Happy New Year fun!

December 31 always feels so special, like we're starting something exciting, new, unknown. Besides being a new year, there's hope and promise. And commitment. I'm setting realistic goals and working to achieve them, as best I can. That's what hope and promise are all about, right? So why not start with a new writing exercise. Then party! 😏

First I wanted to show the fabulous party skirt I've worn twice now and I just love it. Bought it from Etsy and it's just so fun. 

Then we write something short, sweet and get on with 2020. Cheers!

Words: 

Pierce, ribbon, fresh, established

 

Ella screamed in pain in the middle of the store.

“Hold still,” Ella’s sister Margaret said. “If you move, she won’t be piercing your ear anymore.”

“But…”

“You’ve established that it hurts and scared everyone out of here.”

Ella held her breath and closed her eyes. Another screech and the last spear was through. Her ears were finally pierced.

Margaret put her hands on Ella’s shoulders. “Happy thirteenth birthday.”

Tiny tears flowed. “Thanks, Marg. I love them. They really sparkle.”

“Just like you. And for being such a trooper, here’s a fresh ribbon for your hair tonight.”

With the biggest smile full of braces, Ella pat the red velvet. “My first New Year’s Eve. I will not fall asleep before midnight.”

Writing Exercise - and where did the time go?!

Holy doodle - how did that much time go by? Whoops. Funny how life takes over - lots of events and work and stuff! Well, glad to be back at it. I have been writing and revising so that took up most of my free time. And now that I've adopted two kittens, that has taken the rest. In a very good way. 😍

So, let's do a quick writing exercise and get those creative juices flowing. Although, plenty of people are doing NaNoWriMo, those folks most likely do not need an exercise. 

Words: Star, inn, adventure, buy

In the gift shop window of The Grand Inn, the sparkling crystal star on top of the Christmas tree winked, inviting me in on an adventure to buy it. The Grand Inn could have been named The Exclusive Inn since anyone staying there had to have gobs of money. And not just gobs, but bags loaded with gobs.

Shivering and staring brought me no closer to going in to check the price. Out of the corner of my eye, a bright red jacket approached and stood next to me.

“Beautiful tree, ain’t she?” the man said.

“Yup.” I wasn’t sure about conversing with a stranger. But it was a Christmas tree. “The star is the best part though.”

“A gift for someone?”

A sigh slipped out.

“I see,” he said.

I finally looked at him, and if he didn’t look like Santa himself. The man chuckled. I tried to break my gaze.

He shrugged one shoulder. “Why not take a look inside. Can’t hurt.”

The glittering star got my full attention again. “Maybe.” The man was gone. No red jacket appeared anywhere up and down the sidewalk. I straightened up. The door jingled as I went inside. Heat enveloped me and I shivered once more. A good shiver this time.

I chewed my lip walking right to the tree. The price tag hung down enough that I could read it. Maybe I could buy it! But how did he know?

A whiny voice made me jump. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’d like to see the star please.”

She snorted. “Where are your parents?”

“At home,” I lied.

“Come back with them and you can see the star together, okay sweetie?”

The urge to kick her in the shin then run away was really strong. I glared at her and stomped out.

Deflated, I leaned against the building. A spot of red caught my eye and I glanced up. The Santa man grinned and winked. Just like the star. I smiled back, he nodded and disappeared.

Writing Exercise - Word Prompt

I've spun the random word generator wheel and come up with four that spoke to me. Sometimes, I have to go through a few rounds before I find a selection that works. I usually take the first one or maybe the second. This one needed more prodding. This is a work of fiction, this is not my grandfather or anyone else I know. That's the wonder of fiction.

Words: rough, rotten, grandfather, reason

Growing up, I didn't get to know my grandfather very well. He worked a lot. Smoked a lot. Drank even more. He never minced words and spoke directly no matter how it might affect you. Good or bad.

His rough demeanor was linked to his upbringing. In a time where a belt was the preferred form of punishment. There was no time out chair in the corner.

Could he be rotten? You bet. I'm sure he had his reasons. They don't ever make sense to a child. The only person I ever saw him express love for was my grandmother. The gentleness in his voice, his touch, his affection for her revealed an entirely hidden side only she got to see.

I saw it once. I will never forget it. There was so much more to him than I could ever know.

Brigid Kemmerer Bookfest!

I have been on a huge Brigid Kemmerer reading kick lately. Since A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY was an upcoming Book Talk book (something we do in SCBWI CenCal) and so many people said they loved it, I definitely wanted to read it. And I wound up loving it, too. I never think I’m going to like a fairy tale retelling, and then I do. Not only is the story excellent with wonderful twists, the writing is just so darn addictive, compelling and good.

Why stop there? I got all her books that my library carried and read them. Some of her older books are only ebooks and I don’t want to read on the computer or my phone. I have ordered her latest standalone book and another one that I couldn’t get at the library (also accidentally ordering one I already read). The great thing about her writing is that reading it over and over is immensely helpful with my own writing.

Another plus, her website offers writing advice too. I am a total fangirl now and just can’t get enough. The stories are unique and interesting and the characters full and awesome.

Here are the books I’ve read already.

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY – book one in the Curse Breaker series

(Description from the publisher)

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall … and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Harper is such a feisty and formidable heroine. Prince Rhen is full of confidence and self-loathing. They help each other grow and understand others and find compassion for the other, making you root for them individually and together. The two worlds are fully realized. I was never taken out of the story. The tension and suspense is magical, too. It is IMPOSSIBLE to wait for the next book, A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN.

  

     

The next book I read was, LETTERS TO THE LOST. (Description from the publisher)

Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither of them knows that they’re not actually strangers. When real life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

I loved the passion and angst in this story. I don’t usually enjoy angst, but it wasn’t too much and fit the characters perfectly. All the characters are fully developed and have their own lives going on and it’s artful to read. But what’s extra cool is, this story takes one of the secondary characters and continues his story in the next book, MORE THAN WE CAN TELL.

     

  

MORE THAN WE CAN TELL (Description from the publisher)

Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay…until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.

When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected.

What is wonderful about each book is that there is a unique story and a love story. Every book is told from two points of view, the male and female main characters. The voices are spot on. The interactions, storytelling, endings, I want to be Brigid when I grow up. The details in this one range from Bible quotes to online gaming to abuse in many forms. I care about the characters and feel what they go through whether familiar to me or not. Universal storytelling at its best.

The series I’d like to read is her Elemental Series. I don’t understand why these aren’t sold as a box set anywhere. I will read them eventually.

Her next two books I’m reading: THICKER THAN WATER and CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT. 

I can’t wait!

Writing Exercise Time

As in, it's about time! 
The words today are: 

Post, tame, stage, wait

            Watching and waiting from the wings. My cue is coming. Everyone on stage is in place. For my acting debut, the word I’m listening intently for is “horrible”. My parents are in the audience, I can see them, but I don’t wave. I don’t think they can see me.

            My best friend Cammie is there. My stomach flutters. I can’t wait to tell her what it’s like. She helped tame my hair straight for this role. It was essential. She even used mayonnaise. Pretty disgusting but so worth it to be out there under the lights. Not yet. Still waiting.

            Our post show party is at the drama teacher’s house. I’ve never been. More butterflies.

            Did I just hear my cue? Nobody is staring at me. I must be okay. The stage director taps my shoulder. I nod with a giant smile and get into position for my entrance. I’m behind the door. I prepare, losing my grin. The actress says “horrible” and I cross my arms over my body and lean against the door.

            I fall backwards onto the stage. Everyone gasps! I’m a hit! I get to stay here for the rest of the play as Dead Body #1. It’s the most stage time out of the whole cast.

            This is so exciting! My family will be so proud. I didn’t even throw up.

Four Book Blurbs - All Genres

I have so many good books to read and a few I've read lately. I wish I read faster to recommend more. But for now, this will do. Also, I'm sharing a book blurb by Lynn Becker with her link provided. PS, I love all these covers.

The first one up is a picture book. It's beautiful and poignant.
WHEN SPRING COMES TO THE DMZ by Uk-Bae Lee

This story has so many levels and layers of relationships. There's the grandfather and his grandson and the many times they visit the DMZ in the different seasons and you feel the longing in the grandfather and what he's showing his grandson. Where he came from, how different it is now, how much he misses his family in North Korea. Freedom has a high cost. The separation between the grandfather and his brother is painful. 
The DMZ, the land between the Korea's, has flourished when left alone. It came back to life and hosts so many birds and creatures. It offers hope, a chance that maybe someday, the North and South can be united again. 
The illustrations are beautiful and the story so well told and deep. You will see something new with each reading.



Here is the blurb by Lynn Becker at https://lynnbeckerbooks.blogspot.com/
For more wonderful books reviews by Lynn, please click on the link above.

In WHEN SPRING COMES TO THE DMZ, Uk-Bae Lee cycles through the seasons of this singular place, contrasting the innocence and beauty of the natural world with the sadness of the “razor wire fence,” and the "warships from South Korea and North Korea [that] face off in the sea near the island.” A boy and his grandpa visit throughout the year, and Grandpa gazes across the land, wishing he could just go home.

From the publisher:

Korea’s demilitarized zone has become an amazing accidental nature preserve that gives hope for a brighter future for a divided land.

This unique picture book invites young readers into the natural beauty of the DMZ, where salmon, spotted seals, and mountain goats freely follow the seasons and raise their families in this 2.5-mile-wide, 150-mile-long corridor where no human may tread. But the vivid seasonal flora and fauna are framed by ever-present rusty razor wire, warning signs, and locked gates―and regularly interrupted by military exercises that continue decades after a 1953 ceasefire in the Korean War established the DMZ.

Creator Uk-Bae Lee’s lively paintings juxtapose these realities, planting in children the dream of a peaceful world without war and barriers, where separated families meet again and live together happily in harmony with their environment. Lee shows the DMZ through the eyes of a grandfather who returns each year to look out over his beloved former lands, waiting for the day when he can return. In a surprise foldout panorama at the end of the book the grandfather, tired of waiting, dreams of taking his grandson by the hand, flinging back the locked gates, and walking again on the land he loves to find his long-lost friends. 

When Spring Comes to the DMZ helps introduce children to the unfinished history of the Korean Peninsula playing out on the nightly news, and may well spark discussions about other walls, from Texas to Gaza.

Next up is GLITCH by Sarah Graley
This is a great graphic novel for gamers and reluctant readers. I know because I gave it to one and he immediately said, I want the sequel. I think there are themes that might be for older readers but it appealed to an 11 year old boy and that is hugely satisfying. This also has 14 year old main characters, which is an area in the market not well represented. I consider it a middle grade book but it has a foot in younger young adult as well.


Here's the info from the publisher:

Izzy has an incredible secret -- she can enter the world of her new video game! She meets Rae, a robot who says Izzy is destined to save Dungeon City from the Big Boss. How is this possible?! And how can she fight for this virtual world when she's got a whole real life to keep up with: her family (though she could do without her mom's annoying cat), and her best friend, Eric.

Things get even weirder when Izzy loses a life while in the game, and she starts to worry about what might happen if she gets a Game Over for good.

Meanwhile, Eric has been super upset with Izzy since she's been keeping secrets and bailing on their plans.

Can Izzy survive Dungeon City and save their friendship?

And now for two young adult books that are so relevant and important.

THE QUIET YOU CARRY by Nikki Barthelmess

This is a remarkable debut and well done in so many ways. You're drawn right in to the characters' lives and you like them even when they're not that nice. They are layered and revealed so well. The tension is held throughout the novel with great pacing. And the setting is real and so easy to see and put yourself in each scene. It deals with painful and hard topics: abuse in many forms, manipulation, and foster care. But it also has love, friendship and growing up.

From the publisher:

Victoria Parker knew her dad's behavior toward her was a little unusual, but she convinced herself everything was fine until she found herself locked out of the house at 3:00 a.m., surrounded by flashing police lights. Now, dumped into a crowded, chaotic foster home, Victoria has to tiptoe around her domineering foster mother, get through senior year at a new school, and somehow salvage her college dreams . . . all while keeping her past hidden. But some secrets won't stay buried especially when unwanted memories make Victoria freeze up at random moments and nightmares disrupt her sleep. Even worse, she can't stop worrying about her stepsister Sarah, left behind with her father. All she wants is to move forward, but how do you focus on the future when the past won't leave you alone?

The last book is A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti, A Printz Honor Book

A masterclass in weaving an incredible story. Dotted throughout the book is the flashbacks of what transpired, making Annabelle snap, and in this day of all kinds of shootings, it hits a nerve that, unfortunately, so many young people know. It takes the rest of us inside what that PTSD could look like. Being a woman, it was easy for me to identify with so many of her feelings, thoughts and decisions. The ping pong that goes on inside when navigating growing up, until someone changes that course forever.

From the publisher:

When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?

So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t outrun the tragedy from the past year, or the person—The Taker—that haunts her.

Followed by Grandpa Ed in his RV and backed by her brother and two friends (her self-appointed publicity team), Annabelle becomes a reluctant activist as people connect her journey to the trauma from her past. Her cross-country run gains media attention and she is cheered on as she crosses state borders, and is even thrown a block party and given gifts. The support would be nice, if Annabelle could escape the guilt and the shame from what happened back home. They say it isn’t her fault, but she can’t feel the truth of that.

Through welcome and unwelcome distractions, she just keeps running, to the destination that awaits her. There, she’ll finally face what lies behind her—the miles and love and loss…and what is to come.

March Limerick Time!

March just seems like the perfect time for a limerick. Probably because of St.Patrick's Day, even though that was a couple of weeks ago. I know. What's fun about these poems is that they can be on any topic. As you'll see below, mine is about a cat with a Hollywood dream. No, I don't know where that came from and why. 😄 Just happens. You can do them on sports, animals, places, vegetables, cookies, fro-yo. Anything. The first, second and fifth lines must have 7-10 syllables and have the same verbal rhyme. The third and fourth have 5-7 syllables and have the same rhythm and rhyme together. No problem! What makes it even more fun, is to write one with another person or group. Hysterical! There's even a poem generator for limericks.
Coming up on the blog are a bunch of book reviews/blurbs as soon as I type them up.
Enjoy and start writing. 😎😻🎬

A Texas cat came to L.A.
And had to decide if she'd stay.
After makeup and hair
She debuted on the air.
A truckload of fish was her pay.

Awesome Book Review: The Poet X

Looking at the title of the post, is it the book review that's awesome or the book? In this case, it's the book. Okay, in all cases, it's always the book!
National Book Award for Young People's Literature and Printz Award Winner

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

From the publisher:

A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

It’s perfect.

Listening to the author read it is pure pleasure. I’m guessing the impact is stronger than reading it – although, it won the Printz – so it won’t matter how you devour the story. It’s so real and raw and nails all the emotions as if she’s mining my life for her book. It’s just that good.

I almost want to call them lyrics, but the poems are strong and beautiful and mesmerizing. Not once was I pulled out of the story, and the whole time I was enthralled.

Just before the climax, I had to stop because I knew what was going to happen and I couldn’t face it. So I asked my friend who had already read it, and she confirmed my fears, and once I accepted and processed the inevitable, I was able to continue on. (I don’t want to say what it is in case you haven’t read it yet. And if you haven’t read it yet, run, don’t walk, and let it fill you up, like a good story does.)

I think Elizabeth Acevedo should take this show on the road. It would be such a privilege to see her perform this like a one-woman play. Listening to it feels like I’m watching a performance; alive and inspiring. 

It would be great to quote some passages, but where to begin, which ones to choose, it's impossible. Enjoy the ride, the language, the characters, the truth.