Shelley Workinger's Blog, page 48
July 23, 2012
The SOLID Series was born when...
Find the answer at Ren's Rambles, where I'm pleased to be today's guest author:
http://rens-rambles.blogspot.com/2012...
http://rens-rambles.blogspot.com/2012...
July 17, 2012
Toastworthy Teens! Benjamin Coady
“If you have a question, ask it,” advises 13-year-old Benjamin Coady.
He speaks from experience; when the Connecticut teen visited New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, he caught a mistake on a 6th century map of the Byzantine Empire that everyone else had missed.
He left a card pointing out the discrepancy with the doubtful front desk attendant, thinking nothing would come of it since he’s “only a kid.”
Only a kid who was absolutely right, which the museum’s Byzantine art curator acknowledged by thanking him for his keen eye and inviting him to visit her in New York.
Goes to show that kids should always speak up, and adults should always listen. ;)
To plan your trip to the Met, visit:
http://www.metmuseum.org
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
He speaks from experience; when the Connecticut teen visited New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, he caught a mistake on a 6th century map of the Byzantine Empire that everyone else had missed.
He left a card pointing out the discrepancy with the doubtful front desk attendant, thinking nothing would come of it since he’s “only a kid.”
Only a kid who was absolutely right, which the museum’s Byzantine art curator acknowledged by thanking him for his keen eye and inviting him to visit her in New York.
Goes to show that kids should always speak up, and adults should always listen. ;)
To plan your trip to the Met, visit:
http://www.metmuseum.org
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
July 13, 2012
Please Welcome Peter Anthony Kelley, Author of Paraglide
Head out of town in mid to late summer and the road signs start popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm: strawberries, blueberries, apples, U-pick, self-harvest, pick-your-own. People everywhere love the harvest. There’s something compelling, almost primal about gathering your own food. How much better is it to slip a juicy raspberry off the cane than out of a plastic clamshell?
But some foods require more than just a hand drawn sign to track down. As research for my novel, Paraglide, I sought out one of the most difficult foods to find: the truffle....
More:
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
But some foods require more than just a hand drawn sign to track down. As research for my novel, Paraglide, I sought out one of the most difficult foods to find: the truffle....
More:
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
July 10, 2012
Toastworthy Teens! Mackenzie Bearup
16-year-old Mackenzie Bearup is one of hundreds of thousands of people diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Distrophy (RSD), a disease in which the brain continues to receive distress messages from nerves and blood vessels around an injury that has actually already healed. Suffering from RSD doesn’t just mean sore muscles or achy bones; in Mackenzie’s own words, her pain will “explode at random times [and] when something touches it, it's like I'm getting stabbed multiple times.”
Not only is there no cure for RSD, even Mackenzie’s pain-management doctor cannot prevent the flare-ups that keep the teenager bedridden for sometimes months at a time.
So this amazing Georgia teen had to find her own way to escape the pain: reading. But that’s only the beginning of her story; when Mackenzie learned a nearby residential center for severely abused children had just built a library but didn’t have books to fill it, she wanted to relieve some of the pain felt by those kids, too. She set a goal to collect 300 books, but her flyers, newspaper ads, and website brought in over 3,000!
Still, she didn’t stop there; Sheltering Books, the non-profit group Mackenzie founded to expand her work, has now donated almost 40,000 books to 27 different shelters in 6 states.
You can meet Mackenzie here:
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2...
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
Not only is there no cure for RSD, even Mackenzie’s pain-management doctor cannot prevent the flare-ups that keep the teenager bedridden for sometimes months at a time.
So this amazing Georgia teen had to find her own way to escape the pain: reading. But that’s only the beginning of her story; when Mackenzie learned a nearby residential center for severely abused children had just built a library but didn’t have books to fill it, she wanted to relieve some of the pain felt by those kids, too. She set a goal to collect 300 books, but her flyers, newspaper ads, and website brought in over 3,000!
Still, she didn’t stop there; Sheltering Books, the non-profit group Mackenzie founded to expand her work, has now donated almost 40,000 books to 27 different shelters in 6 states.
You can meet Mackenzie here:
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2...
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
July 9, 2012
Toastworthy Teens! Ben Carpenter
Ben Carpenter is a busy guy. When the high school baccalaureate student isn’t captaining his wheelchair soccer team (the Tampa Thunder), or volunteering for Junior Achievement, Shriner’s Hospitals, and other groups, he’s working his way through thousands of damaged books that have made their way to his garage.
Yes, Ben is a voracious reader, but the books are there for more than his perusal; through his Ben’s Mends organization, the 16-year-old repairs and donates them to schools, homeless shelters, assisted living facilities, and any other places that need them.
Ben, who credits his inspiration to both his parents and his spinal muscular dystrophy, founded Ben’s Mends after asking himself, How can I bring something back to the community and combine it with my love of reading?
Ben’s words not only echo my own reason for creating the Solid series; they also remind me to keep asking how I can do and be more. Thanks for inspiring me, Ben!
Meet Ben here:
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/cons...
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
Yes, Ben is a voracious reader, but the books are there for more than his perusal; through his Ben’s Mends organization, the 16-year-old repairs and donates them to schools, homeless shelters, assisted living facilities, and any other places that need them.
Ben, who credits his inspiration to both his parents and his spinal muscular dystrophy, founded Ben’s Mends after asking himself, How can I bring something back to the community and combine it with my love of reading?
Ben’s words not only echo my own reason for creating the Solid series; they also remind me to keep asking how I can do and be more. Thanks for inspiring me, Ben!
Meet Ben here:
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/cons...
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/07/...
June 29, 2012
Freedom to Read GIVEAWAY Hop!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
This hop, organized by Mundie Moms and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, features over 200 (!) participating blogs offering book-related giveaways!
Winner here at BWATE? gets a Signed Copy of either:
"Solid" (Solid Series Book #1) or "Settling" (Solid #2)
To enter to win, just follow this blog and leave a comment/question,
along with a way to contact you.
Optional Extra Entries:
+1 Follow on Twitter
+1 Like Solid Series on Facebook
+1 Add series to your to-read list on Goodreads
This hop, organized by Mundie Moms and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, features over 200 (!) participating blogs offering book-related giveaways!
Winner here at BWATE? gets a Signed Copy of either:
"Solid" (Solid Series Book #1) or "Settling" (Solid #2)
To enter to win, just follow this blog and leave a comment/question,
along with a way to contact you.
Optional Extra Entries:
+1 Follow on Twitter
+1 Like Solid Series on Facebook
+1 Add series to your to-read list on Goodreads
June 28, 2012
Please Welcome Charong Chow, Author of RANDOM
Food is such an important part of who I am, especially as a Chinese-American growing up in Miami. I can still smell the favorite dishes my mother cooked, like stir-fry spicy shrimp or freshly steamed bao-tse (meat and vegetable stuffed buns).
Most of my childhood friends were Latin, and today I make Cuban picadillo from a friend’s recipe. I write about food for national publications and websites, including my own food blog, Eating With Hudson and Paradise, which is written with my two young children.
Since I love eating, I don’t think I fully trust others who don’t care for food. To me, a person who enjoys food understands herself more, and what she wants out of life. Loving food is loving life and everything it has to offer. It is only natural that the characters I create when I write enjoy eating as much as I do.
More:
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
Most of my childhood friends were Latin, and today I make Cuban picadillo from a friend’s recipe. I write about food for national publications and websites, including my own food blog, Eating With Hudson and Paradise, which is written with my two young children.
Since I love eating, I don’t think I fully trust others who don’t care for food. To me, a person who enjoys food understands herself more, and what she wants out of life. Loving food is loving life and everything it has to offer. It is only natural that the characters I create when I write enjoy eating as much as I do.
More:
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
June 26, 2012
Toastworthy Teens! Lauren McClusky
McDonald's felt this teen's "McFest" was a copyright infringement; what do you think?
Lauren McClusky’s “McFests” were well on their way to becoming a tradition in Chicago, where the charity concerts raised over $30,000 for the Special Olympics. Unfortunately, the money raised during the 3rd annual event had to be put toward attorney fees when McDonald’s filed an opposition against the 19-year-old altruist, claiming her use of “Mc” infringed on the famous trademark.
Initially Lauren was “kind of honored” that her work blipped on the McDonald’s radar. But “when [she] realized how serious it was, it just got ridiculous and offensive. They just wouldn’t listen.”
Yes, Lauren could’ve just changed the event’s name (which she built around the “Mc” in her own surname), but she didn’t want to also have to rebuild the brand she’d worked to establish since she was 16. She also hoped McDonald’s would be interested in working with her, since the corporation also supports the Special Olympics.
Unfortunately, the final agreement required Lauren to relinquish the “Mc,” but her next event, which launched the new name “Nelarusky” (combining letters from both her first and last names this time), had a stellar turnout and still raised $22,000 for her cause.
I’d tell you to buy tickets for her 2012 event, but the tickets sold out in ONE MINUTE!
You can still visit her site, though:
http://nelarusky.com
I'd love for you to comment with your thoughts:
Which side do you think was right? Do you think the decision was fair?
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
Lauren McClusky’s “McFests” were well on their way to becoming a tradition in Chicago, where the charity concerts raised over $30,000 for the Special Olympics. Unfortunately, the money raised during the 3rd annual event had to be put toward attorney fees when McDonald’s filed an opposition against the 19-year-old altruist, claiming her use of “Mc” infringed on the famous trademark.
Initially Lauren was “kind of honored” that her work blipped on the McDonald’s radar. But “when [she] realized how serious it was, it just got ridiculous and offensive. They just wouldn’t listen.”
Yes, Lauren could’ve just changed the event’s name (which she built around the “Mc” in her own surname), but she didn’t want to also have to rebuild the brand she’d worked to establish since she was 16. She also hoped McDonald’s would be interested in working with her, since the corporation also supports the Special Olympics.
Unfortunately, the final agreement required Lauren to relinquish the “Mc,” but her next event, which launched the new name “Nelarusky” (combining letters from both her first and last names this time), had a stellar turnout and still raised $22,000 for her cause.
I’d tell you to buy tickets for her 2012 event, but the tickets sold out in ONE MINUTE!
You can still visit her site, though:
http://nelarusky.com
I'd love for you to comment with your thoughts:
Which side do you think was right? Do you think the decision was fair?
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
June 20, 2012
Free Beach Reads! Midsummer's Eve GIVEAWAY HOP
Winner at BWATE? gets a Signed Copy of either SOLID or SETTLING (Solid #2)
To enter to win, just follow the blog and leave a comment/question, along with a way to contact you.
Optional Extra Entries:
+1 Follow on Twitter
+1 Like Solid Series on Facebook
+1 Add series to your to-read list on Goodreads
Giveaway runs from June 20th to June 25th; last day to enter is Monday, June 25th.
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
To enter to win, just follow the blog and leave a comment/question, along with a way to contact you.
Optional Extra Entries:
+1 Follow on Twitter
+1 Like Solid Series on Facebook
+1 Add series to your to-read list on Goodreads
Giveaway runs from June 20th to June 25th; last day to enter is Monday, June 25th.
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
June 19, 2012
Toastworthy Teens! Zach Dubois
Could you save a life if you were first on the scene? Check out this week's Toastworthy Teen, Zach Dubois:
Cheshire, CT Health Department Chair Cathy Sullivan says Zach Dubois “was attentive in class [and] asked the right questions,” but the high school freshman couldn’t help but think, When am I gonna use this? I’m not in a war zone or anything.
Yes, Zach’s town is indeed a world away from combat, but the 14-year-old did in fact have the opportunity to use what he’d learned in school to save a life. The teen was the first to discover a neighbor who’d fallen off a ladder while using a chain saw and sustained a serious head trauma. Zach, who wants to someday work for the F.B.I., saved the man’s life by wrapping and putting pressure on the wound after calling 9-1-1. I’d say his resume’s off to a good start. ;)
To be as prepared as Zach was to deal with an emergency situation, visit a first-aid site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/firs...
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
Cheshire, CT Health Department Chair Cathy Sullivan says Zach Dubois “was attentive in class [and] asked the right questions,” but the high school freshman couldn’t help but think, When am I gonna use this? I’m not in a war zone or anything.
Yes, Zach’s town is indeed a world away from combat, but the 14-year-old did in fact have the opportunity to use what he’d learned in school to save a life. The teen was the first to discover a neighbor who’d fallen off a ladder while using a chain saw and sustained a serious head trauma. Zach, who wants to someday work for the F.B.I., saved the man’s life by wrapping and putting pressure on the wound after calling 9-1-1. I’d say his resume’s off to a good start. ;)
To be as prepared as Zach was to deal with an emergency situation, visit a first-aid site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/firs...
Do you know a toast-worthy teen you’d like to see featured here at BWATE?
Comment below with your email address so we can get a post together!
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2012/06/...
