Tag: words

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!