Shannon Messenger's Blog, page 46
May 28, 2012
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead--and a giveaway!
I've been on a reading spree, trying to prepare for some of the panels I'm doing when I'm in NY next week (which, btw, if you're in the area and want to stop by, you can find my schedule HERE). So I actually have an MMGM for you guys--for a book I've been meaning to read for AGES. WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead.
Here's how the publisher describes it:
This remarkable novel holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart.
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.
But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.
Winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal
Winner of the 2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction & Poetry
2009 Parents' Choice Gold Award winner
I'm sure all those shiny awards do a far better job of recommending this book than I'm going to--clearly lots and lots of people agree with me about its general amazingness. Which is of course why I'd bought myself a copy and added it to my TBR pile, where it has sat gathering dust for at least a year. (#Shannonfail)
The main reason for that was simply time. It's been a crazy hectic year.
I will, however, admit that I'm sometimes a wee bit reluctant to read Newbery winners--for two reasons:
a large percentage of them tend to be quite sad and often contain lots of pets (or friends, or family members) dying. Not that I don't love a book that makes me feel--but sometimes it's hard not to think: but I don't wanna cry today.the writing is--of course--top-notch and therefore makes me feel like the resident Queen of Hacksville, which is NOT necessarily the best frame of mind to be in whilst drafting books of my ownBUT, when I found out I was going to be on a panel with the amazing Rebecca Stead I decided it was high time I dig out my copy and be one of the last people to discover how great WHEN YOU REACH ME is for myself. And yet even going in with incredibly high expectations (and a handy box of tissues for the sad scenes I was sure were inevitable) I was still completely blown away by how much I enjoyed it.
The writing--as expected--was completely amazing. I LOVED her use of details. How she focused on the small moments and feelings and thoughts and stayed so true to how kids see the world. The voice was so real and honest--but also incredibly unique. There are very few books that pull off addressing an unspecified "you" without feeling gimmicky or distracting. But the device works perfectly in this book, and adds such an interesting element of mystery, making the reader desperate to know who "you" is.
Bonus: IT DIDN'T MAKE ME CRY!!!! There was no adorable puppy that saved a main character's life and then got bit by a raccoon and had to be taken out back and bludgeoned to death to save it from rabies (or any of the other gut-wrenching tropes that break my heart in Newbery books). It even made me smile!
Basically, it was refreshingly unexpected. Special and honest and real and sweet--and while the writing did of course make me wonder why I don't just throw my laptop off a bridge and give up now, I also thoroughly enjoyed every word and I have a feeling you guys will do the same.
Which is why I'm giving away a copy to one lucky winner.
If you would like to enter, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Friday May 31st. I'll draw one random winner and post their names on Saturday, June 1st.* International entries welcome.
(And sorry, I won't be able to email the winners to let them know they won. Not only do I not have time to do that anymore, but I'll be out of town for BEA that week and with limited access to internet. So I *highly* recommend you follow my blog in some way/form so that you won't miss the "winners" post and lose your prize--but its up to you! That's not a requirement!)
For more awesome middle grade recommendations, check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere.*
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
Here's how the publisher describes it:
This remarkable novel holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart.
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.
But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.
Winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal
Winner of the 2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction & Poetry
2009 Parents' Choice Gold Award winner
I'm sure all those shiny awards do a far better job of recommending this book than I'm going to--clearly lots and lots of people agree with me about its general amazingness. Which is of course why I'd bought myself a copy and added it to my TBR pile, where it has sat gathering dust for at least a year. (#Shannonfail)
The main reason for that was simply time. It's been a crazy hectic year.
I will, however, admit that I'm sometimes a wee bit reluctant to read Newbery winners--for two reasons:
a large percentage of them tend to be quite sad and often contain lots of pets (or friends, or family members) dying. Not that I don't love a book that makes me feel--but sometimes it's hard not to think: but I don't wanna cry today.the writing is--of course--top-notch and therefore makes me feel like the resident Queen of Hacksville, which is NOT necessarily the best frame of mind to be in whilst drafting books of my ownBUT, when I found out I was going to be on a panel with the amazing Rebecca Stead I decided it was high time I dig out my copy and be one of the last people to discover how great WHEN YOU REACH ME is for myself. And yet even going in with incredibly high expectations (and a handy box of tissues for the sad scenes I was sure were inevitable) I was still completely blown away by how much I enjoyed it.
The writing--as expected--was completely amazing. I LOVED her use of details. How she focused on the small moments and feelings and thoughts and stayed so true to how kids see the world. The voice was so real and honest--but also incredibly unique. There are very few books that pull off addressing an unspecified "you" without feeling gimmicky or distracting. But the device works perfectly in this book, and adds such an interesting element of mystery, making the reader desperate to know who "you" is.
Bonus: IT DIDN'T MAKE ME CRY!!!! There was no adorable puppy that saved a main character's life and then got bit by a raccoon and had to be taken out back and bludgeoned to death to save it from rabies (or any of the other gut-wrenching tropes that break my heart in Newbery books). It even made me smile!
Basically, it was refreshingly unexpected. Special and honest and real and sweet--and while the writing did of course make me wonder why I don't just throw my laptop off a bridge and give up now, I also thoroughly enjoyed every word and I have a feeling you guys will do the same.
Which is why I'm giving away a copy to one lucky winner.
If you would like to enter, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Friday May 31st. I'll draw one random winner and post their names on Saturday, June 1st.* International entries welcome.
(And sorry, I won't be able to email the winners to let them know they won. Not only do I not have time to do that anymore, but I'll be out of town for BEA that week and with limited access to internet. So I *highly* recommend you follow my blog in some way/form so that you won't miss the "winners" post and lose your prize--but its up to you! That's not a requirement!)
For more awesome middle grade recommendations, check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere.*
- The amazing Myrna Foster is featuring KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES (**OMG, THE FIRST MMGM FOR MY BOOK!!! FLAILS**) with an AMAZING giveaway (seriously, I wish I could win!) Click HERE for all the details on that. (EEP!)
- The Mundie Moms are now part of the MMGM fun (eee!). Click HERE to see their newest recommendations. And if you aren't also following their Mundie Kids site, get thee over THERE and check out all the awesome!
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Karen Yingling also always has some awesome MMGM recommendations for you. Click HERE to which ones she picked this time!
- Author Claire Legrand joins the MMGM fun with an awesome new series called Middle Grade Memories. Click HERE to see author Adam-Troy Castro discuss a book he loved growing up--with a GIVEAWAY!
- Barbara Watson has WAR AND WATERMELON on her mind! Click HERE to see why.
- Brennan and Meyrick Murphy are spotlighting WE WERE HEROES: THE JOURNAL OF SCOTT PENDLETON COLLINS. Click HERE to learn more about it..
- Michelle Isenhoff is cheering for THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE. Click HERE to see why she loves it!
- Laurisa Reyes has an interview with author Alison Jackson--plus a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details
- Natalie Lorenzi is interviewing author Wendy Shang. Click HERE for all the fun!
- Gina Carey is sweet for CLARA LEE AND THE APPLE PIE DREAM. Click HERE to see why she thinks you'll be, too.
- Dorine White is enchanted by THE SERPENT'S SHADOW. Click HERE to see what she loved.
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
May 27, 2012
Gustav Gloom Winner
Hey guys!
Sorry this is late--been a VERY busy weekend. But, like I seem to keep saying these days, better late than never, right?
So without further ado. the winner of the ARC of GUSTAV GLOOM AND THE PEOPLE TAKER, by Adam-Troy Castro is...
Susanne Drazic
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address so I can arrange to have your prize sent to you!
Also, if you're wondering if there will be a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday this week--what with the holiday and all--the answer is YES! There will be, So if you're going to participate feel free to email me your links so I can add you to the list!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Sorry this is late--been a VERY busy weekend. But, like I seem to keep saying these days, better late than never, right?
So without further ado. the winner of the ARC of GUSTAV GLOOM AND THE PEOPLE TAKER, by Adam-Troy Castro is...
Susanne Drazic
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address so I can arrange to have your prize sent to you!
Also, if you're wondering if there will be a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday this week--what with the holiday and all--the answer is YES! There will be, So if you're going to participate feel free to email me your links so I can add you to the list!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
May 24, 2012
Bookanista Review: SURRENDER, by Elana Johnson--and an ARC Giveaway!
Don't go into shock--but I actually have Bookanista Review for you guys this week!!!! (I know, I've been so remiss. Curse KEEPER 2 for eating up all my reading time! *shakes fist*)
Anyway, I'm back just in time to feature a book I was lucky enough to read an early version of quite some time ago (so I didn't have to wait to know what happened like you all did--neener neener!) SURRENDER, by the ever-fabulous Elana Johnson.
Here's how the publisher describes the story:
Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…
Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.
All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...
I'll confess, I'm going to have to keep this review short--NOT because I don't want to gush endlessly about the book. But because it's SO HARD to talk about a second book--especially THIS second book--without totally spoiling the first book for people. And if you haven't read POSSESSION you DO NOT want me to spoil that for you. Trust me on that!
So all I'm going to say is, if you're already a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed. (Even by the fact that its told from the POV of new characters, I promise!) Elana brings back everything you loved about POSSESSION and then takes it all to the next level. (And as someone who is currently still waging war on her own sequel, I'm even MORE impressed with the way Elana did it. It's NOT an easy thing to do. ) And if you haven't tried this series yet, get thee to the bookstore or library--stat! If you need more convincing, I've gushed about POSSESSION HERE.)
I really wish I could say more, but seriously, I don't want to ruin anything. But I'll make up for the vague review with an awesome giveaway. I happen to have an ARC of SURRENDER, and I'm giving it away to one of you!!!!
And to make things a bit more fun this time, the Lovely Elana (seriously, check out the hawtness in her new author photo below) has turned this contest into a game. She's given me two truths and a lie, and to enter you need to leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Saturday May 26th, and in that comment you must guess which one is the lie (getting the answer right isn't required for winning, though I must say, Elana made this fairly easy on you guys!)
Two Truths and a Lie--Guess which is which!
1. One idea I had for this second book was to have Jag Barque’s son narrate.
2. SURRENDER took 25 days to write.
3. There is no kissing in this book.
I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 27th. That's it--that's all there is to it. Though I do also *hope* that whoever wins will end up posting a review for the book somewhere--or blogging/tweeting/FB-ing about it--to help spread the love and get some more mileage out of the prize. I can't require that for entry. But I'm hoping the winner will feel inspired to. :)
Ready?
GO!
For more fabulous book recommendations, check out what my fellow Bookanistas are talking about:
Stasia Ward Kehoe unearths “shadowy” YA titles
LiLa Roecker interviews an actual Young Adult
Jessica Love is all about IN HONOR
Christine Fonseca interviews author Jo Ramsey
Anyway, I'm back just in time to feature a book I was lucky enough to read an early version of quite some time ago (so I didn't have to wait to know what happened like you all did--neener neener!) SURRENDER, by the ever-fabulous Elana Johnson.
Here's how the publisher describes the story:
Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…
Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.
All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...
I'll confess, I'm going to have to keep this review short--NOT because I don't want to gush endlessly about the book. But because it's SO HARD to talk about a second book--especially THIS second book--without totally spoiling the first book for people. And if you haven't read POSSESSION you DO NOT want me to spoil that for you. Trust me on that!
So all I'm going to say is, if you're already a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed. (Even by the fact that its told from the POV of new characters, I promise!) Elana brings back everything you loved about POSSESSION and then takes it all to the next level. (And as someone who is currently still waging war on her own sequel, I'm even MORE impressed with the way Elana did it. It's NOT an easy thing to do. ) And if you haven't tried this series yet, get thee to the bookstore or library--stat! If you need more convincing, I've gushed about POSSESSION HERE.)
I really wish I could say more, but seriously, I don't want to ruin anything. But I'll make up for the vague review with an awesome giveaway. I happen to have an ARC of SURRENDER, and I'm giving it away to one of you!!!!
And to make things a bit more fun this time, the Lovely Elana (seriously, check out the hawtness in her new author photo below) has turned this contest into a game. She's given me two truths and a lie, and to enter you need to leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Saturday May 26th, and in that comment you must guess which one is the lie (getting the answer right isn't required for winning, though I must say, Elana made this fairly easy on you guys!)
Two Truths and a Lie--Guess which is which!
1. One idea I had for this second book was to have Jag Barque’s son narrate.
2. SURRENDER took 25 days to write.
3. There is no kissing in this book.
I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 27th. That's it--that's all there is to it. Though I do also *hope* that whoever wins will end up posting a review for the book somewhere--or blogging/tweeting/FB-ing about it--to help spread the love and get some more mileage out of the prize. I can't require that for entry. But I'm hoping the winner will feel inspired to. :)
Ready?
GO!
For more fabulous book recommendations, check out what my fellow Bookanistas are talking about:
Stasia Ward Kehoe unearths “shadowy” YA titles
LiLa Roecker interviews an actual Young Adult
Jessica Love is all about IN HONOR
Christine Fonseca interviews author Jo Ramsey
May 22, 2012
FINALLY--A KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES ARC CONTEST!!!
Okay, I'll confess--this post is both exciting AND terrifying. I've done a zillion ARC giveaways on my blog--but I've never done one for MY book! There's a surreal sort of giddy panic that goes along with that!
I mean ... the winners will be able to READ MY BOOK!!!!! I don't even know how to wrap my head around that!
But Shannon-Panicking aside, I've been promising an Epic ARC contest for a while and you guys have been wonderfully patient with me. So it's time to be a girl of my word. And I promised the contest would be EPIC, so I'm giving away not one--not two--but THREE ARCs of KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES.
Aren't they PRETTY?
I'll even sign and doodle in them if you want--'cause, yanno, that'll make them worth... well... nothing. BUT YOU CAN PRETEND THEY'RE WORTH SOMETHING. ;)
Here's how this works:
If you would like to enter, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Friday May 31st. I'll draw THREE random winners and post their names on Saturday, June 1st. Winners will then have one week to contact me, and if I haven't heard from them by Saturday, June 8th I'll pick replacement winners. International entries welcome.
(And sorry, I won't be able to email the winners to let them know they won. Not only do I not have time to do that anymore, but I'll be out of town for BEA that week and with limited access to internet. So I *highly* recommend you follow my blog in some way/form so that you won't miss the "winners" post and lose your prize--but its up to you! That's not a requirement!)
That's it--that's all you have to do. I wanted to make the contest simple and easy without a lot of hoop jumping and plastering my cover all over avatars and whatnot (though I'm certainly not going to stop you from doing that) ;)
HOWEVER, I realize that some of you might be fairly excited about this prize (and if you are, have I told you lately that I love you?). In which case those people *might* want a way to get some extra entries and improve their chances. SO, I'll give one extra entry for any of the following:
+ 1 if you add KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES to your Goodreads lists+ 1 if you add LET THE SKY FALL to your Goodreads lists(poor LTSF gets sad when KEEPER gets all the attention, so you'd make it very happy)+ 1 if you "like" KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES on Facebook+ if you "like" my new Shannon Messenger Author page on Facebook (even though that feels like a weird thing to ask people to do. Like me! Like me! *sigh*)+ 1 if you tweet a link to this contest+ 1 if you post a link on Facebook about this contest
So, if you did ALL of those things that would mean that you could have a maximum of 7 entries total (since you get one entry just for commenting). Just let me know what you did in your comment so I can tally your entries accordingly.
And... I think that's everything. But if I missed something, feel free to ask in the comments.
Ready?
Set?
GO!!!!!!!!
I mean ... the winners will be able to READ MY BOOK!!!!! I don't even know how to wrap my head around that!
But Shannon-Panicking aside, I've been promising an Epic ARC contest for a while and you guys have been wonderfully patient with me. So it's time to be a girl of my word. And I promised the contest would be EPIC, so I'm giving away not one--not two--but THREE ARCs of KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES.
Aren't they PRETTY?
I'll even sign and doodle in them if you want--'cause, yanno, that'll make them worth... well... nothing. BUT YOU CAN PRETEND THEY'RE WORTH SOMETHING. ;)
Here's how this works:
If you would like to enter, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Friday May 31st. I'll draw THREE random winners and post their names on Saturday, June 1st. Winners will then have one week to contact me, and if I haven't heard from them by Saturday, June 8th I'll pick replacement winners. International entries welcome.
(And sorry, I won't be able to email the winners to let them know they won. Not only do I not have time to do that anymore, but I'll be out of town for BEA that week and with limited access to internet. So I *highly* recommend you follow my blog in some way/form so that you won't miss the "winners" post and lose your prize--but its up to you! That's not a requirement!)
That's it--that's all you have to do. I wanted to make the contest simple and easy without a lot of hoop jumping and plastering my cover all over avatars and whatnot (though I'm certainly not going to stop you from doing that) ;)
HOWEVER, I realize that some of you might be fairly excited about this prize (and if you are, have I told you lately that I love you?). In which case those people *might* want a way to get some extra entries and improve their chances. SO, I'll give one extra entry for any of the following:
+ 1 if you add KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES to your Goodreads lists+ 1 if you add LET THE SKY FALL to your Goodreads lists(poor LTSF gets sad when KEEPER gets all the attention, so you'd make it very happy)+ 1 if you "like" KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES on Facebook+ if you "like" my new Shannon Messenger Author page on Facebook (even though that feels like a weird thing to ask people to do. Like me! Like me! *sigh*)+ 1 if you tweet a link to this contest+ 1 if you post a link on Facebook about this contest
So, if you did ALL of those things that would mean that you could have a maximum of 7 entries total (since you get one entry just for commenting). Just let me know what you did in your comment so I can tally your entries accordingly.
And... I think that's everything. But if I missed something, feel free to ask in the comments.
Ready?
Set?
GO!!!!!!!!
May 21, 2012
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro
**NOTE: THIS POST IS A RE-POST**
Somehow blogger has deleted the original from my feed so I'm reposting it now and I will try to go back and re-enter in the comments. The contest included in this post has already been closed and is not accepting new entries!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yay--it's time for another MMGM (my favorite blogging day of the week!).
And this week I have something EXTRA special for you because the AWESOME Claire Legrand--whose upcoming middle grade THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS is at the top of my WANT TO READ list--is taking over my blog with an awesome feature, an awesome interview, and an even more awesome ARC giveaway.
And now that I've THOROUGHLY abused the word "awesome", I'll let Claire take it away from here:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, MMGMers! My name is Claire Legrand, and our lovely host Shannon has graciously allowed me to do a MMGM guest post for today. My debut middle grade novel, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, comes out August 28 from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers!
My MMGM book is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro.
This book is the first in a series, and I just LOVED it! I’ve written up my review below, followed by a brief interview with the author and an ARC giveaway! But first, check out the summary from Goodreads:
As you might have guessed if you know anything about my book The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, I am a huge fan of dark, creepy stories—especially when they have a bit of humor and heart mixed in! I was therefore tremendously excited to read Gustav Gloom, and it did not disappoint!
The whole concept here—that shadows have lives of their own, and really an entire land of their own, called the Shadow Country—is just plain fun. It also makes for a seriously creepy atmosphere once Fernie, one of the main characters, enters the Gloom house. Everything is dark, twisty-turny, and—of course—full of shadows, all with their own distinct personalities. The Gloom house is unpredictable and seemingly never-ending; it’s one of only a few shadow houses in the world, after all, so lots of shadows have to fit inside: shadow food, shadow furniture, the shadows of books that were never written, even dinosaur shadows!
The world Castro created in Gustav Gloom has infinite possibilities. The hissing, super-creepy People Taker is a bad guy, yes, but he obviously works for something even more big and bad, and I can’t wait until—hopefully?—Gustav and Fernie venture into the Shadow Country to confront the greater evil there. Oh, and speaking of evil, let me just say that I LOVED the Beast, probably the most terrifying thing in the Gloom house—even more so than the People Taker! I won’t say more about the Beast here and ruin the surprise, but be prepared to shiver!
With a wildly imaginative setting, dry humor and language reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket, and a truly touching friendship between our two heroes Gustav and Fernie, Gustav Gloom and the People Taker is a satisfying start to what is sure to be a creepalicious adventure of a series!
Interview with author Adam-Troy Castro:
CL: You've written science fiction, fantasy, and horror for adults. What made you want to write a middle grade series?
ATC: It was always something I wanted to try, at some point. I conceive the story first and then worry about the genre. In the case of Gustav, I was invited to try a middle-grade book by an editor other than the one who eventually snagged him; various boring reasons led to that falling through before more than a chapter or so was written, but a differently-discerning heads prevailed elsewhere, and I've been running around the Gloom house ever since.
CL: What is your favorite thing about writing middle grade compared to writing for adults?
ATC: Although the Gustav books have more than their share of terror, danger, and strong emotions, the one element that has never been in my repertoire before and that I find I deeply enjoy bringing to these books is innocence. My viewpoint character Fernie What is old enough and smart enough to be fully aware that the Gloom house is not part of the real world she's grown up, but she is able to take much of what she sees in stride, in a way that many adults would not.
CL: What are some of your favorite middle grade books? Did any in particular inspire you while writing GUSTAV GLOOM?
ATC: Well, there's Tom Sawyer, of course...and its sequel Tom Sawyer Abroad. (I don't count the interim book, Huckleberry Finn, as specifically "for kids.") I am a stone Harry Potter fan and indeed wrote a book analyzing the series. I am also a fan of Robert Cormier, though his stuff was young-adult and not middle school. As a kid, I was deeply, deeply in love with Hugh Lofting's Doctor Doolittle volumes. It, and more adult influences than I can name, all went into the stew that resulted in Gustav.
CL: I loved the Gloom House. There are so many awesome rooms and I get the feeling that there is much, much more to see! What is your personal favorite room? (I loved the Too Much Sitting Room -- such a creepy idea!)
ATC: The Too-Much Sitting Room is one of my personal favorites as well. There's lots of interesting rooms coming up, including a place introduced in Book 2 that is anything but creepy, and a set of stairs in Book 3 that doesn't lead anywhere you would expect. Starting in Book 4, the stakes are raised and the settings become stranger. Wait ’til you see.
CL: What does your shadow like to do in his spare time? (Mine likes to raid the refrigerator's shadow.)
ATC: Mine plays the accordion and tap-dances through the house, playing "Lady Of Spain." If you have any clues how I can get him to stop. It's distracting.
Bio (from website)
Adam-Troy Castro's twenty-five books include the Philip K. Dick Award winning Emissaries From the Dead, first of three featuring the brilliant and tormented trouble-shooter, Andrea Cort. His short fiction has been nominated for two Hugos, three Stokers, and eight Nebulas. Adam's next major project is a series of middle-grade novels featuring a very strange young boy named Gustav Gloom. The first of these is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, set for release from Grossett and Dunlap in August 2012. Adam lives in Miami with his wife Judi and a trio of insane cats who include Uma Furman, Meow Farrow and Harley Quinn.website | goodreads | facebook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ooo, this one sounds REALLY cool. Thanks so much for pointing it out, Claire!
And as promised, Claire has been generous enough to give away her ARC to one of you guys (even though I kind of want to rig the contest and win it myself. I won't. But I'm tempted!)
To enter, make sure you leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Saturday, May 26th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 27th. International entries welcome. (and while following my blog is not a requirement, I do recommend it, since I don't email winners. So make sure you don't miss the post and lose out on your prize!)
And for more awesome middle grade recommendations, check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere.*
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
Somehow blogger has deleted the original from my feed so I'm reposting it now and I will try to go back and re-enter in the comments. The contest included in this post has already been closed and is not accepting new entries!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yay--it's time for another MMGM (my favorite blogging day of the week!).
And this week I have something EXTRA special for you because the AWESOME Claire Legrand--whose upcoming middle grade THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS is at the top of my WANT TO READ list--is taking over my blog with an awesome feature, an awesome interview, and an even more awesome ARC giveaway.
And now that I've THOROUGHLY abused the word "awesome", I'll let Claire take it away from here:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, MMGMers! My name is Claire Legrand, and our lovely host Shannon has graciously allowed me to do a MMGM guest post for today. My debut middle grade novel, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, comes out August 28 from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers!
My MMGM book is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro.
This book is the first in a series, and I just LOVED it! I’ve written up my review below, followed by a brief interview with the author and an ARC giveaway! But first, check out the summary from Goodreads:
Enter an exciting new world of shadows from Hugo Award nominee Adam-Troy Castro. Meet Gustav Gloom.
Fernie What finds herself lost in the Gloom mansion after her cat appears to have been chased there by its own shadow. Fernie discovers a library full of every book that was never written, a gallery of statues that are just plain awkward, and finds herself at dinner watching her own shadow take part in the feast!
Along the way Fernie is chased by the People Taker who is determined to take her to the Shadow Country. It's up to Fernie and Gustav to stop the People Taker before he takes Fernie's family.
Featuring a unique cover and beautifully dark full-page illustrations by Kristen Margiotta, Gustav Gloom is sure to be a hit with fans who love a little darkness in their lives.
As you might have guessed if you know anything about my book The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, I am a huge fan of dark, creepy stories—especially when they have a bit of humor and heart mixed in! I was therefore tremendously excited to read Gustav Gloom, and it did not disappoint!
The whole concept here—that shadows have lives of their own, and really an entire land of their own, called the Shadow Country—is just plain fun. It also makes for a seriously creepy atmosphere once Fernie, one of the main characters, enters the Gloom house. Everything is dark, twisty-turny, and—of course—full of shadows, all with their own distinct personalities. The Gloom house is unpredictable and seemingly never-ending; it’s one of only a few shadow houses in the world, after all, so lots of shadows have to fit inside: shadow food, shadow furniture, the shadows of books that were never written, even dinosaur shadows!
The world Castro created in Gustav Gloom has infinite possibilities. The hissing, super-creepy People Taker is a bad guy, yes, but he obviously works for something even more big and bad, and I can’t wait until—hopefully?—Gustav and Fernie venture into the Shadow Country to confront the greater evil there. Oh, and speaking of evil, let me just say that I LOVED the Beast, probably the most terrifying thing in the Gloom house—even more so than the People Taker! I won’t say more about the Beast here and ruin the surprise, but be prepared to shiver!
With a wildly imaginative setting, dry humor and language reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket, and a truly touching friendship between our two heroes Gustav and Fernie, Gustav Gloom and the People Taker is a satisfying start to what is sure to be a creepalicious adventure of a series!
Interview with author Adam-Troy Castro:
CL: You've written science fiction, fantasy, and horror for adults. What made you want to write a middle grade series?
ATC: It was always something I wanted to try, at some point. I conceive the story first and then worry about the genre. In the case of Gustav, I was invited to try a middle-grade book by an editor other than the one who eventually snagged him; various boring reasons led to that falling through before more than a chapter or so was written, but a differently-discerning heads prevailed elsewhere, and I've been running around the Gloom house ever since.
CL: What is your favorite thing about writing middle grade compared to writing for adults?
ATC: Although the Gustav books have more than their share of terror, danger, and strong emotions, the one element that has never been in my repertoire before and that I find I deeply enjoy bringing to these books is innocence. My viewpoint character Fernie What is old enough and smart enough to be fully aware that the Gloom house is not part of the real world she's grown up, but she is able to take much of what she sees in stride, in a way that many adults would not.
CL: What are some of your favorite middle grade books? Did any in particular inspire you while writing GUSTAV GLOOM?
ATC: Well, there's Tom Sawyer, of course...and its sequel Tom Sawyer Abroad. (I don't count the interim book, Huckleberry Finn, as specifically "for kids.") I am a stone Harry Potter fan and indeed wrote a book analyzing the series. I am also a fan of Robert Cormier, though his stuff was young-adult and not middle school. As a kid, I was deeply, deeply in love with Hugh Lofting's Doctor Doolittle volumes. It, and more adult influences than I can name, all went into the stew that resulted in Gustav.
CL: I loved the Gloom House. There are so many awesome rooms and I get the feeling that there is much, much more to see! What is your personal favorite room? (I loved the Too Much Sitting Room -- such a creepy idea!)
ATC: The Too-Much Sitting Room is one of my personal favorites as well. There's lots of interesting rooms coming up, including a place introduced in Book 2 that is anything but creepy, and a set of stairs in Book 3 that doesn't lead anywhere you would expect. Starting in Book 4, the stakes are raised and the settings become stranger. Wait ’til you see.
CL: What does your shadow like to do in his spare time? (Mine likes to raid the refrigerator's shadow.)
ATC: Mine plays the accordion and tap-dances through the house, playing "Lady Of Spain." If you have any clues how I can get him to stop. It's distracting.
Bio (from website)
Adam-Troy Castro's twenty-five books include the Philip K. Dick Award winning Emissaries From the Dead, first of three featuring the brilliant and tormented trouble-shooter, Andrea Cort. His short fiction has been nominated for two Hugos, three Stokers, and eight Nebulas. Adam's next major project is a series of middle-grade novels featuring a very strange young boy named Gustav Gloom. The first of these is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, set for release from Grossett and Dunlap in August 2012. Adam lives in Miami with his wife Judi and a trio of insane cats who include Uma Furman, Meow Farrow and Harley Quinn.website | goodreads | facebook~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ooo, this one sounds REALLY cool. Thanks so much for pointing it out, Claire!
And as promised, Claire has been generous enough to give away her ARC to one of you guys (even though I kind of want to rig the contest and win it myself. I won't. But I'm tempted!)
To enter, make sure you leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Saturday, May 26th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 27th. International entries welcome. (and while following my blog is not a requirement, I do recommend it, since I don't email winners. So make sure you don't miss the post and lose out on your prize!)
And for more awesome middle grade recommendations, check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere.*
- The Mundie Moms are now part of the MMGM fun (eee!). Click HERE to see their newest recommendations. And if you aren't also following their Mundie Kids site, get thee over THERE and check out all the awesome!
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Karen Yingling also always has some awesome MMGM recommendations for you. Click HERE to which ones she picked this time!
- Barbara Watson is wondering at WONDER. Click HERE to see why.
- Brennan and Meyrick Murphy are championing the GIRLS' GHOST HUNTING GUIDE. Click HERE to learn all the reasons Meyrick loved it.
- Tricia Conway is raving about A MONSTER CALLS. Click HERE to read her review.
- Laurisa Reyes has an interview with author Steven Peck--plus a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details
- Natalie Aguirre is interviewing Marissa Burt and GIVING AWAY a copy of STORYBOUND. Click HERE to check it out.
- Susan Olson has two more recommendations for you this week: 11 BIRTHDAYS and REAL. Click HERE to see more.
- Jennifer Rumberger is in love with MR. AND MRS. BUNNY. Click HERE to see why
- Michelle Isenhoff is caught up in HOW TO SLAY A DRAGON. Click HERE to learn more about it.
- Dorine White is more than just okay with OKAY FOR NOW. Click HERE to see what she loved.
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro--and an ARC Giveaway!
Yay--it's time for another MMGM (my favorite blogging day of the week!).
And this week I have something EXTRA special for you because the AWESOME Claire Legrand--whose upcoming middle grade THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS is at the top of my WANT TO READ list--is taking over my blog with an awesome feature, an awesome interview, and an even more awesome ARC giveaway.
And now that I've THOROUGHLY abused the word "awesome", I'll let Claire take it away from here:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, MMGMers! My name is Claire Legrand, and our lovely host Shannon has graciously allowed me to do a MMGM guest post for today. My debut middle grade novel, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, comes out August 28 from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers!
My MMGM book is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro.
This book is the first in a series, and I just LOVED it! I’ve written up my review below, followed by a brief interview with the author and an ARC giveaway! But first, check out the summary from Goodreads:
As you might have guessed if you know anything about my book The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, I am a huge fan of dark, creepy stories—especially when they have a bit of humor and heart mixed in! I was therefore tremendously excited to read Gustav Gloom, and it did not disappoint!
The whole concept here—that shadows have lives of their own, and really an entire land of their own, called the Shadow Country—is just plain fun. It also makes for a seriously creepy atmosphere once Fernie, one of the main characters, enters the Gloom house. Everything is dark, twisty-turny, and—of course—full of shadows, all with their own distinct personalities. The Gloom house is unpredictable and seemingly never-ending; it’s one of only a few shadow houses in the world, after all, so lots of shadows have to fit inside: shadow food, shadow furniture, the shadows of books that were never written, even dinosaur shadows!
The world Castro created in Gustav Gloom has infinite possibilities. The hissing, super-creepy People Taker is a bad guy, yes, but he obviously works for something even more big and bad, and I can’t wait until—hopefully?—Gustav and Fernie venture into the Shadow Country to confront the greater evil there. Oh, and speaking of evil, let me just say that I LOVED the Beast, probably the most terrifying thing in the Gloom house—even more so than the People Taker! I won’t say more about the Beast here and ruin the surprise, but be prepared to shiver!
With a wildly imaginative setting, dry humor and language reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket, and a truly touching friendship between our two heroes Gustav and Fernie, Gustav Gloom and the People Taker is a satisfying start to what is sure to be a creepalicious adventure of a series!
Interview with author Adam-Troy Castro:
CL: You've written science fiction, fantasy, and horror for adults. What made you want to write a middle grade series?
ATC: It was always something I wanted to try, at some point. I conceive the story first and then worry about the genre. In the case of Gustav, I was invited to try a middle-grade book by an editor other than the one who eventually snagged him; various boring reasons led to that falling through before more than a chapter or so was written, but a differently-discerning heads prevailed elsewhere, and I've been running around the Gloom house ever since.
CL: What is your favorite thing about writing middle grade compared to writing for adults?
ATC: Although the Gustav books have more than their share of terror, danger, and strong emotions, the one element that has never been in my repertoire before and that I find I deeply enjoy bringing to these books is innocence. My viewpoint character Fernie What is old enough and smart enough to be fully aware that the Gloom house is not part of the real world she's grown up, but she is able to take much of what she sees in stride, in a way that many adults would not.
CL: What are some of your favorite middle grade books? Did any in particular inspire you while writing GUSTAV GLOOM?
ATC: Well, there's Tom Sawyer, of course...and its sequel Tom Sawyer Abroad. (I don't count the interim book, Huckleberry Finn, as specifically "for kids.") I am a stone Harry Potter fan and indeed wrote a book analyzing the series. I am also a fan of Robert Cormier, though his stuff was young-adult and not middle school. As a kid, I was deeply, deeply in love with Hugh Lofting's Doctor Doolittle volumes. It, and more adult influences than I can name, all went into the stew that resulted in Gustav.
CL: I loved the Gloom House. There are so many awesome rooms and I get the feeling that there is much, much more to see! What is your personal favorite room? (I loved the Too Much Sitting Room -- such a creepy idea!)
ATC: The Too-Much Sitting Room is one of my personal favorites as well. There's lots of interesting rooms coming up, including a place introduced in Book 2 that is anything but creepy, and a set of stairs in Book 3 that doesn't lead anywhere you would expect. Starting in Book 4, the stakes are raised and the settings become stranger. Wait ’til you see.
CL: What does your shadow like to do in his spare time? (Mine likes to read the refrigerator's shadow.)
ATC: Mine plays the accordion and tap-dances through the house, playing "Lady Of Spain." If you have any clues how I can get him to stop. It's distracting.
Bio (from website)
Adam-Troy Castro's twenty-five books include the Philip K. Dick Award winning Emissaries From the Dead, first of three featuring the brilliant and tormented trouble-shooter, Andrea Cort. His short fiction has been nominated for two Hugos, three Stokers, and eight Nebulas. Adam's next major project is a series of middle-grade novels featuring a very strange young boy named Gustav Gloom. The first of these is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, set for release from Grossett and Dunlap in August 2012. Adam lives in Miami with his wife Judi and a trio of insane cats who include Uma Furman, Meow Farrow and Harley Quinn.website | goodreads | facebook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ooo, this one sounds REALLY cool. Thanks so much for pointing it out, Claire!
And as promised, Claire has been generous enough to give away her ARC to one of you guys (even though I kind of want to rig the contest and win it myself. I won't. But I'm tempted!)
To enter, make sure you leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Saturday, May 26th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 27th. International entries welcome. (and while following my blog is not a requirement, I do recommend it, since I don't email winners. So make sure you don't miss the post and lose out on your prize!)
And for more awesome middle grade recommendations, check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere.*
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
And this week I have something EXTRA special for you because the AWESOME Claire Legrand--whose upcoming middle grade THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS is at the top of my WANT TO READ list--is taking over my blog with an awesome feature, an awesome interview, and an even more awesome ARC giveaway.
And now that I've THOROUGHLY abused the word "awesome", I'll let Claire take it away from here:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, MMGMers! My name is Claire Legrand, and our lovely host Shannon has graciously allowed me to do a MMGM guest post for today. My debut middle grade novel, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, comes out August 28 from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers!
My MMGM book is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro.
This book is the first in a series, and I just LOVED it! I’ve written up my review below, followed by a brief interview with the author and an ARC giveaway! But first, check out the summary from Goodreads:
Enter an exciting new world of shadows from Hugo Award nominee Adam-Troy Castro. Meet Gustav Gloom.
Fernie What finds herself lost in the Gloom mansion after her cat appears to have been chased there by its own shadow. Fernie discovers a library full of every book that was never written, a gallery of statues that are just plain awkward, and finds herself at dinner watching her own shadow take part in the feast!
Along the way Fernie is chased by the People Taker who is determined to take her to the Shadow Country. It's up to Fernie and Gustav to stop the People Taker before he takes Fernie's family.
Featuring a unique cover and beautifully dark full-page illustrations by Kristen Margiotta, Gustav Gloom is sure to be a hit with fans who love a little darkness in their lives.
As you might have guessed if you know anything about my book The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, I am a huge fan of dark, creepy stories—especially when they have a bit of humor and heart mixed in! I was therefore tremendously excited to read Gustav Gloom, and it did not disappoint!
The whole concept here—that shadows have lives of their own, and really an entire land of their own, called the Shadow Country—is just plain fun. It also makes for a seriously creepy atmosphere once Fernie, one of the main characters, enters the Gloom house. Everything is dark, twisty-turny, and—of course—full of shadows, all with their own distinct personalities. The Gloom house is unpredictable and seemingly never-ending; it’s one of only a few shadow houses in the world, after all, so lots of shadows have to fit inside: shadow food, shadow furniture, the shadows of books that were never written, even dinosaur shadows!
The world Castro created in Gustav Gloom has infinite possibilities. The hissing, super-creepy People Taker is a bad guy, yes, but he obviously works for something even more big and bad, and I can’t wait until—hopefully?—Gustav and Fernie venture into the Shadow Country to confront the greater evil there. Oh, and speaking of evil, let me just say that I LOVED the Beast, probably the most terrifying thing in the Gloom house—even more so than the People Taker! I won’t say more about the Beast here and ruin the surprise, but be prepared to shiver!
With a wildly imaginative setting, dry humor and language reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket, and a truly touching friendship between our two heroes Gustav and Fernie, Gustav Gloom and the People Taker is a satisfying start to what is sure to be a creepalicious adventure of a series!
Interview with author Adam-Troy Castro:
CL: You've written science fiction, fantasy, and horror for adults. What made you want to write a middle grade series?
ATC: It was always something I wanted to try, at some point. I conceive the story first and then worry about the genre. In the case of Gustav, I was invited to try a middle-grade book by an editor other than the one who eventually snagged him; various boring reasons led to that falling through before more than a chapter or so was written, but a differently-discerning heads prevailed elsewhere, and I've been running around the Gloom house ever since.
CL: What is your favorite thing about writing middle grade compared to writing for adults?
ATC: Although the Gustav books have more than their share of terror, danger, and strong emotions, the one element that has never been in my repertoire before and that I find I deeply enjoy bringing to these books is innocence. My viewpoint character Fernie What is old enough and smart enough to be fully aware that the Gloom house is not part of the real world she's grown up, but she is able to take much of what she sees in stride, in a way that many adults would not.
CL: What are some of your favorite middle grade books? Did any in particular inspire you while writing GUSTAV GLOOM?
ATC: Well, there's Tom Sawyer, of course...and its sequel Tom Sawyer Abroad. (I don't count the interim book, Huckleberry Finn, as specifically "for kids.") I am a stone Harry Potter fan and indeed wrote a book analyzing the series. I am also a fan of Robert Cormier, though his stuff was young-adult and not middle school. As a kid, I was deeply, deeply in love with Hugh Lofting's Doctor Doolittle volumes. It, and more adult influences than I can name, all went into the stew that resulted in Gustav.
CL: I loved the Gloom House. There are so many awesome rooms and I get the feeling that there is much, much more to see! What is your personal favorite room? (I loved the Too Much Sitting Room -- such a creepy idea!)
ATC: The Too-Much Sitting Room is one of my personal favorites as well. There's lots of interesting rooms coming up, including a place introduced in Book 2 that is anything but creepy, and a set of stairs in Book 3 that doesn't lead anywhere you would expect. Starting in Book 4, the stakes are raised and the settings become stranger. Wait ’til you see.
CL: What does your shadow like to do in his spare time? (Mine likes to read the refrigerator's shadow.)
ATC: Mine plays the accordion and tap-dances through the house, playing "Lady Of Spain." If you have any clues how I can get him to stop. It's distracting.
Bio (from website)
Adam-Troy Castro's twenty-five books include the Philip K. Dick Award winning Emissaries From the Dead, first of three featuring the brilliant and tormented trouble-shooter, Andrea Cort. His short fiction has been nominated for two Hugos, three Stokers, and eight Nebulas. Adam's next major project is a series of middle-grade novels featuring a very strange young boy named Gustav Gloom. The first of these is Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, set for release from Grossett and Dunlap in August 2012. Adam lives in Miami with his wife Judi and a trio of insane cats who include Uma Furman, Meow Farrow and Harley Quinn.website | goodreads | facebook~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ooo, this one sounds REALLY cool. Thanks so much for pointing it out, Claire!
And as promised, Claire has been generous enough to give away her ARC to one of you guys (even though I kind of want to rig the contest and win it myself. I won't. But I'm tempted!)
To enter, make sure you leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm pacific time on Saturday, May 26th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 27th. International entries welcome. (and while following my blog is not a requirement, I do recommend it, since I don't email winners. So make sure you don't miss the post and lose out on your prize!)
And for more awesome middle grade recommendations, check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere.*
- The Mundie Moms are now part of the MMGM fun (eee!). Click HERE to see their newest recommendations. And if you aren't also following their Mundie Kids site, get thee over THERE and check out all the awesome!
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Karen Yingling also always has some awesome MMGM recommendations for you. Click HERE to which ones she picked this time!
- Barbara Watson is wondering at WONDER. Click HERE to see why.
- Brennan and Meyrick Murphy are championing the GIRLS' GHOST HUNTING GUIDE. Click HERE to learn all the reasons Meyrick loved it.
- Tricia Conway is raving about A MONSTER CALLS. Click HERE to read her review.
- Laurisa Reyes has an interview with author Steven Peck--plus a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details
- Natalie Aguirre is interviewing Marissa Burt and GIVING AWAY a copy of STORYBOUND. Click HERE to check it out.
- Susan Olson has two more recommendations for you this week: 11 BIRTHDAYS and REAL. Click HERE to see more.
- Jennifer Rumberger is in love with MR. AND MRS. BUNNY. Click HERE to see why
- Michelle Isenhoff is caught up in HOW TO SLAY A DRAGON. Click HERE to learn more about it.
- Dorine White is more than just okay with OKAY FOR NOW. Click HERE to see what she loved.
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
May 20, 2012
Weekend Winners
Been another crazy weekend (seriously, can someone slow down life) so once again I'm posting these a bit later than I meant to. But at least I remembered!
I have two winners to announce. Fist, the winner of SEEING CINDERELLA, by Jenny Lundquist is:
Heidi Grange
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
And the winner of HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, by James A Owen is...
Rena
YAY!
*flings sparkles*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will make sure I get you your prize.
For everyone else, thanks for entering. And if you're a fan of contests, check back next week. I *might* be giving away some KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES ARCs :)
I have two winners to announce. Fist, the winner of SEEING CINDERELLA, by Jenny Lundquist is:
Heidi Grange
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
And the winner of HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, by James A Owen is...
Rena
YAY!
*flings sparkles*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will make sure I get you your prize.
For everyone else, thanks for entering. And if you're a fan of contests, check back next week. I *might* be giving away some KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES ARCs :)
May 18, 2012
Ever feel like giving up?
I have. In fact, I get pretty honest about it in a vlog today.
Oh, but I'm not talking about it here. It's my week over at the Friday the Thirteeners blog, so you'll need to click HERE if you want to see it.
Happy Friday everyone!
Oh, but I'm not talking about it here. It's my week over at the Friday the Thirteeners blog, so you'll need to click HERE if you want to see it.
Happy Friday everyone!
May 16, 2012
The Book Babe Spotlight: Author James A Owen--with a giveaway!
Yay--it's time for another awesome Book Babe spotlight! (These are always some of my favorite things I post--odd, considering I don't write them. Maybe that's telling me something...)
Anyway, for those who don't know, the lovely lady pictured above is my fabulous friend Faith, a.k.a. the Book Babe. And in addition to her being the most amazing mentor and cheerleader EVER--and offering incredible editing services--she is also an AMAZING source for book recommendations. In fact, I discovered several of my favorite authors because of Faith--and nothing makes me happier than one of her gushy emails telling me about a book I HAVE to read. (She seriously has impeccable taste).
So Faith occasionally puts together spotlights on some of her favorite authors for me to post for you guys, so she can tell you herself why you need to discover these incredible authors.
And so, without further ado, I give you The Book Babe:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James Owen: A Leviathan of Pop Culture Cleverly Disguised As An Unassuming Author
My first introduction to James was, as was the norm as a book buyer, through the publisher's Fall catalog. The cover for Here There Be Dragons was beautiful and the premise seemed interesting, so I ordered it.
We booked him for a signing in December, along with Stephenie Meyer. The idea was to give our customers the opportunity to get signed books as Holiday Presents. We knew that by pairing a first time author with one as popular as Stephenie, James would do well. What we did not know was that James came with his own fan base. As my co-worker and I ran around selling t-shirts for Stephenie, making sure there were enough books and generally keeping the event running smoothly, I noticed that the line for James was consistant. It was not huge, no more than 6 or 7 at a time, but it did not seem to lessen at all. Two hours later, when Stephenie was done, James was still signing and drawing in books. I was totally impressed and decided to move his book to the top of my To-Be-Read pile.
Over the course of the next couple of years, my adoration of James grew. Not only is he hilarious, sweet, a wonderful storyteller and fun to be around, he also gave some of the best school presentations. So good, in fact, that there are only a handful of authors who are his equal. His school presentations were so amazing and inspiring that, after much prompting by satisfied librarians, teachers and other educators, he decided to turn it into a book. The book, entitled Drawing Out the Dragons, is the incredible true story of a person overcoming a variety of obstacles and challenges in order to achieve his dreams. I HIGHLY recommend every single person in the world read it!
I don't recall the exact moment James dubbed me and Bethany "Book Babes," but it was a name we both took to immediately. Even though I cherished the name, I did not put much stock into it other than being a fun thing among friends. Then, in 2009, I was diagnosed with cancer and the meaning of the term grew in significance. At the time of my diagnosis, I was uninsured and James, along with numerous friends, came together to throw a fundraiser so I could "afford" to have cancer. Thus came Project Book Babe and the weight of the name increased dramatically. Thanks to event, there are many in the book industry who know me as The Book Babe and it's a name I revere above all others. The privilege of the Book Babe moniker is one that continues to grow thanks to James. I consider it an honor to be in the company of other amazing Book Babes like Bethany Harowitz (Book Babe #2), Victoria Morris, Brandi Stewart, and many other incredible women. My life would not be the same without James or the title of Book Babe; I will cherish it and him for the rest of my life.
Oh, and go to his website and get yourself a copy of Drawing Out the Dragons, you will not be disappointed.
Happy Reading!
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And because Faith is amazing, and wants to make it as easy as possible for you guys to discover Janette's books, she's donated a copy of James' first book, HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, which I'm giving away to one lucky winner.
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm PST on Saturday, May 19th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, May 20th. International entries welcome. I also *recommend* you follow my blog/feed in some way/shape/form--not because I'm trying to make you my minion, but because I don't have time to email winners, so if you miss when I post your name and never contact me, I give your prize to someone else. Up to you!
May 15, 2012
The Reality of Writing Book 2
If you follow a lot of writer blogs--and certainly if you've been following this one for the past few months--you've probably seen authors mention struggling with book 2. (Okay, fine, for my part there was some serious whining)
And I'll confess, when I dove into KEEPER 2 I'd naively hoped I might be immune to the problem, since I thought the Book-2-Woes had more to do with trying to write a second book for the first time, and I'd already triumphed over that challenge with LET THE SKY FALL.
But no, writing LET THE SKY FALL came with its own set of difficulties--but it was NOTHING on the stressful, brutal, nightmare that was writing KEEPER book 2. And while a small part of that probably has to do with the KEEPER series being a BEAST of a series (those of you who've read book 1 understand), honestly, it had much more to do with what I suspect makes Book 2 so freaking hard for everyone: the nature of sequels, and the reality of writing a book under contract for the first time.
Let's look at each of those one at a time.
So... sequels. Yeah, they're HARD. So much harder than I ever thought they would be. Why? Because you're stuck building on something that already exists . Book 1 is a concrete thing and for better or worse, whatever is in there needs to be acknowledged and then taken to the next level. So you not only have to figure out a way to remind the readers of everything that happened (which, side note, means you need to remember--in precise detail--what happened, or spend a LOT of time going back and checking, like I had to), but you also have to then take all of that and find a way to continue with the story.
Which sounds simple enough except... plots have a way of taking on lives of their own and not going the way you expected them to. With Book 1, it's easy to let them do as they will because if you hit any walls you just brainstorm a solution and then go back and adjust as needed. But with Book 2 you can only go back so far. You can't let the plot do anything that will ruin/contradict anything you've already built in Book 1. Which I know sounds like it wouldn't be a problem--especially when you pre-plot the whole series like I did. But trust me--it was a BIG problem. Making KEEPER 2 work seriously broke my brain, and I'm SURE my amazing editor is in the process of catching all the things I still have wrong.
And then there's the whole challenge of creating a story that has a beginning, middle, and end but is also, in essence, the middle of the longer trilogy ARC. Yeah. Wrap your head around that one for a second. It. is. so. hard.
But all of that aside, I think the REAL challenge of Book 2 has to do with the fact that for most of us, it's the first time writing a book under contract, which has a whole other set of stresses and worries. A big one being: WHAT IF MY EDITOR HATES IT?????
Sure, we had that worry with Book 1 when we queried it and shopped it. Of course we did. But... it is SO MUCH WORSE when it's for a book you are CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DELIVER. Trust me, that is a whole other REALM of pressure.
As if that weren't fun enough, you also catch yourself comparing book 2--in its rough, unedited state--to the shiny, super-polished, been-revised-a-billion-and-a-half-times state of book 1 and thinking: see--it's not good enough. It's never going to be good enough. Book 2 is going to be a raging disappointment and I'm going to let everyone down and my career will be over before it even began and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (Sadly, I'm not exaggerating--though it's possible not everyone is as neurotic as I am).
I'm very lucky that I have a seriously incredible editor who went out of her way to assure me that there was nothing I could do with book 2 that would scare her or make her doubt my abilities. But despite that, the nightmares of WHAT IF SHE HATES IT???? did not fully go away. Especially as the plot threw me twists and turns and led me farther and farther away from the synopsis her and I had originally discussed. It became an almost crippling fear that made me question every chapter, every sentence, every WORD---and it led to long hours staring at the screen, doubting myself, afraid to move on because what if it isn't right and I'm only making it worse?
Oh, and have I mentioned deadlines yet? Yeah, those are FUN--and the fear of what if I don't make it???? only seems to slow things down more
So, yeah. It's a bit stressful. And at this point I've probably thoroughly traumatized all of you and you're wondering: why is she telling us this????????
And the reason is: because someday you'll all be there too and I want you to know it's normal to struggle with book 2 .
One thing that REALLY helped me through this process was knowing that I wasn't alone in what I was feeling. In fact, I had several friends fighting the same battle as I was and we'd send each other these long, desperate emails about how brutal this process was and somehow that made it better. We lost sleep together. We threw out large chunks of writing together. We stressed and obsessed together.
But the best part? The really, really awesome part?
We all survived.
And turned in our drafts on time!!!!
And in my case, I've already heard back that Book 2 is on the right track!!!
(*pauses to happy dance*)
It still needs work--LOTS of work, I'm sure--but it's not the raging disaster I was afraid it would be.
And now that I'm on the other side of all that panic and worry I can see that even if it HAD been a mess, it still would've been okay. Because here's the thing that's SO HARD to remember when you're drafting book 2 for the first time: Editors LIKE editing. (I know, novel concept, right?)
They've also been through this eleventy billion times with eleventy billion authors and have seen it all. They trust you. So you need to trust them.
Trust that they want to work with you and are happy to help you fix any problems the draft may originally have. Which is--of course--why having an editor is such an incredible thing to begin with. They make you a better writer. And in order for them to do that, they have to catch your mistakes.
And yet, I knew that going in and I still couldn't shake off that crippling fear of WHAT IF SHE HATES IT??? You probably won't be able to either. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if that's just part of the process. It seems to be for a lot of us. So if it happens to you here's the only real advice I can give you: push through.
I can't tell you how many days I had to FORCE myself to open my draft and work on it. It wasn't easy and it wasn't always fun. But being a author is a job. An awesome job. But still a job. And to be professional means to push through the hard parts. Rally your friends around you. Whine and vent as needed. But keep writing. Keep going. Push through.
It will get better and you will get done. Everything will work out okay!
(And btw--can one of you guys remind me I said this in a few weeks? 'Cause yeah, thanks to my crazy schedule I have a SECOND book 2 to write this year and who knows if I'll have to fight this same battle all over again. *shudders*)
And I'll confess, when I dove into KEEPER 2 I'd naively hoped I might be immune to the problem, since I thought the Book-2-Woes had more to do with trying to write a second book for the first time, and I'd already triumphed over that challenge with LET THE SKY FALL.
But no, writing LET THE SKY FALL came with its own set of difficulties--but it was NOTHING on the stressful, brutal, nightmare that was writing KEEPER book 2. And while a small part of that probably has to do with the KEEPER series being a BEAST of a series (those of you who've read book 1 understand), honestly, it had much more to do with what I suspect makes Book 2 so freaking hard for everyone: the nature of sequels, and the reality of writing a book under contract for the first time.
Let's look at each of those one at a time.
So... sequels. Yeah, they're HARD. So much harder than I ever thought they would be. Why? Because you're stuck building on something that already exists . Book 1 is a concrete thing and for better or worse, whatever is in there needs to be acknowledged and then taken to the next level. So you not only have to figure out a way to remind the readers of everything that happened (which, side note, means you need to remember--in precise detail--what happened, or spend a LOT of time going back and checking, like I had to), but you also have to then take all of that and find a way to continue with the story.
Which sounds simple enough except... plots have a way of taking on lives of their own and not going the way you expected them to. With Book 1, it's easy to let them do as they will because if you hit any walls you just brainstorm a solution and then go back and adjust as needed. But with Book 2 you can only go back so far. You can't let the plot do anything that will ruin/contradict anything you've already built in Book 1. Which I know sounds like it wouldn't be a problem--especially when you pre-plot the whole series like I did. But trust me--it was a BIG problem. Making KEEPER 2 work seriously broke my brain, and I'm SURE my amazing editor is in the process of catching all the things I still have wrong.
And then there's the whole challenge of creating a story that has a beginning, middle, and end but is also, in essence, the middle of the longer trilogy ARC. Yeah. Wrap your head around that one for a second. It. is. so. hard.
But all of that aside, I think the REAL challenge of Book 2 has to do with the fact that for most of us, it's the first time writing a book under contract, which has a whole other set of stresses and worries. A big one being: WHAT IF MY EDITOR HATES IT?????
Sure, we had that worry with Book 1 when we queried it and shopped it. Of course we did. But... it is SO MUCH WORSE when it's for a book you are CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DELIVER. Trust me, that is a whole other REALM of pressure.
As if that weren't fun enough, you also catch yourself comparing book 2--in its rough, unedited state--to the shiny, super-polished, been-revised-a-billion-and-a-half-times state of book 1 and thinking: see--it's not good enough. It's never going to be good enough. Book 2 is going to be a raging disappointment and I'm going to let everyone down and my career will be over before it even began and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (Sadly, I'm not exaggerating--though it's possible not everyone is as neurotic as I am).
I'm very lucky that I have a seriously incredible editor who went out of her way to assure me that there was nothing I could do with book 2 that would scare her or make her doubt my abilities. But despite that, the nightmares of WHAT IF SHE HATES IT???? did not fully go away. Especially as the plot threw me twists and turns and led me farther and farther away from the synopsis her and I had originally discussed. It became an almost crippling fear that made me question every chapter, every sentence, every WORD---and it led to long hours staring at the screen, doubting myself, afraid to move on because what if it isn't right and I'm only making it worse?
Oh, and have I mentioned deadlines yet? Yeah, those are FUN--and the fear of what if I don't make it???? only seems to slow things down more
So, yeah. It's a bit stressful. And at this point I've probably thoroughly traumatized all of you and you're wondering: why is she telling us this????????
And the reason is: because someday you'll all be there too and I want you to know it's normal to struggle with book 2 .
One thing that REALLY helped me through this process was knowing that I wasn't alone in what I was feeling. In fact, I had several friends fighting the same battle as I was and we'd send each other these long, desperate emails about how brutal this process was and somehow that made it better. We lost sleep together. We threw out large chunks of writing together. We stressed and obsessed together.
But the best part? The really, really awesome part?
We all survived.
And turned in our drafts on time!!!!
And in my case, I've already heard back that Book 2 is on the right track!!!
(*pauses to happy dance*)
It still needs work--LOTS of work, I'm sure--but it's not the raging disaster I was afraid it would be.
And now that I'm on the other side of all that panic and worry I can see that even if it HAD been a mess, it still would've been okay. Because here's the thing that's SO HARD to remember when you're drafting book 2 for the first time: Editors LIKE editing. (I know, novel concept, right?)
They've also been through this eleventy billion times with eleventy billion authors and have seen it all. They trust you. So you need to trust them.
Trust that they want to work with you and are happy to help you fix any problems the draft may originally have. Which is--of course--why having an editor is such an incredible thing to begin with. They make you a better writer. And in order for them to do that, they have to catch your mistakes.
And yet, I knew that going in and I still couldn't shake off that crippling fear of WHAT IF SHE HATES IT??? You probably won't be able to either. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if that's just part of the process. It seems to be for a lot of us. So if it happens to you here's the only real advice I can give you: push through.
I can't tell you how many days I had to FORCE myself to open my draft and work on it. It wasn't easy and it wasn't always fun. But being a author is a job. An awesome job. But still a job. And to be professional means to push through the hard parts. Rally your friends around you. Whine and vent as needed. But keep writing. Keep going. Push through.
It will get better and you will get done. Everything will work out okay!
(And btw--can one of you guys remind me I said this in a few weeks? 'Cause yeah, thanks to my crazy schedule I have a SECOND book 2 to write this year and who knows if I'll have to fight this same battle all over again. *shudders*)
