BOOK REVIEW: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

 

Newberry's winner, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," is an adventure story about a young girl, Minli, who leaves home to change her family's fortune. They live in a poor village at the base of a barren mountain and work hard for little reward. I love how kind and selfless she is as she meets a dragon and other children/villages along the way on her quest to find the Old Man of the Moon, who she hopes will change her and her friend Dragon's stories. In the end, she can only ask one question and, through her selflessness, ends up bringing good fortune to both. There are breakout stories, which sort of disrupt the flow, and the writing feels very distant (if that makes sense). However, there are a lot of great lessons about bravery, selflessness, gratitude, and even trusting in your children to carve their own story and not being too controlling of them. Pretty good. VERY clean. Rated G and 4.2 stars.

Fluffy the Alligator - picture book coming soon!

                                                                COMING SOON!

Ever wonder what happens when a 3rd grader decides their perfect roommate is a real, live alligator? 🐊

Spoiler alert: The logistics get complicated fast.

“And with how many teeth alligators lose, he’d bankrupt the Tooth Fairy!” Mom exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “Wouldn’t it be sad if she ran out of money and had nothing to leave you?” 

Billy paused.

Losing the table and couch are one thing, but losing your Tooth Fairy cash? That’s where Billy draws the line! 💸

Fluffy the Alligator is a hilarious picture book about big imaginations, funny parents, and the ultimate compromise. Perfect for kids who love animals, laughs, and crispy fish sticks.

Coming soon! Stay tuned ...

Literary Agent!

Have I mentioned that I snagged a literary agent? Yep, it's true. Signed on a 6-month contract in March or May (one of the "M" months) for a children's picture book manuscript. YES, a picture book. While I love young adult fantasy, I've also had ideas for picture books rolling through my head--my four-year-old is my greatest inspiration--and I gave one of them a shot.

If you don't know, finding a literary agent to back your work is pretty hard, so I'll give myself a pat on the back for this one, though nothing could come of it. Now to work hard and not disappoint...

It's heeeeere!

It's heeeeere! Obvious things, based on Michael Darling’s winning story, “The Mark,” which has this great mix of noir, gangsters, and magic. I think you'll like my story, "The Real Whack Job," about Harry, an innocent thrown in the cell of a madwoman's home. 

I've started dabbling in children's picture books. I've sent out queries for my third book and have an agent interview in 7 minutes. Wish me luck!

Here's a link to my new author/illustrator website.

BOOK REVIEW: Wicked Fate by Shannon L Maynard

BOOK REVIEW: Wicked Fate by Shannon L Maynard

Ava Starr is on a beautiful deserted island with two hunks who want to marry her. What young, single girl wouldn't love that? Problem is, she loves them both. Another problem is, the local cannibals want to marry her, too. Their wooing antics are pretty darn cute and funny. I was hooked the whole time.

While Ava tends to be a blubbering beauty who's sweet but otherwise devoid of personality, Dax and Preston emulate typical guys-their-age thoughts and behaviors (even if most real-life guys won't put up with a lot of the crap she put them through). It's like the scenario with Bella and her two guys in the tent on the mountain, but spread throughout most of a book. I happen to love that scene.

Super fun teenage read. She ends up with the guy I like, and everything is a dream...until the man who supposedly wants her killed sails his boat up to the island. Talk about a cliffhanger. Rated PG-13 for an abundance of sexuality (a LOT of kissing and "melting" and caressing, though nothing explicit; it's pretty darn clean, but I'd think twice before letting a young girl read it) and 4.7 stars.

Honorable Mention

I have to snag a brag moment here. I entered a couple of writing contests a couple of months ago and got honorable mention in one of them. As one of two other honorable mentions, I'll be published in a book of anthologies! This will be my second publication in a book of anthologies coming out next year. I'll keep you posted!

Enter writing contests, people! Writing short stories is the perfect way to practice tightening your work. (I'll know I'm good enough to really move forward as a novelist once I can win first place in one.) Plus it helps to have SOME publications on your resume.

Here's a link to their site if you're interested in checking out The United Authors Association:  https://theuaa.org/events/contests2015/

I must go make a few revisions to my story. Stay tuned...

BOOK REVIEW: Resurgent Shadows by Kevin L Nielsen

BOOK REVIEW: Resurgent Shadows by Kevin L Nielsen

"Ever since the Breaking, when earthquakes tore the world apart and unleashed the nightmares of myth and legend, humankind has struggled for survival. 

"Caleb is one of the survivors, and the only thing he cares about is getting revenge on the monsters that killed his wife and son. When he saves the life of a dverger—a mythic dwarf-like creature—Caleb discovers that the Breaking may have brought good to the world along with the evil. "On the other side of the country, Eric leads a small group of survivors in relative prosperity until a powerful war hammer is forced into his hands—a weapon with a will of its own so commanding that it sends Eric on a mission with one purpose: destroy the creatures that threaten his home. "Caleb and Eric must each decide to do something no one has dared before: to hunt the Dragonlords."

This story kept me coming back for more. There's a lot of war and weaponry and soul-searching in between. I love a book that can delicately weave in religion(s) and he does it well. The weapons take on a lifelike thread, like in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, which I loved. There are some cool magical powers on top of dragons that were definite highlights of the story.

The writing is a bit wordy and repetitive--and jumpy--but overall it was good and the ending made me super excited for the next book. Rated 4 stars and PG for content.
*I received a free copy of this book for an unbiased review.

Click here to buy the book.