Category Archives: READING

Talking Books in Online Readers Groups

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It’s been a busy summer around here but there’s always time to talk books. I now have two active “Readers Groups” on Facebook. The first one I started several months ago: Young at Heart MG-YA Readers Group. This is the place to be if you enjoy coming-of-age stories traditionally marketed for readers 8-18. (My personal favorites tend to be the ones labeled 10-14 or simply 10+.) It’s a great group for those who love middle grade and young adult literature as well as teachers and parents looking for recommendations or those who like to reminisce about their favorite books from childhood.
The second group is new as of last week. I officially kicked it off July eighth to coincide with the six-months-until-release of Perilous Confessions, book one of The Possession Chronicles. (It will be here before we know it!) Possessed: Timeless Gothic Reads covers Gothic books from British classics like The Castle Otranto and Jane Eyre to the American standards like House of the Seven Gables and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to the twentieth century offerings from author like Victoria Holt and Dorothy Eden as well as modern Gothics. Classic Gothics, Southern Gothic, Gothic Romance, Gothic family sagas, and more are open for discussion and recommendation. The group is still growing, but we’ve already had some great conversations so far about Southern Gothic literature from middle grade to adult books.

I invite you to join one or both if they fit your reading style. While you’re there, invite a friend too. There is room for all in these virtual discussions.

Literary Reflections

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Last Saturday I gave my “Kid Lit 101” presentation to a group of writers in Gulfport, Mississippi. While what is categorized as (upper) middle grade is my first literary love, the past few years I’ve been focusing the majority of my reading time on Gothic—classic Gothic, Southern Gothic, Gothic Romance, etc.—to be sure I’m doing the category justice with my own stories.

Revisiting the books I touch on in the presentation (which are everything from baby books to young adult novels) was like visiting old friends. I haven’t given the presentation in about two years, much less dove so deep into conversation about my favorite coming-of-age genre, so it was refreshing. I remembered why I started writing—awesome books like these. And rereading Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson this weekend helped solidify that.

The past few days I’ve forced a separation for myself from The Possession Chronicles. While I’ve been writing and editing the eight books in the series almost non-stop for over two and a half years, I still love everything about it. I’m not sick of the characters or the story lines. I could happily move to round ten of edits on book six, or any other draft, but I know I need to distance myself from this epic project before I tackle professional edits for book one, Perilous Confessions (releasing January 8, 2019.)

So in the meantime, I’ll be exploring the scary world of the MG/YA manuscripts I wrote as a teenager. Maybe I’ll find a nugget of hope within one of the stories that with major resuscitation (thanks to decades of acquired experience) would be able to bring one of them to life. If not, at least I’ll be able to see how far I’ve come as a writer.

What helps you rediscover your literary roots?

Kid Lit 101

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As many of you know, my first passion in the book word is middle grade literature. Though a late reader, I began devouring novels like The Babysitters-Club Series as they were published and ghost stories by Betty Ren Wright in fourth grade, but by sixth grade I was ready for more. I fell in love with the power of words in my middle school library when I found Katherine Paterson and Richard Peck. Bridge to Terabithia was the first book to make me cry and Ghosts I Have Been the first to engage me with history through the guise of my fascination with the Titanic and Gothic-feels. From there I dove into the world of teen books, eagerly awaiting the newest from authors like Christopher Pike on my trips to the bookstore in the mall.

By the time I was fourteen, I was writing my own stories and following the marketplace. I continued to read and collected these authors and never gave them up, even as I aged out of the genres. When I was twenty and landed my dream job at a Books-A-Million, I let them know I wanted the kids’ section of the store. It took a few months, but when the position opened, I embraced the colorful area from baby books to young adult reads. It took several weeks, but I physically handled every book in that corner of the store as I organized and then shelved all the new shipments during the time I was employed there. Most often when someone was looking for a book in one of my categories I could say what shelf it was on without looking. I knew the books, the authors. It was my home away from home.

All this, plus more decades of reading and following the marketplace, and five years serving as Local Liaison for my region of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, has helped shape my knowledge of the book world as it relates to children’s literature. I’ve wrapped my years of experience and passion into a tidy presentation titled “Kid Lit 101”, which I’ve been blessed to share at several events, including multiple writers groups and a literary festival over the past few years. This Saturday, June 23, 2018, I’ll present this fast-moving, informative presentation in Gulfport, Mississippi, to Gulf Coast Writers Association at 11am at Gulfport Galleria of Fine Art. Join me if you can.

What are you literary passions?

You’re Invited to a Party

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Bienvenue Press, the publishing home of my forthcoming Southern Gothic family saga series, The Possession Chronicles, is turning one this week. A virtual anniversary celebration is scheduled this Saturday, June 16, from noon until 6pm central.

Every hour there will be a different featured guest and I’ll be filling that roll from 1-2pm. Stop in any time during the festivities to meet new authors and fellow readers. There will be giveaways and fun throughout the event for chances to win books, swag, and more.

Can’t make it? Stop in later to catch up on the postings. See the full listing of authors and RSVP at the event page.

On a related note, Perilous Confessions, the first book in The Possession Chronicles, will be released January 8, 2019. Be sure to add it to you reading calendar after the hustle of the holidays. A great way to make sure you don’t miss announcements about the release is to follow me on one of my social media accounts and join the Newsletter list. I look forward to sharing more with you in the months ahead.

Sneak peek: I’ll be giving away a Perilous Confessions magnet at the Bienvenue Press party. Be sure to stop in and tell your reader friends about the event.

Gothic Lit with Stephanie Lawton

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Today I welcome good friend and fellow indie author, Stephanie Lawton. If I had to pick a favorite of her novels, it would be Shrapnel–an eerie blend of gritty contemporary YA, paranormal, Southern Gothic, and historical.

Thanks for letting me guest blog today, Carrie! We have a lot of things in common, but a few in particular that I think your readers will find interesting.

By now, you’ve probably heard of the concept of six degrees of separation or Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Because even if you’re removed from Carrie by five or six degrees, you’ve undoubtedly heard of her Southern historical gothic series, The Possession Chronicles, to be published by Bienvenue Press. What captured her imagination and kept her writing for eight books? The same things that prompted me to write Shrapnel. The same things that have kept readers furiously flipping the pages of scary novels since Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker, to Stephen King and Anne Rice.

First, history.

Let’s be honest—old stuff is creepy. It’s dusty, it makes weird noises and we don’t understand it. We don’t know what people were thinking back then and why they did the odd things they did…like lobotomies that scrambled your brains, or whale-bone corsets that rearranged your internal organs. And yet, human nature implores us to stick our fingers in the wound to see if it’s as bad as we think. (It’s usually worse.)

Stephen King dabbled in early American history in Jerusalem’s Lot. Anne Rice has written in nearly every historical era. Carrie’s new series spans the turn of the last century along the Gulf Coast. My novel, Shrapnel, bounces from modern-day to the Civil War in the Deep South. We commonly use phrases like, “tar and feather” and to “run someone out on a rail.” But do you know what those actually entailed? The historically accurate answers are terrifying.

Second, the unknown.

Fear of the unknown is a basic human fear in every era in every corner of the planet. It just is. Exploiting that fear through literature is the job of the writer so readers can experience those fears vicariously. Afraid of getting your first period? Read some Judy Blume. Afraid of your darker desires? Read Carrie’s upcoming series. Afraid of adult responsibilities and the power that comes with it? Read Shrapnel.

Any situation or thing you fear has been written about in some form, whether an actual thing—like clowns or spiders—or feelings and events. Sometimes the writing is allegorical and sometimes it’s more forthright and literal. Regardless of how it’s presented, plumbing the depths of our fears and the unknown through fiction is infinitely safer than facing them in real life.

Third, good old-fashioned, tension-filled lust. 

Until recently, I would have said that this is where Carrie and I have major differences. My books unabashedly capitalize on lust, while Carrie has always leaned toward very subtle hints of tension between characters. Both approaches have their places and their fans.

While not all horror/gothic/Southern gothic/historical fiction novels include overt sexual tension, I’d bet my Mulder and Scully figurines that readers find the idea pretty irresistible, even if the situation can be construed as “wrong” by conventional standards. Sexy vampires? Horrible! Seductive ghosts? Disgusting. Ever seen the previously banned X-Files episode called, “Home” or the first season of True Detective? Or, even better, Mads Mikkelsen as the latest (incredibly sexy yet skin-crawingly creepy) incarnation of Hannibal Lector. All feature completely repulsive monsters, yet we can’t look away, even if we have to watch/read through our fingers.

I’ve shared some of my favorite nail-biters above, let’s hear yours. What creeps you out, but keeps you coming back for more? What is it about them that you love?

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieLawtonWriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@Steph_Lawton/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Steph_Lawton/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5601445.Stephanie_Lawton

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/steph_lawton/

Shrapnel can be found at any of these retailers: https://books2read.com/u/bP1vjJ

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Always a misfit, Stephanie Lawton writes twisted romance that tugs the heart strings then punches you in the gut.

She has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles. She has a fascination with teacher-student relationships, bullies, psychics, doomsday preppers and larger-than-life characters.

Making readers squirm is her greatest pleasure.

Proceed with caution.

 

Guest Post: Steven Moore

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This week I’d like to welcome my friend and fellow Inscribable, Steven Moore.
He’s the superhero artist behind this masterpiece.
(See below for more information about our super group.)

Science Fiction, Fantasy & History—Hand In Hand

I’m currently writing my next Gnome Legends™ Downtime Read™—The Timeless Crystal and have found myself fascinated by how easily science fiction and fantasy can blend with historical events and characters. Though much of the story takes place in my usual fantasy world filled with gnomes and elves, it includes an element of time travel. I wanted to give the future part of the story a bit of a steampunk feel, so I put the “future” characters in the late 1800s. With that I realized there were people perfect in real history for a time travel story—enter Nikola Tesla and his good friend Samuel Clemens. I already had a slight fascination with these men, but a little research showed me that they were ideal for a retro science fiction addition to Gnome Legends.

Fiction is fiction. Once you have an idea and begin to outline it, the story usually writes itself (of course your skills determine how well it writes itself). Though the story uses the crystals which had already been a part of my world as its focus point, it was the “timeless” aspect that quickly took over the story. The time travel element brought in characters that really added a nice layer of reality to my world and gave me a handful of rich characters to enhance the story.

As a reader or a writer, never be afraid to venture a little outside of what you’re comfortable with. If you decide you don’t like what you’re reading/writing, then move onto the next thing. But along the way you’ll most likely find the variety to be refreshing.

Dear reader—thank you for sharing your time with me. And Carrie, thank you very much for letting me be a part of your blog. 

Here’s a little sample of the Timeless Crystal: http://www.grimtrojan.com/timeless.htm

Please feel free to visit my website: http://www.grimtrojan.com. I’d love to have you stop by and share your thoughts.

 

Born in Frankfurt Germany on a U.S. Army base, artist/writer Steven Moore has traveled to several countries and been to numerous states within the U.S., but has lived most of his life near the Gulf Coast of Alabama. He currently resides in Loxley, Alabama with his wife and daughter.

Downtime Reads™ are books written for the entire family to enjoy during their downtimes and specifically written to motivate mid-grade readers and reluctant teen readers to read.

Steven is a proud member of The INSCRIBABLES: a group of successful writers and artists who have teamed up to educate, inform and inspire the creative young. 

Guest Post: MeLeesa Swann

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After all the blog hopping I did last month, I’m returning the favor by inviting a few of my writer friends to stop by and share a bit about their stories.
Please welcome MeLeesa Swann, author of the middle grade fantasy series
Legendary Lex.

I Live with Evil Geniuses

With four kids, I frequently just want to run away. Go on a cruise or take some type of luxurious vacation. The endless “I’m hungry”, “He’s being mean”, and “Can we buy this?” is enough to drive even the most patient person insane!

But I owe my career, my dream, to the monsters.

I couldn’t create half the things I do without my little evil geniuses. I once asked my youngest boy to bring me an ice cream sandwich and he brought me a scoop of vanilla between two pieces of bread. My youngest girl recently had a conversation with a dragonfly and declared it the protector of her college campus. My oldest boy never seems to get sarcasm and takes everything so literally. (I’ve never had to be more careful about the things I say.) And my oldest girl is probably one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. (I didn’t think people like that really existed. She’s always smiling!)

Through the four of my little demons (and yes, they all have their mischievous streak) and my loving hubby (who is the king of horrible puns), I am blessed with a large variety of inspirations for the tales I weave.

So, even though I frequently fantasize about escaping to Scotland for a few weeks, I totally love living with my my evil geniuses.

MeLeesa Swann lives with her husband and four children in the lavish land of Imagica. She spends her time teaching her children the ways of the mortal world while showing them the beauty of her homeland. She also burns mystical designs on wooden boxes that allow people to store their secret items while on their journeys. Her hope for all who are touched by her works is that they find a piece of their own magic in their lives. MeLeesa recently published her first book, Legendary Lex: An ODD Beginning. It’s sequel is soon to follow. She is also the local liaison for the Mobile branch of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

www.meleesaswann.com

https://www.facebook.com/MeLeesaSwann/

https://twitter.com/MeLeesaSwann