Congratulations to Clara Gillow Clark who won I AM FAMOUS and Sheri Levy who won SHARK NATE-O. ********** Two scruffy, scraggly bearded soldiers in sky-blue trousers and dark-blue sack coats flanked the root cellar doors. Musket rifles at the ready. From astride a bay steed, a third white man--crisp, clean shaven, long, lean--looked down on her… Continue reading Crossing Ebenezer Creek- A Review and ARC Giveaway
Congratulations to Sandra Warren who won the audio CD of WISH last week. Thanks to everyone who entered. I seem to be on a roll with middle grade books featuring a girl protagonist who had to leave her home and wants to return. This week I am introducing CALL ME SUNFLOWER, Miriam Spitzer Franklin's second middle… Continue reading Call Me Sunflower: A Review and ARC Giveaway
As many of you know, I love sharing my fellow writers' good news. Here is an interview with Kathleen Burkinshaw, author of the debut middle grade historical novel, The Last Cherry Blossom. Next week I will post my review. I hope this will get your interest aroused and you'll leave a comment to win my ARC! *********… Continue reading Meet Kathleen Burkinshaw–Debut Middle Grade Author
Congratulations to Linda Phillips who won THE HIRED GIRL audio CD. For those of you who know that Linda and I are best writing buddies, I can assure you that this was not rigged and the winner was chosen through random.org! ******** Sixteen-year-old Noah Daniels is a patriot with a problem. Lame since childhood, Noah… Continue reading SCAR: A Review and an ARC Giveaway
Congratulations to Linda Andersen and Monica M., a new Twitter follower, who each won a copy of OF BETTER BLOOD on last week's blog. ******** Writing historical fiction is hard. You read shelves full of books, study documents, interview experts, ponder maps, photographs, and data. You work really hard to insert authentic details (what color… Continue reading Juba! A Novel- A Review and ARC Giveaway
Last April I reviewed Susan Moger's book, Teaching the Diary of Anne Frank. When she contacted me and asked if I would read and review her debut novel, OF BETTER BLOOD (Albert Whitman and Co. 2016), I agreed. After reading it I can tell you one thing for sure: Susan used all of her research about… Continue reading Of Better Blood: A Review and TWO Giveaways
Diary of a Waitress: The Not-So-Glamarous Life of a Harvey Girl (Calkins Creek, 2015) by Carolyn Meyer chronicles six months in 17-year-old Kitty Evans' life. The time is 1926; a time when young women were expected to marry and have children with few aspirations beyond that. Kitty, on the other hand, plans to go to college to… Continue reading Diary of a Waitress: A Review and ARC Giveaway
This is the reason I love well-written historical fiction: It draws me into a place and time that I am barely familiar with, brushes me with information and imagery, and leaves me wanting to know more. Enter Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose (G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group USA). Written from the points of view of two fictional… Continue reading Blue Birds and an ARC Giveaway!
Hands (or I should say paws) down, Constance Lombardo’s love for all things feline shine through her fun illustrations and text in Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat to the Stars, an entertaining graphic novel for readers from grades 3-7. Constance admits that Mr. Puffball is a mix of all the cats she’s ever loved. “Cats have funny,… Continue reading Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat to the Stars — A Review and ARC GIveaway
Congratulations to Rosi Hollinbeck who won a copy of Ann Eisenstein's book, Fallen Prey. Rosi's blog is a treasure trove of giveaways and information for writers. Check it out! ******** This past fall I took two writing courses which focused on plot. You have heard about the first one, Plot and Structure taught by Bethany Nuckolls… Continue reading Steering Toward Normal: An Analysis and ARC Lend-away!