National Children's Book Week

In honor of National Children's Book week, I'm rounding up a list of some of my favorite children's literature from picture books to chapter books. I suppose I wouldn't be a writer/mother worth my salt if my kids didn't have books. Don't worry. They have plenty. They have four, over-flowing shelves full of books. Granted, not many are those award-winning, deeper-meaning books. Most come from Walmart, or from my sister, a second grade teacher. But we still have a few we love to read over and over.

Random Review: "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

You know me. I love to have new features on my blog. I figured all the books crowding my shelves needed to be put to some use, and thus was born my new Random Review feature. I listed out my books in a fun program called "The Hat," and--hopefully--each week, I'll pull one out to give a short review. This weeks winner is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

Author Interview: Luisa Perkins, "Dispirited"

Another author interview! I'm so excited about this one because Luisa gave me lots of fun details and advice. Read on!


Me: I loved the details about Holly House the the history of Kashkawan. It got me to wondering all about the town, what's real and what you made up, and how you chose it in the first place.

Luisa:Kashkawan is based on the town in which I live in New York's Hudson Highlands. A lot of the details--Route 403, Cat Rock Hill, the lake--are real. The way I've put the town together is different from reality, though, and a few key things aren't located in my town at all. Cathy's new house is based on a friend's house in another town, and Holly House itself is based on a house in Ireland.

Review: "Dispirited" by Luisa Perkins

When Luisa was looking for reviewers, I'd already heard such good things about her novel, "Dispirited", that I started waving my hand frantically in the air, despite the pile of stuff already on my "to do" list. And boy am I glad I did.

The Point of the Plot:
from zarahemlabooks.com "Cathy sees things that are invisible to everyone else. Her new stepbrother's bizarre behavior. A ghostly little boy. An abandoned house in the woods. But she doesn't see how they're all connected. And what she doesn't see might just kill her."

News Flash: "Haven" a short story by Ranee` S. Clark to be published!

I am SUPER excited to share some really great news with you guys: my speculative fiction romance Haven will be published in an anthology called "It's A Love Thing," tentatively scheduled for release June 1st by Prose By Design!

Here's the teaser: 

Variety Poetry: Britney Gulbrandsen

Another talented poet who sent me three poems to choose from, and of course, I chose the sweet, touching, romantic poem. See for yourself:

Green Apple Gumballs

The song in my head is a subtle reminder,

A memory of last June,

    A portrait of us—

    Bright red doors,

    Jumping by fountains,

    Lollipops and bubblegum,

    Rain and umbrellas.

Variety Poetry: Jewel Leann Williams

And National Poetry Month Celebration continues with a poem from Jewel Leann Williams.

Leann sent me three poems to consider and I knew the minute I read her first one, it must be posted. You will probably feel the same. 

From Leann:

This first was from a poetry challenge, which was to use the words red, marble, and bloom in a poem of exactly 20 lines....

Passion

Fill to bursting, screams of red
barely kept behind my teeth
Pulse throbbing, pounding rage
boiling in my blood to seethe
Jaw clenching, eyes burning
Brow marbled by bulging veins
Black roses, stinking deathweed
Brought to bloom by your cursed name