Sit Down and Write

Sit Down and Write - Write-a-Thon

The Write-a-Thon starts tomorrow and I'm excited to participate in it.  I also go back to school tomorrow to get ready for students.  So officially summer is over for me and so is most of my free time but this week, my plans are to use my limited free time to write, write, write.

Here are my writing goals for the week:
1.  Write one page in my novel everyday this week.  The write-a-thon is 7 days so that means I need to write 7 pages.  An author I heard speak uses the goal of writing one page a day.  It is very doable for me.

2.  Catch up on my book reviews.  I have 4 books read and waiting for me to write about them.

So if I can accomplish writing 7 pages in my book and 4 book reviews this week then I will be happy.  I will probably have to cut down on my reading a bit.  Wish me luck.

Anyone can participate, not just writers of novels or stories, but bloggers too.  Michelle at The Story Inside Me blogspot says you can participate is you have book reviews or general blogging to catch up on. Writers of all types are welcome.  For details and to sign-up visit:
 The Story Inside Me

Ingalls Homestead

Laura Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota

Visiting Laura Ingalls Wilder's Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota was a dream come true for me.  I took my kids to the Homestead for the day on July 30th, 2012.  Pa Ingalls built their home and farm on the 160 acres allotted to him by the U.S. Government.  He needed to live there for 5 years and farm the land and then it would be his.  Laura's last 4 books beginning with By the Shores of Silver Lake were written about her life here in De Smet.  Silver Lake is within walking distance of the Homestead.

There is a lot to do here for old and young fans of the Little House book series.  When the Ingalls arrived here, there were no trees and so the cottonwoods on the homestead that stand today were planted by Pa over 100 years ago.  Here your family can enjoy a covered wagon ride, visit a one room school house similar to the one Laura taught at three miles up the road.  You can visit the church they attended next door.  Your children can make rope, a corn cob doll, go on a pony ride and pump water to drink and/or water the crops.  Here you can step inside a replica of their dugout, and shack as well as the house Pa eventually built the family and their barn.  Here is where they spent The Long Winter.

In the town of De Smet is the House that Pa built Ma when they moved to town and a short distance away is the cemetary where the whole family is buried (except Laura, Almonzo and Rose).  Laura's 1st child is buried there with her parents and sisters.  It is a short drive out of town and easy to find.









Laura and I are kindred spirits and have much in common besides our names.  We were both born in 67 (100 years apart), we are both teachers, writers and raised on a farm, lived in Minnesota, and have younger sisters.   When I graduated from college with my teaching degree my mom gave me a doll of Laura Ingalls.  I have visited three of her houses so far.  The one in Pepin, Wisconsin, Burr Oak, Iowa and now De Smet, South Dakota.  De Smet is a place you can stay the whole day and if you want rent a covered wagon and sleep in it for the night.  Who knew Literary places could be so much fun!  I highly recommend you spend the day here in De Smet with your family.

Here I am in a bonnet and dress in the Schoolhouse.  I have no idea how those girls can see in those bonnets.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Audio book review
Read by Christopher Evan Welch

"Your car goes where your eyes go." pg. 94  Advice from Enzo, a dog who narrates The Art of Racing in the Rain.   Enzo loves his human family and is especially loyal to his owner Denny who is a race car driver.  Occasionally Enzo, while narrating the history and stories of his life and his people family,  shares witticisms or advice on the importance things in life.  He uses race car driving as a metaphor for speeding or racing through the days and years of your life cycle.  Put your seat belt on and bark once to slow down or bark twice to go faster.

"How quickly a year passes, like a mouthful of food snatched from the maw of eternity." pg. 240  The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heartfelt story that will capture your heart and make you laugh out loud because of the thoughts of a dog.  If you are a dog owner you will recognize particular traits that Enzo exhibits that relate to your beloved pet and best friend.  Enzo's family goes through some very rough times, a death, a custody battle and the story may bring tears to your eyes but through it all they had a dog who loved and supported them unconditionally.  A dog is a friend when you need one, a shoulder to cry on, a pal to play ball with and is so happy when you come home.

"That which you manifest is before you." pg. 41  Enzo saw a TV show (he likes to watch TV when his people are gone) and believes that when a dog dies he will return in the next life as a human.  Enzo can't wait to be human. 

We listened to this audio book on our 500 mile long drive from Minot, ND to St. Paul, MN.  The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of the reasons we kept driving and made it home ahead of schedule because we just couldn't stop listening to Enzo and his story. There are some swear words and a little inappropriateness for younger kids but my 11 and 14 year old kids absolutely adored this book.  When it was finished and we were only 20 miles from home my daughter said, "This book is a 5 star read for me."  We were all crying and laughing and it was a wonderful moment that I will cherish forever and it's all because we love dogs and books.

Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking?  Woof!

Enter to Win: Anna Dressed in Blood

Enter to Win:  Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Kendare Blake is the August Author in the Spotlight here on Booksnob and she has graciously offered to give away a copy of Anna Dressed in Blood, the first book in the Anna trilogy to Booksnob followers.   This contest is open internationally!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Format:  Audio Book
Note:  This is the first audio book review I ever have written.

Going on a road trip and plan to drive over 2000 miles in 10 days with my kids so I decided to get a few audio books on CD for the trip.  Except that all the titles I wanted from the library were unfortunately already checked out and so I joined www.audible.com Being new to the audio book world I didn't know what to expect.  We chose Battle of the Labyrinth because the kids and I have read aloud together the first three books in The Lightning Thief series and I knew this would be a good fit for our family.

Listening started off well as we drove west toward South Dakota.  Jesse Bernstein narrates The Battle of the Labyrinth with a myriad of unique voices that match the characters personalities.   Percy Jackson captured both my kid's hearts long ago and he is the same adventurous teen with ADHD and Dyslexia who manages to get in trouble the first day he enters high school to register for 9th grade.  Two suspiciously beautiful cheerleaders (demons in disguise) try to kill him in the auditorium.  So begins the summer at Camp Half Blood when Annaliese, Tyson and Grover join Percy on a quest into the Labyrinth to find Pan and stop Luke and Kronos's army from invading.

My kids loved the entire audio book and kept asking to listen throughout the trip.  My mind kept wandering and so I missed huge sections of the story and then I would tell myself that I would read the chapter in our print copy but I never did.  I felt lost at times.  Not sure why I couldn't focus on the story.  Maybe it was because it was the first time listening to an audio book in a long time and my brain wasn't quite trained for the experience.  There was definitely an abundance of interesting characters and lots of crazy and hilarious action.  Maybe there were too many characters to focus on while making a long drive.  Who knows?  When the audio book ended, my kids immediately wanted to start the next book but I didn't.

Have you listened to any good audio books lately?

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake Contest Winner!

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake Contest Winner!

The publisher along with TLC tours has generously given away one copy of The Homecoming of Samuel Lake to a BookSnob follower.  I would like to Congratulate the winner:

Jill from Seaside Book Nook Blog.

Congrats.  Enjoy your new book Jill!

If you didn't win, the book is now available at Amazon and other booksellers.Jenny Wingfield has created a cast of characters who you will remember for a long time and a novel you will cherish.  It is truly that good.The Homecoming of Samuel Lake will break your heart, make you leap for joy, and bring tears to your eyes.

Running after Prefontaine Contest Winners!

Running after Prefontaine Contest Winners!

I would like to congratulate the winners of Running after Prefontaine by Scott Parker, July's Author in the Spotlight.  I would like to thank Scott for giving away 3 copies of his memoir to Booksnob followers.

And the winners are:

Jacque from Utah
Doug from Minnesota
Angy from Ontario

Congrats!!

If you didn't win, don't fret you can order Scott's book on Amazon.  Scott has written a poignant memoir that is not merely about running but it is a philosophical look at how running is a metaphor for life.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge is a retired teacher who lives in a small town called Crosby, Maine.  Olive is married and has a grown son and has made an impact on the people she meets.  Olive gets older as the novel progresses and as we read through the curves that life throws her, she searches to understand and come to terms with her life.

Thirteen interconnected stories weave through the town of Crosby, and the core of the novel is Olive.  Each short story in the book has Olive Kitteridge drifting through the pages as people drift in and out of our lives on a daily basis.  Olive is an ordinary woman, living an ordinary life and yet the importance of the so called ordinary life is evident in the pages of this book.

Fiction mirrors life in Olive Kitteridge.  So often I was reminded of the impact one person has on the people they meet on a daily basis.  We may feel insignificant but Strout shows us that we are anything but.   From a walk in the park to a chance meeting of a student, each event in our lives is significant even though we may not see it.  Strout shows us this and more in the pages of Olive Kitteridge. 

I chose to read this book slowly, allowing myself to read one chapter a day for thirteen days.  Every day I couldn't wait to find Olive somewhere in a new story and see how she fit in to the big picture of life that day.  It was like unwrapping a present with care and grace and savoring the memory.  We are all complicated beings, lovable at times and unapproachable too, yet each one of us makes a difference in the world just by being.  Olive Kitteridge reflects that difference we each create in the world and it is beautiful.

August Hometown Track Author in the Spotlight

August Hometown Track Author in the Spotlight

It's August and time to bask in the warmth of the sun in the last month of summer.  Enjoy the lazy days of summer, watch the Olympics and root for your hometown heroes and teams.  This month on Booksnob, I am featuring a hometown author who gets a gold medal in Young Adult literature for her creative characters and storyline.  So in between watching your favorite athletes in the Olympics you will need to pick up a book by Kendare Blake and get hooked into a riveting trilogy.

Kendare Blake has written two books, Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares.
Here are the synopsis from Goodreads:

Anna Dressed in Blood
Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story... 
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Girl of Nightmares:  To be Released August 7th.

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor. 

This month you can expect two book reviews, a contest, and an author interview.   The second book in the Anna trilogy, Girl of Nightmares is set to be released on August 7th.  Kendare is busily penning the 3rd book and promoting her 2nd. Visit Kendare Blake at her website:  http://kendareblake.com/


Keep checking in at Booksnob as August is going to be great a month!

 

July Author in the Spotlight Wrap-up + Giveaway

July Author in the Spotlight Wrap-Up + Giveaway.

Running after Prefontaine Giveaway ends tomorrow (Aug, 5th) at midnight.

It is the end of July already and August has started, where does the time go?  I am still away on vacation in beautiful North Dakota.  So here is to warm summer nights, days at the lake and fireworks.  What a beautiful month July has been and it is time for me to wrap-up the month of July by highlighting Minnesota author, Scott Parker.



Tomorrow is the last day to enter the contest to win a copy of Running after Prefontaine.  The contest ends at midnight.  The contest is open for residents of U.S. and Canada.  Good Luck and as always thanks for following Booksnob!


Click here to enter:  Running after Prefontaine Giveaway


Please check out my book review of Running after Prefontaine.  A memoir.  Scott has written a memoir that is inspirational.  Scott's memoir is not merely about running but it is a philosophical look at how running is a metaphor for life.  If you can run miles and struggle through the running race, you can apply that to life's challenges and push yourself to do anything you want.  


Book Review:  Running after Prefontaine


Check out the author interview with Scott Parker.  If your curious about who Prefontaine is and why Scott is running after him, then you definitely need to read this interview as Scott reveals the answer.  Scott has a great sense of humor and like to read.  Check out the authors and books that influence him as a writer and a runner.


Scott Parker Author Interview


Check out Scott's Guest Post as he highlights five important books about the sport of running.  


Scott Parker Guest Post


As July ends I would like to thank Scott for being the July Minnesota Author in the Spotlight here on Booksnob.  He is a excellent, creative writer and I am glad I got this chance to work with him.  Scott F. Parker is the author of Revisited: Notes on Bob Dylan and Running After Prefontaine: A Memoir, and he is coeditor ofCoffee—Philosophy for Everyone: Grounds for Debate. Find him online at http://scottfparker.blogspot.com/