Last week I reviewed Vijaya Bocach's new YA book, BOUND. Vijaya graciously agreed to an author interview and since she had a lot of information for readers and writers, I've decided to run it for two weeks. We hope you enjoy it! AUTHOR INTERVIEW- Part I CAROL: I’m very curious about the inspiration for BOUND. Are they individuals… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Bound: Author Interview Part I
Within the first pages of Bound by Vijaya Bodach, the reader realizes that this is going to be a book that deals with serious issues. The main character, Rebecca Joshi who was adopted from India at birth, was burned six years earlier over 50% of her body; her older sister, Joy, is intellectually impaired; their mother… Continue reading BOUND: A Review and an Autographed Giveaway
Congratulations to the following readers who won books: Linda Townsend won Strange, Unusual, Gross & Cool Animals by Charles Ghinga Kathleen Burkinshaw won Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Hackl Jane Leah B. won Nature's Friend by Lindsey McDivitt Mary Housel won The Extraordinary Ordinary Moth by Darlin Gray Thanks to all… Continue reading Behind These Hands: A Review and ARC Giveaway
Since Carol already covered the path to publication of my second book (Light Messages/July 2018), we thought it would be fun to go into detail about the cover development process. First, the title has been changed from Heart Behind These Hands to Behind These Hands. Here is the blurb: Fourteen-year-old Claire Fairchild has always… Continue reading You Heard it Here First: Cover Reveal for Linda Phillips Second Book!
Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won THE WOLF'S BOY. Please note that since this is a review of an audio CD, the following quotes might not be exactly correct; I did my best to capture the words. ********* REVIEW What do you do if you find out that your father had an affair eight years… Continue reading Just Fly Away: An Audio CD Review and Giveaway
Francesca Zappia tackles the difficult subject of schizophrenia in this young adult book, MADE YOU UP. Told from Alex, the 17-year-old’s deep point of view, the reader is brought so completely into her thoughts and emotions that occasionally you can’t figure out what is real and what isn’t—which is exactly Alex’s problem. She uses a camera to record what… Continue reading MADE YOU UP- A Review and an Audio CD Giveaway
Congratulations to Caroline McAlister for winning TANGLED LINES on last week's blog. ******** Two soldiers, two boys. One American, one German. Prolific author Dean Hughes brings their lives, hopes, and dreams together in Soldier Boys (Simon and Schuster, 2001. Audio CD, 2016) Spencer Morgan has just turned 15 in 1941. He longs to show that he… Continue reading Soldier Boys: A Review and a Giveaway
I have a habit of buying books. I'm particularly prone to this "vice" when attending writers conferences. But fortunately for you, I like giving away the books after I've read them. Culling through my shelves recently, I found Cynthea Liu's young adult book, The Great Call of China which I apparently bought at a SCBWI-Carolinas event in 2009. It's… Continue reading Cynthea Liu's "The Great Call of China": A Review and a 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
Image-driven poetry. A serious mental health issue. Deep point of view. Madeline Kuderick's debut novel, Kiss of Broken Glass, reminds me of another beautifully written novel-in-verse, Linda Phillips' book, CRAZY. Or to put it simply, if you liked CRAZY, you'll like Kiss of Broken Glass. When a "friend" finds fifteen-year-old Kenna cutting in the school bathroom… Continue reading Kiss of Broken Glass: A Review and a Giveaway