Help a New Writer Decide on an "Offer" (and not get taken!)

In my line of work I meet a lot of interesting people. Surprisingly, some of the most interesting people are the one's no one sees - the janitorial staff. They are usually from Mexico (legally!) and have fascinating lives "back home" that they support with the wages they earn here. One of the janitors, I'll call him Joe, is writing a vampire/romance in Spanish and is almost done. He took it to the city librarian for a critique. The librarian liked it and connected him with "some rich guy" as he put it. This "guy" has offered a decent sum of money to purchase the unfinished book so he can sell it with HIS name on it. Although the librarian is recommending that Joe finish his book and sell it later for more, he is tempted to sell it and get on with life. He says he never wrote it for the money anyway, but now he's got a finincial goal he's about to reach and this may seal it. So what do all you authors, librarians, editors, and publishers think? Is he going to be "taken" if he accepts this offer? Is it even legal?

For the Love of Books....

Is there anything more fulfilling than seening your 6 year old walk by singing, "Hug, Hug, Hug your book..." to the tune of "Row, Row, Row your boat" and then end it with a big kiss on the book? ;0)

Book Review - Legacy by Kate Kaynak Book #3 of Ganzfield Series

     If you are a follower of the Kate Kaynak's Ganzfield Series, you are going to LOVE book three, Legacy!

     Legacy picks up with the Ganzfield group of students with superpower abilities returning to the Ganzfield compound after a massive tragedy. Many other Ganzfield alumni and relatives are flocking to the compound to avoid the wrath of Isaiah, who is out to murder anyone with similar abilities as well as steal their supplies of ability-enhancing "dodecamine". Supply is running out for Isaiah and he's out for quick, calculated revenge. This threat brings in new characters with different combinations of abilities as well as returning characters, like the minders Ann and Zack, and the bombshell, Belinda. Kate Kaynak is turning up the heat with added romances and personality clashes and just when you think the battle is over, she throws in a new twist!

     Legacy is a perfect combination of supernatural teen romance, friendship, and exhilarating thrills. Kate Kaynak unleashes yet again her superpower "charm" ability to grab hold of your mind and take you on a hair-raising, mind-scrambling, emotional ride. She'll have you holding your breath in fear one minute, then exhaling it with and out-loud laugh at one of her characters' zingers!

"Mom...The pain and wordless accusation in her eyes stopped me and I sighed. I guess every parent has a moment when she realizes that her little girl is all grown up and wants to hunt killer telepaths. Outside, Seth cracked up."

and

From outside, Seth's exasperation came through. Geez, Maddie! You aren't one to talk" For eight months we've all had heads full of , "Ooh, Trevor's so amazing!" "Trevor's so handsome!" "Trevor's my perfect soulmate!" His mental voice whined with falsetto parody. [...] I wish I could shield. Ann was still embarrassed. I wish Seth could, I thought sourly.

"I'd still be able to talk, Maddie!" came the thin sound of a shout from outside.

     I loved Legacy and for a third book in a series it didn't disappoint. I loved it as much as Adversary and can't wait for Accused to come out next summer. As much as I love the thrills, my favorite parts were the "girl-talk" between Ann and Maddie, the relief I felt with Zach in charge, and Trevor protecting Maddie while she sleeps (dying to leak out a spoiler here - but you'll just have to read it for yourself!) Will Ann and Maddie stay friends? Will their compound remain safe? Will Maddie and Trevor be able to remain in their four-armed loving embrace? What will happen with Rachel? Will we "see" more of Seth?
     Thank you, Kate for my ARC of Legacy! Your "abilities" improve with every book - Williamson would be proud! May you never run out of "dodecamine"!

I give Legacy ***** 5 Stars!
You can get your copy of Legacy here and check out the Ganzfield fan page here.

2011 -It's all about the Books Baby!

I love that the new year gives us a reminder to reflect on the past year. It has a clear time-frame, we all do it at the same time and compare, and it prompts us to set new goals for the next year. I am just blown-away by some of the book review bloggers that total their books for the year right around 100! Amazing!  P.J. Hoover at Roots in Myth read 82, Jana at Milk and Cookies read 111 and these are people with lives and kids - busy people!  Many of these bloggers also write 50,000 words or more in the year.

I had a great year reading new books introduced to me by the many book blogs I enjoy, so I took a minute to look at my total on Goodreads. A whopping 21!  What? Surely I read more than that? 

What's so great about me reading 21 books, when others are reading five times that amount?  The greatest part is that they were the best 21 books I have ever read and without blogs I may have never known about them. Inkspell, Firelight, Minder, Adversary,Brightly Woven, Scumble, Life as We Knew It, To Stand With Angels,and Starlighter, to name a few.

Even my family caught onto my excitement this year and my mom sent me this great shirt:






And my husband picked out a book for me for Christmas he thought I'd like, that was slightly out of my usual genre, but not out of my liking:

I want my mommy!



I'm really looking forward to books in 2011, starting with Legacy (Ganzfield series book 3), by Kate Kaynak and hopefully ending with Accused (book 4 of Kaynak's Ganzfield series) due out in July 2011. In between, I'll be needing a manicure after reading Under The Dome by Stephen King (and I may need to wash my eyes out from the foul words he throws in here and there!)

Happy New Year and Here's To All the Great Books that Await us in 2011

Bending to His Will....

Jer 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I was looking forward to today, especially since yesterday I was crabby from lack of sleep and lack of downtime, but had to catch up on housework.  When I work 4 nights in a row and get up early I get to a point where I need some time to just be quiet, read, write and pray. I'm sure it's been months since I was really alone - no company, no kids, no salesman knocking. Today was the day I was going to read Legacy. I was getting ready this morning to send all four off to school and wouldn't you know my littlest came out of his room looking very pale, feeling clammy and complaining of a sore throat. I think that happened the last time I had a day "off" too - where I didn't have school but they did. I only have three of those before my semester starts - well, now that would be two and one of those I promised to volunteer in his classroom - so now I'm down to one.

Of course he's only too sick for school, but not too sick to be noisy and right away wanted to play a video game at 7:30AM. I told him he needed to lay down and be quiet just for a little while. He leaned over the back of the couch and said, "Mom, I'm going to lay down and play the Wii on the couch - kapische?" with the cutest expression on his face. Hilarious! I had to hide my smile when I corrected him for saying that to me. Where did he learn to use that word correctly? Must be from the latest Redbox rental.

So I'm alternating between irritation that my plans to reorganize my brain today have been foiled and guilt that I would ever wish he wasn't here. I have an adorable 6 year old to hang out with all day and just be together. I remind myself that if anything ever happened to him, I'd be wishing for one more day together. So I just need to bend and realign my plans to the plans God has for me today - even though that means watching Spiderwick Chronicles with him AGAIN.....

A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Book Review - Scumble by Ingrid Law

Scumble is the companion book to Savvy , written by Ingrid Law.  Law's writing is as colorful as the cover! I loved this book!  Law takes a single vocabulary word, scumble, and paints and entire story with it. Scumble means to dampen down to blend in with your surroundings, without killing the original essence. 
    Scumble begins with Ledger Kale's 13th birthday - the birthday when all his relatives received their "savvy". Savvy is a special power, different for each family member.  Ledger thinks he was skipped, no savvy bestowed, but suddenly everything mechanical around him falls apart. Not just falling to the ground, but pretty much exploding around him.

     Ledger spends the summer at his Aunt and Uncle's ranch with his cousins trying to make sense of his savvy. He meets a special young woman that makes him feel confident and able and begins a reconstruction project with her. She is his one friend that he can be himself around and not feel pressured to develop his gift.  Soon after, his family is facing forclosure on their ranch and Ledger and his cousins do everything they can think of to stop the angry Mr. Cabot from demolishing their family home.  His cousins, Marisol and Mesquite, dig for the gold rumored to be buried by their grandmother and his uncle raises rare butterflies -  in hope of saving the ranch. Eventually, Ledger gathers all his inner strength and savvy and creates a fantastical way to save it.

     Law's characters are like a rainbow - each one bright with their unique savvy, but together create the most beautiful image that no one can touch. The relationships they share are, sweet, supportive and playful - but respectful and encouraging. Each member can relate to the others' struggles with developing their savvy and mastering the art of "scumbling".  I loved Scumble and recommend it to elementary age kids as well as adults. It was a quick read, a great escape, and a fun adventure that left me loving the characters and looking forward to any future books about this family. I give this book ***** Five Stars!