Joyce DiPastena's Blog, page 63
January 16, 2011
What Am I Writing Now?
Yes, that's "writing", not "reading"! The rumors are true. Acelet is going on hiatus for awhile. I'm a little sorry to see him go, as I was especially looking forward to introducing you to his new friend, Bricot the jongleur! But that will have to wait. For a little while, anyway. I do intend to come back to the story and finish it someday.
And speaking of "somedays"… Some of you know that Gunthar and Heléne, the hero and heroine of Loyalty's Web , had their origins in an early college novel of mine. They were an elderly couple in that unpublished story who helped my much beleaguered younger hero and heroine achieve their "happily ever after". I called that early novel—the first novel I ever wrote— The Lady and the Minstrel . I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I even have a few nicely encouraging personalized rejection letters (if rejection letters can ever be viewed as "nice") from some major New York publishing houses for it. Here's a little sampling:
Dell Publishing: "This is an intelligently written novel with well-drawn characterizations, but ultimately it lacks the passion and romance—despite the protagonists' enduring love—required in a historical romance."
Bantam Books: "The novel is well written and the author shows a nice feel for time and place."
Avon Books: "While the historical plotline is very interesting, I'm afraid the romance theme does not figure largely enough in the story to make it appropriate for our list."
Berkley Publishing Group: "Thank you for sending [The Lady and the Minstrel]…it's a good read, a notch above most published historicals, but just not totally spectacular enough for us to take on."
Only one publisher actually came out and admitted that the biggest drawback was that my heroine wasn't "lusty enough". (Although perhaps that's what Dell was hinting at with their "lacks passion and romance" remark?)
Yes, even then I was writing "sweet" romances in a not-so-"sweet" romance world. And even then I had trouble sticking to the romance "formula", because although at the time I thought I was simply writing a love story, in hindsight I can see that I had some other "non-romance" themes going on that probably ultimately shot me in the foot with romance editors. (In other words, yes, it was about the hero and heroine falling in love, but it wasn't all about the hero and heroine falling in love.)
The point of my sharing the above comments with you isn't to boast. It is simply to explain why I have always continued to have faith in this story. I'm actually grateful to those editors who rejected it at the time. Yes, it's true! Although utterly heartbroken at the time, in later years I have in very truth often thought that they did me a huge favor. Why? Because if The Lady and the Minstrel had been published in its original form, I would very likely have thought my writing abilities were "good enough" and become trapped in a truly inferior writing style. Honestly, I write much, much better today than I did then! (I'd give you an example, but I'm too embarrassed.)
I have always told myself that someday, when my writing skills had improved, I would go back and rewrite The Lady and the Minstrel (along with its sequel, Knight's Folly ). I have told myself, and even a few other people, that for years and years. So when for reasons I won't go into here, I crashed and burned with Acelet's story at the end of 2010, I found a little voice whispering to me, "And just when is 'someday' going to come around for The Lady and the Minstrel? When you're 70? 80? 90???" (Or in other words, "You're not getting any younger, you know!")
And so I've once again pulled out The Lady and the Minstrel . I still love the characters. I still love the plot. I'm keeping the story's roadmap. But the scenes themselves…oh, my! The scenes themselves I'm rewriting from the bottom up, using all the improved, matured skills I can muster. (We're talking something like 98% "new" writing. Though compared to a book I'm currently reading "for fun", my "improved, matured skills" still seem sadly lacking. :::sigh:) Still, I promise the end result will be MILES above the original version!
Now the question: Once finished, will anyone really want to read this book except me? It'll still be "sweet". I hope it'll be better written. But it still won't be a "totally spectacular" story and the "romance theme" still may not "figure largely enough in the story" for many readers looking for a traditional romance. I don't know that answer, but I do know this one: Since I've begun my rewrite, I feel at greater peace with my writing than I have in a good long while.
And so, at least for now, it's The Lady and the Minstrel …and me!
An extract from "The Kiss", by Francesco Hayez (1859)Some of the clothing is wrong, their hair isn't quite right (though both are the right color), and yet this painting has always made me think of Rob and Marguerite, the hero and heroine of The Lady and the Minstrel
And speaking of "somedays"… Some of you know that Gunthar and Heléne, the hero and heroine of Loyalty's Web , had their origins in an early college novel of mine. They were an elderly couple in that unpublished story who helped my much beleaguered younger hero and heroine achieve their "happily ever after". I called that early novel—the first novel I ever wrote— The Lady and the Minstrel . I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I even have a few nicely encouraging personalized rejection letters (if rejection letters can ever be viewed as "nice") from some major New York publishing houses for it. Here's a little sampling:
Dell Publishing: "This is an intelligently written novel with well-drawn characterizations, but ultimately it lacks the passion and romance—despite the protagonists' enduring love—required in a historical romance."
Bantam Books: "The novel is well written and the author shows a nice feel for time and place."
Avon Books: "While the historical plotline is very interesting, I'm afraid the romance theme does not figure largely enough in the story to make it appropriate for our list."
Berkley Publishing Group: "Thank you for sending [The Lady and the Minstrel]…it's a good read, a notch above most published historicals, but just not totally spectacular enough for us to take on."
Only one publisher actually came out and admitted that the biggest drawback was that my heroine wasn't "lusty enough". (Although perhaps that's what Dell was hinting at with their "lacks passion and romance" remark?)
Yes, even then I was writing "sweet" romances in a not-so-"sweet" romance world. And even then I had trouble sticking to the romance "formula", because although at the time I thought I was simply writing a love story, in hindsight I can see that I had some other "non-romance" themes going on that probably ultimately shot me in the foot with romance editors. (In other words, yes, it was about the hero and heroine falling in love, but it wasn't all about the hero and heroine falling in love.)
The point of my sharing the above comments with you isn't to boast. It is simply to explain why I have always continued to have faith in this story. I'm actually grateful to those editors who rejected it at the time. Yes, it's true! Although utterly heartbroken at the time, in later years I have in very truth often thought that they did me a huge favor. Why? Because if The Lady and the Minstrel had been published in its original form, I would very likely have thought my writing abilities were "good enough" and become trapped in a truly inferior writing style. Honestly, I write much, much better today than I did then! (I'd give you an example, but I'm too embarrassed.)
I have always told myself that someday, when my writing skills had improved, I would go back and rewrite The Lady and the Minstrel (along with its sequel, Knight's Folly ). I have told myself, and even a few other people, that for years and years. So when for reasons I won't go into here, I crashed and burned with Acelet's story at the end of 2010, I found a little voice whispering to me, "And just when is 'someday' going to come around for The Lady and the Minstrel? When you're 70? 80? 90???" (Or in other words, "You're not getting any younger, you know!")
And so I've once again pulled out The Lady and the Minstrel . I still love the characters. I still love the plot. I'm keeping the story's roadmap. But the scenes themselves…oh, my! The scenes themselves I'm rewriting from the bottom up, using all the improved, matured skills I can muster. (We're talking something like 98% "new" writing. Though compared to a book I'm currently reading "for fun", my "improved, matured skills" still seem sadly lacking. :::sigh:) Still, I promise the end result will be MILES above the original version!
Now the question: Once finished, will anyone really want to read this book except me? It'll still be "sweet". I hope it'll be better written. But it still won't be a "totally spectacular" story and the "romance theme" still may not "figure largely enough in the story" for many readers looking for a traditional romance. I don't know that answer, but I do know this one: Since I've begun my rewrite, I feel at greater peace with my writing than I have in a good long while.
And so, at least for now, it's The Lady and the Minstrel …and me!
An extract from "The Kiss", by Francesco Hayez (1859)Some of the clothing is wrong, their hair isn't quite right (though both are the right color), and yet this painting has always made me think of Rob and Marguerite, the hero and heroine of The Lady and the Minstrel
January 15, 2011
Winners of the 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge!
Thank you to everyone who participated in my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge! I hope you all enjoyed revisiting some "old friends", as well as discovering new ones.
All the entrants met the requirements to be entered for the $25 Amazon gift certificate, so I'm letting Random.org choose the 1st ($25), 2nd ($10) and 3rd ($5) place winners.
And the winners of my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge are...
3rd place: Jenn Mathis, $5 Amazon gift certificate
2nd place: Elizabeth Morgan, $10 Amazon gift certificate
1st place: Kimberly Bea wins the $25 gift certificate with the following highly impressive reading list (actually ALL the entrants reading lists were highly impressive!):
New:
Frostbitten by Kelley ArmstrongDoppelgangster by Laura ResnickThe Guerney Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie BarrowsFortune's Folly by Deva FaganGive Up the Ghost by Megan CreweWondrous Strange by Lesley LivingstonFirespell by Chloe NeillBlood Roses by Francesca Lia BlockClan Daughter by Morgan HowellRoyal Destiny by Morgan HowellFallen by Lauren KateHow High the Moon by Susan KringThe Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie RyanSalt and Silver by Anna KatherineThe Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick NessThe Lost Sister by Megan Kelley HallShiver by Maggie StiefvaterNeed by Carrie JonesUnholy Ghost by Stacia KaneCrazy/Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-LogstedHell Fire by Ann AguirreThe Waters and the Wild by Francesca Lia BlockQuakeland by Francesca Lia BlockHannah, Daughters of the Sea by Kathryn LaskyHow to (Un)Cage a Girl by Francesca Lia BlockPretty Dead by Francesca Lia BlockInto the Wild by Sarah Beth DurstBeautiful Malice by Rebecca JamesDark and Stormy Knights (anthology) edited by P.N . ElrodSilver Phoenix by Cindy PonThe Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz by Laura Toffler-CorrieThe Stepsister Scheme by Jim HinesThe Replacement by Brenna YovanoffThe White Cat by Holly BlackThe Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth PetersCheat the Grave by Vicki PetterssonHandling the Undead by John Ajvide LindqvistMy Worst Best Friend by Dyan SheldonShade by Jeri Smith-ReadyPerchance to Dream by Lisa MantchevDeadtown by Nancy HolznerRed-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
Old Reads:Water Song by Suzanne WeynI, Coriander by Sally GardnerThief With No Shadow by Emily GeeAn Infinite Thread (anthology) by the Merry Sisters of Fate (Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa GrattonVintage by Steve BermanI Was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia BlockKing's Property by Morgan HowellPsyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia BlockEating in the Underworld by Rachel ZuckerAutobiography of Red by Anne CarsonCollege of Magic by Caroline StevermerThe Leto Bundle by Marina WarnerSisters of Misery by Megan Kelley HallThe Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie RyanMoon Called by Patricia BriggsGhost Orchid by Carol GoodmanFinn Family Moomintroll by Tove JanssonHalf Magic by Edward EagerHexwood by Diana Wynne JonesTales of Moominvalley by Tove JanssonAmmie, Come Home by Barbara MichaelsThe Prince of Darkness by Barbara MichaelsSomeone in the House by Barbara MichaelsEcstasia by Francesca Lia BlockPrimavera by Francesca Lia BlockOrdinary Jack by Helen CresswellJhereg by Steven BrustDragon by Steven BrustCats Have No Lord by Will ShetterlyThe Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood by Meredith Ann PierceComet in Moominland by Tove JanssonSunshine by Robin McKinleyMagic Bites by Ilona AndrewsDhampir by Barb and J.C. HendeeThief of Lives by Barb and J.C. HendeeMoominland Midwinter by Tove JanssonSister of the Dead by Barb and J.C. HendeeThe Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne JonesMoominpappa at Sea by Tove JanssonTraitor to the Blood by Barb and J.C. HendeeEyes Like Stars by Lisa MantchevJennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. KonigsbergCongratulations, ladies! And thanks to everyone who entered!
What Am I Reading Now?
Hand of Fate
, by Lis Wiehl, was a fun and interesting read. I don't read a lot of contemporary mystery books, so I may not be the best judge of them, but this one was fun for me because I watch Lis Wiehl regularly on The O'Reilly Factor. I've always liked her, even when I don't always agree with her, but this novel gave me some interesting insights into who she is as a person. (There was a surprising faith aspect to this book that I wasn't anticipating.)
Now on to my next new read. I'm starting my second Rosemary Sutcliff book, Knight's Fee , and so far all I can say is, "Man! I wish I could write like this!" I never will in a million years, but the sin of covetousness won't stop me from sitting back and enjoying a master storyteller's ride.
Knight's Fee
, back cover blurb:
Hidden behind the battlements on the roof of the gatehouse crouched Randal the dog-boy, watching for the arrival of Hugh Goch, the new Lord of Arundel Castle. As the cavalcade approached the great gateway, a small thing happened; Randal dropped the fig he had been eating on to the nose of Hugh's mettlesome horse. It was this seemingly trivial incident that first set the boy, whose days had been spent among the castle hounds, on the path to a new life; it was the first step in his rise from dog-boy to knight--though the price he had to pay for this final honour was a heavy one.
Stop by on Tuesday to read a Tuesday Teaser from Knight's Fee !
Now on to my next new read. I'm starting my second Rosemary Sutcliff book, Knight's Fee , and so far all I can say is, "Man! I wish I could write like this!" I never will in a million years, but the sin of covetousness won't stop me from sitting back and enjoying a master storyteller's ride.
Knight's Fee
, back cover blurb:Hidden behind the battlements on the roof of the gatehouse crouched Randal the dog-boy, watching for the arrival of Hugh Goch, the new Lord of Arundel Castle. As the cavalcade approached the great gateway, a small thing happened; Randal dropped the fig he had been eating on to the nose of Hugh's mettlesome horse. It was this seemingly trivial incident that first set the boy, whose days had been spent among the castle hounds, on the path to a new life; it was the first step in his rise from dog-boy to knight--though the price he had to pay for this final honour was a heavy one.
Stop by on Tuesday to read a Tuesday Teaser from Knight's Fee !
January 14, 2011
Get to Know the Reviewer: Jessica of Novel Reaction
Welcome to Jessica of Novel Reaction Book Reviews, our first book reviewer interview on JDP NEWS! I'm so excited to have Jessica here. Let's jump right into our Getting to Know You questions!JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?
NR (Novel Reaction): My mother read to me a lot when I was a child, which I think is very important for children. I also saw both of my parents reading while I was growing up and I think this helped shape my love of books. There were always books lying around with bookmarks in them and full bookshelves of interesting books to explore, everything from fiction to biographies. I think it important for children to see their parents reading instead of just watching television all the time because children learn by example.
JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?
NR: My favorite books that my mother read to me were by Bill Peet, his use of words are great and he was one of the main animators for Disney for several films including Sleeping Beauty and The Sword in the Stone. My favorite is Cowardly Clyde about a warhorse that is afraid of his own shadow but must overcome his fear to save his knight. After I started reading to myself I devoured The Boxcar Children and The Nancy Drew series. My all time favorite author from my younger years is Robin McKinley, I reread The Blue Sword every year and usually reread a few more of hers such as Beauty and The Outlaws of Sherwood. Her Pegasus was a great read this year and made my Best of 2010 list.
JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult
NR: One of my favorite authors as an adult is Lynn Kurland. She writes great time-travel romance novels that start with A Dance Through Time but she doesn't sugarcoat what medieval Scotland was like, she describes it in all its smelly detail. I also really enjoy her books because they are clean romance novels, the tension is there between the main characters but without all the sex.
JDP: Share a book you've read multiple times.
NR: I am a big rereader of books and there are several authors I try to hit each year because I love them. Georgette Heyer is one, my favorites of hers are: Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle and The Grand Sophy. I also enjoy fantasy novels (even though they don't usually get reviewed on my site) and love David Eddings' The Belgariad and The Elenium series.
JDP: Followers of JDP NEWS will know what a HUGE fan I am of Georgette Heyer! I hit several on my reread list last year, too. But back to the interview. Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?
NR: There is something about the texture and smell of a book that I love but since I got my Kindle I find myself using it more and more because of the ease of transporting multiple books all at once. Also, it is SOOO much easier balancing my Kindle while I am lying in bed reading than a hardbound copy of a book but it hasn't stopped my purchasing of hard copies. My husband has admitted he likes my Kindle because it will be a whole lot easier to move the next time we do so than my other books are. I have over 5,000 books in my collection and they can be a pain to move, as all my family and friends have informed me. Before I got my Kindle I regularly had an ink smudge on my pinkie finger from where I would hold open the book with it and I kinda miss that mark on my hand but I LOVE my Kindle!
(Jessica with a few of her 5,000 books)
JDP: 5,000 books? Wow! And I thought my bookshelves were overflowing! What's your favorite place to read?
NR: I read just about anywhere but I really love lounging in bed reading away with my cat curled up next to me or, if the weather is nice, swaying in my hammock in the shade. I also enjoy reading in the tub and luckily have only dropped one book into the water so far *knock on wood*.
JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.
NR: I read a little bit of everything but I find myself drawn the most to romance, fantasy and young adult novels.
JDP: What's the last book you read?
NR: Against the Law by Kat Martin which is the third book in The Raines of Wind Canyon and is available in February from Mira books. I will be posting my review around the release date.
JDP: What are you're reading now?
NR: I am currently reading Digitalias by Ronie Kendig (Kindle) and Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Paperback) since I always seem to have more than one book going at a time and because I am terrified I will drop my Kindle in the tub so I always have a paperback going because it is cheaper to replace if dropped. :)
JDP: If I ever get a Kindle, I'll remember that tip! What's next on your reading list?
NR: To Tempt a Rake by Cara Elliot and The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton.
JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)
NR: I would like to read more fantasy novels but I am finding it hard to fit them in around my review commitments, not that I am complaining there just always seem to be more great books I want to read than I have time to read.
JDP: Share a favorite book that you've read in the last 12 months
NR: Beastly by Alex Flynn and Dead People by Edie Ramer. At Novel Reaction there are three other reviewers not including myself and we posted a Best of 2010 where each of us listed our favorites of 2010 and of all time. I admit I really struggled to limit myself to ten favorite novels of all time but I was able to do it, you can read it http://novelreaction.com/2011/01/best-books-of-2010/ .
Thank you, Jessica!
I invited Jessica to share a little more about her review site and about herself:
NovelReaction.com :
Reader and admitted bibliophile (book collector), I came up with the idea of NovelReaction.com after I was approached by several friends asking for "clean" romance novels. As we all know, you can't judge a book by its cover nor can we judge the graphic content of a novel based on the cover. I provide a graphic rating so readers can pick up a novel without having to worry about not knowing the graphic content. Novel Reaction covers just about every genre but focus primarily on romance, young adult and some fantasy.
Not content to just recommend some authors, I decided to create this website to recommend books to anyone looking for a good book. I am not an author, just a reader interested in sharing good books with others. 'Novel Reaction' is not just my web title but my approach to reading. I am happy to receive any comments or suggestions!
In addition to book reviews, author visits and giveaways, each month we have a Books-to-Movie Challenge where we read the book and watch a film adaptation and discuss it. February's Books-to-Movie challenge is Beastly by Alex Flynn, which I am very excited about. So sit back, pull up a beverage, and read on knowing that you can without a worry.
(JDP INSERTS: What a fun idea! I'll have to check this out.)
In addition to Novel Reaction, several months ago I launched NovelReactionKids.com.
Novel Reaction Kids was created when the reviewers of NovelReaction.com started to discuss the problem with finding good quality books that you are willing to read to your child(ren) over and over and over again. Because as a parent that is exactly what you will do, read the same books more than once to your child. We decided what better way to share our love of the great books we have found for our children than by creating a website to share them with each other and others who might be interested.
Each child is different and so is their taste in books so NovelReactionKids.com covers everything from adventure to holiday, animals to feelings, and everything in between. In addition to talking about our feelings about the books we are reading to our children, we also post our children's reactions to the books we have read. Also, we have found that a lot of children's authors have great websites to go along with the books they have written and we discuss them here. So read, enjoy and repeat!
About Me:
Jessica is the main reviewer and creative force behind Novel Reaction. I have a BA in English and am currently a full time law student. I love to be able to read the books I want to read after I finish studying but don't get as much time to read 'the fun books' as I would like (but then would I ever have enough time I wonder...). Having moved from snowy Salt Lake City to Phoenix about a year and a half ago I love the Phoenix winters and enjoy not having to dig my car out of the snow in order to go anywhere. :)
JDP: As a lifetime Arizonan, I say, "Welcome to the land of (almost) endless sunshine, Jessica!" Thanks again for visiting with us today.
January 11, 2011
Tuesday Teaser
Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with "cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I've borrowed it from LDS Women's Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare at least two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book. Here's my second teaser from Hand of Fate :
She had thought that her viewers would love her more for knowing that she had faced adversity and ultimately triumphed. Instead, many of them mocked her for it.
Had they ever loved her at all?
From Hand of Fate , by Lis Wiehl with April Henry, p 220
If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too.
January 7, 2011
Get to Know the Author: Margaret Turley
Today's interview is with author Margaret Turley. Margaret is the author of
Save the Child
(you can view her book trailer on her website), as well as three books published under the pseudonym Rachel Anderson:
A Nurse's World
,
A Nurse's World Volume II
, and
A Nurse's World Volume III, Things I didn't Learn in Nursing School
.Margaret is currently finishing revisions for Witnesses , a book of short stories based on New Testament scriptures, illustrated by Kali Higgins, an artist from Scottsdale, AZ.
All of Margaret's books are available on Amazon, B&N.com, or directly from her website ( http://margaretturley.com ).
JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?
Margaret: Both my mother and father read to me as a child. We read all the Dr. Suess books, all the of Aesop's fables, fairy tales, Arabian nights and so on until I could read on my own, and still we shared reading frequently on family trips and so forth.
JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?
Margaret: I don't know that I have a favorite. On Sunday's I read a book written for children that was stories based on the Book of Mormon . I've looked for it in my mother's library but can't find it. I loved To Kill a Mockingbird and have read it a few times since. I read in bed with the covers pulled over my head so my parents wouldn't see the light on. But when I fell asleep and the lamp caught my hair on fire that kind of ruined it. I still spend many nights reading instead of sleeping.
JDP: Whoa! Catching your hair on fire for a book. Now that's devotion! LOL! Name a favorite author as an adult.
Margaret: Hard to keep it to only one. Jodi Picoult is near the top.JDP: Share a book you've read multiple times (not the scriptures)
Margaret: Gone With the Wind
JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?
Margaret: Hard copy - I'll always prefer to hold the book in my hands.
JDP: (Ah, my kind of girl!) What's your favorite place to read?
Margaret: Anywhere. I always have a book with me to read wherever I go.
JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.
Margaret: Fantasy, Inspirational Fiction, Mystery Suspense
JDP: What's the last book you read?
Margaret: Trespass by Sandra Grey - I posted a review of this book on my blog. This week I'll be posting my review of Lisa Finder's romantic fantasy: Black Sand .
JDP: What are you're reading now?
Margaret: Our Lord of the Gospels by J. Reuben Clark Jr.
JDP: What's next on your reading list?
Margaret: A romantic suspense trilogy by Brenda Novak.
JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc) I love to read Sarah M. Eden, Janette Rallison, Donna Hatch, Joan Sowards, JDP, Marsha Ward (get the picture? I love to read books written by my sisters in ANWA (American Night Writers Association). I love to read almost every genre - just not Horror.
JDP: Share a favorite book that you've read in the last 12 months
Margaret: I participate in blog tours for new Valor Publishing Books and Walnut Springs Press. I have enjoyed all the books I have read this year - it has been fun to read new authors, and old favorites. Karen Hoover's Sapphire Flute was especially fun and I look forward to the next one.
You can learn more about Margaret Turley at her website- http://margaretturley.com
Margaret also maintains a blog, A Nurse's World (http://a-nurses-world.blogspot.com/), where she talks about health care, humanitarian issues, nursing, etc. Her writing blog can be found at Goodfellow Publishing (http://goodfellowpublishing.com/blog).
Summary of Save the Child:
"You are not going to pour poison straight into her heart!"
Nancy's determination to protect her daughter from the chemotherapy doctors insist she needs is fueled by boundless fury. She has seen cancer patients successfully treated with naturopathy. She wants the right to do this for Sharon, her eight year old child suffering from Leukemia.
Robert knows in his heart that chemotherapy is Sharon's only chance to survive. He follows his law professor's advice and forces himself to defend Nancy in public. As Sharon's parents they have to appear united. His work, law school and family demand more than twenty-four hours a day of him, and more than he is capable of giving.
Abby, at age fifteen, craves independence but needs understanding. No longer receiving the attention she deserves from her distracted parents, she seeks adventure on-line, with a stranger. The result sends her to the same hospital as her sister in a coma. Five year old Ben misses his sisters. He blames his mother for making Grandma go away and his father for leaving him with strangers. Jack, the family dog provides his only comfort. Phyllis, widow of a physician, can not condone her daughter's irrational actions. But love and concern for her grandchildren pull her back to care for Benjamin amidst the raging battle.
Cancer is the enemy. Love is the remedy and Grandma is the angel who glues the family picture back together again.
January 6, 2011
Thoughts for a New Year
"No one was ever quite like you. The Lord made only one, without carbons. You are not repeated and not repeatable. The chance of there ever being someone identical to you must be compared to a number so high it doesn't even have a name; it would have to be written as a 1 followed by 9,031 zeros.
"No one else can do what the Lord sent you to mortality to do. The value of what you have to contribute will come through the expression of your own personality, that particular spark of the divine that makes you unique, setting you off from every other living creature. The mark you leave on the world, on the hearts and minds of others is as distinct as your thumbprint."
From Learn, Then Serve , a 1980 Relief Society booklet
"No one else can do what the Lord sent you to mortality to do. The value of what you have to contribute will come through the expression of your own personality, that particular spark of the divine that makes you unique, setting you off from every other living creature. The mark you leave on the world, on the hearts and minds of others is as distinct as your thumbprint."
From Learn, Then Serve , a 1980 Relief Society booklet
January 5, 2011
New Feature: Getting to Know You!
Did your favorite author's mother read to her as a child? Did that book reviewer whose site you trust to guide you to the next great read have a favorite childhood book? How many of them have converted over to e-readers, and how many are still clinging to good old fashioned hard copies (like me)?
Beginning this Friday, I will be starting a new weekly feature called "Get to Know the Author/Reviewer". A wide variety of authors and book reviewers will share with us the answers to the following questions:
Did you mother read to you as a child?
Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?
Name a favorite author as an adult.
Share a book you've read multiple times.
Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?
What's your favorite place to read?
What are your three favorite reading genres?
What's the last book you read?
What are you reading now?
What's next on your reading list?
What would you like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)
Share a favorite book that you've read in the last 12 months.
Stop by every Friday to see who's next in the "Get to Know You" spotlight!
Beginning this Friday, I will be starting a new weekly feature called "Get to Know the Author/Reviewer". A wide variety of authors and book reviewers will share with us the answers to the following questions:
Did you mother read to you as a child?
Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?
Name a favorite author as an adult.
Share a book you've read multiple times.
Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?
What's your favorite place to read?
What are your three favorite reading genres?
What's the last book you read?
What are you reading now?
What's next on your reading list?
What would you like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)
Share a favorite book that you've read in the last 12 months.
Stop by every Friday to see who's next in the "Get to Know You" spotlight!
January 4, 2011
Tuesday Teaser
Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with "cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I've borrowed it from LDS Women's Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare at least two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book. Here's my teaser from Hand of Fate :
"Why do you need a gun?" Mrs. Lofland asked in a calm voice. Nothing so far today had seemed to fluster her--not being questioned by a judge, not being forced to evacuate, not even seeing a gun in Nic's hand.
From Hand of Fate , by Lis Wiehl with April Henry, p 47
If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too.
January 3, 2011
What Am I Reading Now?
My sister received this as a freebie with a Christmas order and gave it to me for Christmas. The Lis Wiehl part of the writing team is a frequent contributor to The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel. Might the murdered radio host possibly be modeled on Bill O'Reilly himself? Each reader will have to judge for her/himself. All I know is, I'm three chapters in, and so far, I'm enjoying this book!
Here's the back cover blurb for
Hand of Fate
, by Lis Wiehl and April Henry:
When the host of a popular radio talk show is murdered, the suspects almost outnumber his millions of listeners. Outspoken radio talk show host Jim Fate dies tragically when poisonous gas fills the studio while his polarizing show, "The Hand of Fate," is on air. In the ensuing panic, police evacuate downtown Portland – and the triple threat of FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce begin piecing together the madness, motive, and mystery of what just happened. And this time, it's personal since one of the women was secretly dating the host and has access to his home…as well as possible evidence. In the days following Fate's murder, these three colleagues and friends confront a betrayal within the team while unearthing the not-so-public life of Jim Fate. Together, they must uncover the stunning truths of who killed him, how close the killer really is, and the twisted motive for this cold-blooded murder.
Pop back in on Tuesday for a Tuesday Teaser from The Hand of Fate !
Here's the back cover blurb for
Hand of Fate
, by Lis Wiehl and April Henry:When the host of a popular radio talk show is murdered, the suspects almost outnumber his millions of listeners. Outspoken radio talk show host Jim Fate dies tragically when poisonous gas fills the studio while his polarizing show, "The Hand of Fate," is on air. In the ensuing panic, police evacuate downtown Portland – and the triple threat of FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce begin piecing together the madness, motive, and mystery of what just happened. And this time, it's personal since one of the women was secretly dating the host and has access to his home…as well as possible evidence. In the days following Fate's murder, these three colleagues and friends confront a betrayal within the team while unearthing the not-so-public life of Jim Fate. Together, they must uncover the stunning truths of who killed him, how close the killer really is, and the twisted motive for this cold-blooded murder.
Pop back in on Tuesday for a Tuesday Teaser from The Hand of Fate !
