My New Avatar

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may remember last January's CALAMITY JACK contest.  If not, you can read about it here. I just gave a copy of RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE to Daxton's teacher for Christmas. I'm a fangirl. These books even make children who hate reading want to sit and read for hours.

This afternoon, I came home from room mothering to find this avatar in my e-mail.  

If you've read CALAMITY JACK, you ought to recognize the Pru-style pixie hat. I love it. It's my birthday this weekend. Thanks, Nathan (illustrator extraordinaire) Hale for the early birthday present! 

Matthew Kirby's Debut Novel

I ended up googling Matthew J. Kirby, after reading some of the comments on my post about his debut novel, THE CLOCKWORK THREE, and found this video where he discusses it. I also found a book trailer, but I thought this one gave a better feel for the book than the trailer did.

Yes, I'm still thinking about this one, even though I've read a couple of others since then. That's usually a good sign, right?

Has anyone else read it yet?

One Person

Last night, when I went to the post office, I opened my last rejection for 2010. It wasn't a good feeling. If you've been rejected, you know what I mean.

Then today, I went to eat lunch with my son at his school because it's his week to be recognized in his class. A girl I vaguely recognized came up to me in the lunch room. She smiled at me and looked fluttery, though I couldn't imagine why.

"Mrs. Foster?" she said.

I nodded.

Her smile got bigger. "You came to our class last year and wrote poems for us."

"Yes, I did," I said, realizing why she look familiar. She'd asked a lot of questions during my poetry workshop.

She ran off, and I ate lunch with my son, but I'm not feeling as upset over that rejection anymore. It doesn't take much to lift another person, the way this girl lifted me today.

One of my critique partners has pledged to make school kits for children in need, one for every book we buy for a child this Christmas. All you have to do is go over to Jackee's 200th Post Celebration and tell her you've bought a book for a child (by December 23rd), and another child will receive much needed school supplies. Oh, and you'll be entered in her drawing to win books. It isn't so hard to make a difference.

Have a great weekend!

MMGM: THE CLOCKWORK THREE

I just finished an incredible story, a book I hadn't heard of that I picked up because our librarians displayed it in the children's section. Today's Marvelous MG Monday is all about THE CLOCKWORK THREE, by Matthew J. Kirby.

 

Isn't that a GREAT cover?



Three ordinary children are brought together by extraordinary events. . .

Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom.

Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it.

And Frederick, the talented and intense clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage where she left him. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clockmakers' guild -- if only he can create a working head.

Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and that they can overcome even the darkest of fears.

The first point-of-view shift annoyed me because I wanted to read more about Guiseppe, but then I became just as attached to Hannah and Frederick. The historical fiction element (the little street musicians, kidnapped or sold as slaves and forced to work for their masters) reminded me of OLIVER TWIST, while the fantasy and danger reminded my husband of THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES. And while I can see his point, the magic didn't have anything to do with faeries. Mostly, it's more mechanical or functional. We both loved it. The prose is even more beautiful and functional than the magic. 

Have any of you read THE CLOCKWORK THREE? If so, what do you think? It's only been out since October, but I'm still surprised I haven't seen reviews for it.

Shannon Whitney Messenger is also hosting a MMGM and a book giveaway today, if you'd like to hop over there. 

Writing Update

I've finished my revisions on Star Swans for now, and I'm about to dive into the story I mentioned in this post. I'm writing a rough draft on my old computer that doesn't have internet for a number of reasons, but here are the main three:

1. No internet connection means I have to switch computers to socialize *waves* over the internet.
2. No one in my house will need or even want the computer I'll be using.
3. I wrote the only novel I've ever completed on it and every poem I've ever sold; it's my "working" computer.

I'm really looking forward to focusing on a rough draft again, but I'm also dreading it. I haven't tried to follow any kind of writing routine since school started, and I know I'll get a lot more done once I start setting goals and making progress. I've been in love with this story and its characters for a few years now, so it's ready to come out. I just need to do the work. Why is it so hard to reestablish good habits? It's like exercise (another habit I need to reestablish). Is this paragraph degenerating into whiny and pathetic, or is it just me?

Also, it feels like I'm cheating on Star Swans. Is that silly, or is it normal? It's not like I've given up on my first novel--I haven't even tried to query it--but I think this new project will help me SEE my old project better when I pick it up again in a few months.

So, if you don't see me around as much the next couple of months, it just means I'm reestablishing good habits ;)

What are you working on?  

Marvelous MG Monday: The Lost Hero

Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone blogging about this book. It's fantastic.

It's the first book in Rick Riordan's newest series, the sequel series to his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and I thought it was even better than The Lightning Thief. The story is told from the points of view of three new characters, but it picks up only a few months after where The Last Olympian ended. So, you're going to recognize a lot of characters. I loved the twists the story took, and I can't believe how long it took me to figure out where "the lost hero" was. Though I'm sure that was Mr. Riordan's intent; my attention was thoroughly diverted elsewhere.

If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson books, you'll love this one. Besides the new characters, he's added layers that I'm not going to spoil for you. The way Rick Riordan uses mythology without ever letting information bog down the story, without ever confusing his readers, amazes me. Easy reading is hard to write, and this book kept me up late (because I had to know how it would end). Ben shook his head over when I went to bed, but he's probably reading The Lost Hero tomorrow, and then we'll see ;)

 

If you haven't read the previous series, you could still pick this up and love it, but the first series is very much worth reading. You can read my recommendation here.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is Shannon Whitney Messenger's brainchild, and today, she's not only telling you why you should read The Mysterious Benedict Society, she's giving away a copy.

Have a great week!

Answers, The Fourth (Blogging)

In case you've missed my other posts this month, I've been blogging for a little over a year now. 10/10/10 was my first blogoversary. This post wraps up my Q&A, and then I'll be taking break to get some serious writing done in honor of National Novel Writing Month (November), though I'm not planning on actually taking the NaNoWriMo challenge. I tried it last year, and I haven't even looked at the unfinished mess that I poured so many hours into last November. If you are taking the challenge, then good luck to you! GO! WRITE! WIN! No, I am NOT a cheerleader, but NaNoWriMo is HARD. 

So, questions, we have questions and answers.

Jude asked, "Hmm how about...how many hours a day do you spend blogging and/or tweeting? Has it grown or waned as you're approaching the one-year mark?"

I'd say that over the year, I probably averaged one a day, but I don't tweet, and I don't blog everyday. It grew and then waned. I'm so busy with school and kids right now that it isn't a big priority. I blog because I enjoy the interaction.

Susan Kaye Quinn asked, "Any regrets of the year-of-the-blog? Will you do it for another year?"

My only regret is that I think I could have spent more time writing this year. I only have so much time to blog/read/write, and I think a greater portion of that time needs to go to writing. I don't intend to quit, just cut back.

Medeia Sharif asked, "How have your bloggie friends stretched you/enlightened you/assisted you in your writing endeavors?"

The best part of this last year of blogging has been finding great critique partners. I have three that I've traded with and three more that I'm excited to trade with when my manuscript is ready. But really, all of my "bloggie friends" have been encouraging and supportive, and it helps just to have people say they like my writing or even my blog. It counters the rejection.

Niki asked, "Do you get worried about what to post on your blog?"

Yes, I worry about posting information about my children or experiences that are personal, and then I go with what feels right. I prefer reading blogs where the writer lets their readers get to know them. I worry about sounding negative, but I like it when other bloggers share their problems. And I worry about voice. Do I have voice? I don't know. It's something that's easy for me to hear in other blogs, but it's hard to tell if I have it. I'm not trying to be someone I'm not or writing a character. It's just me.

And that wraps up our Q&A. Thank you for your questions, your comments, and your friendships. I look forward to getting to know you better over the next year, but please don't be offended if you see less of me on your blogs and here for the rest of 2010. I'm writing a rough draft (as soon as I finish the partial revision of Star Swans I'm working on), and I've learned over the last year that blogging interferes with my creative process. That doesn't mean I won't be blogging or commenting at all the next two months, just less (if I have any self-discipline) ;)

Happy Halloween!