tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69163943353218501162024-03-05T23:32:58.442-06:00Claire M. Catererauthor of <i>The Key & the Flame</i>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.comBlogger313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-28196793880201049392018-01-11T08:21:00.000-06:002018-01-11T08:21:25.229-06:00Kansas Authors Club<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ljDErwPbecPuHa36XwbLATDYBdoQKVyxIHrnAn3eq6tBvmFWKN34Xk7uadm6QyS6cbZ991xGOOkAf_Cim6jBUCfNa4xyReLPLg8J6ki1OClpNVVlJhmkdO_4M9ka1w9MX1162H5bPbE/s1600/KAC+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ljDErwPbecPuHa36XwbLATDYBdoQKVyxIHrnAn3eq6tBvmFWKN34Xk7uadm6QyS6cbZ991xGOOkAf_Cim6jBUCfNa4xyReLPLg8J6ki1OClpNVVlJhmkdO_4M9ka1w9MX1162H5bPbE/s1600/KAC+logo.png" /></a></div>
Just a quick note to let you all know that I will be speaking on the topic of "The Wonderful World of Traditional Publishing" (!) at the District 5 chapter of the Kansas Authors Club in Wichita, KS, this weekend. This event is <b>free and open to the public</b>, so come learn all the down and dirty details of publishing, including<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>finding an agent & writing a good query letter</li>
<li>what to expect from the editing process</li>
<li>promoting your work</li>
</ul>
<br />
I hope to see you all there!<br />
<br />
<b>DETAILS:</b><br />
January 13, 2018<br />
1:30-3:30 pm<br />
Larksfield Place Retirement Community | 7373 E. 29th Street<br />
Wichita, KS 67226<br />
<a href="https://kacdistrict5.weebly.com/" target="_blank">KAC blog link</a>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-14170773103113142122016-04-08T17:07:00.001-05:002016-04-08T17:07:51.248-05:00What's Going On HereSo, I took a look at my blog today. I noticed the last time I posted.<br />
<br />
October 2015.<br />
<br />
<i>October. 2015.</i><br />
<br />
That's not really a blog. More like a biannual update.<br />
<i> </i><br />
I've been doing some deep thinking lately. Trying to figure out how to balance life, writing, reading, parenting, other work (like editing). And the thing is, if I want to devote my life to writing--and I do--then there's only so much distraction I can handle. The Internet is Distraction #1. (By the way, YA novelist Nova Ren Suma has a fantastic blog called <a href="https://distraction99.com/" target="_blank">Distraction No. 99</a>. I highly recommend it.) It's not just that posting things to a blog or Tumblr or Instagram takes time; I probably have the requisite little blocks of time. It's more a matter of focus.<br />
<br />
Ours might be called the Age of the Short Attention Span. I've been watching mine erode over the last few years to an alarming degree, and really, if you want to write, you can't have a short attention span. You've got to stick in it for the long haul. Not to mention the fact that I feel physically unsettled, anxious, even kind of nauseous if I <i>don't</i> devote myself to long periods of what writer Cal Newport calls <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460152850&sr=1-1&keywords=deep+work" target="_blank">Deep Work</a>--that kind of long, sustained focus on a project that used to be the norm for me. Which is why I used to get a lot more done.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to shut this blog down, exactly. But I won't be here often. I'll run a giveaway if it occurs to me, but frankly, that takes a lot of time and scattered mindplay as well, so I won't do one every month as I was doing last year. Mostly, what I'll be doing is writing. If I have something to say about that, I may tune in here. But for all you half a dozen followers, I don't think it's going to change your life much.<br />
<br />
And for everyone else, not at all.<br />
<br />
If you're a writer, consider this path: the path of working, not networking. I'm thinking it will take a lot of stress off me and put more words on the page. Just an idea.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-49936766799676237552015-10-14T10:18:00.000-05:002015-10-14T10:18:37.483-05:00National Book Award Finalists!As much as I'd like to announce myself as one of the 2015 National Book Award finalists in the Young People's Literature category, alas, I cannot. But I'm still excited about the fantastic books up for the prize this year! Here's a quick roundup. Click and add to your TBR list:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2YVgoDNAFy8tKrbtYG9TtJIHXLxSN94pB6jTgHindTrxLPCH7YV9yBUEDwf7lAXqJUNwaoFxAbBj2axJa4p-9ii_XOt7IRqhFOXjr-efWbWuZzGMq2fDqVcC0j_CfOuYb98iKlSfkvY/s1600/thing+about+jellyfish+the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2YVgoDNAFy8tKrbtYG9TtJIHXLxSN94pB6jTgHindTrxLPCH7YV9yBUEDwf7lAXqJUNwaoFxAbBj2axJa4p-9ii_XOt7IRqhFOXjr-efWbWuZzGMq2fDqVcC0j_CfOuYb98iKlSfkvY/s200/thing+about+jellyfish+the.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24396876-the-thing-about-jellyfish?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"><i><b>The Thing About Jellyfish</b></i></a><b> by Ali Benjamin</b><br />
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 352 pp<br />
middle grade contemporary<br />
<b> </b>Goodreads summary:<br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">After her best friend
dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of
the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. Retreating into a silent world
of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means
traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores
life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential
for love and hope right next door.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH4jKmVDDYbivTIzwwaiQO455oA2-Pr4E4kMJypJBdXg5zenD_V_RtIu9D9xsNZ4UUjTm2qfFK4uby1yowylmOn5nFh9GZ6_uD1xABm00p3k_9LcbumhIhmpNGLpCYSz87Y0l0sSZPcI/s1600/bone+gap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH4jKmVDDYbivTIzwwaiQO455oA2-Pr4E4kMJypJBdXg5zenD_V_RtIu9D9xsNZ4UUjTm2qfFK4uby1yowylmOn5nFh9GZ6_uD1xABm00p3k_9LcbumhIhmpNGLpCYSz87Y0l0sSZPcI/s200/bone+gap.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22535489-bone-gap" target="_blank"><b><i>Bone Gap</i></b> </a><b>by Laura Ruby</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">Baltzer + Bray; 268 pp</span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">young adult contemporary</span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">Goodreads summary:</span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText3572816084870271552">Everyone knows Bone Gap
is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can
disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the
people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first
time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on
their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to
Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go,
the people said. Who are you going to blame?<br /><br />Finn knows that’s
not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the
cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the
searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even
Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to
blame Finn for letting her go.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwQOR2N3IRu1INSUpXvMj-gPRrN4J4nOuYyMw1a6tWSwN8-zXPWdehSTBHKsjeMK3xfBD5tm1wByxQozzLGPl-3SoC9vNIqSHiJzyROW2Fx7ng7oYgq4LrAxkYiB08l1kFv-AxsecmZg/s1600/challenger+deep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwQOR2N3IRu1INSUpXvMj-gPRrN4J4nOuYyMw1a6tWSwN8-zXPWdehSTBHKsjeMK3xfBD5tm1wByxQozzLGPl-3SoC9vNIqSHiJzyROW2Fx7ng7oYgq4LrAxkYiB08l1kFv-AxsecmZg/s200/challenger+deep.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22864710-challenger-deep" target="_blank"><i><b>Challenger Deep</b></i></a> <b>by Neal Shusterman</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">HarperTeen; 320 pp</span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">young adult contemporary</span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506">Goodreads summary:</span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">Caden Bosch is on a ship
that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the
southern part of the Marianas Trench.<br /><br />Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.<br /><br />Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence, to document the journey with images.<br /><br />Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.<br /><br />Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.<br /><br />Caden Bosch is torn.</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGokwF2jeyshogB1QgoyvWtjdDz5ha_SfcS-LOe7oiTMpKxaxxO_N95KyGzl7Xv_Sc6TteV23VB2OfXwd37TStVki7jtyMGk7uNLEQVR-_kKiRzFhuAEfMLop5ZWy1zJsnft_hKQCvAY/s1600/most+dangerous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGokwF2jeyshogB1QgoyvWtjdDz5ha_SfcS-LOe7oiTMpKxaxxO_N95KyGzl7Xv_Sc6TteV23VB2OfXwd37TStVki7jtyMGk7uNLEQVR-_kKiRzFhuAEfMLop5ZWy1zJsnft_hKQCvAY/s200/most+dangerous.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23310694-most-dangerous?ac=1" target="_blank"><b>Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War</b></a> </i><b>by Steve Sheinkin</b></span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">Roaring Brook Press; 384 pp</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">young adult nonfiction/historical</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">Goodreads summary:</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText10437954347520550811">On June 13, 1971, the
front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page
collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War.
Known as The Pentagon Papers, these documents had been comissioned by
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the
government had taken in the Vietnam War, they revealed a pattern of
deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever
changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicans
claiming to represent their interests. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLRE9oelliQoNhjE2WAwRlQMOHzW8S05NsEmwMJmuBfdu4dLL2Up_BdzbkXEkgYlTgT6OAEGqhsHABweDM11hgNheDZDcDD1xFzExUshGqs-BkWP3vz04ww9A_iB4wkIAZ2_5d6OSWd4/s1600/nimona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLRE9oelliQoNhjE2WAwRlQMOHzW8S05NsEmwMJmuBfdu4dLL2Up_BdzbkXEkgYlTgT6OAEGqhsHABweDM11hgNheDZDcDD1xFzExUshGqs-BkWP3vz04ww9A_iB4wkIAZ2_5d6OSWd4/s200/nimona.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23131088-nimona" target="_blank"><i><b>Nimona</b></i></a><b> by Noelle Stevenson</b></span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">HarperTeen; 266 pp</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">young adult fantasy (graphic novel)</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">Goodreads summary:</span></span><br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958"><span id="freeText5911336290987535665">Nemeses! Dragons!
Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly
subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an
exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus
conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous
full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web
comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.<br /><br />Nimona is an
impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister
Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain,
Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their
mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his
buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the
heroes everyone thinks they are.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span id="freeText14506984393124455506"><span id="freeText5205877291078953958">For more information on the award, including the finalists and longlisted titles in other categories, visit the <a href="http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2015.html#.Vh5xtWu0fVI" target="_blank">National Book Awards website here</a>. </span></span> Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-13389463742911049162015-09-23T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-23T06:00:01.419-05:00Reading Right Now Wednesday: THE GLASS SENTENCETrying out this idea of reporting in on what I'm reading this week. <b>Bit of a disclaimer:</b> I usually post about children's books, but with this particular series, there will be some adult reads thrown in too.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">This Week: </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Glass Sentence</span></span></h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YTibUIkTn22KX0BGJBsRDqDOzizUijuwHgfGsEvgA0KnvZI9IgY-1E0-lPJLtKnskhJEo8IZrJ1nHQOVCCT_rme4k90g-VZfXl0ICHH4LtAUHAScIsWvSVRP_jkNIFVGRoWsffZuJ0Y/s1600/glass+sentence+the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YTibUIkTn22KX0BGJBsRDqDOzizUijuwHgfGsEvgA0KnvZI9IgY-1E0-lPJLtKnskhJEo8IZrJ1nHQOVCCT_rme4k90g-VZfXl0ICHH4LtAUHAScIsWvSVRP_jkNIFVGRoWsffZuJ0Y/s200/glass+sentence+the.jpg" width="135" /></a><b>author:</b> S.E. Grove<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Viking Books for Young Readers, 2014; 493 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> young adult (ages 12+)<br />
<b>genre: </b>fantasy<br />
<b>why I'm reading it:</b> The premise sounded so fantastic, and everyone seems to love it <br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18668056-the-glass-sentence?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Goodreads link</a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>Quick summary:</b><br />
It's a topsy-turvy world when in 1799 the Great Disruption occurs--different parts of the world are suddenly thrust into different time periods. This new world needs someone to map it, and Sophia's uncle is the foremost cartologer in the world. But when he goes missing, it's up to Sophia to find him.<br />
<br />
<b>So Far:</b><br />
I am so completely hooked just by the prologue of this book. This is one that I know will suck me in and let the dinner burn (er ... cook itself?). Great writing and a luscious storyline combine for a book that's impossible to put down. Also: I'm promised pirates! I'm so in!<br />
<br />
<b>Fun Fact:</b><br />
S.E. Grove's sequel, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22671541-the-golden-specific" target="_blank"><i>The Golden Specific</i></a>, was published in July. The series has one more book to go. You can learn more about the author at <a href="http://segrovebooks.com/dir/" target="_blank">her website here</a><i> </i>and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/glass-sentences-se-grove-on-traveling-the-world-and-creating-ones-through-literature/2014/06/12/00ef1d3c-ea96-11e3-b98c-72cef4a00499_story.html" target="_blank">in this interview by <i>The Washington Post.</i></a>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-70853417549287895362015-09-19T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-19T06:00:06.447-05:00Talk Like a Pirate Day!OK, it's not like I've never celebrated this day before, but I can hardly ignore it this year, considering that <span style="color: blue;"><b>THE WAND & THE SEA </b></span>has been out in the world for only a few months. You already know that your local (participating!) <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com/pirate" target="_blank">Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop will give you free doughnuts</a> for dressing and talking like an 18th-century seafaring criminal (and why not?), and I recently posted a <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2015/06/talking-like-pirate.html" target="_blank">brief history on where the pirate's jargon came from</a>. For those of us who are totally into all things piratical, a day devoted to saying <i>arrrrr</i> and <i>shiver me timbers</i> makes perfect sense, but no doubt the rest of the world is thinking ...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Why pirates?</span><br />
<br />
What makes them so attractive to us, when we know they were typically thieving, ruthless brigands? How did murderous sea captains become lovable rebels?<br />
<br />
Pirates were admired in their time precisely because they didn't follow rules. Some of them adhered to <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-pirates-code-or-just-guidelines.html" target="_blank">the Pirate Code</a>, and <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/fun/pirate-lore/kinds-of-pirates/" target="_blank">some were dashing privateers</a>, but the <i>freedom</i> of the true pirate was what made him a romantic hero. In the restrictive Victorian age, when certainly women--but men, too--had so many rules to follow, the idea of sailing away on one's own ship and living exactly as one pleased had a great appeal. Never mind that most pirates lived free for a very short time--typically, less than 10 years. It was the idea of the thing. And so we've remade them into harmless or dashing heroes, which is not really what they were. We've fallen in love with characters, only. But that's what fiction is all about. Right?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://swf.tubechop.com/tubechop.swf?vurl=2CMsyVwEf8c&start=130&end=157&cid=6826330"></param>
<embed src="http://swf.tubechop.com/tubechop.swf?vurl=2CMsyVwEf8c&start=130&end=157&cid=6826330" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
You did know that my latest book features a band of somewhat atypical pirates, didn't you? In the second installment of THE KEY & THE FLAME series, Holly and the boys team up with a pirate captain to set sail and rescue the Adepts of Anglielle. <a href="http://www.cmcaterer.com/wand" target="_blank">Read more about the book here.</a><br />
<br />
________________________<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">clip above taken from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miuoza1nals" target="_blank"><i>Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</i></a></span>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-11894873672484488492015-09-16T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-16T14:37:22.122-05:00Reading Right Now WednesdayTrying out this idea of reporting in on what I'm reading this week. <b>Bit of a disclaimer:</b> I usually post about children's books, but with this particular series, there will be some adult reads thrown in too.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">This Week: </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Strangers</span></span></h2>
<b>author:</b> Jacqueline West<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Dial Books, 2013; 320 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> middle grade (ages 9+)<br />
<b>genre: </b>fantasy<br />
<b>why I'm reading it:</b> I've read Books #1-#3 in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/52577-the-books-of-elsewhere" target="_blank">Books of Elsewhere series</a>, and they're all marvelous; this is Book #4 <br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16101027-the-strangers?from_search=true&search_version=service">Goodreads link </a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-4VSOLa_xYf_f278vj4QCKT-l_u0xWOaLALQOxkAgN9FQksZ-ijOP7W68EExdDzDzABxzklA-44jLOvJ6NGGGignr2LTGXZMd9WrkohcWXgLRNJI_evZgSPaetvNXj8lcl1agPDXNbw/s1600/strangers+the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-4VSOLa_xYf_f278vj4QCKT-l_u0xWOaLALQOxkAgN9FQksZ-ijOP7W68EExdDzDzABxzklA-44jLOvJ6NGGGignr2LTGXZMd9WrkohcWXgLRNJI_evZgSPaetvNXj8lcl1agPDXNbw/s200/strangers+the.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk0BKlh9nFaRMjG67zs5r6GwXsnYg_6nnFWHa4ZJ2PPGze7zqbpZ1VYaooTFfxZKxdfFnfNrZpIOeam8YHOAPS5y_Tu85LKc6EOCeayLZNMVdYFs_g5PCouTIZyk7-pKG3f-dnBubTT8/s1600/first+15+lives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
<b>Quick summary:</b><br />
Olive faces new dangers and mysteries as autumn approaches and strangers arrive to the house on Linden Street on Halloween night.<br />
<br />
<b>So Far:</b><br />
Jacqueline West's detailed, delightful writing always keeps me turning pages, and this book is no exception. Although this series encompasses only months, not years, of Olive's life, it's interesting to see how she's changing as she tiptoes toward adolescence. The creeps in this book are pretty scary without causing nightmares. Unless this ends on some kind of weird, wrong note (not the author's style), I'm sure I'll end up loving the finished book as much as I do now, at the beginning.<br />
<br />
<b>Fun Fact:</b><br />
Author Jacqueline West has completed the Books of Elsewhere series (a total of five) and has turned her talents to YA fiction. Her "eerie Shakespearan" novel will be released in April 2016. <a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/03/dreamers-often-lie-excerpt" target="_blank"><i>Entertainment Weekly</i> gives you a peek at the first pages of <i>Dreamers Often Lie </i>here</a>. For an introduction to the Books of Elsewhere, check out the book trailer below.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/51bqEMUZdpQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-52851607289549583872015-09-14T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-14T06:00:00.068-05:00Review: GOODBYE STRANGER by Rebecca Stead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD5BPmYFDLBKoHi_tA7qtVjxb1Aq8i2gJzEIAXTnCZaj7QknRNG2_HUHIRrs6fWY9KBrQ88LAgE6Oe29qj5Qd2uafWVZaJGu6AgI1w9kZ0SLa8MtFsDnIoGNYNDQn20jLlWVVokqEkVo/s1600/goodbye+stranger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD5BPmYFDLBKoHi_tA7qtVjxb1Aq8i2gJzEIAXTnCZaj7QknRNG2_HUHIRrs6fWY9KBrQ88LAgE6Oe29qj5Qd2uafWVZaJGu6AgI1w9kZ0SLa8MtFsDnIoGNYNDQn20jLlWVVokqEkVo/s320/goodbye+stranger.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>title & author:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385743173/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385743173&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank"><i>Goodbye Stranger</i> </a>by Rebecca Stead<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Wendy Lamb Books, August 2015; 304 pp<br />
<b>audience: </b>middle grade (10+)<br />
<b>genre: </b>MG contemporary<br />
<b>caveats: </b>nothing much, but the themes are definitely middle school to early high school<br />
<b>review excerpt: </b>"Sensitively explores togetherness, aloneness, betrayal and love." --<i>The New York Times Book Review</i><b> </b><br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText4618821981547605705">Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games--or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? <br />
This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl--as a friend? <br />
On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?</span></blockquote>
<b>my thoughts:</b><br />
Rebecca Stead is one of the few authors whose books I buy on preorder--before they've been reviewed, before I know anything about them, before any hype has time to gather. I've read all four of her novels, and I've rejoiced at seeing her grow and deepen as a writer. <i>Goodbye Stranger</i> combines several standby Stead elements: multiple points of view; a bit of a mystery; the complexity of friendships as children approach all the changes that adolescence brings. One of the wonderful things about this book is that it introduces some mature themes (not sexual, just mature) that readers will discover in YA (ages 12+) fiction, but in a somewhat "safer" environment. Bridge's character, her struggles to keep her old friendships and make new ones, will resonate with middle schoolers, while the unnamed high school girl's issues speak of what may lie ahead in years to come. My favorite part of the book is the relationship between Bridge and Sherm--not really boyfriend/girlfriend, but leaning ever so slowly in that direction. And as always, Stead's writing is crisp, never wordy, and very, very real. A great addition to her canon.<br />
<br />
<b>find Rebecca:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.rebeccasteadbooks.com/" target="_blank">Rebecca's website, here</a>, showcases her upcoming events and her three other books--<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/304351.First_Light" target="_blank"><i>First Light</i></a>; the Newbery Award winner <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5310515-when-you-reach-me" target="_blank"><i>When You Reach Me</i></a>; and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13262061-liar-spy" target="_blank">Liar & Spy</a>. </i><a href="http://rebeccastead.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Her blog </a>includes infrequent posts on news and events. She also hangs out on <a href="https://twitter.com/rebstead" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3XguorIPB5LFpBz_ik1FdPmRN7fiHL0Yza0OhwZ4lbHHhcdlQAO_bXmxlh8EczNg_8YY1lKD1-f5NUVKmVfdqzJ9_Ycw8yXwu5pDKju-gSolE5UF1f__a5yAjt6VK8EwQX9ev1R13jw/s1600/MMGM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3XguorIPB5LFpBz_ik1FdPmRN7fiHL0Yza0OhwZ4lbHHhcdlQAO_bXmxlh8EczNg_8YY1lKD1-f5NUVKmVfdqzJ9_Ycw8yXwu5pDKju-gSolE5UF1f__a5yAjt6VK8EwQX9ev1R13jw/s1600/MMGM2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Be sure to visit <a href="http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/search/label/Marvelous%20Middle%20Grade%20Monday" target="_blank">Shannon Messenger's blog</a> to see more fun links to great middle-grade reads and giveaways!Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-23628235278885696932015-09-09T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-09T06:00:04.522-05:00Reading Right Now WednesdayGood idea? Bad idea? Post about books I'm reading and what I think of them? Well, I'll give it a try for a while. I'm not the fastest reader on the planet, but I try to spend at least an hour a day doing it, so I do get through a fair number of books in a year. And, as you may be aware, I often give away brand-new copies of my particular faves. <b>Bit of a disclaimer:</b> I usually post about children's books, but with this particular series, there will be some adult reads thrown in too.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">This Week: </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August</span></span></h2>
<b>author:</b> Claire North<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Redhook, 2014; 432 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> adult<br />
<b>genre: </b>time travel / science fiction<br />
<b>why I'm reading it:</b> It's this month's selection for one of my book clubs, though I already had it on my to-read list because it looked so good <br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20706317-the-first-fifteen-lives-of-harry-august" target="_blank">Goodreads link </a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk0BKlh9nFaRMjG67zs5r6GwXsnYg_6nnFWHa4ZJ2PPGze7zqbpZ1VYaooTFfxZKxdfFnfNrZpIOeam8YHOAPS5y_Tu85LKc6EOCeayLZNMVdYFs_g5PCouTIZyk7-pKG3f-dnBubTT8/s1600/first+15+lives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk0BKlh9nFaRMjG67zs5r6GwXsnYg_6nnFWHa4ZJ2PPGze7zqbpZ1VYaooTFfxZKxdfFnfNrZpIOeam8YHOAPS5y_Tu85LKc6EOCeayLZNMVdYFs_g5PCouTIZyk7-pKG3f-dnBubTT8/s200/first+15+lives.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>Quick summary:</b><br />
Harry is cursed (if you like) with a repetitive life--that is, when he dies, he is immediately reborn into exactly the same body at the same time, and his life begins again. Forever. When Harry learns that others like him may be responsible for bringing about the world's end, he decides to act--and that changes everything.<br />
<br />
<b>So Far:</b><br />
So yeah, I'm aware that the premise is very like <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790842-life-after-life?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Life After Life</i> by Kate Atkinson</a>, which is a stunningly great book--probably the best I read last year. The story, though, couldn't be more different. The style is less literary, which I don't mean as a bad thing; the author just takes a very different voice from the Atkinson book. In both novels, the main characters ponder what it means to have foreknowledge of the future, and whether that compels one to "fix" things. This book is a real page turner, with a strong main character and fascinating storyline. I'm loving it.<br />
<br />
<b>Fun Fact:</b><br />
Author <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210024.Claire_North" target="_blank">Claire North </a>has also written under the name <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40118.Catherine_Webb" target="_blank">Catherine Webb</a>, which she used when writing YA fiction, as well as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/613805.Kate_Griffin" target="_blank">Kate Griffin</a>. She wrote her first novel when she was 14, for which I have forgiven her. Pretty much.<br />
<br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-53285675644114348002015-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:002015-09-07T16:22:44.098-05:00Great Upcoming MG ReadsThis fall is shaping up to be a fantastic season for MG (middle-grade) novels. In the publishing biz, MG is typically geared to ages 8-12, the upper end leaning toward age 14. It's my favorite audience to write for, and MG books have the greatest heart and variety in all of publishing. These are the ones I'm most looking forward to this week. They're landing on your bookshop's shelves tomorrow! Review quotes come from <i><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/" target="_blank">Kirkus Reviews</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7q5I_XDGSUiXQXAni33K0Bx8DKJK6J6W2G8OQdWNqRMeobUWbd24c8mfRbd-6JQDwTrgoLg3QPA0ZIHpePetjVOIJb8ciBO-r0sRpWMQt5wxF-zA_5cG2KjwRTl98GvhtSobvoZiL_8c/s1600/blackthorn+key+the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7q5I_XDGSUiXQXAni33K0Bx8DKJK6J6W2G8OQdWNqRMeobUWbd24c8mfRbd-6JQDwTrgoLg3QPA0ZIHpePetjVOIJb8ciBO-r0sRpWMQt5wxF-zA_5cG2KjwRTl98GvhtSobvoZiL_8c/s200/blackthorn+key+the.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackthorn-Key-Kevin-Sands/dp/1481446517/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441561209&sr=1-1&keywords=the+blackthorn+key" target="_blank"><i>The Blackthorn Key</i></a> by Kevin Sands<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Aladdin, 384 pp<br />
<b>genre: </b>MG historical thriller/mystery<br />
In 1665 London, a 14-year-old apothecary's apprentice breaks codes and eludes the mysterious Cult of the Archangel to find his master's killer.<br />
"A spectacular debut."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-Zg9f7YgaFEiu_dc5SNb-j2zgVCR0Ez6LQPKCOui94xw5avcDqNzeFTYvWcAOdRzvtMngh0reKeVmf8XJx7FXZ2LPabDxyrC_ECBxBejW44UVeSjETLHlfSPXHgB-v0M7gGG1txB25w/s1600/Entirely+True+Story+of+Unbelievable+FIB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-Zg9f7YgaFEiu_dc5SNb-j2zgVCR0Ez6LQPKCOui94xw5avcDqNzeFTYvWcAOdRzvtMngh0reKeVmf8XJx7FXZ2LPabDxyrC_ECBxBejW44UVeSjETLHlfSPXHgB-v0M7gGG1txB25w/s200/Entirely+True+Story+of+Unbelievable+FIB.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Entirely-True-Story-Unbelievable/dp/1616204982%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIXFKFJI6IH6DO5KQ%26tag%3Dkirkus-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1616204982" target="_blank"><i>The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB</i></a> by Adam Shaughnessy<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Algonquin, 272 pp<br />
<b>genre:</b> MG fantasy / real-world magic<br />
11-year-old Pru joins the Fantasy Investigation Bureau to learn why Norse gods are suddenly appearing in her town.<br />
"[The] puzzles and plot twists will absorb and intrigue younger readers as they consider the book’s central questions about truth, magic, and adventure."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NWUKG2ZAlAYujJkEGM5U_7Tu6R_uRIIY9Ixr4gA2ngf1KdXGenK_SaosulnJV6Y9nqJNdxo2FWF5Pgy6MT6ZUqEVGq3sN0xzLobcKQ6LKHOhe-jgk6reqdgAtxayPvycf6DFYEqCnqg/s1600/full+cicada+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NWUKG2ZAlAYujJkEGM5U_7Tu6R_uRIIY9Ixr4gA2ngf1KdXGenK_SaosulnJV6Y9nqJNdxo2FWF5Pgy6MT6ZUqEVGq3sN0xzLobcKQ6LKHOhe-jgk6reqdgAtxayPvycf6DFYEqCnqg/s200/full+cicada+moon.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Full-Cicada-Moon-Marilyn-Hilton/dp/0525428755/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441560709&sr=8-1&keywords=full+cicada+moon" target="_blank"><i>Full Cicada Moon</i></a> by Marilyn Hilton<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Dial, 400 pp<br />
<b>genre: </b>MG historical<br />
Mimi, a biracial girl, struggles to fit in at her new school in 1969 Vermont.<br />
"Readers will be moved by the empathetic lyricism of Mimi’s maturing voice." <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBwDDyz_jvk3-s562qU6eZyjvqeS6Ps3feFHA8TguG9ARaCTo0NhnAPy3w1nxjPS1lLR3JbAX6lVOOwVk_cU7LxUcJ-DETyotPQ0HNSmx3aO5NIvMFSc6h8jVDF4wy0KvN5aqjmhRx8o/s1600/Nearer+Moon+A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBwDDyz_jvk3-s562qU6eZyjvqeS6Ps3feFHA8TguG9ARaCTo0NhnAPy3w1nxjPS1lLR3JbAX6lVOOwVk_cU7LxUcJ-DETyotPQ0HNSmx3aO5NIvMFSc6h8jVDF4wy0KvN5aqjmhRx8o/s200/Nearer+Moon+A.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nearer-Moon-Melanie-Crowder/dp/1481441485/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441560762&sr=8-1&keywords=a+nearer+moon" target="_blank"><i>A Nearer Moon</i></a> by Melanie Crowder<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Atheneum, 160 pp<br />
<b>genre:</b> MG fantasy<br />
Alternating chapters tell the stories of two girls, one human and one a water sprite, and their quest to save their sisters.<br />
"Exquisitely written with words and images that demand savoring."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp2uVfaMpe1Dv85Bgk5abjYrybtm7epWQf9rPEBEVlq5WhOabqAHja0r8no9BUsx6C8SBNpGUixzwatr0R-3SHZk717YNPbUq2wiwne1V98d52ALfFIQ5u0sjnoPZB2TJ2rYgY0-cizc/s1600/Pocket+Full+of+Murder+A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIp2uVfaMpe1Dv85Bgk5abjYrybtm7epWQf9rPEBEVlq5WhOabqAHja0r8no9BUsx6C8SBNpGUixzwatr0R-3SHZk717YNPbUq2wiwne1V98d52ALfFIQ5u0sjnoPZB2TJ2rYgY0-cizc/s200/Pocket+Full+of+Murder+A.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Full-Murder-R-Anderson/dp/1481437712/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441560818&sr=8-1&keywords=a+pocket+full+of+murder" target="_blank"><i>A Pocket Full of Murder</i></a> by R.J. Anderson<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Atheneum, 352 pp<br />
<b>genre:</b> MG fantasy mystery<br />
Four sisters living in a Victorianesque fantasy world use magic and investigation to acquit their wrongfully accused father.<br />
"Thoroughly entertaining."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DgefQaiTZaDIPVnOv88fWWIJ7qJFLodV8tE5Yfl8JFnJZCa2I_TtzCb9YcyX1CsLjbJsVIRrUxVVBkPzUya1MJK34gsn6vPDt92Eui35oSVKuMKpQcfAON6YS9Qb6QhyphenhyphenI675EPwHoZI/s1600/redeemed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DgefQaiTZaDIPVnOv88fWWIJ7qJFLodV8tE5Yfl8JFnJZCa2I_TtzCb9YcyX1CsLjbJsVIRrUxVVBkPzUya1MJK34gsn6vPDt92Eui35oSVKuMKpQcfAON6YS9Qb6QhyphenhyphenI675EPwHoZI/s200/redeemed.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Redeemed-Missing-Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/dp/1442497564/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441561038&sr=1-2&keywords=redeemed" target="_blank"><i>Redeemed </i></a>by Margaret Peterson Haddix<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Simon & Schuster, 416 pp<br />
<b>genre:</b> MG science fiction<br />
In the eighth and final installment of the wildly popular Missing series, the Skidmore kids travel to the future to try to repair time and save the world.<br />
"A satisfying end to a long-running series."<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xLKrjumXSgmxtxPms5tBndzWj7UR-F1Lq2IIL7X6_PGbAncleF7ZMaNo4xzCVM2Q9ezyiYaBGrdxTtTj4vWptb0hzOOQMsuAVJs6oFR9Y3pcOxWGqan4PHf60TkGMZdMtv0ME3BSfAo/s1600/7+Dead+Pirates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xLKrjumXSgmxtxPms5tBndzWj7UR-F1Lq2IIL7X6_PGbAncleF7ZMaNo4xzCVM2Q9ezyiYaBGrdxTtTj4vWptb0hzOOQMsuAVJs6oFR9Y3pcOxWGqan4PHf60TkGMZdMtv0ME3BSfAo/s200/7+Dead+Pirates.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Dead-Pirates-Linda-Bailey/dp/177049815X%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIXFKFJI6IH6DO5KQ%26tag%3Dkirkus-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D177049815X" target="_blank"><i>Seven Dead Pirates </i></a>by Linda Bailey<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Tundra, 320 pp<br />
<b>genre:</b> MG humorous ghost story<br />
A boy named Lewis discovers his bedroom is haunted by seven pirates who need to find their way home. <br />
"Piratical fun well-stocked with colorful cast members living and arrghh."<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-wg21Oi3N9T7edpc6RMLzu2yEYb_IZb0pdVLkgEobo8vbc81KQb8xBuan4WTfmuZb1GlWlCTWW-TCsttVYO1ZvJ6x_dDGYg2tpV1tc38f1v_evagJTdr_rcgn4utorEzvepe3USNwpM/s1600/MMGM_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-wg21Oi3N9T7edpc6RMLzu2yEYb_IZb0pdVLkgEobo8vbc81KQb8xBuan4WTfmuZb1GlWlCTWW-TCsttVYO1ZvJ6x_dDGYg2tpV1tc38f1v_evagJTdr_rcgn4utorEzvepe3USNwpM/s1600/MMGM_small.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Head over to <a href="http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Shannon Messenger's blog</a> for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday fun!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-53074513079170247422015-09-04T14:55:00.000-05:002015-09-04T14:55:53.915-05:00Recent Goings-On & WhatnotHey, blog readers, in case you're thinking I've just been sitting here watching those dang minions jump and shout and scream about my book launch, I'm here to say (finally) that it's not quite true.<br />
<br />
First of all, I did have a fantastic book launch party way back on June 23. Junior and senior pirates alike enjoyed swag, food, and yeah, a bunch of books.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQq1DmX0zSMc6HsJFKGNJdPpy9ODwx9fG9h3ySHfpCeDxYYh36YbhVNi6T6uxfYz_-a3HdeX_frS-F8KnOGDiWqUSx7QOMGGcark2Mz4WP_-AMDkodk6yTVoHDGYTcerHNxdZvOA3YCE/s320/P1120894.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">freebie pirate swag galore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFnxaEqb-SHCp-7U_AFr1jAFo0BLqll1hmnkUKUJtRWAtbnaugliwMCVUrLUQQGT268OPEL5I7F_ZZI0rSvai0C2bdHUI6iKcXqYXAiV5jjpGvqpM7bzkCEH4FNU4YaAAr2ruUbLHXpw/s1600/P1120912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFnxaEqb-SHCp-7U_AFr1jAFo0BLqll1hmnkUKUJtRWAtbnaugliwMCVUrLUQQGT268OPEL5I7F_ZZI0rSvai0C2bdHUI6iKcXqYXAiV5jjpGvqpM7bzkCEH4FNU4YaAAr2ruUbLHXpw/s320/P1120912.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">120 attendees--and some weren't even my personal friends</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSTbNkQPuvtS05mttqEYDiMYrmHvL-5q18r1jAOJnlIpEu8ADfiQFejeQNAy4fThL9GIeYm0M2yR_A2jjsqoPGVCYcPQ9oRlSTZl0FeDc2b89U8aHZ6rG_yaERDKHPcw3RguiXtXM8hw/s1600/P1120898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSTbNkQPuvtS05mttqEYDiMYrmHvL-5q18r1jAOJnlIpEu8ADfiQFejeQNAy4fThL9GIeYm0M2yR_A2jjsqoPGVCYcPQ9oRlSTZl0FeDc2b89U8aHZ6rG_yaERDKHPcw3RguiXtXM8hw/s320/P1120898.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pirate cookies & book cake were both hits</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Check out <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/134404507@N06/sets/72157654701271220" target="_blank">more photos of this superfun event here</a>.<br />
<br />
Shortly after the launch, I took a well-deserved (if I say so myself) break to lovely San Diego, which is fast becoming our family's vacation spot of choice.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvtvisFsyg6ukythWJ7D_oROnzexetMvAGrDo1xV7lqAsjUBNlrx3KCHshiRU8YZVmjjLAr-XlZrBUC6NZJyZkQjFDy6iMsSsZThiK7NW55FjrSzdUc2eRdkVFIJgRcpqpdL0s0N2pF8/s1600/IMG_1548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvtvisFsyg6ukythWJ7D_oROnzexetMvAGrDo1xV7lqAsjUBNlrx3KCHshiRU8YZVmjjLAr-XlZrBUC6NZJyZkQjFDy6iMsSsZThiK7NW55FjrSzdUc2eRdkVFIJgRcpqpdL0s0N2pF8/s320/IMG_1548.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Cliffs--highly recommended if you love sunsets, oceans, cliffs ... you get it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After that, I was off to <a href="http://www.watermarkbooks.com/" target="_blank">Watermark Books & Cafe </a>in Wichita for a book signing and general merriment with my supercool poet mother-in-law, <a href="http://www.everydaycitizen.com/dwahto/" target="_blank">Diane Wahto</a>.<br />
<br />
So now I'm settling back in to writing, reading, and blogging, and I hope to keep you up to date on the goings-on, such as they are. For more or less monthly updates, you can always <a href="http://eepurl.com/rhTVr" target="_blank">sign up to receive my author newsletter here</a>, which includes fun freebies like kids' activities and newsletter-only giveaways as well as news, photos, and updates. Till next time, then.Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-64735080446414197462015-06-23T06:00:00.000-05:002015-06-23T06:00:05.647-05:00IT'S LAUNCH DAY!<span style="font-size: large;">Celebrate good times, blogfrogs! <span style="color: blue;"><b>THE WAND & THE SEA</b></span> has finally launched!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxSnKkQ6aAbhqzzIKBbJuoMdAQPDWZD6nY9f8fVkEpCJ7WNXFfI3VFzEcx9_FDf9yCd-AJX7XDxb4P8jo4B5GI5tnUnLd_XXH_v77jidMQ0UQcHwr7XJabHXJM2YljM77498w7oWdFlk/s1600/minions.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxSnKkQ6aAbhqzzIKBbJuoMdAQPDWZD6nY9f8fVkEpCJ7WNXFfI3VFzEcx9_FDf9yCd-AJX7XDxb4P8jo4B5GI5tnUnLd_XXH_v77jidMQ0UQcHwr7XJabHXJM2YljM77498w7oWdFlk/s400/minions.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wand-Sea-Claire-M-Caterer/dp/1442457449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434745059&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wand+%26+the+sea" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Order yourself a brand-new copy here</span></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORczmRkj0Deb6Zg1RbFTnRg_SlD8wND_0bv0mWjICi3DGsXny16tYqZS4vReXihZBSZ5AaAtUeEsSmawjA-GXGKAy8qZZ8txZTnUtPJmFjYOqAn4MWlQfrisEly_fw9NekFU1Z3ioanw/s1600/jacksparrow+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORczmRkj0Deb6Zg1RbFTnRg_SlD8wND_0bv0mWjICi3DGsXny16tYqZS4vReXihZBSZ5AaAtUeEsSmawjA-GXGKAy8qZZ8txZTnUtPJmFjYOqAn4MWlQfrisEly_fw9NekFU1Z3ioanw/s400/jacksparrow+gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And a salute to you too, Captain Jack, for being only the latest in a long line of charismatic pirates who helped inspire<i> </i><span style="color: blue;"><b>THE WAND & THE SEA</b></span>. These rogues of the sea have been a lifelong passion of mine. I may even have my own pirate hat. But I'm not telling.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEBqahKdeE9rxQsMfuHRcmQl-nad2Sovyp2r2EEiIJU1ZKqJxRwpxZ1ERwcfV1KH8Gs0AwrBROBxJaarVXlfaeg3LFqRg3zTomJGsolleRQ-L1h3-WUGBmVVevyxLJfkvTM-mjKz0F-A/s1600/image_WandSea_hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEBqahKdeE9rxQsMfuHRcmQl-nad2Sovyp2r2EEiIJU1ZKqJxRwpxZ1ERwcfV1KH8Gs0AwrBROBxJaarVXlfaeg3LFqRg3zTomJGsolleRQ-L1h3-WUGBmVVevyxLJfkvTM-mjKz0F-A/s320/image_WandSea_hi-res.jpg" width="211" /></a><b>THE WAND & THE SEA </b>by Claire M. Caterer<br />
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2015<br />
384 pp | ages 8+<br />
fantasy adventure | #2 in THE KEY & THE FLAME series<br />
<br />
<b>From Goodreads:</b><br />
<span id="freeText14172051114125076233">A year has passed since Holly and Ben Shepard have been to England, where they brought their friend Everett to a fantastical realm called Anglielle. Having vowed to return and help the Exiles, Holly, Ben, and Everett are hoping to find their way back to the land ruled by a tyrant king and sorcerer who have outlawed magic. <br />
<br />
But when they arrive in Anglielle, they discover things aren’t what they expect: Their friends are imprisoned and the alliance is scattered. Ruthless King Reynard and the sorcerer Raethius are determined to find the very Adepts they exiled in the first place—but why?<br />
<br />
It’s up to Holly and the boys to sail to the Isle of Exile and find the Adepts first, but that means enlisting the help of the Water Elementals and a pirate captain with a private agenda. Everett is obsessed with a mysterious locket with a mind of its own, and somehow, no matter where they go, a sinister black-sailed schooner appears on the horizon. With no one to teach her, can Holly master Elemental magic in time to save the Adepts of Anglielle?</span> <br />
_____________________________________________________ <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
This book was a tough write followed by a long wait, but I'm oh so glad it's finally here. And to show my appreciation, I'm giving away a double gift: <i>both</i> <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/books/the-key-the-flame/" target="_blank"><b>THE KEY & THE FLAME</b></a> <i>and</i> <span style="color: blue;"><b>THE WAND & THE SEA</b></span>--just in case you missed the first book and don't like starting a series in the middle. I totally get that.<br />
<br />
(If you already own a copy of <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/books/the-key-the-flame/" target="_blank">THE KEY & THE FLAME</a> and don't know <i>what</i> you'd do with another, we can negotiate another book of your choosing. But don't get greedy until you've won, eh?)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZuhxb_PDxflakQN5uzmWd78t1lggnnAMaqazuN3XHLHh7Ox-LTGWJKE7_b9qEyHVkbiR_nLTgyhFrZcRtRSZ0IROE2l8ybcmufFlLMZ7R43egFtWfKWGDmqyR16ZR6-KCT5Fz24Hpxk/s1600/fireworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZuhxb_PDxflakQN5uzmWd78t1lggnnAMaqazuN3XHLHh7Ox-LTGWJKE7_b9qEyHVkbiR_nLTgyhFrZcRtRSZ0IROE2l8ybcmufFlLMZ7R43egFtWfKWGDmqyR16ZR6-KCT5Fz24Hpxk/s320/fireworks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Enter the giveaway below!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>GIVEAWAY RULES</b></span><br />
1. U.S. AND international entries accepted.<br />
2. Must be 13 years or older to enter (or sucker a parent into entering for you).<br />
3. Winner will be notified by email on July 23, 2015, and must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be chosen.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e91ae63241" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e91ae63241/" id="rcwidget_czaekvqt" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-5733584591127145962015-06-22T06:00:00.000-05:002015-06-22T06:00:02.009-05:00A Piratical GiveawayOne day to go before the release of THE WAND & THE SEA into bookshops and libraries everywhere! Tomorrow I'll be giving away <b>free copies</b>, but until then, here's another giveaway for a superfun pirate book.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rY-6ejW5tYjS89Uu-QUKlqZGJhTIIyba-mvYL8VQqIDL_RenwZYqbZDCTSQSwwWdujj6G6yjGvecKED5DzaZJTPi-KuFpYZnyVrLg-PFTJkxoAWmATuzxirwnpJjjb72ahOEYv_Yjt8/s1600/pirateology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rY-6ejW5tYjS89Uu-QUKlqZGJhTIIyba-mvYL8VQqIDL_RenwZYqbZDCTSQSwwWdujj6G6yjGvecKED5DzaZJTPi-KuFpYZnyVrLg-PFTJkxoAWmATuzxirwnpJjjb72ahOEYv_Yjt8/s320/pirateology.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This fun-filled book purports to be the "journal" of one Captain William Lubber, who sailed to find the notorious pirate Arabella Drummond. More than just a story, this book has all the cool stuff you expect from the popular 'Ology series (info per <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pirateology-Pirate-Hunters-Companion-Ologies/dp/0763631434/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434729191&sr=1-1&keywords=pirateology" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>):<br />
<br />
<ul><li>a stunning cover bearing a working compass and glittering gems</li>
<li>treasure map with a missing piece--for the canny reader to find</li>
<li>multiple flaps, maps, charts, and booklets harboring codes and clues</li>
<li>intricate drawings of ships’ interiors</li>
<li>a packet of gold dust </li>
<li>a pocket sundial</li>
<li>a cache of pirate letters, pieces of eight, and a jewel as a final reward</li>
</ul><br />
Sound like a blast? Enter below and I'll send the winner his/her very own copy of <i>Pirateology</i>! <br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e91ae63240/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="e91ae63240" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_efrv8aal">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
<br />
Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-31395481824193609502015-06-18T09:24:00.000-05:002015-06-19T10:55:11.215-05:00Talking Like a Pirate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFMXIFW0j0y3Fm8bBm9eUs2SPqnfZ-YxYzolsz7cPivZeSC0CFUAu2LYO5yeuBZp4iz1Y5uPrvOKBuOfi0Pb-CnHaedIwRUim2Q9OdKOGQ3HhavyQJcEMAm6FArgUInyap39nNnO-qDc/s1600/ship+at+sunset_flickr_3293712945_caa932dec6_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFMXIFW0j0y3Fm8bBm9eUs2SPqnfZ-YxYzolsz7cPivZeSC0CFUAu2LYO5yeuBZp4iz1Y5uPrvOKBuOfi0Pb-CnHaedIwRUim2Q9OdKOGQ3HhavyQJcEMAm6FArgUInyap39nNnO-qDc/s400/ship+at+sunset_flickr_3293712945_caa932dec6_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Of course, everyone knows that September 19 is the official <a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html" target="_blank">Talk Like a Pirate Day</a>. But what do you say if you're looking to get your <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com/pirate" target="_blank">free dozen doughnuts from Krispy Kreme</a>? What does it mean to talk like a pirate?<br />
<br />
The popular version of the pirate "accent" can be traced to actor <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0628579/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Robert Newton</a>, who used his West Country accent in his portrayal of Long John Silver in Walt Disney's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043067/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_21" target="_blank"><i>Treasure Island</i> </a>(1950). Newton reprised his role in the followup film <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047189/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_8" target="_blank">Long John Silver</a> </i>(1954).<br />
<br />
As to the terms pirates used, we don't have any recordings of them, and they didn't exactly keep detailed logs of their raids, robberies, and carousings. But George Choundas, author of <i>The Pirate Primer</i>, has culled examples from famous novels, films, and television shows to give us an idea of where our "pirate talk" originated. The <i>Primer</i> is a wealth of fun information. Here are a few of the colorful oaths Choundas offers up:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>curse me for a papistical Spaniard</b> <b>= </b>I'm telling the truth, on my honor; if I'm lying, you can call me a Spaniard </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>damn my gizzards!</b> = Relates to one's stomach or innards</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>may I drink a bowl of brimstone and fire with the devil</b> = May I burn in hell if I'm telling a lie</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>shiver my timbers!</b> = expression of surprise; refers to the trembling of the ship when hit with a cannonball</div>
<br />
And threats:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>them that'll die be the lucky ones</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>There's never a man yet looks me between the eyes and lives to see a good day afterwards. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>you'll be meat for the sharks </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>up the yardarm you'll swing by your thumbs</b> = You'll be hung from the yardarm, which is the crosswise pole supporting a square-rigged sail; often used for hanging </div>
<br />
For more tips on being the chattiest pirate around, check out<a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html" target="_blank"> this handy how-to site. </a>Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!<br />
<br />
___________________________________________<br />
<br />
What's with all this pirate stuff? We're approaching the Launch Day of <span style="color: blue;"><b>THE WAND & THE SEA</b></span>, in which Holly and the boys are forced to team up with a pirate captain to save the Adepts of Anglielle. Look for it June 23! <a href="http://www.cmcaterer.com/wand" target="_blank">Read more about the book here</a>. And learn more pirate stuff on the website's new <a href="http://www.cmcaterer.com/pirate" target="_blank">Pirate Lore page</a>! <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ship image by Torley. Used by permission via <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank">this Creative Commons license. </a></span><br />
<br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-20012885612536119732015-06-16T09:14:00.000-05:002015-06-16T09:26:50.006-05:00The Pirate's Code--or Just Guidelines?Only one week to go in the countdown to the publication of <b><span style="color: blue;">THE WAND & THE SEA</span></b>! In honor of that momentous event, I'll be putting up some piratical posts to whet your whistle. Today, we're talking about the infamous Pirate Code.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/books/the-wand-the-sea/" target="_blank">more about THE WAND & THE SEA here</a></span><br />
<br />
Was there really a Pirate's Code? Or were they really more <i>guidelines</i>?<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://swf.tubechop.com/tubechop.swf?vurl=2FcCuGUdMLA&start=297.17&end=320.28&cid=6237490"></param>
<embed src="http://swf.tubechop.com/tubechop.swf?vurl=2FcCuGUdMLA&start=297.17&end=320.28&cid=6237490" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
That depends on what sort of pirate you're talking about. Men like <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/fun/pirate-lore/famous-pirates/#Drake" target="_blank">Sir Francis Drake</a> did their share of robbing and plundering on the high seas, but thanks to generous monarchs like Elizabeth I, they were called <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/fun/pirate-lore/kinds-of-pirates/#privateers" target="_blank"><i>privateers</i></a>. In other words, they had legal permission to go a-pirating.<br />
<br />
A privateer had to abide by strict rules. Otherwise, it would look like the British Crown approved of murder and torture, and that was bad publicity. Instead, the Queen--and anyone else who issued privateers their <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/fun/pirate-lore/kinds-of-pirates/#privateers" target="_blank"><i>letters of marque</i></a>--insisted their privateers act like gentlemen.<br />
<br />
But according to Captain Charles Johnson, who wrote a book called <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/fun/pirate-lore/more-pirate-lore/#Johnson" target="_blank"><i>A General History of the Robberies and Murders</i> <i>of the Most Notorious Pirates</i></a> in 1724, many true pirates also wrote up a list of rules, known as their code. For instance, Captain Black Bart Roberts's code looked like this:<br />
<ol>
<li>Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.</li>
<li>Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.</li>
<li>None shall game for money either with dice or cards.</li>
<li>The lights and candles should be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.</li>
<li>Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.</li>
<li>No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death.</li>
<li>He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.</li>
<li>None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner. At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draw the first blood shall be declared the victor.</li>
</ol>
Note that the punishment for disobeying the Code was harsh--slit ears, death, or marooning, which means being put ashore on any given island and left to fend for yourself. The Code seemed to be mostly a way for captains to keep order aboard ship than a code of honor, but it served its purpose. And, as Captain Barbossa so astutely points out above, you had to be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply.<br />
<br />
<br />
Love pirate stuff? Check out the website's <a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/fun/pirate-lore/" target="_blank">new Pirate Lore page</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">clip above from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miuoza1nals" target="_blank"><i>The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</i></a></span>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-17599832831342457092015-05-25T06:00:00.000-05:002015-05-25T06:00:02.385-05:00Launch Party Deets Are In!<b><span style="font-size: large;">You Are Invited!</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj4y8l0zCUEeNuNuDv4D2qnsqLp3cEuUJc3B9A9KZC9ETAaNiMYnIvQEyi8PSKKVrGrtTfAVLXV2KPJcoo0x98Fpt7CmOvxZddxlBOMj97p8wsXXNfmWNmn4VZPCXNgdQic7vE0UCMug/s1600/Sail+only.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj4y8l0zCUEeNuNuDv4D2qnsqLp3cEuUJc3B9A9KZC9ETAaNiMYnIvQEyi8PSKKVrGrtTfAVLXV2KPJcoo0x98Fpt7CmOvxZddxlBOMj97p8wsXXNfmWNmn4VZPCXNgdQic7vE0UCMug/s1600/Sail+only.png" height="248" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ahoy, maties! Come one, come all to a swashbuckling launch party to celebrate the publication of <b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">The Wand & the Sea</span>. </i></b>This is a FREE, PUBLIC event for anyone who loves pirates, fantasy stories, chocolate doubloons, and/or (of course) <i>The Key & the Flame.</i> 'Cause it's a sequel. You know.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clairecaterer.com/books/the-wand-the-sea/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about <i>The Wand & the Sea </i>here. </span></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHAT IT IS:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a <b>free</b>, superfun, pirate-themed party, featuring:</div>
<ul style="text-align: center;">
<li>pirate-themed food & drink for all</li>
<li>giveaways</li>
<li>arts & crafts </li>
<li>party favors</li>
<li>brand-new hardcover editions of <span style="color: #351c75;"><b><i>The Wand & the Sea</i></b></span> for purchase & signing</li>
<li>brand-new paperback editions of <i>The Key & the Flame</i></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHERE IT IS:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lackman Library</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
15345 W. 87th Street Parkway</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lenexa, KS 66219</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(913) 826-4600<b><i></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHEN IT IS:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
June 25, 2015 | 6:00-7:30 pm</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHAT TO DO:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
no reservation or purchase necessary to attend,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>BUT!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Books do run out</b> (at least, they did at the last party), so <b>please reserve your copy!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Contact our authorized bookseller to reserve:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mysteryscape Books</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(913) 649-0000</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or email them at <a href="mailto:orders@mysteryscape.com" target="_blank">orders@mysteryscape.com</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>See you there! </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i> </i> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-54671905018494669742015-05-11T06:00:00.000-05:002015-08-06T20:52:15.310-05:00May Giveaway & More Great ReadsApologies, blogfrogs, since I could've given these away last month. But as long as you're getting free stuff, who can complain? Here are my latest middle-grade recs from the wealth of great material on my TBR list:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu_fL4YC8llb1wCqlzKI_uDXfOxdqkkl25EkBYX2bXlEAtcZYlFJFsMcaeU5bLtWg4rVBX4ZZsLjcK1LtvT_0nzhYUagl6dPhOfjT2xBbUZdP1VPNFwHg1YtFgbBTVSZjsY7k9F0lMQQ/s1600/hortens+miraculous+mechanisms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu_fL4YC8llb1wCqlzKI_uDXfOxdqkkl25EkBYX2bXlEAtcZYlFJFsMcaeU5bLtWg4rVBX4ZZsLjcK1LtvT_0nzhYUagl6dPhOfjT2xBbUZdP1VPNFwHg1YtFgbBTVSZjsY7k9F0lMQQ/s1600/hortens+miraculous+mechanisms.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<b>title & author:</b> <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12711152-horten-s-miraculous-mechanisms" target="_blank">Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery, and a Very Strange Adventure</a> </i>by Lissa Evans<br />
<b>pub info: </b>Sterling Children's Books, 2012; 272 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> middle grade (8+)<br />
<b>genre: </b>real-world magic & mystery<br />
<b>caveats:</b> none<br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"></span><br />
<div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763">As if being small for his age and also having S. Horten as his name isn't bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends. But on his very first day in his new home, Stuart's swept up in an extraordinary adventure: the quest to find his great-uncle Tony--a famous magician who literally disappeared off the face of the earth--and Tony's marvelous, long-lost workshop. Along the way, Stuart reluctantly accepts help from the annoying triplets next door… and encounters trouble from another magician who's also desperate to get hold of Tony's treasures.</span></div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"> </span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"></span><br />
<div>
<b>my thoughts:</b></div>
<div>
I'm hardly going to dislike a book featuring a smart, spunky narrator who, while exploring his new village in England, discovers that his family bears a remarkable secret. I kind of love stories about magicians, and the possibility that they're holding out on us--they <i>know</i> magic really <i>does</i> exist, and yet they're selling us this bill of goods about <i>illusions.</i> Stuart is a likeable character, as is his eventual helpmate, next-door neighbor April. My only complaint is that the book is deceptively short. It looks long, but the chapters are short and the print is large, and suddenly, just as the adventure seems to be taking off in a new direction, the reader stares woefully at the words THE END. However, more is to come in the next installment, so don't despair. Kids who love adventure will enjoy the marvelous writing and story, and they'll continue to nurture the wild hope that even in the most boring of lives, a bit of magic may lurk.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>find Lissa:</b></div>
<div>
Lissa has written several books, both for adults and children. The next one in the Stuart Horten series is <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13584622-horten-s-incredible-illusions" target="_blank"><i>Horten's Incredible Illusions: Magic, Mystery, and Another Very Strange Adventure</i> </a>(Sterling, 2012). While I'm anxious to get my hands on that one, I'm equally intrigued with Evans's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19546111-crooked-heart" target="_blank"><i>Crooked Heart</i></a>, a novel for adults about a boy and a woman who team up in a wartime scheme to profit from the London Blitz (I know--wha???). Connect with Lissa via her <a href="https://twitter.com/lissakevans" target="_blank">Twitter account her</a>e.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hScMGp1swk1OT2_nOig8Bpea9DDFGD1I-wusdIgNZlZ_omkQDHQ4FQ6blq5w3j7xO_Uw5PJtkRP89lbnoK_hqmeqVi3lzEsVgqTJvjURzGCHFQNpHa0_oMT45dlNGd_9tUlBR7oi_LE/s1600/Iron+Hearted+Violet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hScMGp1swk1OT2_nOig8Bpea9DDFGD1I-wusdIgNZlZ_omkQDHQ4FQ6blq5w3j7xO_Uw5PJtkRP89lbnoK_hqmeqVi3lzEsVgqTJvjURzGCHFQNpHa0_oMT45dlNGd_9tUlBR7oi_LE/s1600/Iron+Hearted+Violet.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div>
<b>title & author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455485-iron-hearted-violet?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Iron Hearted Violet</i> </a>by Kelly Barnhill; illus. by Iacopo Bruno</div>
<div>
<b>pub info: </b>Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012; 424 pp</div>
<div>
<b>audience:</b> middle grade (9+)<b> </b></div>
<div>
<b>genre: </b> fantasy</div>
<div>
<b>caveats:</b> none</div>
<div>
<b>Goodreads summary:</b></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"></span><br />
<div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"><span id="freeText10636920003467718737">Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. A <i>forbidden </i>book<i>.</i> It tells a story of an evil being—called the Nybbas—imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true<i>—not really. </i>But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon, may hold the key to the Nybbas’s triumph . . . or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules.</span></span></div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"> </span><span id="freeText1043691063191414763"></span><br />
<div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"><span id="freeText10636920003467718737"></span></span></div>
<br />
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"></span><br />
<div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"><span id="freeText10636920003467718737"><i>Iron Hearted Violet </i>is a story of a princess unlike any other. It is a story of the last dragon in existence, deathly afraid of its own reflection. Above all, it is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom.</span><b> </b></span></div>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"> </span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText1043691063191414763"></span><br />
<div>
<b>my thoughts:</b></div>
<div>
Kelly Barnhill is the marvelous author of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9464855-the-mostly-true-story-of-jack" target="_blank"><i>The Mostly True Story of Jack</i></a>, which was one of my favorite books of 201<i>1</i>. In <i>Violet</i>, she brings her spot-on narrative voice to the story of a girl who's not just plain--come on, she's ugly, and everyone knows it. Haunted by the idea that she is not a <i>real</i> princess, Violet pushes the boundaries at every turn and winds up charged with saving her world through a series of events partly of her own making. The character of Violet is so beautifully rendered that the fantasy aspect pales beside her, though the world is stunning and well constructed. If the story went on a little long, I wasn't sorry, to be honest. Gorgeous.<b> </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>find Kelly:</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.kellybarnhill.com/" target="_blank">Kelly's website is here</a>, and you can also find her on <a href="https://twitter.com/kellybarnhill" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Her latest novel for middle-grade readers is <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20312461-the-witch-s-boy" target="_blank"><i>The Witch's Boy</i> </a>(Algonquin, 2014).<br />
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOcnPjko9U5rYFGAEjouLt9tdC90t2j9npWR8gvgwY5JvKi7TP19nWxbMrzkkzyBNJ1zVvTNvQFuzZrsevBXVS6Nir3KCLhILvIytdXshjmmu04vp4iewYkY20yMocWhbPMfm_PIqwIQ/s1600/splendors+&+glooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOcnPjko9U5rYFGAEjouLt9tdC90t2j9npWR8gvgwY5JvKi7TP19nWxbMrzkkzyBNJ1zVvTNvQFuzZrsevBXVS6Nir3KCLhILvIytdXshjmmu04vp4iewYkY20yMocWhbPMfm_PIqwIQ/s200/splendors+&+glooms.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
<b>title & author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531021-splendors-and-glooms?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"><i>Splendors & Glooms</i></a> by Laura Amy Schlitz</div>
<div>
<b>pub info: </b>Candlewick Press, 2012; 384 pp</div>
<div>
<b>audience:</b> middle grade (10+)<b> </b></div>
<div>
<b>genre: </b> historical fantasy / supernatural</div>
<div>
<b>caveats:</b> better for strong readers (see below)</div>
<div>
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText952003135228712416">The master puppeteer
Gaspare Grisini is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that
they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor,
is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her
birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and
makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two
orphaned assistants.</span><br />
<span id="freeText952003135228712416"><br />Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the
Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring
parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by
grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of
kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose
and Parsefall. </span><br />
<span id="freeText952003135228712416"><br />As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts,
Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil
intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set
by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed
before it’s too late.</span><b> </b></blockquote>
<b>my thoughts:</b><br />
This is a marvelous, gothic novel that takes place in 1860s London (and environs). The period detail places the reader right there, from Parsefall's Cockney slang to the costumes and mores of the time. The story is pretty creepy, which I love, and the characters endearing. I wouldn't call it a dense novel, exactly, but it would be a challenge for the reluctant reader trying to juggle a different time period as well as a sophisticated plot. Nothing too horrific for an 8-year-old, but better suited to the older set. Laura Amy Schlitz is a fantastic writer who won the Newbery Medal in 2008 for <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/607931.Good_Masters_Sweet_Ladies_" target="_blank">Good Masters, Sweet Ladies!</a> </i>This book won a well-deserved Newbery Honor.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>find Laura:</b><br />
Laura Amy Schlitz doesn't maintain much of an online presence, but you can visit her <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/70422/laura-amy-schlitz" target="_blank">Penguin Random House page here</a>. Candlewick Press maintains an <a href="http://www.candlewick.com/authill.asp?b=Author&m=bio&id=4844&pix=y" target="_blank">author bio page here</a>.</div>
</div>
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
</span></b></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY ...</span></b></span></h2>
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e91ae63238" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e91ae63238/" id="rcwidget_gdgongzw" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-18012355602009718772015-04-13T06:00:00.000-05:002015-04-13T18:11:35.122-05:00Reading Update and a GIveaway!Since I eschewed apologies at the start of 2015, I have nothing to say in the way of <i>Sorry I've been gone.</i> But, you know ... sorry I've been gone.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've made terrific headway this year on my TBR list, not to mention doing some writing, which is kind of my job, so, good on me. But now that I've read a few fabulous books, I'm ready to pass them on to you in the form of brand-new, Amazon-minted copies. Here are my recs:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6Rrqg96JonuUM65pRQj4HSaxC4yThYwZ4ECOTmqVriRwCpKTsqJQb9-m0c-KlWwzEIta5QFDQzyEtqp0O9fttzML2VEEOy7fWJkW6R-rT6-JsG9YTx5G961kKviZeNbvUPOpv6XOD7U/s1600/forbidden+stone+the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6Rrqg96JonuUM65pRQj4HSaxC4yThYwZ4ECOTmqVriRwCpKTsqJQb9-m0c-KlWwzEIta5QFDQzyEtqp0O9fttzML2VEEOy7fWJkW6R-rT6-JsG9YTx5G961kKviZeNbvUPOpv6XOD7U/s1600/forbidden+stone+the.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></div>
<b>title & author: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18085469-the-forbidden-stone?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>The Forbidden Stone </i></a>(Book 1 in the Copernicus Legacy Series) by Tony Abbott<br />
<b>pub info: </b>Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins, 2014; 423 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> middle grade (ages 9+)<br />
<b>genre:</b> spy / thriller /bit o' magic<br />
<b>caveats</b>: well, you know, thriller--people do chase each other and get hurt, but nothing major; there's murder, but offstage<br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037">It all began when four friends--Wade, Lily, Darrel, and Becca--received a strange, coded email from Wade's uncle Henry shortly before the old man's sudden death. They set off for Germany to attend the funeral with Wade's father, Roald, and discover that Uncle Henry left them yet another baffling message that they suspect is the key to figuring out how and why he died.<br />
<br />
The message leads to a clue, and the more clues they discover, the farther they travel down a treacherous path toward an ancient, guarded secret. Soon they are in a breathless race across the globe, running for their lives as a dangerous shadow organization chases them around every corner. Their only hope of saving themselves--and the world that they know--is to find twelve magical relics from a hidden past that will unlock the Copernicus Legacy.</span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><b>my thoughts:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037">Readers who love a fast-moving, international adventure sprinkled with bits of magic and a hint of time travel will love this new series by Tony Abbott. It's a little bit Dan Brown (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/968.The_Da_Vinci_Code?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>The Da Vinci Code</i></a>) without all the churchy bits, and there's a definite Rick Riordan flavor as well. The characters are fun, the pages speed by, and I am all set to read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20587574-the-serpent-s-curse?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>The Serpent's Curse</i></a>, the next in the series (which I bought only moments after closing the cover of Book #1). Of course, the bummer is that there are only two books out so far, though the third (in a series of six) is due out this August.<b> </b>To make things a bit more confusing, there will also be six Copernicus "archives" (paperback originals), which take place in between the six main novels. I know, it's complicated. The first takes place immediately after the action closes in <i>The Forbidden Stone</i>, and it's called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Copernicus-Archives-Wade-Scorpions/dp/0062314726/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">Wade and the Scorpion's Claw</a>.</i> Now, can you still understand what all is going on if you read only the "main" novels? Maybe. I'm not sure on that one, but my Book #2 seems to explain things just fine. (Note: The "archives" sell for only $3.99 each, but they're not short. <i>Scorpion's Claw</i> is 224 pages.)</span><br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><br />
</span> <span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><b>find Tony:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037">Tony Abbott, the author of 100+ books and not to be confused with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott" target="_blank">this PM of Australia</a>, has <a href="http://www.tonyabbottbooks.com/" target="_blank">a nifty website here</a>. His books include the popular series <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/52599-the-secrets-of-droon" target="_blank"><i>The Secrets of Droon</i></a> as well as <i>loads</i> of others. He also keeps <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TonyAbbottBooks" target="_blank">Facebook </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyAbbottBooks" target="_blank">Twitter </a>accounts. <i>The Copernicus Legacy</i> series has <a href="http://www.thecopernicuslegacy.com/" target="_blank">its own website here</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc4PWSAe6IMXf4agfq6k_yOEQ1gJS-Dc6BvXTJzRAHv8IgiUOOO0oPbOPecL_Zhg8oVshO3pvdOFhl_sPVTL3il9NR2Gyn5jZKr-BuxmUpqvjnB5V06BjDAVunGgdjbMFfzgQMO8wW0A/s1600/rain+reign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc4PWSAe6IMXf4agfq6k_yOEQ1gJS-Dc6BvXTJzRAHv8IgiUOOO0oPbOPecL_Zhg8oVshO3pvdOFhl_sPVTL3il9NR2Gyn5jZKr-BuxmUpqvjnB5V06BjDAVunGgdjbMFfzgQMO8wW0A/s1600/rain+reign.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>title & author: </b><i>Rain Reign </i>by Ann M. Martin<br />
<b>pub info: </b>Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan, 2014; 226 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> middle grade (ages 9+)<br />
<b>genre:</b> contemporary fiction<br />
<b>caveats</b>: none<br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><b> Goodreads summary:</b></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><span id="freeText4790610383986639560">Rose Howard has Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter.<br />
<br />
Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. </span></span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><span id="freeText4790610383986639560"><b>my thoughts:</b></span></span><br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><span id="freeText4790610383986639560">My thoughts are, READ THIS BOOK. The Goodreads summary doesn't begin to do it justice. Yes, Rose has Asperger's (high-functioning autism), but this isn't a book about autism; it's a book about a girl forced to make some tough choices. She struggles in her classroom, with making friends, and with her father, who doesn't always know what to do with her. But through it all, Rose has her dog, Rain. The beauty of their relationship--and how Rose grows in love and maturity with Rain--is absolutely breathtaking. A beautiful book that won several awards this past year.<b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><span id="freeText4790610383986639560"><b>find Ann:</b></span></span><br />
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><span id="freeText4790610383986639560">Ann M. Martin has written several books, including the acclaimed series <i>The Babysitter's Club.</i> You can learn more about her and her work on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnnMMartinAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AuthorAnnMartin" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>, and the <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/" target="_blank">Scholastic Books' site</a>. </span></span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>And now for the giveaway ...</b></span></h2>
<span id="freeText13132524596599773037"><span id="freeText4790610383986639560">So, two fantastic middle-grade reads! Want one? Tell me your favorite and enter to win!</span></span><br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e91ae63237" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e91ae63237/" id="rcwidget_0qgj8kt3" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCETlgOFsdBxIz0xMW2e4_5YJhn_gHspeBFXXV1qOKn-IdrTxghagTNrr6jhlJD6X077IUhbamgKmdg8XKp-yzVw1KnCvQWq54Fub6S2gENP6-RFeZui94p5vEBnezqb6wYL5p2btWoA/s1600/MMGM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCETlgOFsdBxIz0xMW2e4_5YJhn_gHspeBFXXV1qOKn-IdrTxghagTNrr6jhlJD6X077IUhbamgKmdg8XKp-yzVw1KnCvQWq54Fub6S2gENP6-RFeZui94p5vEBnezqb6wYL5p2btWoA/s1600/MMGM2.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>And don't forget to check out more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts <a href="http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/2015/04/mmgm-links-41315.html" target="_blank">at Shannon Messenger's blog</a>!<br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-16779822789818344502015-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:002015-02-09T13:10:12.082-06:00January Reads & Giveaway!Welcome to February! I have to say that my 2015 got off to a roaring reading start with some wonderful young adult and middle-grade titles. Here's the ones I'd recommend to all of you. Scroll down to the bottom to enter a giveaway for any of the above, and I'll send the winner a brand-new copy of his/her favorite. (Hey, the sun is shining and I'm counting the days till spring. I'm feeling generous today. Take advantage.)<br />
<br />
<b>YOUNG ADULT</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxiZd05OVoBbeq5_sYXsOJEffATBwDc_6jxuA6owlDBD5i0RahR-LXrfENQhPeBh-L-twiAe7WohxreLVQcJtf8y3MViJJmAqd327MSC1soyqRyuB_M-mdFvTvbHMG9U9_7YJckmNkRk/s1600/RUSH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxiZd05OVoBbeq5_sYXsOJEffATBwDc_6jxuA6owlDBD5i0RahR-LXrfENQhPeBh-L-twiAe7WohxreLVQcJtf8y3MViJJmAqd327MSC1soyqRyuB_M-mdFvTvbHMG9U9_7YJckmNkRk/s1600/RUSH.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<b>title & author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13571953-rush" target="_blank"><i>RUSH</i></a></b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13571953-rush" target="_blank"><i> </i></a>by Eve Silver<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins, 2013; 361 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> 12+ / YA<br />
<b>genre:</b> science fiction<br />
<b>caveats: </b>no sex, but the story is violent, and there is one teen death in this book, which the author handles very sensitively. <br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText4187990523605735605">When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game — her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. <br />
<br />
In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.</span><b> </b></blockquote>
<b>my thoughts:</b><br />
A smart, well-paced sci-fi story with well-drawn characters. I like Miki especially; both her family life and her game life are complex. The writing is not flowery, but good and solid. It's an interesting story concept, especially as Miki begins to question her role and the nature of reality. There's nothing too heavy here, though, and the novel zips right along. For those who like a nice romance, the elusive Jackson Tate provides a good bit of intrigue. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>CAUTION:</b></span> This book doesn't so much end as stop. It's the first of a three-part series (known as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/89854-the-game" target="_blank">the Game</a>), and if you want the rest of the story, you'll need to go on to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17667947-push" target="_blank"><i>PUSH</i></a> (2014) and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17667952-crash" target="_blank"><i>CRASH </i></a>(due out in June). <br />
<br />
<b>find Eve:</b><br />
Learn more about award-winning and best-selling author Eve Silver at <a href="http://www.evesilver.net/" target="_blank">her website</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Eve_Silver" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/evesilverbooks" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYRDVqdc_0O1WnhCBi-r_5kHr6Dki9Y5knbBO0IVMFyUGBUFtgnF4u3XKKzwED6H0mHReL1QGPPbIOjCN21l0q8ZSgvSXCLC62x6bvfdwisoiIeQ7vMiTrI0yZq8fGFHkvuGv7PBjYVU/s1600/graceling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYRDVqdc_0O1WnhCBi-r_5kHr6Dki9Y5knbBO0IVMFyUGBUFtgnF4u3XKKzwED6H0mHReL1QGPPbIOjCN21l0q8ZSgvSXCLC62x6bvfdwisoiIeQ7vMiTrI0yZq8fGFHkvuGv7PBjYVU/s1600/graceling.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<b>title & author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3236307-graceling?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Graceling </i></a></b>by Kristin Cashore<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Harcourt, 2008; 471 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> 12+ / YA<br />
<b>genre:</b> fantasy<br />
<b>caveats:</b> a pretty bloody book--not all that graphic, but there's a lot of killing; some sex, but more implied than described <br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText3054422983586843170">Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.<br />
<br />
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. <br />
<br />
She never expects to become Po's friend.<br />
<br />
She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away.</span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText3054422983586843170"><b>my thoughts:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText3054422983586843170">If you've read a lot of tough-heroine-plus-romance YA--e.g., <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Hunger Games </i></a>and its many copycats--<i>Graceling</i> will seem a bit old hat. But remember that it was published in 2008, so it came at the beginning of this wave. Katsa is a marvelous character--interesting, sympathetic, a bit of an oddball. I love her. The romance? Eh. It will thrill those who love that stuff, but it's not my bag. Despite its length, I raced through this book because the writing is tight and marvelous, much more seasoned than you'd expect from a debut. Cashore does a wonderful job of creating her complex world, and I was immediately immersed in it. The ending was a bit abrupt, but all in all, a great read. There are two more books <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/57592-graceling-realm" target="_blank">in the series</a>, but they're more companion novels than sequels; <i>Graceling</i> is a complete story, and I don't think Katsa appears in the other two books, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6137154-fire" target="_blank"><i>Fire</i> </a>(Dial, 2009) and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680907-bitterblue" target="_blank"><i>Bitterblue </i></a>(2012).</span><br />
<span id="freeText3054422983586843170"><br />
</span> <span id="freeText3054422983586843170"><b>find Kristin:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText3054422983586843170">Kristin <a href="http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogs regularly here</a>. Learn more about her through <a href="http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2008/02/frequently-asked-questions.html" target="_blank">her FAQ page</a>, and find out where she's appearing next <a href="http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-appearance-schedule.html" target="_blank">right here</a>.</span><br />
<span id="freeText3054422983586843170"><br />
</span> <span id="freeText3054422983586843170"><b>MIDDLE GRADE</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gGXsGIh85ycWGc7BFzrcAZ12FGPQjmkuwV6Vv0p3ym45_KcLSGgmXaWqhvRjwObfjoKAcidW6fBRhWWYp9gSL98iWC_SRtsOzUG5BeAMXZhBQWJeNox_Dvsthy5Wdttgc8vb05gO6o4/s1600/tangle+of+knots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gGXsGIh85ycWGc7BFzrcAZ12FGPQjmkuwV6Vv0p3ym45_KcLSGgmXaWqhvRjwObfjoKAcidW6fBRhWWYp9gSL98iWC_SRtsOzUG5BeAMXZhBQWJeNox_Dvsthy5Wdttgc8vb05gO6o4/s1600/tangle+of+knots.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<b>title & author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15780279-a-tangle-of-knots?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>A Tangle of Knots</i></a> </b>by Lisa Graff<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Philomel / Penguin, 2013; 240 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> 9+ / MG<br />
<b>genre:</b> real-world fantasy<br />
<b>caveats:</b> none <br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText13118599834004182514">Told in multiple viewpoints, <i>A Tangle of Knots</i> is a magnificent puzzle. In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born. And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever. However, these encounters hold the key to Cady's past and how she became an orphan. If she's lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent. <br />
<br />
Lisa Graff adds a pinch of magic to a sharply crafted plot to create a novel that will have readers wondering about fate and the way we're all connected.</span><b> </b></blockquote>
<b>my thoughts:</b><br />
I adored this book. The writing is beautiful without being difficult. The characters' interconnected lives<b> </b>are like one of Cady's elaborate layered cakes. While this is a world where (almost) everyone has a magical Talent, it's very much our own real world as well--children are ornery, parents disappoint, friends are made and betrayed. My only caution to readers is not to let the book sit. There's a lot going on, and if you return to the novel after leaving it alone for a few days, you'll find yourself flipping back through the chapters to maintain the thread of the different viewpoints. Do yourself a favor and just lose yourself in it for a while. You won't regret it. Shortlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2013.<br />
<br />
<b>find Lisa:</b><br />
Lisa's <a href="http://www.lisagraff.com/" target="_blank">website </a>will tell you all about her books and latest news. Look for her on <a href="http://twitter.com/lisagraff" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lisagraffauthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, too. Her most recent book, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18225037-absolutely-almost" target="_blank"><i>Absolutely Almost</i></a> (2014), earned multiple starred reviews, landed on several "Best of" lists, and is an ALA Notable Book.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k9fdG3CXTVXG1EM1tHqgqOcdgMQlPTJ_woUzzRKPrV8kqYW-10uCREFzYCxmOvkepgam-EbcIdZANxGCu-WwwXjDtr-RO7BMcBH-CNFfGdMOqdYKhWnOtMTy01ZBi6lxjW71aUEkYbE/s1600/arrival+the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k9fdG3CXTVXG1EM1tHqgqOcdgMQlPTJ_woUzzRKPrV8kqYW-10uCREFzYCxmOvkepgam-EbcIdZANxGCu-WwwXjDtr-RO7BMcBH-CNFfGdMOqdYKhWnOtMTy01ZBi6lxjW71aUEkYbE/s1600/arrival+the.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>title & author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/920607.The_Arrival?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Arrival</i> </a></b>by Shaun Tan<br />
<b>pub info:</b> Lothian Books, 2007; 128 pp<br />
<b>audience:</b> all ages<br />
<b>genre:</b> fantastical picture book/graphic<br />
<b>caveats:</b> none <br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText13506684348964655849">In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life--he's leaving home to build a better future for his family.<br />
<br />
Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can't communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character's isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy.</span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText13506684348964655849"><b>my thoughts:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText13506684348964655849">I'd been wanting this book for years, and when I finally saw it in the bookshop (while Christmas shopping for other people), I snapped it up. It is simply amazing. I've labeled it "for all ages," though it isn't a picture book for a toddler. It's a complex story of an immigrant man who leaves everything he knows to venture off into a new life. What he finds there is both familiar and fantastical. The story is told entirely through Tan's amazing illustrations--no text--but it is endearing and utterly captivating. I'm a words person, yes, but I wouldn't have added a single one to this beautiful book. It made me cry and laugh and "read" it--<i>absorb</i> it--again and again. <b>Everyone needs this book! </b>That means you.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText13506684348964655849"><b>find Shaun:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText13506684348964655849">Shaun's <a href="http://www.shauntan.net/" target="_blank">superfun website </a>can be found here (don't illustrators have the best sites?). He is the author of many graphic novels and picture books and even an Oscar-winning animated short (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1YG7ZXfC6g" target="_blank"><i>The Lost Thing</i></a>, 2011). <a href="http://thebirdking.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">His blog </a>is gorgeous, too.<b> </b> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span id="freeText13506684348964655849" style="font-size: large;">And now for the giveaway ... </span></b></span><br />
<span id="freeText13506684348964655849">Let me know which of these wonderful books YOU'D like to win! U.S. entries only, please.</span><br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e91ae63235" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e91ae63235/" id="rcwidget_tqvswjxg" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-39169037438462466102015-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:002015-02-09T12:59:43.764-06:00Weird Reading Goals for 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVpYKJOPcPneYPfXW-jq_EzBQlaUHYR2SXnxi26cnc17CFUdzQLikB814bF8HfIpZuXdzdprbvbFR5y7xLH4Dhq4oLB7-1EXD9Irjjo9V2az753h37xTbennHGiMfWLKV_7xHG_xB5M8/s1600/Bookshelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVpYKJOPcPneYPfXW-jq_EzBQlaUHYR2SXnxi26cnc17CFUdzQLikB814bF8HfIpZuXdzdprbvbFR5y7xLH4Dhq4oLB7-1EXD9Irjjo9V2az753h37xTbennHGiMfWLKV_7xHG_xB5M8/s1600/Bookshelf.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So last year,<a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-lofty-goal.html" target="_blank"> I set a goal </a>to read all the books on my shelf that I had purchased but not read.<br />
<br />
Also, a goal to blog each book that I read off that list.<br />
<br />
There were <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/716733-claire-caterer?shelf=tbr-2014&sort=rating" target="_blank">51 books on that list</a>. I managed to read 31 of them. <a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/search/label/2014%20TBR%20Shelf" target="_blank">I blogged 27</a>.<br />
<br />
All in all, I'm not unhappy with that. I mean, realize that I also read books for the three book clubs I belong to as well as those I impulsively snagged at the library, borrowed from friends, or bought and devoured on the spot. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/716733-claire-caterer?read_at=2014&view=covers" target="_blank">Grand total: 85 books</a>.) At least I did manage to blog the vast majority of the books on the list, and I made a real dent in my TBR shelf. Alas, more work remains. I now have a TBR 2015 shelf because, yes, I bought more books in 2014. It's a never-ending problem. (But a good one to have.)<br />
<br />
So, my total for the 2015 TBR Shelf--that's leftovers from 2014 plus additions for 2015--comes to 59 books. If that sounds like an impossible goal--won't the number just keep getting bigger and bigger every year?--remember that I will at least completely annihilate the 2014 list, which was built up over a number of years.<br />
<br />
Then again, how did I manage to add 39 books in a single year? Good lord, did I <i>buy 39 books</i>? Okay, some were gifts--14 of them. I bought 6 at authors' readings. The other 25 I guess I just snapped up at random.<br />
<br />
Why all this accounting? I'm just curious, I guess, as to how this pile of physical tomes (don't get me started on the e-books) got so very high. But as the blog is my witness, I will at least surpass last year's number.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>I WILL READ (OR ATTEMPT, THEN GIVE AWAY) ALL THE REMAINING 2014 TBR LIST BOOKS (TOTAL: 20).</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>I WILL ATTEMPT TO KNOCK OUT THE 2015 LIST, BUT FAILING THAT, I WILL READ AT LEAST 25 OF THEM.</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
If I manage to meet these goals, I will leave a maximum of 14 books unread. That's a net gain of 6 books over this year! See how it's working?<br />
<br />
And I'll blog every one.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVAd3OQ-mVW_ulpNJyNBcNKZNtPPk0suOYE1ogEok0eNlo_2FawmhtNH2MRN5U_6_kzmcJ_1J1quJjt2Fl2GL0xnohn0bPWlFD6y-tcKvR84ZkVuSrFsHdKIHSuvcjWjVc4to3cO9eOE/s1600/JLaw.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVAd3OQ-mVW_ulpNJyNBcNKZNtPPk0suOYE1ogEok0eNlo_2FawmhtNH2MRN5U_6_kzmcJ_1J1quJjt2Fl2GL0xnohn0bPWlFD6y-tcKvR84ZkVuSrFsHdKIHSuvcjWjVc4to3cO9eOE/s1600/JLaw.gif" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Ha ha ha! No, I won't. I'm not even setting a goal. I'll let you know which ones are worth your time, though. Promise.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">images: Bookshelf--By Stewart Butterfield (flickr), used by permission under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0" target="_blank">this Creative Commons license</a>, via Wikimedia Commons; GIF by www.giphy.com </span>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-17176733832311404712015-01-19T08:17:00.000-06:002015-01-19T10:59:05.786-06:00Cover Reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2pOdgQvEl3ZutRhnIClGUxzZXLU2YbiKenqcFq-2P3zsbNJIE0V-gT4c0s6vRRe9HowD9CuBm1ZBGk-jcLyWnnGsf0hYseIQgR0_I9kDnafFZzhMlxXBRB6e_QC-X1Y7nHlZfcfr65E/s1600/fireworks-celebration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2pOdgQvEl3ZutRhnIClGUxzZXLU2YbiKenqcFq-2P3zsbNJIE0V-gT4c0s6vRRe9HowD9CuBm1ZBGk-jcLyWnnGsf0hYseIQgR0_I9kDnafFZzhMlxXBRB6e_QC-X1Y7nHlZfcfr65E/s1600/fireworks-celebration.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Hey, blogfrogs: Surf on over to <a href="http://thebooksmugglers.com/2015/01/a-smugglerific-cover-giveaway-the-wand-the-sea-by-claire-m-caterer.html" target="_blank">The Book Smugglers blog</a> to see the cover reveal for <span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>The Wand & the Sea </i></b><span style="color: black;">today</span></span>! Better yet, you can win a signed ARC (advance reader's copy) of the book. So get your mouse moving.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-wg21Oi3N9T7edpc6RMLzu2yEYb_IZb0pdVLkgEobo8vbc81KQb8xBuan4WTfmuZb1GlWlCTWW-TCsttVYO1ZvJ6x_dDGYg2tpV1tc38f1v_evagJTdr_rcgn4utorEzvepe3USNwpM/s1600/MMGM_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-wg21Oi3N9T7edpc6RMLzu2yEYb_IZb0pdVLkgEobo8vbc81KQb8xBuan4WTfmuZb1GlWlCTWW-TCsttVYO1ZvJ6x_dDGYg2tpV1tc38f1v_evagJTdr_rcgn4utorEzvepe3USNwpM/s1600/MMGM_small.jpg" /></a>And while you're at it, head over to <a href="http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Shannon Messenger's blog</a> for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday fun!Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-64749149070711877992015-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:002015-02-09T12:50:48.669-06:00Blog Overhaul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfIQrjjiQvgMcjtNsmK5Gb3B5tEYf4M5Kuxvcf9mW7oK_mPneLmOe00mXPEZTF8EvMmUQj4Qui4I85-4AQ5FMvAJritmUNHQInEwpHwnQ0S-xTje1Tk_cIN89LfRtUtRo8NPxrJikA_g/s1600/typewriter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfIQrjjiQvgMcjtNsmK5Gb3B5tEYf4M5Kuxvcf9mW7oK_mPneLmOe00mXPEZTF8EvMmUQj4Qui4I85-4AQ5FMvAJritmUNHQInEwpHwnQ0S-xTje1Tk_cIN89LfRtUtRo8NPxrJikA_g/s1600/typewriter.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
Last year I blogged 104 times. That's about every four days, though not on a strictly consistent basis. Still, not bad.<br />
<br />
But here's what happens: I work, too. I research books, write books, rewrite books, go over copyedits and galleys, schedule appearances, put together presentations for schools and lit festivals and author events. I also do freelance editing for book publishers if I have some extra time. So the pressure of blogging all those books I read, or keeping up a blog series, or what have you, gets to be a distraction.<br />
<br />
I'm not kvetching about the job. I have a good job, and I love it. But it's always hard to see where blogging should fit in, especially considering that very few people (let's be honest) seek this blog out and read it.<br />
<br />
In 2015, I'm taking it easy. I'm not promising to blog every book I read. Instead, I'm going to try to do this:<br />
<ul>
<li>report on what's going on with me--news, events</li>
<li>post the occasional list of writerly links</li>
<li>call your attention to fabulous works of children's lit</li>
<li>host the occasional giveaway</li>
<li>keep you updated on all the fun to come re. the release of <span style="color: #351c75;"><i>The Wand & the Sea</i> </span></li>
</ul>
Hey, I know I'm not <a href="http://journal.neilgaiman.com/" target="_blank">Neil Gaiman</a>, who can get away with this kind of blogging and expect people to actually read it. But maybe this method is better suited to the life of a writer. I'd rather spend my time creating wonderful books.<br />
<br />
And, I imagine, you'd rather spend your time reading them, instead of this.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">image: "Hallwylska museet-3" by Pelle Sten--Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hallwylska_museet-3.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Hallwylska_museet-3.jpg" target="_blank">via Wikimedia Commons</a>. </span>Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-78944854062841043712014-12-17T14:35:00.000-06:002015-01-07T14:36:39.818-06:00Back to School, 50 Years LateMy first school visit of the 2014-15 school year was worth the wait! I returned to my home elementary school, Pawnee Elementary, on December 3. Pawnee and I were born the same year—1965—and we’ve both aged gracefully, if I say so myself. I was proud to help my school celebrate their 50th anniversary (the celebration is going on throughout this school year).<br />
<br />
I attended Pawnee in the 1970s for my second through sixth grades. Back then we had blacktop beneath the monkey bars (the safety warnings consisted of: <i>Don’t fall off</i>), tornado drills in the civil defense shelter, and open doors throughout the school day. Things are a little different now. The brand-new office is a high-security operation with cameras and a buzz-in system outside the locked front doors. The playground has new equipment and something soft to land on, as well as a fence around the whole area. Kids don’t walk home for lunch anymore. <br />
<br />
But in so many ways, it’s the same old Pawnee. The teachers care deeply about students. The kids laugh a lot. The library still has all the magic of storytime. The school secretary collects names of students who earn Panther Pride through their achievements; their names are read during the morning announcements. Some kids dream of making movies or studying dinosaurs. Some even dream of writing books and seeing those books in print on someone’s shelf. I can’t wait to see what they achieve. Go Panthers!<br />
<br />
To make the visit even more special, librarian Cheryl Roberts and art teacher Lorie Sjostrom had the kids do projects related to <i>The Key & the Flame</i>, and presented me with several gifts: <br />
<br />
<b>Lorie Sjostrom's castles:</b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1U43X0_84242lqgwDhUdHeeL2Kq5GNLf2p2YJawiQbEEe7tBOlqmpyPZPivfu0Jur-k3LuY0cT-AfRqDoy2Wf3m3IS0IGtDiTDaTAN5dsUu5mar5zDixG6k5c21nq5-raUiFn8a3Ogc/s1600/Pawnee1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1U43X0_84242lqgwDhUdHeeL2Kq5GNLf2p2YJawiQbEEe7tBOlqmpyPZPivfu0Jur-k3LuY0cT-AfRqDoy2Wf3m3IS0IGtDiTDaTAN5dsUu5mar5zDixG6k5c21nq5-raUiFn8a3Ogc/s1600/Pawnee1.JPG" height="320" width="245" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2h5NlwcfHmhm6gGeniGWjOcw785WhC0AOw4vwcff8JmLVGxVDKLcrTmQSPgwe1BYw1xDlwUo1iIC9kycdkxfpj3KNeF123tJFxqfFky_zOaCkxK6nnjJ_fFXu6TFgLm8aw5MBQOwVeg/s1600/Pawnee2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2h5NlwcfHmhm6gGeniGWjOcw785WhC0AOw4vwcff8JmLVGxVDKLcrTmQSPgwe1BYw1xDlwUo1iIC9kycdkxfpj3KNeF123tJFxqfFky_zOaCkxK6nnjJ_fFXu6TFgLm8aw5MBQOwVeg/s1600/Pawnee2.JPG" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Some of the student artwork displayed in the front-hall trophy case:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNGvmykbQnQRqCEyC7NkwuabgcsVyTZg5nnHslt7-_8IZp8tJ2zAbXX_4zltou8oIzg-kcEfP5ZpJcRGsK5ApVKGHJYQm_C0m-09HLLZiOhLud0J_2cd9jmkoULaWYuZ3xvLlik5GZYw/s1600/Pawnee_artwork.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNGvmykbQnQRqCEyC7NkwuabgcsVyTZg5nnHslt7-_8IZp8tJ2zAbXX_4zltou8oIzg-kcEfP5ZpJcRGsK5ApVKGHJYQm_C0m-09HLLZiOhLud0J_2cd9jmkoULaWYuZ3xvLlik5GZYw/s1600/Pawnee_artwork.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b> </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Pawnee pride and <i>Key & the Flame</i> pride!</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmnOYyPiKoUfQHBCUPbJX_dJHgqj_EN48BX2kakneaQEcUv8kV-Ko0IUEApk8yAp5ohP_ebb4LkAvcJ-LCc-Vq4sW0SFYfGyKnp8iWyGAqzw-ybTjWoNWvOZUgoJK2yUTuCUbE8sB4gM/s1600/Pawnee3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmnOYyPiKoUfQHBCUPbJX_dJHgqj_EN48BX2kakneaQEcUv8kV-Ko0IUEApk8yAp5ohP_ebb4LkAvcJ-LCc-Vq4sW0SFYfGyKnp8iWyGAqzw-ybTjWoNWvOZUgoJK2yUTuCUbE8sB4gM/s1600/Pawnee3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixANNW184k5tjQEJ23PNyYh2IWJZoaxdDRt8Zw9nC5Pjx4KTwg2YdEJVoOxo5KFNXuQjdQHKevP3Kboci-luR6lg3XOUMVQLitHuSz-O9r_M49iUOPlgT98ItoDBsiY0xddO5btMa1dtg/s1600/Pawnee4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixANNW184k5tjQEJ23PNyYh2IWJZoaxdDRt8Zw9nC5Pjx4KTwg2YdEJVoOxo5KFNXuQjdQHKevP3Kboci-luR6lg3XOUMVQLitHuSz-O9r_M49iUOPlgT98ItoDBsiY0xddO5btMa1dtg/s1600/Pawnee4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For more photos and a writeup about the presentation, <a href="http://www.smsd.org/news.aspx?id=2946" target="_blank">check out the news story at the district website</a>.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-80109357845176022832014-11-03T08:45:00.000-06:002014-11-03T08:57:23.712-06:00November GiveawayFor the last month almost all of my reading has been creepy! I sought out the best October scares for all ages and reviewed them on this blog. Now I'm giving away whichever one you'd like to win! Click on the titles of the books (and one film) below to read my reviews, then enter to win. To see all the reviews in one go, <a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/search/label/Scare%20of%20the%20Week" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaOTUYJwqJsFuBwSMmsWTok0tib-Ir2rY-sAjJjLT09yeV9J29dffWv_1gle65TqrGMac4JJgy9tK0sgMu1FnU4nvbYTwlpo6Xf4CNvUBBn_waY4IkSgesE4Xc9aHTVbaI3yok4HnIYk/s1600/wait+till+helen+comes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaOTUYJwqJsFuBwSMmsWTok0tib-Ir2rY-sAjJjLT09yeV9J29dffWv_1gle65TqrGMac4JJgy9tK0sgMu1FnU4nvbYTwlpo6Xf4CNvUBBn_waY4IkSgesE4Xc9aHTVbaI3yok4HnIYk/s1600/wait+till+helen+comes.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div><a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2014/10/scare-of-week-wait-till-helen-comes.html" target="_blank"><b>WAIT TILL HELEN COMES</b></a><br />
by Mary Downing Hahn<i> </i><br />
horror/ghost story ages 8+<br />
the ghost of a girl long dead lures children to their doom<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKR8BnV3J2vLochVA67mNA86U3pS9-ptXiA1Ofcghh49wluQ564bzZnXNtUDum-IQrb-MsRtw-5Z3i5LneAqzCUu99j8Sa8wYvoaYUNPE5iZecy_owti9DiGJWrcn5oSqcaP2AblAKGI/s1600/Scary+STories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKR8BnV3J2vLochVA67mNA86U3pS9-ptXiA1Ofcghh49wluQ564bzZnXNtUDum-IQrb-MsRtw-5Z3i5LneAqzCUu99j8Sa8wYvoaYUNPE5iZecy_owti9DiGJWrcn5oSqcaP2AblAKGI/s1600/Scary+STories.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></div><a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2014/10/scare-of-week-scary-stories-to-tell-in.html" target="_blank"><b>SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK</b></a><br />
by Alvin Schwartz<br />
horror/ghost stories<b> </b>ages 9+<br />
anthology of folk tales & urban legends guaranteed to chill<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwfpcHefQZnQQDDK730hNOkRIblf1RAgJpzVlhhLChBLZX8A1T0ZdMw_brZ5a8-d92dAhzRQk0GSNcpXVPzY76WbXfNB9AWd0tXn6RY8JfQLf5oOMDVSodQ5MhVGMn0FlAfXFOG1dA68/s1600/bird+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwfpcHefQZnQQDDK730hNOkRIblf1RAgJpzVlhhLChBLZX8A1T0ZdMw_brZ5a8-d92dAhzRQk0GSNcpXVPzY76WbXfNB9AWd0tXn6RY8JfQLf5oOMDVSodQ5MhVGMn0FlAfXFOG1dA68/s1600/bird+box.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2014/10/final-scare-bird-box-by-josh-malerman.html" target="_blank"><b>BIRD BOX</b></a><br />
by Josh Malerman<br />
horror/thriller<b> </b> ages 15+ (written for adults)<br />
an unseen horror is intent on taking down civilization<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVjN1c1xYu6j8gdCVoup3gg1hzqHrEyklP1eUd5Vhyphenhyphen7stJefZJYiG8_KFtRChiRt5SD_xzCOD9m9mUt3jQYiZhmgXDaxFhqGMgPdQXoiBtT8vh6M3IjiUAlevVKcSg5xPQYJNQ1a3MkQ/s1600/fright+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVjN1c1xYu6j8gdCVoup3gg1hzqHrEyklP1eUd5Vhyphenhyphen7stJefZJYiG8_KFtRChiRt5SD_xzCOD9m9mUt3jQYiZhmgXDaxFhqGMgPdQXoiBtT8vh6M3IjiUAlevVKcSg5xPQYJNQ1a3MkQ/s1600/fright+night.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div><a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/2014/10/scare-of-week-fright-night.html" target="_blank"><b>FRIGHT NIGHT</b></a><br />
a film directed by Craig Gillespie; screenplay by Marti Noxon<br />
horror/vampires rated R for language and bloody scares (but not heavy gore/sex)<br />
a handsome vampire moves in next door to a high school kid<br />
<br />
<b> </b> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">GIVEAWAY RULES:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. U.S. entrants only, please.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. Be sure to <b>note the book/film you want to win AND WHY</b>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. Giveaway prizes will be brand-new books/DVD delivered to you via Amazon.com. They will be paperback editions unless the book is still available only in hardcover (or choose a Kindle ebook edition of you wish).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. This giveaway ends <b>12:01 AM NOVEMBER 11</b>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. There's a new giveaway every month! <a href="http://clairecaterer.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=816ae09c2341538432ce2e3b4&id=e1dce76907" target="_blank"><b>CLICK HERE</b> </a>to receive a brief email every time a new giveaway is posted on the blog. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a id="rc-e91ae63233" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e91ae63233/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br />
<br />
Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-8134736751422280272014-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:002014-11-03T08:15:10.966-06:00Final Scare: BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoUl1hMHxQG0nOm5gg80td6__Ebz_j2h8CngWHNr0T818hpywUU06SvuINLy6R49JFKQBOD48SB8lk6UdZoP8H6rcU5VAj6FFQF5G8dNW6XUZJzy5hC-7HD41tHGX7iHFPi3AyfxlSPo/s1600/bird+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoUl1hMHxQG0nOm5gg80td6__Ebz_j2h8CngWHNr0T818hpywUU06SvuINLy6R49JFKQBOD48SB8lk6UdZoP8H6rcU5VAj6FFQF5G8dNW6XUZJzy5hC-7HD41tHGX7iHFPi3AyfxlSPo/s1600/bird+box.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18498558-bird-box?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>Bird Box</i></a><br />
<b>Author: </b>Josh Malerman<br />
<b>Pub info: </b>Ecco, 2014; 262 pp<br />
<b>Genre / Audience: </b>horror / suspense / written for adults<br />
<b>Caveats for Younger Readers:</b> Very tense with some after-the-fact gore (discovery of dead bodies and the like), but readers 15+ can hack it; no sex<br />
<br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<span class="elementTwo" id="freeText5957004913822631094">Most people ignored the outrageous reports on the news. But they became too frequent, they became too real. And soon, they began happening down the street. Then the Internet died. The television and radio went silent. The phones stopped ringing. And we couldn't look outside anymore. Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors. The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows. They are out there. She might let them in. The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall. Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them. Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything.</span><b></b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>status:</b> finished 10/29<br />
<br />
<b>My impressions:</b><br />
This book is pure Hitchcockian tension. It's all about what dangers might lurk around the next corner, the fear of the dark, the fear of the unknown. This superfast read keeps you on the edge of your seat the same way the films <i>Paranormal</i> and <i>Blair Witch Project</i> did. Somewhere out there lurk creatures who will drive you insane if you look at them; you will kill yourself and possibly others. They have cut you off from your neighbors, your community, your government.<b><i> </i></b>You cover your windows; you<b> </b>don't dare leave the house--until you must. <br />
<br />
Did this book give me nightmares? No, but it kept me very tense all the while I was reading it. Perfect for a dark and stormy night.<br />
<br />
<b>About Josh:</b><br />
Josh <span class="elementOne" id="freeTextContainerauthor7271073">is the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thehighstrung" target="_blank">The High Strung</a>. He lives in Ferndale, Michigan. <i>Bird Box</i> is his first novel. He has also written a Halloween thriller novella called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghastle-Yule-Kindle-Single-Malerman-ebook/dp/B00OYUDJQY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414977500&sr=8-1&keywords=ghastle+and+yule" target="_blank"><i>Ghastle and Yule</i>.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="elementOne" id="freeTextContainerauthor7271073"><b>Online:</b></span><br />
<span class="elementOne" id="freeTextContainerauthor7271073">You can find Josh on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thehighstrung" target="_blank">his band Facebook page</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/JoshMalerman" target="_blank">his Twitter feed</a>.<b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: red;">Need more scares? Every Friday in October I dished up a new one! <a href="http://clairecaterer.blogspot.com/search/label/Scare%20of%20the%20Week" target="_blank">Search for the tag Scare of the Week</a> to see them all. Stay tuned for the upcoming giveaway to win one of these spooky titles.</span></i></span><br />
<br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6916394335321850116.post-18778261207436618332014-10-29T06:00:00.000-05:002014-10-29T06:00:00.074-05:00BLOG TOUR STOP: Annie McMahon!Congratulations to Annie McMahon, author of the middle-grade contemporary novel <i>Adventure on Nemesis Mountain</i>! I'm honored to be a stop--almost the caboose!--on her blog tour. For a full schedule of stops, including giveaways, interviews, and more, <a href="http://anniemcmahon.blogspot.com/2014/10/adventure-on-nemesis-mountain-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">go to the blog schedule here.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EKSEBoD7Tz7pqX6oUHq0khDx7szDGVJdPgaf4WqigTYQdSjMGPU9aw-UBWDjUwvfU1pqsQIUYAiJjVjMclCPG4MiuI-he54dcyspfp740tMGw1_H9GiDJ75Y3O4stFpcWoI2SrSIMg4/s1600/Adventure+on+Nemesis+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EKSEBoD7Tz7pqX6oUHq0khDx7szDGVJdPgaf4WqigTYQdSjMGPU9aw-UBWDjUwvfU1pqsQIUYAiJjVjMclCPG4MiuI-he54dcyspfp740tMGw1_H9GiDJ75Y3O4stFpcWoI2SrSIMg4/s1600/Adventure+on+Nemesis+Mountain.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Title: <span id="goog_1517025473"></span></b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><i>Adventure on Nemesis Mountain<span id="goog_1517025474"></span></i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Annie McMahon<br />
<b>Pub info: </b>Amazon Digital Services, 2014; 65 pp; available in paperback and ebook formats<br />
<b>Genre / Audience:</b> contemporary MG (ages 8-12)<br />
<b>Caveats for Younger Readers:</b> none; easy reading, would be ideal for a reluctant reader<br />
<br />
<b>Goodreads summary:</b><br />
<span id="freeText10995444820060344197">Emilio would rather eat a slimy worm than miss the fifth grade field trip. Nemesis Mountain must be full of rare leaf specimens and bugs for his collection. Besides, he needs a break from the playground and Hans’s nonstop teasing. His excitement is squashed when he gets lost in the woods with his worst enemy. <br />
<br />
Alone in the forest, the two boys battle to survive the harsh wilderness, facing challenges that will change their lives forever.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText10995444820060344197"><b>My impressions:</b></span><br />
<i>Adventure on Nemesis Mountain</i> is a fun, engaging read. McMahon quickly establishes the roles of Emilio as victim and Hans as bully early on in the story. When the two boys get lost together on a school field trip, McMahon deftly brings them first closer together, then further apart, letting the reader see a gradual (but not linear) journey to greater understanding. The tension stays ratcheted up just enough to keep the pages turning fast.<br />
<br />
I'd have liked to have seen a bit more in this story. At 65 pages, it's pretty brief, and maybe more buildup at the beginning would fill it out. But as a fast-moving, easy-reading chapter book, young middle-grade readers will eat it up. The writing is straightforward, and there are some nice touches of humor and suspense, even if occasionally the dialogue doesn't quite ring true for kidspeak. Emilio's knowledge of nature coupled with Hans's courage and athleticism would make a fun pairing for a future book as well.<br />
<br />
<span id="freeText10995444820060344197"><b>About Annie:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText10995444820060344197"><b><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--></b></span><br />
<span id="freeText10995444820060344197"><b><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="371"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style> <![endif]--> </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGTB7bZdRMJJ78YPHlMjQ9X_hhyphenhyphen9HRWoM1alwQy1K7cMoh9oIS1oWHbW_aQFglCbQwPmfshyphenhyphen0NX5m8h_ltkNY8RlCe1v3U-qK1pu3PCx9pO3gD0va1WuHxx6ccDQbTmsRjSpHgpAN0ro/s1600/Mug+Shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGTB7bZdRMJJ78YPHlMjQ9X_hhyphenhyphen9HRWoM1alwQy1K7cMoh9oIS1oWHbW_aQFglCbQwPmfshyphenhyphen0NX5m8h_ltkNY8RlCe1v3U-qK1pu3PCx9pO3gD0va1WuHxx6ccDQbTmsRjSpHgpAN0ro/s1600/Mug+Shot.JPG" height="200" width="158" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->Annie McMahon is originally from Canada but now lives in New Jersey. She has a degree in computer programming, but her life took an unexpected turn and she ended up writing stories and articles instead of computer programs. Now she uses every spare minute to write children’s novels and to help other writers succeed. <br />
<br />
Her three children have been the inspiration behind many of her short stories, over forty in total. Her flash-fiction story, "Paradoxical Neighbor," has been published by Nelson Education in a book for 10th graders, <i>Nelson Literacy 10</i>. <br />
<br />
Annie has a certificate in copyediting, moderates a critique group for children's writers, and is the editor at UK Children's Publishing.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="371">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<br />
<b>Online:</b><br />
You can find Annie on <a href="http://twitter.com/anniemcmahon20">her Twitter page</a> and <a href="http://anniemcmahon.net/">blog</a>, where she regularly offers helpful tips for writers and readers. Currently, <i>Adventure on Nemesis Mountain</i> is available in paperback ($6.99) and ebook ($2.99) formats <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Nemesis-Mountain-Annie-McMahon-ebook/dp/B00MP2PF7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412173310&sr=8-1&keywords=annie+mcmahon">from Amazon at this link</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>AND ... A GIVEAWAY!</b></span></span><br />
Annie is generously offering several copies of her book in this Rafflecopter giveaway. Enter below and good luck! (Note: All entries will go to Annie's attention, not my own, so please direct any questions to her. Thanks!) <br />
<br />
<b></b><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/006c6ba00/" id="rc-006c6ba00" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />Claire Catererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11535622375893186547noreply@blogger.com4