What am I RE-reading now?  Mystic and Rider (Sharron Shinn Twelve Houses #1)
Annnd . . . what do I think so far? Yes, I'm re-reading this series, not only because I really, really love these books, but also because I want to learn how the author makes the characters so memorable. The series has magic, civil unrest, war, political intrigue, love, overwhelming odds, fights to the death...ahhhh a great book for relaxing. Oh, yes, I would highly recommend this series (and this author, who has many more books) to anyone who loves high fantasy and/or romance, but you have to overlook the Fabio-like cover on one book.

Here's the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the series. Can you guess which one I'm teasing as Fabio-esque?

The first four books follow six friends, each taking the spotlight in a book (I know--6 friends, 4 books not adding up! But trust me this is literature not math--and it works.) The fifth book follows a minor character and while a good story with excellent writing, it just seemed like a very long prologue to the series and ties up some loose ends.

So, you've had a minute to think it over--if you guessed Book 3, Dark Moon Defender, you're right. I think the romantisized pose is kinda (read: extremely) out there for the series! And that brings me to my post:

COVERFLIP

Maureen Johnson (Author of Little Blue Envelopes, a great YA book) has a great idea--COVERFLIPS. Sometimes books get saddled with covers that don't really belong with the story. Like once I read a book with a beautiful necklace on the cover--but no necklace in the whole book!

I think I'd like to do this with students next year (as part of book reports), ask them to design a cover that matches the story. I think I'd be able to see what the students understood as the main ideas in the books, the character traits or arc and the themes presented in the book, as well as have an outlet for creative expression.

You can read about COVERFLIPS on Maureen's blog:
Maureen Johnson: COVERFLIP What now?

Goodreads Rants

What am I reading now?   The Elite (Kiera Cass, The Selection)
Annd . . . what do I think so far?  Yes, I love this series!
This is the second book in The Selection series with the next book out in 2014; that is a year from now.
A whole year--12 months--365 days!
AHHHHHHH!

I can't say much about this book without spoiling the first book so I'll just say: The king has to die.
Those of you who have read this book agree, right?
My rating on this book?

Goodreads Rants
In the spirit of science, I like getting my own facts about books, so I try to avoid reading the comments people make about books before I read them. Oh, don't get me wrong--I stalk Goodreads a lot, but I only look at the number of stars the books I'm interested in are getting. And even then, I'll look at a few of my friends that have similar reading tastes and weight their stars more heavily than even the average listed for a book. After I read and rate the book, I might scroll through and read some of the comments.

Something I noticed--the longest rants about a book, the rants that get a lot of press from other people commenting back on their rants--are not the comments I agree with. Full disclosure--I've read some of them to see what it was that was so heinous to deserve only one star.
Hmm.
It seems to me that many times the reader is rating themselves and not the book.

I mean
1. The person admits they don't really like or read that genre. (so don't)
2. The person says they don't like the character. (so what)
3. The person says (of an ARC) they would never buy that book. (so don't)
4. The person says they would never want a relationship like the one in the book. (so what)

In the case of most rants, the reviewer is ranting about what they like, what they want, what they would do, not about the merits of the book. And knowing that helps me find book recommendations that someone else might rant about, but I loved.

Start Here

What am I reading now? An Unlikely Match (Sarah Eden)
Annd . . . what do I think so far?  I think I've said it before, but this is one of my favorite authors! She writes lovable, witty, funny characters in situations that seem impossible to reconcile, with surprising twists that bind the characters all together into a story that will stay with you long after you close the cover on the last page. This book is not an exception either. I definitely recommend it!

In this story, Nickolas Pritchard, a penniless Englishman, inherits a fortune and an ancestral home in Wales. Upon taking possession, he finds the resident ghost, Gwen, who has been bound there for four hundred years, gives the final word on what will be acceptable in the home--and it's best for everyone not to cross her. Over days and weeks an attraction between them grows.
How can a man and a ghost have a happily ever after?

Start Here

Wouldn't it be great if, when we wrote novels, we knew right where the beginning of the story was, and equally great, if we knew where the ending was? I know it seems like something that should be obvious. But it's not. There is no magical story map that takes your characters and story concept and identifies the start, end and important plot points in between.

Here's some advice I've been given (more than once and by different people, so it seems like it might be good):

•Start on the day when everything is different
•Start when your character must make a life changing decision
•Start when your character is avoiding a change

Ultimately, story is about change, starting with the need for change and ending when change has been completed.

Having a Game Plan

What am I reading now?  Also Known As (Robin Benway)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  When you pick your first lock at the age of 4 and the first name you write is a forgery of someone else's, you're a spy. At least  Maggie, a 16 year old daughter of two spies (that specialize in languages and hacking), who has 12 identities in passports and spends only enough time in a city to finish a job, until she gets her own assignment, is. Now she has to enroll in high school and get to know Jesse Oliver before his dad reveals her family, and other spies who work for the Collective, publicly, placing them all in danger!

I really enjoyed this book. I think a lot of teens will like it too! ENJOY!

Characters' Game Plans

Coaches don't go into a game without thinking about which plays to run, which team members to use in a scoring or assisting roles and which opponents to guard and in what way by whom. So I was thinking how the same thing could give the scenes we write more focus and impact. What if, in designing scenes, Deanna and I do the same thing?

We always ask what motivates our characters--what do they want and what lengths will they go to to get it? But we've considered this as the scenes unfold, wondering what does the character wants in this scene. The conflict designed to move the plot along might not be within the overall plan the character would experience. We have utilized this on the whole-story level, but not enough on the scene-level.

If we reconsider how to develop the scenes from a coaching perspective, I think I'd like to try having a "play book" for my characters set out and see the conflict that arises from the intersection of those plays, looking closely at offense and defense. Isn't that how it is in real life--like--I have this goal. My first step (play) is to do this. Then this. And finally this. Our characters would think the same way. *epiphany*

Yeah, what if?
I think I'll do that.

Books used in the classroom

What am I reading now?  School Spirits (Rachel Hawkins)
Annnd . . . what do I think so far? This is a spin-off from the Hex Hall series, following Izzy Brannick, who is now 15 and gets her first assignment at a high school--not a cool paranormal one--the regular kind, well except that it is haunted. Throw in a love spell and things get interesting.

It's a fun story for a first book in a series. I'd like to see the storyline get more complex, and I really didn't care for the ending, not that it was bad or anything, I was just like, "Huh? Really?" Enough of the story was good that I'll read the next in the series though. I see a lot of possibilities for interactions with Torrin--hope it goes that way!

Books Used in the Classroom

"Word carpentry is like any other kind of carpentry: you must build your sentences smoothly." ~Anatole France

Because I work as a literacy specialist, I often get asked why some books get used in classrooms while others don't. One of the reasons is that publishers and teachers have different criteria for what makes a good book. There are a lot of current books that do get used in classrooms, but many, many more that don't.

Publishers put out books hoping for a broad consumer base, possibly leading to many books that are not complex in text structures or sentence structures so readers of varying proficiency can access them. Often the message and story in those books are good for recreational reading, but not useful for instruction for how to become a better reader.

There is a new emphasis on developing the understanding of underlying structures of the language in the new Common Core State Standards for schools in the US. As an educator, I love the new curriculum! The fact is, to meet these standards, many teacher look toward books published in the past or in the UK because the level of sentence, vocabulary and concept complexity is more challenging for students and fits the curriculum better. It isn't just about story grammar or sentence grammar, but about how an author constructs emotion, tension and inference through using the chosen language structures. 

The books I love to read feel like music in my brain. The words are combined in a complex way that moves me into the meaning and feeling the author is creating. What can I teach from complex sentence construction? Appositives, participles, absolutes, prepositions, openers, subject-verb splits, parts of speech ... the list goes on, but here are some examples of sentences I could use:

•Ally Condie, Matched

"His lips move silently, and I know what he says: the words of a poem that only two people in the world know.”

•Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

"In the garden, the Captain of the Guard stared up at the young woman's balcony, watching as she waltzed alone, lost in her dreams."

•Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races

"Finn, valiant soul that he is, vanishes, leaving me to it."

"Style means the right word..."

What am I reading now?  Elemental #1, #2, #3 (Brigid Kemmerer)

     Storm

Spark

                                     

Spirit

(yup--got an ARC)






Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  The series revolves around 4 brothers, the Merrick brothers, orphaned when their parents fought for the right for them to live. They are all Elementals, each landing directly on a point for Earth (Michael--oldest and the legal guardian of his younger brothers), Air (Nick--the good one, a twin), Fire (Gabriel--bad boy hot-head, twin) and Water (Chris--the youngest). When an Elemental lands on a point, they are extremely powerful, think devastate a city with an outburst. These characters would make a great tv series!
      I've finished books 1 and 2, almost done with 3 and I like the family dynamics, seems real for young men trying to raise themselves. Their favorite word begins with F, so if that bothers you, don't read these. If it doesn't, you're in for a crazy ride, action packed page-turner. I do have some reservations about the series though. It seems like authors get all caught up in the "war" in paranormal (and dystopian) books and turn them into blood bath video games. Book 3 seems to be going there. I'll probably stop this series at book 3 although a 4 & 5 are listed on Goodreads. Book 2 was my definite favorite of the group.

Quote on Writing...

Making a Love Match

What am I reading now? My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (Rachel Harris)
Annd . . . what do I think so far?  Buy it--Buy it now!

     Nothing can be worse for Cat than the plans her evil-step-mother-to-be has in mind. She's throwing her a party. Not just any party, but a sweet sixteen extravaganza! Complete with hundreds of guests and MTV cameras roaming the event.

What do you mean you don't get it?
A PARTY!

      Cat spends her time trying not to be noticed or recognized. Too much of her life is public because of her famous parents--well, more because of her movie star diva (in every sense of the word) mom than her behind-the camera movie director dad. Her mother left when she was just 5, and has produced one scandal after another that Cat hides from. She is into art, especially the Italian Renaissance, not the social life Hollywood offers.
    While site-seeing in Florence, Italy, she stops at a gypsy's tent (tea leaves, chanting, and candlelit shadows) and is thrown back in time, five centuries back to an ancestor's home and family. Yup, real gypsy with real time-travel mojo skills.  Long story short, she falls in love but not with the man she is supposed to marry, who is creepy and nearly old enough to be her father, ewwww. She had to find a way back to her own time--quick!

Making a Love Match

Maybe there are stories out there that don't have at least a love-subplot, but I'll probably never buy one. This basic human need, looking for that special person who complements your unique life, struggling to find a balance between each other's desires, sharing the deepest intimacies, is the core of creating societies and families. Ahhh.
      So how do we know then, as authors, when we throw two characters together that they will have a spark that ignites love or war?
      For love, just like in real life, the couple needs to have similarities and difference. Something brings them together; love of music, sports fans, life's goals. But they are not so much alike to be boring to each other. His strengths complement her needs, just as hers will do likewise for him. They have enough differences too to maintain their own identities--that keeps the other partner discovering over and over new facets to admire.

A couple of examples...
Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy
Similarities: They both value family highly and are fiercely loyal to them. They were peers, though Darcy believed her family to be beneath him. Differences: He is used to having people fall all over him but he keeps strict protection over his private life. She is self-assured, outspoken and witty. He needs to learn to put others needs without getting something in return. He wants to be loved without judgment. She needs to be loved for herself and not held to the collective judgement against her family's actions.
= Love Match

Beauty and the Beast 
Similarities: Both are ostracized from the community, though he's a litter further out being under a magical spell that makes him less than human. Each will sacrifice their own lives to save someone they love. Powerful--his is physical and hers is from her heart Differences: He is ugly. She is beautiful. He is stagnant in his life. She is vibrant with insatiable curiosity. He needs to be reminded how to love, really love, not just need someone. He needs to find his own vulnerability. She needs someone who needs her but also recognizes her strengths. She wants to direct her own life.
= Love Match

Skinny Fresh Jumble-berry Pie

What am I reading now?  The Secret (Taryn A. Taylor)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  Seventeen-year-old Delanie Hart has a past she wants to keep hidden. Moving to a new state and attending a new high school seems to be just the thing — until she accidentally sees a mark exactly like her own. When the people she is running from come after her, Lanie is left with a choice — give up what she wants or save her friends.

Here's the book trailer:

April's recipe is for Skinny, Fresh Jumble-berry pie that is lower on carbs than many.

And here are the secret ingredients.

It's easy. Begin with a purchased graham cracker crust.
Make a glaze for the berries:
Mix together 1 package (the kind that usually makes 2-quarts of drink) of Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light, 1 cup water, and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Boil and let it thicken. Chill and stir now and again until it reaches room temperature.

Meanwhile, Mix together 2 cups nonfat milk and 2 packages instant (sugar free, fat free) white chocolate pudding mix. Pour into the crust and chill this too.

Cut up 8 large strawberries and stir together with 1/2 cup of each: blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Mix into the cooled glaze and spoon atop the pudding. Chill again until you serve.

Magic Systems

What am I reading now?  Spellbinding (Maya Gold)

Annd . . . what do I think so far?  It wouldn’t be such a big deal to be descended from the witches killed in Salem, Mass in the 1600’s, unless you were also a witch and it could cost your life too. Well, some things never change.

Abby definitely thinks the upside of the witchy-thing is the ability to cast love spells—one in particular—to land the hottest date to Prom. (Admit it. You've wished you could do that.) Another downside—because Abby knows very little about witchcraft and the people who govern that world she could be at risk from the very people she needs to trust to teach her about it.

Enter gorgeous, green-eyed Rem. Not only does he know about magic, he knows Abby, at least she thinks he does. And he’s starred in her dreams more than once before she ever met him.

This book gets bonus points for being a clean read. Teachers can put this book in their classroom libraries without worrying. 

Magic Systems

Fiction is telling lies that you want to believe and sharing those lies with readers who go along with the fibs. Why? As the author, the reader's  contract is that they won't call you on the make-believe unless you break your own rules or you fail to make your rules believable. Here are a few questions I'm using to help me consider the magic system in one of my current stories:

1. Who can do the magic? Why? Who can't do the magic? Why not? What are their reactions to it?
2. What is the source of the magic?
3. How strong is it?
4. Is it always available and the same strength? If not, what makes it change?
5. Who knows about the magic?
6. What are the limitations?
7. What is the "cost" of using the magic?
8. Is it socially or morally acceptable? Why?
9. How does the magic work?
10. What is the history of the magic?
11. What at the uses and abuses? Can it be controlled? For good? For evil?
12. Are there artifacts or objects involved?
13. Is there another book that has used this type of magic recently in your genre? How is this different?
14. Who are the supporters? Who are the enemies of the magic system?
15. What is disruptive to the magic?
16. What strengthens the magic or magic system?
17. When and where is the magic wielded? How is it tied to that time and place?
18. How does the magic system create the plot, characters, and setting issues of conflict in the story?
19. What are the variations in its use among the characters who have magic?
20. Is it permanent or temporary? Why?

Best Sugar Cookies Ever!

What am I reading now?  Fangtabulous (Lucienne Diver)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far? Do you have some time to kill and want to have a fun read? This series might be worth a look. This the is 4th book in the Vamped series (maybe I should say 4th installment--since there is no end in sight.) Gina is the main character and although she is undead her fashion sense is still very much alive. There is a lot of action in Salem, MA when she and her group settle into the community. Also enter ghosts, witches, FBI agents, and TV celebrity Ghost (or paranormal) Hunters. She has to fly under their radar and solve a two-hundred year old mystery.

Don't these look yummy? 
I made these for Valentine's Day, but there's a secret in the recipe that makes them adapt to other special occasions too. I'll give that tip at the end of the recipe:

White Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2 cups softened butter

4 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 teaspoons white vanilla 

Mix together until smooth

Add 3 packages white chocolate pudding and mix again.

Stir together: 

10 cups flour (I know this is a large recipe--it makes 4 dozen large cookies)

2 teaspoons baking soda

Add to wet mixture alternately with 1 cup of sour cream

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (at least an hour) overnight.

Roll dough and cut. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

Raspberry Marshmallow Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.

3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla (I used raspberry this time) extract

up to 4 tablespoons milk (I use heavy cream)

1 large jar marshmallow cream

1/4 teaspoon red food coloring

Mix together first 4 ingredients alternately with cream as needed to soften. When smooth add marshmallow cream and food coloring

TIPS:

•Change the flavor of the sugar cookie by changing the pudding mix you use. Want lemon? Easy! How about pistachio? Okay.

•If you half the recipe, use 2 boxes of pudding.

Feeding the Senses

What am I reading now?  The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater--pronounced Steve-Otter, in case you want to know)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  Okay, the opening image is a little ewww with the water horses eating the riders, but when you get past that it's an exciting book. I'm always a fan of Maggie's and this book is no exception.

Her stories are well written from the story line to the way she crafts scenes and even sentences! Beautiful.
Listen...
"Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown. I watch the ever-changing patterns in the sand as it's pummeled by countless hooves."

"The next morning finds the island ghostly quiet. Though the frenzy of last night seemed to suggest the training would begin in earnest today, the stables are still, the roads silent...I cast a glance toward the sky; a dimpled quilt of cloud hides the sun, and below it, smaller clouds race by, in a hurry to get on their way."

"It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."

"The breeze blows across my closed eyelids, scented with brine and rain and winter. I can hear the ocean rocking against the island, a constant lullaby."

This book started a little slowly for me (well after the first scene) but I was committed by then and found it picked up about a quarter of the way in. So don't give up--and the end bytheway is a thrill ride!

Feeding the Senses

Look back at the sentences I pulled from the book and read them over again, but this time look for and listen for how she engages the senses of the reader with her word choice.

Sight: bright sun, colors, ever-changing patterns, stables are still, clouds race by

Sound: ghostly quiet, roads are quiet, hear the ocean rocking against the island

Taste:

Touch: frigid autumn, breeze blows across my closed eyelids

Smell: scented with brine and rain and winter

Emotion: pummeled, someone will die

I want to be able to do that someday--purposefully engage the reader with sentences they want to read again, just to be filled.

No Spoilers Here

What am I reading now?  Requiem (Lauren Oliver--Delirium Trilogy)

Annd . . . what do I think so far?  This is the final book for this series which asks the question: What if love were a disease which could be cured? In this society it must be cured! When a few choose not to, they are hunted. I don't think I can say a whole lot about the story...or the characters without spoiling the first two books if you haven't read them.
So I won't.
Just know that today is the release date for this book.
And I have it.
And I'm reading it RIGHT NOW.
So yeah, it's a good series.
Enough said.
Go buy it.

Style Beyond the Simile

What am I reading now? Sividious Stark (Greg Park)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  Being smart and logical is all well and good until you also add in mischievous. Science geek, Sividious Stark knows how to retaliate against a bully without getting caught, using chemistry to embarrass the oaf.   His father was a gifted scientist until a tragic accident took his life. When Sividious meets Aya, a fairy-looking creature who is being forced to participate in "The Games".  A gladiator-style event for beings from all over the universe. It isn't an honor; it's brutal slavery, fight to the death. Sividious knows he must try to help.
     I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to be included in every teacher's classroom library. Oh, and if you have a teen or tween (that's also a high reader), I bet they'll love this book.

Style Beyond the Simile

What separates a great book from an amazing book?
For me, it's the writing. Not the story or the character. Great books have superior elements for both of those traits. But the choices the author made as the sentences were constructed that tell the story are the point that separates great from amazing.

Here are a few of my favorite sentence choices:

Anaphora: This is when 2 or more sentences share the same words or phrases, creating a cohesiveness between the two sentences. Each sentence becomes more powerful!

Synecdoche: This is when a word or phrase that is a part is used to name the whole. For example, "hands" can refer to the people who are hired on the cattle ranch.

Metonymy: This is a little like the synecdoche, but this time the word or phrase is not part of the word it's replacing. This is like when the word Wall Street refers to the men and women who work there.

Chiasmus: This creates a familiar structure by flipping the phrases. "I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me."

Antithesis: Two contradictory or contrasting words/phrases used together. "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."

"Dissension" and Author Adrienne Monson

Interview with

Adrienne Monson

author of

Dissension

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I've always loved reading. My dad's influence, I'm sure. He always had four bookshelves brimming with paperbacks, and boxes full as well. When he moved out of state, he gave me my inheritance:  two bookshelves with more than enough books to fill them! I was delighted. Besides my voracious appetite for books, I love to exercise, eat delicious foods, and socialize with friends. I'm married with two little ones. My toddler keeps me active and helps me practice having patience while my oldest is steadily becoming smarter than both his parents. 

And about your book:

Dissension is book one of the Blood Inheritance Trilogy. It's about vampires and immortals (yes, they are two different species) battling each other to find the prophesy child. Leisha is a reluctant vampire who's trying to juggle her sense of morality with her duty to the vampires. Her estranged husband, an immortal, has just come back into the picture. She never stopped loving him and is wondering if he can ever love her again.

Why would someone want to read your book?

It's an easy read (what can I say - I'm not that complex of a person) that is full of action while recreating old myths.

What is your writing process like?

First is a rough draft. I skip the outline process and just write out the draft. Then I go back and revise. I may change or add several things from the rough draft. After that, I write detailed bios on each character. Then I revise the manuscript with the characters' personalities at the forefront of my brain. At this point, I send it out to beta readers and look at their feedback. After another revision with their notes in mind, I send it out again to my critique group for a thorough inspection. It usually just takes one more revision after that, and it's ready to be submitted to my publisher.

What quirky things do you have to do to write?

While I consider myself to be VERY quirky, I don't have any strange habits with my writing. I do write better at night, when I'm really tired. Besides that, I just write whenever I have time. If the juices aren't flowing, I pick up a book and read instead. That usually gets my mind where it needs to be.

What inspires you as a writer?

As mentioned above, reading always turns my brain into fantasy land where I have my pick of any story. Besides that, everything! From the news to listening to random stories, everything sparks some random story in my head. The tricky part for me is to act normal, like there's not three different stories with characters I love playing in my brain at once.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Immerse yourself in the writing industry. Join writing groups and critique groups, go to writing conferences. That will teach you so much to help you mature as an author. Not to mention it will help you to network and find connections that will help you to get published.

Something about you that would surprise or shock your readers? 

Some of the darker scenes in my books can disturb me. I'll have to take a break from writing them, or just flat out cry as I write them out. I think it's because I know the full details of what's happening even though I don't spell it out in graphic detail for my readers.

Which character is most like you?

I try not to put myself into a character too much, but if I had to choose... probably Rinwa. I like to think I'm a tough girl. ;)

Publication Date: Feb. 23rd

Mark your calendars vampire fans!
Her website is http://adriennemonson.com

Time for a Quicky...

What am I reading now?  Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far? Right from the start of the book, you know Celeana is an assassin. She was trained by the King of Assassins since she was 8 years old and now at 17 she's the best assassin in the kingdom. After being betrayed she was imprisoned as a slave in a mine for her crimes but the Crown Prince gives her a chance for freedom if she will compete as the Crown Prince's candidate for the King's new Champion.

I'll say it again--she's an assassin--but I found myself rooting for her to win over the men trained to be soldiers. There was an interesting character comparison going on in the story between looking at the idea of who is killing--the assassin, the soldier,  the guard, the beast.  What makes one person a hero and another a criminal?
          This is book one of an upcoming series. There are a few hints about Celeana's past or her family's past, but they are undeveloped. Hopefully, that part takes on more importance in the next book.

Time for a Quicky…

Mix one box of Angel Food cake mix with another (non-Angel food cake mix) in a gallon size baggie. 

To make a mug-of-cake, place 3 tablespoons of mix in the mug, add 2 tablespoons of water and stir. 

Microwave for 1 minute. Top with ice cream syrup, whipped topping, crushed candy bar, chocolate chips…you get it, something yummy!