Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: RIDERS OF THE REALM:ACROSS THE DARK WATER by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Once again, I'm over at my group blog, Project Mayhem, with a review of this first book in Jennifer Lynn Alvarez's Riders of the Realm series. The Don would be delighted if you went and visited us over there today!

Over at Project Mayhem for a Book Trailer Reveal for RIDERS OF THE REALM

I'm very excited to be writing on Project Mayhem (my middle grade group blog) about Jennifer Lynn Alvarez's new series, RIDERS OF THE REALM. Jennifer's Guardian Herd series was a smash hit, and I'm sure her legions of fans will be very excited for new adventures of the Pegasi.

Head on over to Project Mayhem. If you leave a comment there, you will be entered in the drawing for a signed copy of the new novel. Ciao!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: POISON IS NOT POLITE by Robin Stevens

I loved Robin Steven's first book in this series, MURDER IS BAD MANNERS, and reviewed it here last year. Today, I'm over at Project Mayhem, writing about Daisy and Hazel's further adventures in Book 2: POISON IS NOT POLITE. Please hit the link above or here, and pay us a visit!

Ciao!

Blogging over at Project Mayhem today

The mafioso is over at his other blog, Project Middle Grade Mayhem, today--confessing all about his current experiences with The Artist's Way and reading deprivation week.

He's love it if you would beetle on over there, if you have a minute to spare from the usual Marvelous Middle Grade Monday features. He'll be back with an MMGM next week!

Over at Project Mayhem Today--and GUARDIAN HERD WINNER Revealed!

I'm over at my middle grade group blog today, PROJECT MIDDLE GRADE MAYHEM, writing about books featuring characters with ADD/ADHD. I hope you'll pop over and have a look!

I also have a winner to reveal from last Monday's post here, where I had the pleasure of interviewing the popular buckskin stallion Hazelwind of Sun Herd, featured in The Guardian Herd #4 WINDBORN. (This book releases online and in bookstores on 09/20/2016.)  Author Jennifer Lynn Alvarez offered one lucky commenter a Guardian Herd Windborn notebook, as well as a signed book plate and some character trading cards.  And the winner of that fabulous prize is...

KATIE HOLT

Katie, please contact me at gilmartin_michael@yahoo.com so I can send your information to Jennifer. (If I don't hear from you within a week, I will choose an alternate winner.)

Have a great week, everyone!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY (plus Giveaway)

THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY by Tracy Holczer (Putnam, 2014)

This is kind of cheating, but I did a post on Project Mayhem last Friday on this lovely book, and even offered up a signed copy and didn't get much of a response. I figure that this offer deserves a second chance with my Marvelous Middle Grade Monday readers!

Please CLICK HERE to be taken to Project Mayhem, and see why I loved this novel and would very much like for you to have a copy of it.

(P.S. Next week, I will be welcoming Kimberley Griffiths Little to the blog, with her equally luminous THE TIME OF THE FIREFLIES. The Don says "don't miss it--or else!")

Happy writing and reading, everyone. Ciao!

My Writing Process--the tour... continues with Joy McCullough-Carranza

Joy McCullough-Carranza

Thanks to all who commented on my (and the Don's) conversation about my writing process last week. I love this feeling of being part of a chain!

I tagged my Project Mayhem friend, Joy McCullough-Carranza, to continue the tour after me. Please go to Joy's blog and say "hi" and learn about her process. Joy is very wise, and I really hope to hear that she gets a middle grade boom deal soon. (Her agent is the awesome Sara Crowe, so I wouldn't be surprised if something is in the cards.)

Joy has linked to three other writers--Sharon Roat, Laura Shovan, and Darian Lindle. I'm looking forward to reading all about their process next week.

Ciao for now!

My Writing Process, the tour

Cartoon by BrainPop on Flickr

So, there are these two writers--R.L. Saunders and Joe McGee--who are pretty amazing. Their agent, Linda P. Epstein, is at the same agency as my agent--which is kind of how I got to know them. I started reading their blogs, and I was all "holey moley, this is some interesting stuff." Both of them write engaging sentences. Both of them make you think. And both of them have gotten themselves involved in this writing process blog thingy.

Joe McGee

R.L Saunders

Which is where I come in.
You see, Joe tagged Rhonda, and Rhonda passed the torch to me--and now I get to bend your ear for a coupla minutes about this whole writing thing which, if you've thought about it, you have to admit is a bit of a mystery.

I've been writing since I was knee high to a 6th-grader. And I've been writing for publication for more years than I'd like to admit--which means that when I do eventually get published, I will label myself an overnight sensation. (The kind of "overnight" that Rip Van Winkle woke from, of course.) What little I do know can basically be boiled down to: "Just Keep on Trucking," and "One Size Most Definitely Does Not Fit All."

And now, my answers to the tour's questions:

What are you working on?
Will you think badly of me if I admit that I am working on more things than I should be? I am the poster child for the bright and shiny new idea--and unfortunately such things plague me daily. In the shower, on a walk, chopping vegetables: here they come. I have notebooks filled with ideas, four different starts of novels--all of which are magnifico; and a couple of things "in revision," (and which probably will remain in revision for the same time as The Phantom of the Opera has been on Broadway. Hey, we're here for the long haul, ain't we?)

But I probably should say I'm working on a chapter book about a couple of crazy housepets--while I wait for word from the agent about what he thinks of my latest chapter book which I am sure will be the next big thing, and which I can't tell you about because I am superstitious. I also abide--like a good middle grade mafioso--by the code of Omerta.

Speaking of Omerta, here comes the Don to check in on me now--so I'll have to pretend I'm working on his autobiography, VITAL VITO: PUTTING THE GOD IN GODFATHER.

Oh no. He speaks.

Don Vito: Michale! Long time no see. Youse up for a game of cards? Winner take all.

Me: Sorry, Boss. I'm on deadline.

The Don, pinching my cheek: That's what I like about you writer types, always dreaming up some crazy scheme or another. Did you hear Luca's got himself a new blog, too? "In Da Cement," he's calling it. Says it's his restaurant reviews. (Winks). You believe him?

(Luca's my main blogging rival, so making him look bad is kind of my major goal in life.)

Me: I did hear about that. Last week he was claiming some place in Manhattan makes an eggplant parmigiana better than your wife's. (Let the Don stew on that for a while. He doesn't look pleased.) But hey, I do need your advice. I've got to write something about how my work... let me look up the question... oh yeah, here it is: How does your work differ from others in its genre?

The Don: Easy. You're better than everyone else. Look at the top of this blog. What did I say to ya when ya started this thing? "You're not middle anything. You're top grade. Top grade, you hear me? Anybody else call you this middle thing, and I bust some knee caps. Capice?"

Me: Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, Boss. But apparently I shouldn't consider myself a snowflake.

The Don: Hey, don't talk to me of snowflakes, Michale. You hear it snowed in Denver on Mudder's Day? Snowed! And right after we bought the ice cream truck franchise out west, too. Jiminy Cricket wid bells on.

Me:  Sorry to hear that. Hey, here's another question: Why do you write what you do?

The Don: What?! Are youse getting all mumbo jumbo and psychological on me? The answer's simple: Because I pay you.

Me: I think it means why do I write middle grade, and not adult romance, or something like that...?

The Don: Romance? I'd like to see you try that stuff. You get squeamish when you see people kissin'. Nah, let me tell ya the answer. You write your kinda stuff because you can barely tie your shoelaces. No offence, ya understand? But you're a kid.

Me: Well, I like to think I'm a kid at heart...

The Don: Listen, you're still a kid. Now, any more of dem questions? I'se got a lawyer waiting I gotta speak with.

Me: There's one last one: How does your writing process work? Let's see, I get interrupted a lot. I'm at the mercy of the "powers that be." I try and do a couple of hours daily, in the morning because that's when the kids are at school and my biorhythms are at their best...

The Don: You read about dem biorhythms in Reader's Digest?

Me: Some place like that. Let's see... I get ideas from all over the place. Usually, a character comes into my head. This character has a great name, and I start asking him or her questions, and then he or she riffs, and then I go "What if...?" and then, the character and I, we come up with a plot, and then...

The Don: Whoa, youse reacting badly to some medication, or what? I'll call in Daffara, that medico who helped me with my inflammation...

Me: I'm fine. You might wanna check in on Luca, though. I guess my final answer is that I work and work, and I laugh at my own jokes, and pretty soon I've got something down. And then the heavy lifting begins and...

The Don, circling finger around by his ear: Woo-woo. Would you look at the time? Youse making me late for bocce. Don't forget, next week I wanna see dem page proofs on the God in Godfather bidness. Capice? Ciao!

Phew! Well, as you can see, writing can be a whole lotta fun when you got someone like the Don breathing down your neck. Hey, speaking of next week, this writing process tour is going to feature my pal from Project Mayhem, Joy McCullough-Carranza. Here's her bio from Project Mayhem:

Joy McCullough-Carranza – Joy grew up in San Diego (where she was a total bookworm), went to college in Chicago (where she studied theater and became a playwright), and lived in Guatemala for a year (where she met her husband). Now she makes her home in Seattle with two book-obsessed kids and an equally book-obsessed husband. A walk through their home includes the ever-present danger of a falling stack of books. Between homeschooling her children, freelance writing and editing, answering someone else’s fan mail, and writing her own middle grade fiction, Joy makes room for Project Mayhem in her life. She is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, Inc.  Website  Twitter  Blog
Thanks, all! See you for some more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday next week. I've got a goodie for you... (P.S. The winner of last week's ARC of The Meaning of Maggie was Andrea Mack!)

My New Series on Project Mayhem: Celebrating Young Writers

I'm at Project Mayhem today, interviewing 10-year-old Felicia, who has already written and published her first novel,  The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets. Check it my interview HERE.

Contest over at Project Mayhem: Win One of my Favorite Cybils' nominees

This year marked my third venture as a Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Blogger's Literary Awards) panelist. In 2011 I was a first round panelist for middle grade fiction (everything except speculative fiction), which meant I got to speed-read 140 novels between October and December. In 2012 and 2013, I chose a more sedate position--that of a second round judge. A second-rounder has to read a mere five or six titles--those on the shortlist--and crown a winner.

 

This year, the finalists were: 

If you head over to my post on Project Mayhem this morning, you can find out how to win one of these titles!! Here's the link: http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/

November Natterings

I'm nattering about November, because I have yet again not got a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday to share with you. The reason: I am deep into Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. I am enjoying it, but it is not a fast read! I've discovered that I quite like these long and involved fantasies (Game of Thrones, anyone?), but they do take time.

Also in November: my group blog, Project Mayhem--the Manic Minds of Middle Grade Writers, is unveiling three new participants this month. Braden Bell, Joe McGee, and Joy McCullough-Carranza have joined the team, and I am very excited to see what insights and opinions they'll share with us. [And I have been promoted to blog manager, continuing my quest for total world-wide-web domination. The Don is proud.]

One of my favorite blogs, Miss Snark's First Victim, is gearing up for the Annual Baker's Dozen Auction. In fact, the YA/MG entry submission dates are this week (on Tuesday and Thursday.) If you have a manuscript ready to go, I would strongly advise you to consider this. It's where, in 2011, I got my mojo to send my work to an agent, and I will be forever thankful to Authoress Anonymous for giving me the confidence to reach for the stars. (Details on the Baker's Dozen HERE).

If any of you are knee-deep in NaNoWriMo: good luck! I've never had the urge to do this, but I doff my fedora to those who do. In fact, I doubt any of you NaNoites are reading blogs these days, so on fire are you to reach those daily word counts.

I hope to be back to MMGM next week. Better stick my nose into Mists again! Have a great reading and writing week!

Bad, Bad Blogioso

Folks, I am feeling very ashamed of my recent blogging efforts. (Please don't tell the Don. He's on his annual hols in Sicily, and may not even have Wifi, which has totally saved my bacon.)

I feel bad not only because I'm not posting much, but especially because I'm not being a very good pal and visiting you guys' blogs. And I miss you. I am going to make a concerted effort to do a better job from this day forth. After all, July's a good month for new resolutions, isn't it?

If you have a moment to spare, check out my review of author and agent Anna Olswanger's powerful short novel about the Holocaust, which is over at Project Mayhem today.

And thanks for being such patient and long-suffering blog pals.

MGM.

Over At Project Mayhem...

Pals, I have a post over at Project Mayhem today, entitled :How Do You Get Someone to Read Your Book?" Do pop on over if you have a moment.

And, if you haven't yet done so, check out our fantastic 700 Follower giveaway. Agent phone calls, critiques, and ARCs aplenty!!

Ms. Yingling Interview: Find out what middle schoolers really want to read

Karen in time travel mode

I'm over at Project Mayhem today, interviewing the amazing Karen Yingling, school librarian extraordinaire. If you don't know Karen, stop by and learn all about her and what her students like to read. If you do know her, stop by and say 'hi!' anyway!!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Interview and giveaway with James Mihaley

I'm thrilled today to be interviewing one of my Project Mayhem mates, James Mihaley. (Project Mayhem is my group blog and, if you haven't visited it yet, you should do yourself a favor and pop on over. We're one of the best group blogs out there, and always up for a bit of middle grade mayhem.).

Anyway, James is one of our newer members. He has an awesome novel out, and the paperback edition has just been released. In honor of that wonderful event, he's going to be giving away a signed copy to one lucky commenter!!!

Here's a little something about his debut novel (which is a hoot--just as James is).... YOU CAN'T HAVE MY PLANET, BUT TAKE MY BROTHER PLEASE (Feiwel and Friends, 2012): Thirteen-year-old Giles is the last person anyone would expect to save the planet. He’s not as charming as his little sister, and not as brainy as his goody-goody older brother. But when Giles witnesses an alien realtor showing Earth to possible new tenants, he knows he’d better do something. With the help of an alien “attorney” and the maddest scientist in middle-grade fiction, Giles just might save humans from eviction from Earth. Let’s hope so. The alternatives are . . . not so hospitable.

My Interview with James:

1) Your agent sold your novel in one day. How did that happen, and how did you keep yourself from joyfully launching into outer space?

I did launch into outer space.  I was up there for a month and a half.  I spent all my advance at a night club on Jupiter.  Believe me, it was worth it.

Getting serious for a moment, (I promise just a moment, I give you my word of honor), when I wrote the book I didn’t have an agent.  Upon completion, I sent my ms to Rosemary Stimola.  Rosemary called me on a Monday, said she wanted to represent me.  She said she knew someone at Macmillan who might be interested.  She asked me if it would be all right for her to submit it. 

I said, “HELL YES!”

The next day, Tuesday, she sent the book over to Macmillan.  On Wednesday, Rosemary called me with the news that we sold it!

And check this out.  I had submitted the book to two other agents when I sent it to Rosemary.   I got rejections slips from those agents after I sold the book, telling me they didn’t think it would sell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Therefore, if you get a rejection from an agent or two, it means absolutely nothing!!!!!  Do not be deterred!!!!!!! (Michael said I’m only allowed to use 836 exclamation points in this Q&A.  I think I’ve already reached my quota.) [That you have, James--but I have several hundred more that I'm hording for myself!!!!]

2) As well as being a writer, you're a professional hip hop dancer and choreographer. How long have you been writing and dancing?

As we all know, there is a God of Writing and there is a God of Dancing.  Some people say the two gods don’t like each other that much.  On the Mount Olympus of Creativity, there is also a third deity, the God of Writing & Dancing.  He looks like a dwarf but has very long wings.  He got his head stuck in a jar of honey one day outside a supermarket in Bakersfield, California.  I helped him get it out.  He rewarded me with a wave of his magic wand.  Presto.  I became a writer and a dancer.

3) I know that particular God too, but he only allows me to do the cha-cha with two left feet. Oh well... Back to being serious...What piece of writing advice would you have loved to have been given, starting off?

To not place so much pressure on yourself with a first draft.  When we’re starting out, I think we have a tendency to try and perfect every sentence, right from the opening paragraph.  The danger of that approach is that we may end up discarding the exquisitely chiseled opening once we get into the book and find out what it’s truly about.  With the first draft, it’s all about getting ink on paper, black on white.  Just let it rip.  Then, put it down for a week, let it breathe, pick it up and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.

     Your ability to accurately evaluate the merits of your work increases dramatically when you put it down and let it breathe.  I wish I’d known that at the beginning.

4) I totally agree! Now for some gossip: I've heard that hummingbirds love you. Do they descend upon you, kind of like Hitchcock's The Birds? How long has this been going on?

My bond with hummingbirds is peaceful and exhilarating.

It began a few years ago when I spotted a hummingbird’s nest in a bougainvillea outside my bedroom window.  So tiny and magical.  Mother hummingbird was sitting on her eggs in the moonlight.  A month later, in another part of the Los Angeles, a hummingbird flew into my car when I was getting ready to start it up.  We hung out together in the car for a couple of minutes, me and the hummingbird.  Quite an experience.  And quite true.

5. One last thing I've been wondering about, James. In the back of your newly released paperback, there’s a Q&A.  It talks about you being a robot.  What’s all that about?

I am a robot.  Just kidding.  Not really.  The truth of the matter is that my skills as a dancer enable me to move exactly like a robot.  I decided to use that to create a movie to help promote ‘You Can’t Have My Planet But Take My Brother, Please’.  The movie will be coming out this summer on You Tube.  It’s called ‘The JimBot’.

Here’s the premise of the film: What if it turns out that ‘You Can’t Have My Planet’ was the first book in history written by a robot?  What if children’s author, James Mihaley, is actually a robot in disguise?  In the movie there’s an investigative journalist who wants to reveal to the world that I’m a robot and win a Pulitzer prize.  I have a nosy neighbor (MGM: not me, I swear!) who has proof that I spark in the rain.

The film is hilarious.  Plus it has a beautiful theme promoting non-violence.

It was directed by Mike Pedraza, who is an editor on the 150 million dollar Matt Damon movie coming out this summer.  Mike’s wife, Donna Pedraza, produced it.

Here is an illustration from the movie done by Austin Jones.  It’s me as a baby robot.

When the JimBot comes out this summer, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Thanks so much for the great interview, James. If you're ever in MG Mafioso land, look us up. The Don loves dancing (and accordion-playing!), so it might be quite a party.

Once again, guys, leave a comment to be eligible for a signed copy of YOU CAN'T HAVE MY PLANET, BUT TAKE MY BROTHER PLEASE. And happy reading!!

We're back!!

Yes, it's mid-January--a time when Mafioso of every stripe arise from hibernation. The Don's leaf "clean-up" operation is going great guns (pardon the pun!) blowing leaves into the gutters of harried homeowners, and then charging a hefty fee for their removal. ("Hey, a man's gotta put food on his table, Michele.") As for my immediate family, my wife Marie has recovered almost completely from her surgery in December and returns to work full-time on Monday. Thanks to all of you who sent well-wishes her way.

Middle Grade Mafioso has quite a busy schedule planned for the early part of the year. We're chomping at the bit to review the Cybils' middle grade titles we've been reading, as well as a couple of other books which have come our way. However, the code of silence (which, of course the Don loves) means that the Cybils have to be kept under wraps until the winner is announced sometime in February.

To keep you busy till then, keep abreast of the goings on over at Project Mayhem, the wonderful group blog of which I'm honored to be a member. We've added FOUR new writers to the team--Dianne Salerni, Chris Eboch, James Mihaley, and Lee Wardlaw--after receiving a bunch of amazing applicants. There is so much talent out there!!

But for right now, scoot on over to my review today of THE SECRET ROOM by German writer Antonio Michaelis, and please leave a comment. Also, on Monday, Marvelous Mike Winchell will be unveiling a middle grade contest in which the winner's manuscript will be sent on to his agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin. The Don's offered to throw in his yard-cleaning crew as a prize, but I've persuaded him that an ice chest of gelato might be more welcome instead. Of course, if the other famiglia hear about these goings on, all bets are off.

Till then, Happy New Year to you all. Let's hope it's a superspecial one.

The 13th Sign Contest: Prizes Galore (and a Chance to Donate)

Buongiorno a tutti! We're all excited here at Middle Grade Mafioso because it's the Don's birth week and on the 7th, he's hosting a massive party. I can't wait for the cannoli.

The charming and creative
Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

It's also our day to host Kristin O'Donnell Tubb's THE 13^TH SIGN Preorder Contest! This may in fact been one of the most fun blog tours ever. Because The 13th SIGN has astrology at its core, Kristin came up with a wonderful idea to both promote her forthcoming novel as well as raise money for the charity Reading Is Fundamental, a literacy program committed to placing books in the hands of kids who need them most.

About the book: 

What if there was a 13th zodiac sign? 


You’re no longer Sagittarius, but Ophiuchus, the healer, the 13th sign. 


Your personality has changed. So has your mom’s and your best friend’s. 


What about the rest of the world? 


What if you were the one who accidentally unlocked the 13th sign, causing this world-altering change, and infuriating the other 12 signs?  


Jalen did it, and now she must use every ounce of her strength and cunning to send the signs back where they belong. Lives, including her own, depend upon it.

(Doesn't that sound cool?! I've been glued to my horoscope all week. I've also badgered my pals at Project Mayhem to reveal their star signs. Would you believe that all the guys (Matt MacNish, Mike Winchell, and Paul Greci) are sensitive Pisceans? And that Shannon O' Donnell and Dawn Lairamore are enthusiastic Aries like me? Yahong Chi's a Taurus, Marissa Burt a Leo, Hilary Wagner a Scorpio, and Caroline Starr Rose a Sagittarius. I think you'll all agree that, mixed together, we are a true force for Mayhem.)

I tried hard to find a Capricorn, but they were shy.

Which makes sense. According to my astrology book, CAPRICORN characteristics include being ambitious, trustworthy, calm, a loner, pessimistic, and determined. Yup, the Capricorns on Twitter were in total loner mode. And Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, and Orlando Bloom never got back to me.

But Aries is always game for new, fun things. In my astrology immersion, I also took THE 13^TH SIGN quiz, which taught me more about my 12-sign horoscope, my 13-sign horoscope, and which horoscope sign I ACT like? (Reveal: I'm an Aries who acts like a Virgo!! Egads!)

Anyway. (Another Aries trait is having a LOT to say...)

What is this contest all about?

If you preorder a copy of THE 13^TH SIGN by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb TODAY, you'll get the chance to win... (drum roll)  

-zodiac charm – sign of your choice

-signed THE 13^TH SIGN swag

-$10 itunes gift card

-signed paperback of AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

-a 13^th SIGN t-shirt

How do you enter?

Preorder THE 13^TH SIGN! You can preorder it through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, or through your local independent bookstore. Then email your receipt TO KRISTIN at ktubb@comcast.net. You will be entered into that day’s drawing, the grand prize drawing, and your purchase will be *matched* by a $1.00 donation to RIF!

Are there other ways to enter the contest?

Yep!  You can be entered into the daily prize drawings by doing one or more of the following:

-Each preorder of THE 13^TH SIGN = 10 entries into grand prize drawing and 10 entries into that day’s drawing

- Each person who blogs about the contest = 10 entries into that day’s drawing

-Each person who changes Twitter or Facebook avatar to cover = 5 entries into that day’s drawing (for each day it is present) [Get those avatars a-changing. I'm going to be The 13th Sign for the Day]

-Each Tweet or Facebook status mention of the book and contest = 2 entries for that day’s drawing (must include hashtag #the13thsign)

-Each RT of book and/or contest = 1 entry for that day’s drawing

BUT. You have to preorder THE 13^TH SIGN to enter to win the grand prize and to have your purchase matched with a RIF donation.

ALSO. To make sure you get the correct amount of entries, please let Kristin know if you’ve done any of the above! You can email her at ktubb@comcast.net with everything you’ve done to enter.

What is the grand prize? [Oh, mamma mia, this one I would love. Hope the Don's making a Christmas list...]

A Nexus 7 ereader! BOOM.  The grand prize winner will be announced on Kristin’s blog on Friday, December 7.

How long does the preorder contest last?

13 days total! You can visit these other blogs for each day’s prizes:

DAY ARIES: The Book Vortex

DAY TAURUS:  The Housework Can Wait

DAY GEMINI:  Magnet 4 Books

DAY CANCER:  Abby the Librarian

DAY LEO:  Mother Daughter Book Club

DAY VIRGO: S. R. Johannes/Market My Words

DAY LIBRA: Elizabeth O. Dulemba

DAY SCORPIO:  Citrus Reads

DAY OPHIUCHUS: Young Adult Books Central

DAY SAGITTARIUS: Bloggers [heart] Books

DAY CAPRICORN: - Middle Grade Mafioso

DAY AQUARIUS: Smack Dab in the Middle

DAY PISCES: From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors

Good luck! And don’t forget to take THE 13^TH SIGN quiz! J

Fiesta Fridays: Winner of the Templeton Twins, and other Fine Things

Friday fiesta time, folks. First up, I have a fun interview and giveaway over at Project Mayhem, featuring Susan Lubner's debut middle grade, THE UPSIDE OF ORDINARY. Hop on over and see what you think.

Second, a great big "thank you" to everyone who commented on the Templeton Twins blog tour post. I truly appreciate your unstinting support of Middle Grade Mafioso. Random.org has been in seclusion with the Don and he's decreed the winner to be:

Heidi Grange

Heidi, please be in touch so I can forward your mailing address to the good people at Chronicle Books and they can send you a copy straight off the presses.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Anyone got any special plans?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Drover's Quest by Susan Brocker

From the jacket copy, courtesy of HarperCollins New Zealand:

Rumour is flying around the west coast gold fields that Tom McGee has struck it rich and found a nugget of gold as big as a man's fist. So no one is surprised when next his campsite is found wrecked and abandoned. Men have been killed for a lot less on the tough goldfields of 1860s New Zealand. 

But one person is convinced Tom is not dead. His headstrong daughter, Charlotte. Solving the mystery is not her first task, though. First, she must get to the coast. A skilful horse rider, she disguises herself as a boy and joins a cattle drive across the Southern Alps. To survive the dangerous drive over Arthur's Pass and to keep her identity hidden from the vicious trail boss, she'll need the help of her dog, her horse, and her father's friend, Tama. She knows she can do it - she has to - but what will she find? And will her new American friend, Joseph, help or hinder her quest? Charlie is in for the ride of her life - and the stakes couldn't be higher.

I've got my full review up on PROJECT MAYHEM today. Let me just say that I've become a fan of Susan Brocker's. Unfortunately, being a New Zealander, her novels are not widely available in this country. But over at PROJECT MAYHEM, you get the chance to win yourself a signed copy. So hie thee thither, and join the Mayhem!

It's a Birthday Wrap--with a $25 gift card...

It was a quieter week than anticipated--and I'm blaming BEA, at least in the Don's hearing. Everybody seemed to be at the Javits Center in New York, sweeping up ARCs or plotting to marry John Green. (The Don says that we're to have a booth there next year, to which I say "hold onto your violins.")

Fortunately for me, Luca's brazen plan to take over the blog was thwarted by Leslie Pugh, Jeff Chen, and Julie DeGuia, whom I now promise to protect for evermore from vendetta. And Random.org, in her dispassionate way, has decreed that Julie DeGuia is the winner of HEART OF A SHEPHERD. So Julie'll have something to read while in the safehouse!!

Now that's out of the way, let's jump to the Grand Prize. Anybody who commented during the week (including today) is in the running for a $25 gift card to an indie book store of your choice.

In finale, let me just say that interacting with all you good folks has made my life richer in invaluable ways. Thanks for the middle grade love (and for putting up with my wacky sense of humor.)

Grazie mille!

(P.s. It's a busy blogging day for me. I'm interviewing New Zealand writer Susan Brocker on Project Mayhem, and highlighting Writing Tips from Pixar on The Year of Writing Dangerously. Have a shufti, if you have time.)