Tag: hooray

And so our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week comes to an end. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I picked 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ve posted one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. In case you missed any…My first post is here. My second post is here. My third post is here. My fourth post is here.

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Roald Dahl. Oh man, the BFG. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Henry and the Giant Peach. Matilda. This man has created them all. He is a wiz at crafting stories that are based in reality but have a hint of magic or a suggestion of fantasy. Just enough to set his books apart. Just enough so you fall in love with his words. Just enough that you don’t hesitate to believe.

And you better believe that I wanted to win the golden ticket so I could jump in the river of chocolate. I didn’t care if it meant a certain death. What a way to go. And he also turned the idea of the oft scary night time into a sweet thing by introducing an unlikely partnership between Sophie and the BFG (Big Friendly Giant). The scary giant that roams the night is actually replacing your nightmares with happy dreams. The dark contains nothing to be afraid of, and in fact, you should know that you can find friends in surprising places. Including within the pages of a book. His books. While teaching us about our new friends, Dahl tackles all sorts of family issues. This can sometimes lead to dark places, it’s that hint of the fantastic that takes the edge off the terrifying truths he’s telling. And never fear, the books are resolved with a satisfying and light touch. His works will be cherished for a long time to come.

ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Aidan Donnelley Rowley. I came across the loveliness that is Aidan via her blog. She writes about the insecurities that plague us all. She poses questions that jump start intense conversations. She pairs together simple words in a way that they wallop you over the head. You don’t even see the deep end coming until you’ve stepped off the ledge and are submerged by thoughts on life, love, babies, emotions, friendship, beginnings, celebrations, etc. Each post is crafted with care. Each post contains many revelations. Each post is organized into bite size thoughts. Each bite feeds the conversation and by the end of the post, your soul is exquisitely full.

You know it’s a special writer who can get me to read outside of my preferred YA category. Some people just know how to lay down words and shape paragraphs and twist your perception so that the end result is fresh and honest and raw. Aidan is one of those people. I can’t wait to see what happens in LIFE AFTER YES, which releases on May 18. Brace yourselves.

And so continues our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. My first post is here. My second post is here. My third post is here.

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Maureen Johnson. If you can say one thing about MJ, it’s that she is originally hysterical. All. The. Time. She has a blog, but it’s her Twitter account that has legions of fans. Everyone tries to outwit her, but MJ comes out on top every time by saying the thing you least expect, but yet is the cleverest thing no one else thought of. It’s not really all that surprising since she keeps us (her followers) in jars. In fact, it’s very likely that she actually IS Twitter.

Oh yeah, she writes books too. MJ’s books are just as humorous as her online presence, except they move on a more linear scale. Her characters are endearing and believable and the plot lines are just slightly off the wall enough to make you feel like you’re escaping the doldrums of your own life. Her books are consistently entertaining and frankly, that’s one of the main reasons why I read. I want to dart away from the dreariness of every day life and MJ’s books happily invite you to do so. If you haven’t already, I suggest you check them out.

ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Tawna Fenske. You may remember her from this post of mine. I know I know. Twice in one week. But I can’t help gushing. It’s because her Twitter and blog showcase her awesomely inappropriate and always, ALWAYS laugh out loud writing. I’m not one to ever write “lol” but sometimes Tawna’s writing makes me giggle so fiercely, that’s all I can type. For someone who is this liberal in telling about her own life, I cannot wait to see what she’s going to reveal about the characters in her stories.

From her tales of social awkwardness to scene writing to how she got a 3 book deal from Sourcebooks, I am addicted to her writing and, also, to her personal story. She’s the poster child of perserverence and maintaining a slapstick attitude about it. (I’m thinking the road ahead of me is going to be long, so I best take some cues from her). I don’ t know if she just attracts absurd situations or if her telling of the stories makes them more so, but I think she’s the perfect person to write romance. Because sometimes it’s not glamorous and I have a feeling Tawna’s going to tell it like it is. The first of her books is due out in August 2011, but you know what? The world has been deprived of her work for too long. Let’s unleash the beast!

And so continues our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. My first post is here. My second post is here.

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Ann M. Martin and Francine Pascal. Okay, so I cheated and picked two authors. It’s my blog, you can’t stop me. And besides, it’s better to have too much love than not enough, right? Both of these authors are from days gone by, but I have to pay tribute to them because they got me reading above my age level. My sister J was reading their books and I wanted to be like her. But pretty soon, it was the stories that captured my attention and I began to read for my own enjoyment instead of just because I was emulating J.

The heroines of Martin’s Babysitter’s Club (BSC) series started out as caricatures, but evolved into characters I loved to spend time with. They were smart and savvy and sassy and silly and serious and honest and helpful and alliteration is hard. I may not be a published author (yet), but it was because of people like Martin that I first entertained the idea of  putting my own words on paper. You have to appreciate that type of inspiration.

Pascal’s perfect size six twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield led more glamorous lives than those in the BSC — think Gossip Girl for the early 90’s. I think I stole these books right out of J’s room, but if she was reading it, that meant I had to be too. I had to know what it was like to be in high school, to be adored, to be in the middle of all kinds of drama. Those Wakefield twins really knew how to command attention and I happily gave them mine.

ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Stephanie Perkins. I came across Stephanie’s blog and twitter courtesy of Kiersten White. (Side note: I am loving how accessible all of these upcoming authors are.) I put a lot of stock in recommendations, especially if they come from people who have similar tastes in writing and reading as me. But also, when someone (Stephanie) gets consistent praise from every person who talks about her? That’s when I take notice. That’s when I turned to her blog.

Said blog is charming and sweet with a touch of funny on the side. Her words appear effortless even when she’s writing about how much freaking research she had to do for her novel. An effortless post about an effort-full effort? I’d like to write me one of those. (I’d also like you to say that 10x fast.) Did I mention she posts pictures of cute boys? She does and I fully support this. If she’s putting up those kinds of photos in her blog, it leads me to believe that her novel is going to include some a very adorable boy as well. I am ready to swoon, Stephanie! Bring on your book. Oh wait, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS doesn’t release until December 2010. That is really really really far away. I don’ t know if I’ll be able to handle the anticipation.

Hold my hand?

And so continues our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. My first post is here.

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins. She is the writer of at least ten books, of which I’ve read 8. My absolute favorite book of hers is THE HUNGER GAMES. I can barely explain my love for this book.  I’m not sure if it is because I read the book before the reviews or what. But I do know that I was blown away by the courage, resourcefulness and likability of Katniss Everdeen. I was charmed, encouraged and impressed by Peeta Mellark. And man oh man, I could not turn away from the plot. All I could do was keep turning the page.

It’s one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. To be able to recreate the awe, suspense, shock, and relief I felt. But since I can’t have that original experience again, I’ve turned to examining each chapter, each sentence, and each word to see if I could emulate the techniques of this master. The way she builds worlds and creates characters and and paces the story lines and draws the audience in so close, you feel like you’re running right along side Katniss instead of just reading about it. It’s genius.

Collins is the type of author I strive to be.

ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken. This is another person I first  heard about via the Twitter webs. And then I found her blog in which each post is titled “The One with……”. How can you not immediately like someone who loves the TV show Friends? Alex’s book debut comes when she is in her early twenties, meaning she wrote this book when she was still a teenager. That fact lends itself to (a) a round of applause and (b) irresistibly because that means she is writing about characters that are her own age. She doesn’t need to research the culture shifts and technology to do’s because she’s living them. It’s no ordinary teenager who is articulate and diligent and motivated enough to write a publishable book. I’m betting her age has given her book a unique perspective and I am psyched(!) to read it.

I’ve also learned from both Twitter and her blog that she is in the publishing business. There’s always something fascinating to me about an “insider” becoming a novelist. I’m not sure why, because, actually it makes a ton of sense. I guess it’s because there are a lot of types of people needed to make a publishing house successful and sometimes that doesn’t involve a huge imagination. But if my sources are correct, her book BRIGHTLY WOVEN (which releases on March 23! next week!) will be full of fantastic characters and spectacular scenarios and drama and romance and will be simply delightful. I can’t wait.

And so begins our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. (whew, blogging 5 days a week. go writing go!)

And without further ado, FAVORITE AUTHOR: J.K. Rowling. I came across the Harry Potter series right before the fourth book came out. My younger sister E had all the books and I devoured them. Literally, I opened up my jaw and swallowed. (My mom is so proud.) The complexity of the characters. The continuity of the story lines. The intrigue of a whole new world. The books were about magic, but they themselves were their own brand of magic. The books sucked me into them and spit me out 480 page later. I wouldn’t even remember turning the pages that’s how absorbed I was. THAT’S the sign of a good book.

I also secretly loved that it was socially acceptable to admit that I, as an adult, read and enjoyed these books that were originally just for kids. It was an amazing thing Rowling did – getting kids, tweens, teen, adults, elderly and everyone in between to read. She was true to her characters even when they went through the angsty, annoying teen years. She packed plots with action and tender moments and funny mishaps and scary scenes. She invented an entirely new world and opened the door to everyone.

It’s been a pleasure walking into the world of Harry Potter. Thank you for the invitation. And thank you for making fantasty a reality.

Time to switch gears to ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Kiersten White. I can’t remember if it was the egg (her blog) or the chicken (her Twitter) which I found first, but all I know is the humor of this woman is right up my alley. She is parts silly and parts serious, but all the time helpful. She blogs about her kids and writing tips and tricks and her path to publication and screenplays and wackiness and answers to the questions her readers ask and anything else that she fancies. Even when she’s sick, her lighthearted attitude is apparent and you just can’t help but adore her. You just want to scoop her up and put her in your pocket so she can dispense sarcastic comments on your own daily adventures. (And if her picture + caption are to be believed, this isn’t that far fetched of an idea.)

*Not a life-size picture. But almost.

I’m excited for her first book Paranormalcy (which will be released in September 2010. Mark your calendars!) because I’m a sucker for humor. I know her story of Evie will make me giggle, chuckle, and full on laugh out loud. But also, seeing how she writes about her children and her husband, I know this book will have touching moments that I won’t even see coming. They’ll catch me off guard and make me softly say “Oh.” And THAT’S what I’m waiting for.