YA Fantasy Book Review ~ Uncovering Cobbogoth

About the Book

Norah Lukens needs to uncover the truth about the fabled lost city of Cobbogoth. After her archaeologist uncle’s murder, Norah is asked to translate his old research journal for evidence and discovers that his murder was a cover-up for something far more sinister.

When she turns to neighbor and only friend James Riley for help, she realizes that not only is their bitter-sweet past haunting her every step, but James is keeping dangerous secrets. Can Norah discover what they are before it's too late to share her own?

Readers old and young will love this YA Fantasy Romance set in Boston, MA, but full of mythical beings, magic, and lost secrets.

Amber's Review

Full of mystery, danger, and romance, Uncovering Cobbogoth is undeniably intriguing and imaginative. A lot of thought had to go into creating the Cobbogothian mythology and the connections between it and the story's heroine, Norah, and I applaud Clark for her creativity! The book contains many twists and tender moments.

There's definitely a "first book in a series" feel to this, as there are a lot of flashback scenes, back story, and explanations which often keep the pace reined in. I did enjoy learning more about James through the flashbacks - it's just that there are a lot of them. And I confess that some of the magical/mythical elements remained out of my complete grasp. The history is a little complex, and the Cobbogoth setting is rather different. But I appreciated the uniqueness of the imagery and the surprising ways plot elements fit together!

References to gods and goddesses, intense images (involving murder victims, etc.), and demon "possession" are a part of the story, but there are also themes of love and sacrifice. Clark has set up a very interesting supernatural YA fantasy series with Uncovering Cobbogoth, one that is sure to garner plenty of fans. 

*With thanks to Cedar Fort for providing me with a PDF copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Book Trailer



Extras

• You can read other reviews, spotlights, etc. during the Cedar Fort blog tour, which lasts through the whole month of May: Uncovering Cobbogoth Blog Tour

• You can connect with the author on her awesome website!

• You can purchase the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Read More

YA Book Review ~ Songstone

Lena Goldfinch’s Songstone ~ Reviewed 

Published by Indigo Road Teen 

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he'll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can't see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village—a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.

The story of a girl who yearns for freedom, a boy determined to be more than what's expected of him, and the desperate journey that will leave them both forever changed.

REVIEW: 

Though YA Fantasy is not always my first choice in reading material, I am quickly becoming a fan, and books like Lena Goldfinch’s Songstone is one reason why. In just a few well-written paragraphs, Goldfinch captured my interest and made me concerned for the plight of little Kita. Matiko is a satisfyingly evil villain, and the threat to Kita feels sufficiently real to drive the story forward. Pono’s arrival adds another element to an already imaginative tale, and I found myself hurrying toward the end, just to see what clever solution Goldfinch was able to dream up. I was not disappointed. I give Goldfinch’s latest offering a hearty thumbs up!

Review by Elizabeth Ludwig

(E-book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest opinion.) 

BLOG TOUR:

This book and other Lena Goldfinch titles are currently on tour in the blogosphere! Click the button below to view the schedule, find purchase links, and learn more about Lena's latest release, Take a Picture:

And if you'd like a chance to win one of Lena's books, be sure to enter the blog tour giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below! (The first prize drawing is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only; the second prize drawing is open internationally.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Deanna Klingel: Is She an Author, or a Character?

Deanna Klingel

“Hi diddle de dee, An actor’s life for me.” Pinocchio. He’s one of my favorite friends. I used to have him in a marionette, a doll and a hand puppet. Many of my friends, like Pinocchio, are make believe book characters, who became real to me at various stages of my life. I was Beth or Amy or Jo for days on end. I created an entire set for Wind in the Willows in our backyard and waited by the window to see if the critters would come. I wonder how many writers had these habits as kids? I’ll bet a lot did. Maybe several of us became stage actors. I don’t remember ever wanting to be an actress. But when Hans Brinker came into my life I wanted to ice skate and I asked my immigrant Sunday School teacher to teach me “Dutch.” I suddenly loved all things Dutch. 

Being a writer is in many ways like being an actor. We spend hours studying our lines, rewording, making them more real, more believable. We become our characters. We define our sets to bring our audiences close to the action, and we use those set props to show rather than tell both action and emotion. Our character must have depth. He or she can’t just stand there on the page or the stage and look good, with “sparkling blue eyes.” He has to move. He has to feel. He has to overcome, grow. He must be loved or hated. He must be memorable. 

The biggest difference, I imagine, between actors and writers, is the world they work in. Actors work in chaos, lots of people moving about, everyone in charge of a different aspect of production, wardrobe, sound, props, script. A writer works in a quiet world where she is in charge of every aspect, wardrobe, sound, props, also the story line, the plot, the outcome. She is in charge of the story. 

Actors and writers travel to visit Place, meet their audience and promote their work. At the end of the day, the actor has a team of PR, publicists, promoters, studios, who do all the plotting of the marketing effort. The author, not so much. When the curtain comes down on the computer screen saying “The End,” for the writer it’s the beginning. For many writers this is the most difficult part of the job. If we wanted the job of self-promotion, if we wanted center stage, we could have taken our talent, creativity, love of word production and scenes and become actors. But, we chose a quieter scene, one where the book is the star rather than the author. To step out of our “work clothes” and leave our desks to self-promote is an uncomfortable curtain call. 

Deanna Klingel ~ Civil War

I’ve been surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed the travel. Two of my middle grade books are historical

fiction which I market at Civil War events. I’ve visited places that aren’t even on the map, met some wonderful characters and collected “scenes” for future work. The best part of that experience has been meeting the audience, which I do with school visits and museum events. 

I enjoy the challenge of finding new places to market various books. Most writers I know have a niche they write for, so once they establish their market they reuse their resources. I write in various genre for different ages, so each book becomes unique in the marketplace. It’s a challenge, an education unto itself. 

My next book out on the stage is Rock and a Hard Place: A Lithuanian Love Story. The actors in this story, my characters, are real people. This is biography, history, culture, romance, YA, religion. The challenge in marketing this book is also going to be the fun learning experience. I’m discovering Lithuanian festivals, newspapers, organizations, foundations. Hans Brinker sent me into all things Dutch; Vytas and Donna are introducing me to all things Lithuanian. I can’t wait to get this book in front of the audience and move into the curtain call. I want Rock and a Hard Place to become a star. Then I’ll recluse back to my quiet writer’s world of make believe. Hi diddle de dee, a writer’s world for me. 

Deanna lives and works in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband Dave and golden retriever Buddy. Their seven children, eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild are all in the southeast where they enjoy visiting them. Deanna travels extensively with her books speaking at museums, civic organizations, historical events and schools. She writes primarily for YA but also has picture books for the little ones. 

Don't forget to stop by The Borrowed Book tomorrow, when you can enter to win a free copy of Deanna's latest release, Rock and a Hard Place!

Read More

YA Book Spotlight and Review ~ The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe

About the Book

"If Shane Davis had it to do over again, he wouldn't have gone out that night. He wouldn't have burned down the church. And he sure wouldn't have taken the annoying dead girl home with him.

Now that Shane has her, he has no idea what to do with her. He can't release her into the 'wild' because people will recognize her (being a hundred and fifty year old town 'legend' will do that). He can't send her away because she can't take care of herself yet. And she can't stay because if people find her, they'll know he burned the church. Being eighteen now, Shane definitely doesn't want that fact coming out.

Unbeknownst to Shane, someone has figured out the girl's secret and will do anything to get it for himself...even kill the girl who isn't so immortal after all."

Amber's Review

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014 - that cover and blurb won me over, and I figured it would be a fun story. It is! The premise is very intriguing and clever. There's some Civil War history lightly woven in, and while I sometimes got frustrated with the flashback scenes because I wanted to get back to the contemporary plot line, they added to the sense of mystery and made the contemporary scenes all the more compelling.

Even though a lot of the book takes place in one setting due to Lizzie's inability to move around for a while, I found myself completely engrossed in the story. I liked that the absurdity of the situations made it interesting to observe how Lizzie and Shane would deal with each other and all the problems they had to face. Here's a "mostly" dead girl from Civil War days lying on a modern young band-member's bed, trying to figure out her past and face the 21st century while preparing herself to walk again... Yeah, you know you're curious. ;) The romance (yes, it's there!) was sweet and intriguing, despite the awkwardness of it all. And I really can't resist a hero who calls the heroine "darlin'" or "sweetheart."

I confess that there were elements that didn't completely charm me. Sexual innuendos run rampant throughout the story... So while the content isn't explicit at all, the behaviors alluded to are obvious just the same. Lizzie's initial perception of her surroundings and situation, as well as of modern clothing, would make a reference or two from her understandable - it's more Shane and his sister going off about how things might appear that felt a little too much for me. There are also references to smoking, arson, and the like, just as a heads up. 

Beyond that, though, there were some grammatical errors that made the manuscript feel not-completely-polished, and some of Lizzie's thoughts and flashbacks didn't always feel entirely authentic to her time period. And where the story ends up... Well, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Some parts were thought-provoking and made me genuinely curious as to what choices the characters might make and why. And then some parts seemed too convenient or contrived. In a way the story's wrapped up neatly, and in another, there are some twists that leave a lot of questions unanswered. Also, the cause of Lizzie's "immortality" feels incongruous with her past and the message of the story.

But given all of that, this was still a story I didn't want to put down - utterly engaging, which is definitely a treat! The target audience has to be a unique one, appealing to those who love different YA stories that are edgy but relatively "clean" with a faith message mixed in. While there were some issues that bugged me, I ultimately enjoyed The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe and its quirky hero and heroine.

*I purchased a copy of this book and was not required to write a review. This is my honest opinion.*

About the Author

"Kelly Martin is a bestselling author of four young adult/Christian novels: Crossing the Deep, Saint Sloan, The Deception of Devin Miller, and Big is Beautiful. Saving Sloan, the Saint Sloan sequel, will come out in early 2014. The first of the Hindsight series, Out of the Blue, comes out in February 2014."

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want More?

• You can purchase the book now on Amazon! (Note that the special price of $.99 lasts through today - going back up to $3.99 Tuesday!)
• You can connect with the author on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and her blog.
• You can subscribe to the author's newsletter HERE.

Read More

YA Dystopian Book Review ~ Outcasts

About the Book

"The remnant from Glenrock is now living as rebels within the Safe Lands, looking for a way to find purpose in their lives. When a young rebel is murdered and his death points to a rebel leader, it's hard to know who to trust.

Levi tries to organize a plan to free the children and fights for respect as elder over those who'd rather go their own way. Omar tries to change his image of a traitor by donning a costume and going out into the night as a vigilante hero. And Mason stumbles onto a shocking secret about the Safe Lands meds, but his investigation just might get them all liberated."

Amber's Review

As exciting as the cover suggests, Outcasts is a highly engaging middle novel for "The Safe Lands" trilogy, with superb characterization. Once again, the story centers on four POVs: three brothers (Levi, Mason, and Omar) and a young girl named Shaylinn - pregnant and lonely, but still striving for purpose and hope despite her life as an outcast from the society that took her and her people captive.

I enjoyed this one even more than Captives (Book 1), with "enjoy" being a relative term, since Outcasts is just as gritty as its predecessor. I'm amazed at Williamson's ability to so vividly depict not only this futuristic world (in wonderful detail), but also the unique personalities and motives of her characters. Each one struggles with uncertainties and weaknesses, and yet each one is drawn so compassionately that, while often cringing at their choices, I couldn't help but root for them. The POV character I probably connected with the least was Levi, but even still, he had his moments that showed his heart and his authentic frustrations. I think I'm currently most interested in Omar and Shaylinn's story - there's a lot of angst and room for redemption and growth there!

The overarching plot is intricate and intriguing, and the storyline for this book built up nicely to an epic conclusion, leaving enough resolution to satisfy and enough of a cliffhanger to make the reader eagerly anticipate the release of Book 3 (Rebels) this summer (2014). This series has a little something of everything - romantic drama, thought-provoking relationship dilemmas, a colorful but chilling setting, an aura of mystery, quirky plot elements, and plenty of danger and adventure.

While the references to drugs, addiction, and physical relations might make this a little too mature for some young readers, all of those things are dealt with tactfully (nothing explicit) and yet honestly. This book certainly leaves plenty of room for discussion (even including discussion questions in the back), and shows the pain of a life and world centered first and foremost on the pursuit of personal pleasure.

For an imaginative dystopian series peopled with relatable characters and filled with disquieting situations for them to face, consider visiting "The Safe Lands."

*With thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing me with a temporary e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Extras!

• You can purchase Outcasts now on Amazon, as well as the first book in the series, Captives!

• Learn more about the author at www.jillwilliamson.com.

• Learn more about the series at www.thesafelands.com.

• Check out previous BB posts about Williamson's books:  review of By Darkness Hid, review of Replication, spotlight on The New Recruit, spotlight on Captives

Read More

Writing Without a Kit, by Dorothy Love

“When you write your books, do you make them up all by yourself or do you use a kit?”

This question from a third grader during my years of writing for young readers still makes me smile.  If only there were a kit!  Writing is the hardest job I’ve ever had. Harder than newspapering and working retail during my undergrad days, harder than being a public school administrator, harder than being a college professor.  And despite the lack of a kit to make it easier, it’s the one I love the most.  For the past twenty years I’ve been lucky enough to get to do it full time, first as an author of novels for preteens and young adults at Simon and Schuster and Random House, and more recently as an author of historical fiction for adult readers. 

“What do you do all day?” wondered the third grader’s freckled faced pal.  That question is one I got almost every time I visited a school.

My answer is that no two days are exactly the same, which is why this job is so much fun.

This was my schedule on October 22^nd, a typical day:

5:00am 

Alarm goes off. I get up, throw on some clothes, take Jake outside, bring him in and feed him, start the coffee.  While my husband is in the shower, I make breakfast and pack his lunch.

6:00am

Breakfast, coffee and the newspaper.

7:00am 

Husband leaves for office. I shower, dress and pour my second cup of coffee. Up the stairs to my office. Fire up the computer.       

7:00-9:00am    

Answer e-mail. Carolina Gold, my new novel, is launching in two months, and today there are a couple of e-mails from my publisher and one from my publicist, personal e-mails from friends and family, letters from readers (I love that part!) and the daily poem from The Writers Almanac. Garrison Keillor, a most talented writer and radio personality, chooses a poem to share with subscribers every day.  Sometimes it’s an old classic, sometimes it’s work by a poet who is new to me, sometimes it’s a poem by one of my favorites such as Robert Frost, Donald Hall or Mary Oliver.  I take a few minutes to savor the poet’s words, to ponder their meaning, to revel in the language.

9:00am-12 noon

I have just turned in the manuscript for my next book due out in 2014 so today I am doing background reading and researching the next book I will begin writing in a few weeks, preparing a story summary to share with my publishing team at meetings in Nashville next month. 

12:00-1:00pm

Break for lunch. The weather is nice so I take Jake for a short walk around the neighborhood. We’ve had a lot of rain lately. The back yard is too wet for his usual game of Frisbee, so the walk is his consolation prize. Sightings: Cats 3, squirrels 2, other dogs 1. He is supremely happy.

1:00-2:00pm

I’m writing a series of blog posts like this one to be posted when Carolina Gold releases in early December. I finish a couple of those and then return to a magazine article I am writing due next month for December publication.

2:00-3:00pm    

Phone call with my publisher, Daisy Hutton. We discuss  a couple of new projects that recently went to contract, titling options for the book I’ve just turned in, endorsement opportunities for the new book, and possible approaches to the book I must start writing soon for publication in 2015.

3:00-4:00pm    

Return to the magazine article. Finish the draft and start looking through my photo files to choose pictures to accompany the article. Remember that I failed to take something out of the freezer for dinner. E-mail hubby that we will be eating out tonight.

6:00pm 

We head for Sushihaha, our favorite Japanese restaurant. The food is fabulous, but I love going there as much for the excellent service and the tranquil atmosphere as for the food. Inside the restaurant is a soothing little waterfall and outside are dozens of potted plants we can admire from our favorite table by the windows.  We share an order of California rolls, and then order dinner, saving room for a few bites of gingered ice cream over chocolate fudge for dessert.

7:30pm

Home.  Let Jake outside, bring him in and settle in to watch Turner Classic Movies or read a book.

10:00pm    

Watch the evening news, let Jake out again before bed.  Sweet dreams!

Dorothy Love is the author of numerous books for adults, preteens and young adults. Her popular

Hickory Ridge series, set in her native Tennessee, marked her return to her writing roots in historical fiction and introduced readers to her trademark blend of history, mystery and romance. She lives in Texas with her husband and their golden retriever and welcomes readers at www.DorothyLovebooks.com and at www.facebook.com/dorothylovebooks.  

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for a chance to win a free copy of Dorothy's latest release, Carolina Gold!

Read More