks because of your inner editor?
November 12, 2010
Blog Hop and Follow My Book Blog Friday!
To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com and http://www.crazy-for-books.com/} and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://insanehussein.com/blog/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Happy Follow Friday!
NEW! Follow it up with your twitter address if you want to get that one out!
*********
Head over to Parajunkee.com and http://www.crazy-for-books.com/ for the linkys!
