Brenda Drake . . . under the influence of coffee: August 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

Auntie B's Book Club Wildefire Review . . . and giveaways!

The coffee today is hazelnut creme - yum! I've been out of town or in my writing cave for weeks and have completely ignored the blog. Anyway, excuses aside, I have some giveaways and contests coming in the near future.

Firstly, I'm giving away a book today. Wait. What's that? Oh, yeah, I forgot, I'm giving away two copies of Wildefire by Karsten Knight. How can you win one of these awesome books? In the comments, just answer a question below. Easy peasy!

Auntie B's Book Club's final book was Wildefire by Karsten Knight. We had a pool party to send off the three members who are now at college, and to talk about the book. Auntie B ended up in the pool with her clothes on and camera in pocket *glares at SportsGirl*. I needed a new camera anyway, but I lost the pictures I took. I did have one on my phone that I'll post below. The girls completely enjoyed this read and their thoughts are also below. This story is so fun, and Karsten's personality really comes across the pages. Check out his website here and view his vlogs and you'll see what I mean. I can't tell you how many times the girls played Karsten's dance instructional video, they were obsessed. Make sure you check it out.

Here is a little something about the book . . .

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Release Date: July 26th 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Age Group: 15+
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)
Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Buy this Book: Amazon

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.
-Goodreads.com

And the girls' thoughts . . .

DramaGirl aka Marissa
I so loved this book. It pulled me in and I wanted to chill with Ashline. She really felt real to me and I laughed several times at things that happened. Auntie B always makes us give our favorite line from the books we read. Mine is, "Ashline Wilde was a human mood ring." It's the first line in the book and it grabbed me right off.

ChoirGirl aka Kayla
I read this by Auntie's pool with her. I'm her niece and the one who got her to start the book club. I have to say that this book reads easy and I couldn't put it down. The beginning was hard for me. I didn't relate to the fighting in the beginning, but as I read more, I was totally hooked. My favorite line is, "She always had to be different somehow--in this case different by not being different at all."

BookGirl aka Jessica
I loved this because of the Polynesian goddess and the mythology thing. It's unique and the characters are awesome. I really like stories set in schools too. I like this line, "Like a caterpillar she bunches up her body and then extends, bunches and extends, moving efficiently up the trunk using only her knees and hands." This really gave me a great visual of the action. I LOVE this book!

SportsGirl aka Kaitlin
I so snorted my Powerade out my nose when something happens during a make-out scene in this book. Also, I thought the fight scene at the beginning was awesome. I so related to this character and loved the story. My favorite line is, "Shut it, cupcake." I use it on DramaGirl alot and she hates it, but it's so perfect.

GameGirl aka Tarah
I couldn't put the book down. Everyone says I'm so like Ashline. I liked the romance and how the author keeps the story moving. I can't wait for the sequel. Love this line, "Colt has the subtlety of a car alarm." Colt is just like me. Read the book, it's great!

MusicGirl aka Juliet
This book took hold of me and didn't let go. I love how the author described things and I really felt like I knew these characters. I didn't want it to end, but it ended so good that I can't wait for the sequel. My fav line was, "She had intended to kiss him until the end, intended to keep contact with his chapped, salty lips until the tidal wave dragged her away from him..." It totally melted my heart.

Swim Girl aka Gabby
I can honestly say, this book has been one of my favorites that we've read for Auntie B's Book Club. I like that Ashline is an every girl type. I was adopted and I related to her a lot. I laughed several time while reading it. I loved it. My favorite line is the same as DramaGirl's line. The first line is so great and tells us a lot. I can't wait to read the sequel.

Well, that's it for the reviews. With summer vacays and school preparations, we had a difficult time getting together. A few of our members read the book, but didn't get their comments to me. It happens. Anyway, get the book if you don't win it here. You'll love it.

Which God or Goddess power would you want if you could have one? Do you all want have blogfest-like workshops with prizes?

I have some fun contests coming up soon, so check back sometime for details.

That's it. Slurp!

16 comments

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Auntie B's Book Club Contest . . . we have winners!

http://picture-book.com/content/morgan-gaynin-6

Auntie B's Book Club Contest

Winners

I want to thank all of you for participating in such a fun blogfest contest.The girls had a lot of fun and we all learned a lot. The girls enjoyed reading your comments and it rewarded them for their time. Each girl gave each semi-finalist's entry a rating from 1 to 5 stars (we used gold sticky stars - lots of fun). They weren't allowed to judge their own picks. Afterward we added up the stars to determine the winners. My youngest niece was on the sidelines in case we needed a tie breaker, which we didn't need.

Thanks to all the participants and congratulations to the semi-finalists, you made it very difficult for the girls to pick a winner.

So here are the winners...

1st place and the winner of a ten page and synopsis critique goes to . . .

Wishwryter (aka Margie Senechal)

(you can follow her on twitter @wishwryter )

The two runners up and winners of either a ten page critique or a synopsis critique (their choice) goes to . . .

Sarah Nicolas

(you can follow her on her site: Sarah Nicolas )

Kit Forbes

(you can follow her on her blog: Kit Forbes)

*I'll be sending your certificates to your email addys shortly.

Thank you to Cassandra Marshall, agent-intern, freelance editor, and writer extraordinaire for the wonderful prizes and please check out her website for all your editing needs. Her prices are so reasonable and you won't be disappointed. She's amazing!

Cassandra Marshall's Website

Final words from the judges . . .

Choir Girl

I had such a great time, and enjoyed reading your entries. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, and I hope to actually hold your books in my hand one day.

Drama Girl

This was such an awesome experience. I will always remember Auntie B's Book Club and all the fun we've had. I'm so happy I got a chance to read your writing. You all are talented. And I want to thank Auntie B for not correcting our work like she just did our goodbyes (tough, I know). Adios!

Auntie B's note: I didn't have time to edit their post comments because of my crazy schedule or I would have. So many mistakes *shakes head in shame*. I think you all need a grammar refresher course.

Book Girl

This was a great way to end our summer. Thank you all for letting me read and critique your work. I loved ALL of them. I hope you all get published soon!

Sports Girl

You all are sick writers. I think my group was the hardest to choose the top two from (no matter what Drama Girl says). No seriously, I read a few of the others, and it was tough competition. It's more rewarding to win when the competition is tough. Good luck to all of you with your writing!

And, a special thank you to Game Girl (my fifteen-year-old niece) for waiting in the wings just in case we needed a final decision.

Well, thanks all for a fun time. How was your experience with this contest? Did you like hearing from the teens? Was there anything special you took away from it?

I'm working on more contest for the upcoming months and maybe a workshop so check back soon for details. Until next time, that's it.

22 comments

Semi-Finals Post 4 - Auntie Bs Book Club Contest

http://picture-book.com/content/morgan-gaynin-6

Auntie B's Book Club Contest

Semi-finals Post 4

Here's post four for the semi-finals of the Auntie B's Book Club Contest. I thought blogger would never cooperate, so sorry for the delay with this one. Thank you for all your positive comments and I hope you all got something from this blogfest. Next post, we'll announce the winner and two runner ups of the contest.

So, last up is . . .

Sports Girl: Able to out run all of us on a basketball court. She's off to Colorado for college in the fall. She loves anything to do with sports and boys. She likes strong female and sarcastic male main characters. She likes more of the edgy stuff. If it's gross, she's your girl.

I'm the trouble maker of the group. Actually, I'm a slacker. I never fitted in with other groups outside of sports. I liked reading with Auntie B because she doesn't let me get away with things. Actually, she never let any drama happen in the club. You don't mess with Auntie B. We call her Sugar And Spice because she can be really nice, but if you don't respect others watch out. I think we all benefited from her insisting that we read and know what we read, and that we treat each other with respect. I didn't get that lesson at home but I did get it with her.

Here are my thoughts on your stories. I had a lot of fun reading them, and I hope I see them in book stores or online someday.

Auntie B's note: I'm amazed at how much Sports Girl has changed over the years. She was such a bundle of energy when we first started the club and now she's more in control. She graduated with a 4.3 GPA. It takes a lot of dedication to do that and play two sports. I don't think it was me, but because of all the sports she's involved in. She had the toughest time getting her notes done with three basketball tournaments in the month of July. I drove her and my younger niece, who is on her team, to Dallas, Phoenix, and San Diego. She worked on this project on the road and during any free time she had. I'm so proud of her dedication.

My top two . . .

Shelli Cornelison

Title: What a Girl Needs

Genre: YA Contemporary Realistic

Pitch: London's third break-up is a definite game changer. Having her heart massacred on aisle nine prompts her to adopt some new personal policies. But going from perfect girlfriend to perfectly independent brings surprising challenges.

You can check out the blog post here: Shelli Cornelison

My comments: The pitch is perfect. The first 250 words is so awesome and I laughed at London's actions. I could see myself doing something like she does just to see my boyfriend. I wanted to know what happened next and I would most definitely buy the book.

Wishwryter

Title: Son of a (Hired) Gun

Genre: YA Contemporary

Pitch: An assassin’s son goes into witness protection and learns that his secret may not be the biggest one in town.

My comments: The pitch is a little short but it does tell me what the story is about and it caught my attention. The first 250 words is totally awesome and I love Simon's attitude. He sounds so cool and someone I'd hang out with. I laughed several times at his comments. I'd definitely buy this one.

My honorable mentions . . .

I had a hard time picking between four entries for my top two. I loved each one and it came down to the pitches. I chose my top two because I felt their pitches were better than the other two. Auntie B agreed that I could have an honorable mention section because I really wanted the two entrants to know how much I loved their stories.

Sarah Wedgbrow

Title: A girl named Jack

Genre: YA Contemporary

Pitch: Jack (15) survives the hallways of mass self-destruction by being invisible. But when her arch nemesis forces her to fight back, her cinematic heroes Bruce Lee and Mr. Miyagi help her overcome high school adversity.

You can check out the blog post here: Sarah Wedgbrow

My comments: The pitch is excellent but I didn't know how her heroes were going to help her fight back. Were they going to actually appear and kick some butt or is it just because she had watched them and learned stuff from them? The first 250 words is so awesome and I loved it. The voice is right on for a teen.

Ellen Rozek

Title: The Recruited
Genre: YA
Pitch: Two teenage killers are recruited by the government to help bring down an American terrorist organization trying to take over the country.

You can check out the blog post here: Ellen Rozek

My comments: The pitch is really good except it's hard to believe the government would recruit teens to bring down terrorists. I would open the book to see if the pages would catch me. Sometimes things sound unbelievable but if it's written right the author can make me believe it could happen. The first 250 words is sick and I could totally relate to running before stretching out. I already like Naomi and she hasn't said anything yet. I get a lot from the first page, she's tough, athletic, and has attitude. I would buy this book because she's a lot like me. I'd hope the story would carry me away enough to believe the government would recruit the teens.

My thoughts on the other entries . . .

CP Harkness

Title: Jax and Crispen vs the Beasts of Dartmoor
Genre: MG Fantasy

Pitch: Thirteen year old Jax must save his half brother Crispen from their evil Pixie grandfather. His tools? A magical knife, the beast of Dartmoor and an asthma inhaler. It could be worse. Maybe.

You can check out the blog post here: CP Harkness

My comments: I laughed at the pitch. I think the asthma inhaler as a tool is hilarious. The first 250 words had some cool stuff in it but I felt the Big Bang comparison isn't one a thirteen year old would use. I so got the enthusiastic hands since I'm always grabbing stuff like that.

Christy Hintz

Title: Solstice

Genre: YA light science fiction

Pitch: Dawn, the only one who can see the deadly shadows, is blamed for the death they cause. She must find who's responsible for the murderous disease and uncover a cure before authorities find her--guilty.

My comments: I think the deadly shadows causing death is sick, but if it's a murderous disease how is Dawn blamed for it? Is she a mad scientist or something? The first 250 words was interesting and I like the idea of the secret journal and I wonder what is written inside. The first 250 tells me a lot stuff, but I would rather something exciting happen to her first and then learn this stuff later.

Luis Vendrell

Title: The Rise of Teddy

Genre: Humor/Satire

Pitch: Teddy's fat. He's fat and he works at a gym. If that isn't bad enough, he's in love with his co-worker. To get in her good graces he will do anything, even the one thing he has avoided his entire life: lose weight.

You can check out the blog post here: Luis Vendrell

My comments: This was in the running for my top picks. The pitch is great and I can relate to it because before I got into sports I used to be chubby and the kids used to tease me about it. I'm not saying I didn't like the first 250 words, it's actually written good, I just wished there was some more humor in it. There are a lot of cool details like his belly kissing the steering wheel and about the contract between the muscled guy logo and Teddy's body. I would definitely buy this to find out if Teddy gets the girl.

Angela Scott

Title: Desert Rice
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pitch: Samantha Jean Haggert isn’t thrilled with hiding the fact she’s a twelve-year-old girl, but her older brother, Jacob, will do anything to keep Sam safe from male attention and hidden from the law.

You can check out the blog post here: Angela Scott

My comment: The pitch is okay but it could use something more exciting to catch a reader's attention. The 250 words on the other hand is very exciting and I'm so curious to know what happened to their mother and how will they get out of this situation. I like the voice very much. I can see me grossing out and not wanting to see the dead mother's face. I don't know if I would be thinking about how it felt to touch a dead body in the moment. I'd probably be too freaked out to think those things. It would be better just to have her give in and pick up the body and say how it feels than to wonder how it will.

Maribeth Graham

Title: The Graveyard Five

Genre: Middle-Grade

Pitch: When Christopher “Bags” Bagolino and his friends get caught skipping school at the town cemetery they are given an assignment they will never forget. They discover that buried secrets have a way of resurrecting.

My comments: The pitch needs something added to make it more exciting. I think the title is sick. The 250 words is really good and I wanted to read more to find out what would happen to the friends. Kids aren't as polite to each other in these kinds of situations as you have in the opening. We would say something like "Penny, you idiot, I said this was a bad idea." We wouldn't say "wasn't a good idea" we'd say "was a bad idea". We're negative like that.

Auntie B's note: Reminder: sick means good. Just making sure you all know that. I'm very pleased that she's not using her usual word "dope". She usually says "That's dope".

Alison Miller

Title: Envious

Genre: YA Paranormal

Pitch: Seventeen-year old Becky’s best friend kills himself without leaving a single clue. Yet as memories of that fateful night emerge from her subconscious, she suspects she may have had something to do with his death.

You can check out the blog post here: Alison Miller

My comments: The pitch is awesome except for leaving a clue part. I think you should change it to reason (without leaving a reason or leaving a farewell note). Leaving a clue makes it sound like she thinks its a mystery to be solved and not a suicide. I like everything ( I mean everything) about the first 250 words except for the name Mookie. The poor guy had to be picked on because of that name. If this is a nickname, I don't think any of the guys I know would let anyone call them that away from home. It's just my opinion. By the end of the excerpt, I wanted to read more and I would definitely buy this book.

Georgia Summers

Title: Subtle Deceptions

Genre: YA contemporary science fiction

Pitch: After escaping from a human experiment facility, Callie joins a super-powered rebel group planning to take it down, while she combats feelings for a fellow escapee and an illness that threatens to devour her.

You can check out the blog post here: Georgia Summers

My comments: The pitch is really good and I wanted to read the pages. The first 250 words starts with a daydream (I think), which was done well but I would rather actual things happen. The rest of it is awesome and I like Callie and her voice a lot. I would most definitely keep reading this.

Thanks everyone for participating. The winners will be announce tonight at 8PM EST. Come back and check it out.

8 comments

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Semi-Finals Post 3 - Auntie Bs Book Club Contest

http://picture-book.com/content/morgan-gaynin-6

Auntie B's Book Club Contest

Semi-finals Post 3

Here is the third post for the semi-finals in the Auntie's B Book Club Contest, and I love reading the girls' comments. Having teens tell you what they like or didn't like about your work is such a wonderful gift. I hope you all gain something out of participating in this blogfest contest. If you wonder what this post is about go here for all the details.

So, next up is . . .

Book Girl: Able to read a book in a day. She's going back East to college in the fall. She loves all genres! She's read the Harry Potter series like five times or so. Her favorite genre is anything fantasy. She wanted me to tell you it isn't about the genre for her, but more about the story and characters.

I remember the first books we read in the Auntie B's Book Club when we were in fifth grade. My favorites were Harry Potter, The BFG, and The Family Under The Bridge. I think that's where I really found that I liked reading. We read many series and we'd get all excited before the next books were released. I think we got excited because Auntie B was just as excited as we were. I'm going to miss our book club, but we've decided to have a club during the summer months when we're home, which I'm thrilled about.

I wanted to say that I could see myself picking up all the books from my list by either the pitch or the first 250 words, but there were just a few that pulled me in by both. You all are wonderful writers and I wish you all the best.

My top two . . .

Sarah Nicolas

Title: Dragons Are People Too
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pitch: Sixteen-year-old Kitty is a weredragon operative for the US government. When the government turns its back on the dragons, she must choose between loyalty to her country and allegiance to her family.

You can check out the blog post here: Sarah Nicolas

My comments: The pitch got me excited to read the excerpt, which was so awesome I wanted to read more. When Auntie B told us to look for a voice and what it was, I thought it would be tough to spot a good one but this one totally did it. I loved the voice and the attitude of the main character! Kitty is a strong kick-butt type of girl. So good.

Jamie McHenry

Title: On Fallen Wings

Genre: Fantasy

Pitch: When Rhiannon's boyfriend is kidnapped, her quest to save him forces her to choose between the Faerie life she loves and losing him forever.

My comments: I love the pitch. I love the excerpt. I love how she describes love to her little sister. Loved it!

My thoughts on the other entries . . .

Sara Riouch

Title: Legacy
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pitch: In a family of witches, Danielle is ordinary. But when a sorcerer tries to kill her brother, she's the only one who can save him.

My comments: This one was close to being picked as one of my top two. I love the pitch but it wasn't different enough for me. The excerpt is great and it kept my attention. I would most definitely buy it because of the first page.

Michael Di Gesu

Title: Amber and the Whispering Willows

Genre: M/G fantasy

Pitch: A plague is unleashed into the human and fairy realms by an evil fae from the fairy underworld. Born with a gift of the winds, eleven-year-old Amber is their only hope for survival.

My comments: The pitch is interesting and I would open the book up to read the first page. The excerpt didn't pull me in enough. I think you should start with something bigger instead of with Amber getting dressed for ballet and thinking about the Willows. I'd work on making Amber's thoughts more age appropriate.

Auntie B's note: After discussing this with Book Girl, by bigger she means you should start with action. Have something exciting happen to Amber right off to pull your reader in.

Eliza Tilton

Title: Broken Forest: A Keening Blade Novel

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pitch: Avikar always dreamed of exploring Tarrtainya; he never imagined it would be in search of his sister.

You can check out the blog post here: Eliza Tilton

My comments: The pitch is too short and doesn't give me enough to know what this story is about. The first page is awesome and I could really imagine Avikar's home.

Cholisose

Title: Four Nights a Day

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pitch: A young shaman named Kil Cho-Hei is all alone—everyone else in the world has vanished. She journeys the quiet landscape to find other survivors, her identity, and the meaning behind the dreamlike phenomena she encounters.

You can check out the blog post here: Cholisose

My comments: The beginning of the pitch is very interesting but I didn't get the last part. Is she in a dream? The excerpt was really good and I wanted to find out what was happening and why she was so uncaring. I like the added touch of her skipping and twirling a pink paper parasol that showed she wasn't worrying about the world ending. It's all very strange in a good way.

Christina Mercer

Title: Arrow of the Mist
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pitch: Saving her beloved father is all 15-year-old Lia hopes to do after barbed roots emerge from the woods and attack him, until Lia learns the person she reveres the most is behind the murderous roots.

You can check out the blog post here: Christina Mercer

My comments: I was confused with the pitch and didn't get the barbed roots. I did totally love the excerpt. So good. I would pick this up in the book store because of it.

Jenny Keller Ford

Title: In the Shadow of the Dragon King

Genre: YA Fantasy with romantic and urban fantasy elements

Pitch: A millionaire teen and his 'girl' friend are thrust into a magical world poised on the brink of war, and must battle a vengeful dragon and a murdering sorcerer if they are to return home.

You can check out the blog post here: Jenny Keller Ford

My comments: The pitch didn't catch my attention. I did enjoy reading the excerpt, but it seems unbelievable for a fifteen year old to have access to money like that. Doesn't a trust, a lawyer, or their parents handle the money? I loved the dialogue between David and Charlotte.

Rebecca Enzor

Title: Fie Eoin

Genre: YA/NA Fantasy

Pitch: When her sister is sold into slavery, Kindra must fight to win her back. But their chief’s betrayal runs deeper than she imagined, and Kindra must choose between saving her sister and saving the tribe.

You can check out the blog post here: Rebecca Enzor

My comments: The pitch is so good it would totally make me turn to the first page. The first page is so good, the only thing lacking is how she is feeling. She only digs her fingers into the rock and grits her teeth. How does the whip feel when it hits her and how painful is it?

Stephanie Mooney

Title: Aurora and the Signet Ring

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pitch: Aurora has no patience for faerytales. But when Thorion, the Starish prince of Lasseren, enlists her to help him save the kingdom from a dark enchantment, she must learn to embrace the magic that surrounds her.

You can check out the blog post here: Stephanie Mooney

My comments: The pitch is so awesome. I'd buy the book on that alone. The excerpt was slow for me. It really picked up in the second part when Norin is racing through the forest to find his daughter. The writing is so good.

Daniel Moore

Title: Chemicaust
Genre: Sci-Fi/Steampunk, Short Story
Pitch: What might men do with unlimited power? And what might they allow to be done? Chem is the Mad Element. It is a blessing and a curse with as many names as shades and hues.

My comments: The pitch is excellent. The excerpt is very good and I loved the uniqueness of this one. The only thing I found that was off for me was when it flickers to dark and he knows what the rats are gnawing on and that the sand is gray. How can he see that in the dark?

I'll have the final post for the semi-finals posted tomorrow morning. Also, the winners will be announced August 3rd at 8PM EST. So come back and check it out.

8 comments