YA Book Review: Right Where I Belong

Before we get to the review, the winner of last week's giveaway is...

Vince!

Thanks once again to May and KC for being our guests last week! Learn more about the K9 Spy and her author mom HERE! 

And now for the review...

 

About the Book

"Natalia’s about to discover her place in the world . . . and it’s not following in her father’s footsteps.

After watching her father jump from one marriage to the next, Natalia has completely written off love. And when her father divorces his third wife—the only one who has been a mother to her—Natalia is ready to write him off too.

 Needing a change of scenery, Natalia leaves her home in Spain and relocates with her stepmother to sun-soaked Florida. But she didn’t realize just how far a new school, a new culture, and a new lifestyle would push her out of her comfort zone.

One of her biggest surprises comes from Brian, a pastor’s son with an adorable smile, who loves God with a sincerity that astounds Natalia. She doesn’t want to fall for him, but she can’t seem to avoid him long enough to get him out of her mind.

Love is the last thing Natalia wants. Even so, God has her right where she belongs."

Amber's Review

With just enough elements of the story of Ruth from the Bible to make the connection, Right Where I Belong is a unique YA retelling that should find a place to belong in the hearts of Christian YA fiction fans. I think it's a bit easier to relate to than First Date, McGee's debut novel and an Esther retelling that features a girl unwillingly forced into the spotlight and onto a reality T.V. show.  

Right Where I Belong features Natalia, a girl who follows her soon-to-be-divorced stepmother to Florida, leaving her homeland of Spain and trying to grow in her new faith. But learning to fit in, dealing with her stepmother's grief and bitterness, and figuring out what to do about her feelings for her pastor's son make the move quite challenging.

While the basic storyline of Ruth becomes rather clear in the beginning, I love that McGee made this more of an "inspired by" story rather than a strict modern-day retelling. This is a story about finding one's place in the world - about discovering one's passion and opening one's heart to God's leading, while figuring out how to respond to the expectations of parents and society (a theme that hit home for me!). Some of the characters have more of a supporting role than a deeply explored, multi-faceted role, and there isn't a whole lot of suspense in this story. But for a gentle YA romance and a faith journey that takes some unexpected but understandable turns, Right Where I Belong is a sweet read that can pave the way for further discussion or application.

*With thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing through the Booksneeze program for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

[This review is also posted on Amber's personal blog, Seasons of Humility.]

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Winners!!

Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming! This week's winner is:

LadySaotome - Snowflake Sweethearts by Carrie Turansky!

Congratulations, LadySaotome!

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

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Weekly Drawing

Oops...we've changed the rules for fun Friday at The Borrowed Book!


To enter:

Leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section as well as your email address for notifying the winner. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry. RETWEET our Tweet, get two entries!

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FIVE entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Carrie Turansky and her newest release, Snowflake Sweethearts.

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Facebook Party Tonight!

Author Chat tonight!! I'll be announcing the winner of the Kindle Fire plus lots of other great prizes. So grab your copy of No Safe Harbor and join me on facebook tonight for a chance to connect and make some new friends. If you haven’t read the book—don’t let that stop you from coming!

Here's the link to the party: https://www.facebook.com/events/276748209094283. We'll be chatting from 5:00-6:15 p.m. PST (that's 6 PM MST, 7 PM CST & 8 PM EST!)

See you there!

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Did You Know? ~ Christmas Poinsettias

Amongst the myriad decorations available this time of year is the red Christmas poinsettia. Also known as euphorbia pulcherrima, the poinsettia is a native plant of Mexico and originated in a rather limited region near present day Taxco. This lovely plant received its American name in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the country in 1828 when he sent cuttings of the plant he had discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. 

In Mexico, the plant is known as La Flor de Noche Buena, which means Flower of the Holy Night, or Christmas Eve.

Legend has it that a Mexican peasant girl had no means to offer a gift to the Christ Child in church on Holy Night. She picked some roadside weeds on the way and made a bouquet. But when the time came for her to present the gift, the bouquet of weeds had transformed into red Christmas poinsettias. From this story came the Christmas poinsettia tradition.

The little yellow buds are the flowers.

Interestingly enough, the brightly colored part of the plant is not the flower. Instead the flowers are the small, yellow buds in the poinsettia’s center. The colored portions are just leaves. 

Poinsettias are also known as the “lobster flower” or “Mexican flame leaf.” In Chile and Peru, the Poinsettia is called the "Crown of the Andes".  In Spain the poinsettia is associated with Easter. There it’s known as "Flor de Pascua," meaning "Easter flower".

(And in case you’ve heard rumors that poinsettias are fatal to pets and children, they're not. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, it’s only mildly toxic when ingested. The worst it can cause is irritation of the mouth and stomach, or in some cases, vomiting.)

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Ten Tips to Boost Your Writing Productivity by Carrie Turansky

Whether you’re an aspiring author or multi-published, it’s often a challenge to meet your writing goals. Here are ten tips that will help increase your writing productivity.

1. Write with instrumental music playing in the background.  I recently saw an informal survey that found those who listened to music while writing were able to write more words per day than those who didn’t. I like to write with instrumental praise music or movie soundtracks playing in the background. Some of my favorite soundtracks are Prince of Tides, The Cider House Rules, Downton Abbey, and Little Women.

1. Set a timer. Try this trick. Set your timer for fifteen minutes, and tell yourself you will focus and write for that long. Keep writing and moving ahead in your story without going back to review or revise.  Then take a short break and set the timer again. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish in short periods of time like this. 

1. Outline the scene first. Before you start writing think through your scene, choose your POV character, the mood and setting and goals for each character. Create a list of descriptive and sensory words you could use in that scene. I find taking a walk and thinking it through first helps me a lot. 

1. Set a word count goal. Word count goals can be motivating and a helpful guide. I know if I meet my goal each week, then I’ll finish my book on time. That relieves some of the pressure and helps my creativity flow. 

1. Write at your most productive time of the day. When are you the most productive and creative? Set aside that time to write, and don’t allow email, Facebook or Pinterest to eat up your best writing time.  Turn off your email program and use your less productive times of the day to check email and social media

1. Wear earphones. Earphones are a great way to block out noise as well as pipe in your favorite music. I have some very comfortable rubber tipped earphones that I wear, and even when I am not listening to music I put them in. I’ve found it helps my family realize I am working and won’t hear them, so they are less likely to interrupt me unless it’s something important.

1. Give yourself permission to write fast and messy. Turn off the internal editor who questions every word, and let your creativity flow. I tell myself I don’t have to write it perfectly, I just have to get it down. You can only revise what you’ve written. So tell yourself it’s okay if it’s awful. You can fix it when you revise.

1. Find an accountability partner. Team up with another writer and commit to checking up on each other. Share your goals and exchange emails at the end of the day to report your word count. Don’t ask them to commit for life, just try it for a set period of time. Knowing someone is waiting to hear how you’ve done that day can be very motivating.

1. Reward yourself for reaching your goals.  Why wait until you’ve finished your book to enjoy a reward? Set several short-term goals and celebrate when you reach them. Do something you enjoy when you meet your weekly word count or half way point. 

1. Get a comfortable, chair, clothing, and drink.  Feeling comfortable while you write is important. Invest in a good chair, wear comfortable clothes and stock up on your favorite drinks. Some authors find changing locations around the house gives them a mental break and it also helps prevent back issues.

I hope you’ll try some of these tips and they’ll help you reach your writing goals! 

Carrie Turansky’s first novella was published in 2005, and she is now the award-winning author of ten inspirational romance novels and novellas including her most recent novel, Snowflake Sweethearts. She has won the Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award and been a finalist for several other awards. Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott, who is a pastor, author, speaker, and counselor. They have five adult children and three grandchildren. Carrie leads women’s ministry at her church, and when she is not writing she enjoys gardening, flower arranging, and cooking healthy meals for friends and family. You can connect with Carrie through her website: www.carrieturansky.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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May the K9 Spy Returns!

In 2011 I had the pleasure of introducing ya'll to May the K9 Spy and her author mom, KC Frantzen. We talked about their first hardcover, illustrated book for middle readers (and all the young at heart!) - May on the Way: How I Become a K9 Spy. (If you missed that interview, you can read it HERE!) Today I'm excited to feature that book's sequel - May Finds a Way: Peril in Paris!

*** ***

Amber: Welcome back to the BB, KC! What was the hardest part about writing a sequel? What was the best?

KC: The hardest? Getting started! Once I give myself permission to write, albeit badly, then it’s fine. After recently editing and polishing the previous book, it was hard to start a first draft, which is inherently messy.

OOOH – the best? May sharing more adventures in first dog. Since she has no thumbs, and has difficulty typing, I’m amanuensis. She is quite something! Yes May, you’ll have a turn. Just a moment…

And an impromptu research trip, courtesy of my husband. That was marvelous. =)

It really IS fun to see where things go. Authors such as Stephen King and Jerry Jenkins have written about being surprised as a story develops… The idea being, if the author is surprised, surely readers will be. It has happened several times writing both books. Readers young and old will share their reaction to something unexpected, most often saying, “Oh NO!”

But readers have come to understand that May and I believe in Good. We strive to have satisfying endings. We hope her fans will keep turning pages to discover what happens next!

Amber: About that research trip and the main setting of this sequel... What do you love the most about Paris? 

KC: The history, paws down. Speaking of, I’m reading The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough. Outstanding if you enjoy historical detail.

I’ve been to Paris twice, once to research for this book! I went alone with only a backpack and was on the ground 28 hours total. (Hotel points and frequent flyer miles are a blessing!) Prior to the journey, I used my DK Eyewitness Travel Guide, listing and mapping everything I thought I would need. Then I visited each place and took notes to richly and accurately layer the story. There was one exception – the sewers. Didn’t realize I’d need that info until later. Grace prevailed when I discovered a tour video online. I really did dine at La Solana Café and visit Félix Canis (dog & cat salon and shop). Everyone was so kind, I knew those establishments must be included, by name. =)

I chose Paris for a variety of reasons, chief among them the opportunity to broaden horizons of young readers. Hopefully it’s presented well enough for adult readers to relate, if they’ve been. There is little literary license. For example, when writing May’s travel through the city, I referenced a map to ensure accurate setting portrayals. That is the fun of it, weaving the fiction in with the facts! When May and her FURiend Léonce, the feral cat, must escape Le Panthéon, we use a real group, Untergunther, to play a part. And why Le Panthéon? Because Louis Braille is buried there! Did you know he started working on a communication system for the blind (now known as Braille) when he was only 11 years old?

Those are the little things we use to make our books sparkle.

Amber: Sparkle, indeed! Sounds like you've included a lot of interesting facts and research in May Finds a Way - very cool! So, are there any more “May the K9 Spy” stories in the works? 

KC: Taking tips from other successful authors, such as Stephenie Meyer, I included a sneak peek into the next book. So, yep, there is a May 3 in the works as we speak! Okay okay May, you can tell Amber more…

Amber: These next questions are for May - Are you excited to share another story with your reader friends? What do you hope children and adults alike will learn from your latest adventure?

May: Yes! I’m wiggling my entire self I’m soooo excited to be here with you, Miss Amber, and your FURiends! Thlpbt!

My favorite part of life is getting to meet my fans, in dog. They tell me sometimes how much my stories help, knowing how I was abused and all, and how I survived to become a K9 Spy. When I’m incognito, I can be out sharing my stories. It’s a great life.

Hope –– that’s the word. Good job, Miss Amber. My second story is all about hope finding a way, even in the darkest of times. Like oh, hypothetically speaking, being lost, deep in a Paris sewer surrounded by rats or maybe… Suffering betrayal from someone close to you… Or say… Being trapped in an old crypt in the Cimetière Passy. But coming to know the Creator always, always has a plan, even if it’s not apparent when you’re stuck alone in the dark!

I also think young humans can do a whole lot more than grown humans think they can, just like a little runt, I mean Mini-Schnauzer, can… I like to challenge their thinking in a good way, with adventures and morals, showing consequences for decisions. Maybe they can learn how to make good decisions the easy way on some things, to help make their life better.

Oui, I mean yes, I just love what I do!

Amber: That's great, May! Now, what do you love the most about Paris?

May: The smells, definitely. So many stories!!

*** ***

May's Giveaway!

Here’s the link to hear Mom read Chapter 1 of May Finds a Way. I would have read it but you might not speak critter.

Is it okay, Mom, to do what I asked about? Grrreat!

FURiends, since you’re probably unfamiliar with my story, I’d like to give away a copy of my first book, so you can know there is hope too! It tells how I become a K9 spy. I hope you enjoy it!!! BOL! (Barking Out Loud) 

Let’s go!

Amber again: If you have a U.S. mailing address and would like a chance to read (or share with a younger person in your life) May's first book, leave a comment with your e-mail address! I'll announce the winner next Monday!

Thank you, KC and May, for visiting! And, readers, you can learn more about this dynamic duo on their website: www.maythek9spy.com!

(Note: All photos and artwork (c) 2012 KC Frantzen.)

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