Review: Blackout by Connie Willis

Blackout-Connie Willis
Publisher: Spectra
Publication Date: February, 2010
Source: Purchased
Author Website

With her trademark understated, eloquent style, Willis expands the conceit of her Hugo and Nebula winning 1982 story Fire Watch into a page-turning thriller, her first novel since 2001's Passage. Three young historians travel from 2060 to early 1940s Britain for firsthand research. As Eileen handles a measles outbreak during the children's evacuation and Polly struggles to work as a London shopgirl, hints of trouble with the time-travel equipment barely register on their radar. Historians aren't supposed to be able to change the course of history, but Mike's actions at Dunkirk may disrupt both the past and the future. Willis uses detail and period language exquisitely well, creating an engaging, exciting tale that cuts off abruptly on the last page. Readers allergic to cliffhangers may want to wait until the second volume comes out in November 2010.
(Amazon description)


My husband introduced me to Connie Willis.  I have to be honest and say I probably never would have discovered her otherwise, as her books are sci-fi and I don't read a terrible amount of hard sci-fi. When I was deep into writing my time travel novel, I wanted to read other time travel books, so my husband placed The Doomsday Book in my hands and it is hands-down, one of the best books I've ever read. There are some hard sci-fi elements in Connie's books, but the main focus is the characters. I then quickly read To Say Nothing of the Dog, which is set in the same universe (sort of) and I loved it.

So, when I saw that Connie had a new book coming out that was set in the Oxford time traveling universe, and was set mostly in WWII, I quickly snapped it up. I had to admit that while I generally enjoyed the story, I found it lacking some of the humor and heart of her other books.

Firstly, I'm not even sure if I would consider Blackout a sci-fi book. It reads more like historical fiction. There is some time travel tech-speak, but overall, it's the tale of three time travelers and how their journeys back to 1940's England gets disrupted, and how they are desperate to get back to 2060 Oxford. I can't say I'm a huge fan of multiple character narrative, and there were three main characters whose stories we heard, and some other random chapters with other characters thrown in that don't really make sense until the very end of the book.

Secondly, this book is the first of two, All Clear is released later this year. Unlike other series books I've read, the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, not a lot of resolution there, which is a bit disappointing. Of course I will be buying All Clear when it comes out, but I am keeping my expectations level.

To wrap-up, a so-so Connie Willis book is better than a good book by a lot of other authors. WWII England is one of my favorite time periods, and I enjoyed the detail that went into the creation of this book.

I give Blackout 3/5 stars. If you think you'd like to give Connie's books a try, I wouldn't tell you not to read this book, I'd just suggest reading one of the other titles I've listed above.

ALA: Signed books

I'm back from ALA and I'm exhausted! We had to scale back our plans because unfortunately I have a wonky left ankle, and it decided to act up this weekend.  I'd feel fine for awhile, then feel like my foot was going to fall off. That said, even though I didn't get to all the signings I'd planned, or get to stick around for the great book sell off/ARC giveaway yesterday afternoon, I had a WONDERFUL time and came away with some great experiences and a ton of books I can't wait to delve into!

I will be posting about all the books I got and everything we did and all the great books I grabbed later in the week when my box of books arrives, but today I wanted to share some of my experiences meeting authors! I would also like to say that I'm not trying to come off as braggy in these posts, with the exception of the signed books, I plan on giving away several of the ARCs I got once I've read them, either here on the blog or to ARC tours that I participate in. I have a small house and only so many bookshelves.

The first signings I attended were Ally Condie & Andrea Cremer. By the time we got in line there were already about thirty people in it, and a ton more joined it-not bad for two authors whose books haven't even come out yet! While we were waiting in line, we also met Vordak, which I was THRILLED about since his book was on my wish list, and an Egmont rep was following behind him handing out copies. My husband and I have been stealing the book from each other, it is hilarious for all ages.

Andrea & Ally were talkative and really seemed excited that so many people wanted to meet them before their books came out, even though Ally admitted that everyone telling her they'd heard good things about her book made her a little nervous!

Welcome!

Hi & welcome to the Bodacious Pen. If you're stopping by because we exchanged business cards at ALA, I'm glad you're here!

I'm Tara, a thirty-something aspiring author and book blogger. I read a lot of YA, middle grade, paranormal romance and some sci-fi and fantasy. While I do review books (I try to post at least one book review a week) I also talk about my journey towards publication.

I've been blogging here at The Bodacious Pen for a few months, but I have been blogging regularly at different platforms for ten years. I hope you take a minute to learn about me, or to read my review policy, which you can find in my navigation bar above.

Review: Rising Shadow by Jacquelyn Wheeler

Rising Shadow-Jacquelyn Wheeler
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: 9/09
Source: Received copy through tour ran by La Femme Readers
Author Website


Ashlyn Woods just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can't wait to start her life over as a normal college student. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil's favor.

Soon she and the other Soterians are studying martial arts and learning to use their powers to prevent California from being plunged into chaos. But they quickly discover that they're up against a much more dangerous enemy than they anticipated.

And when Ashlyn meets Kai, a devastatingly gorgeous guitar player, she realizes she must sacrifice more than she ever imagined.

Rising Shadow is an easy read, and Ashlyn is a likable narrator. She's a girl who has worked her way through junior college so she can finally attend the college of her dreams. She quickly settles into life at her new school, making fast friends with her roommates, and even acquiring an enemy in the prickly Kelly.

She also meets Kai, who at the time is Kelly's boyfriend, but it's clear that the relationship is rocky at best. She feels a connection with Kai, but they don't get together right away. When they have a first date any girl would dream about, he tells her that he's moving halfway across the country, which of course is heartbreaking to Ashlyn. I do feel that Kai and Ashlyn fall in love quickly, but it's not two pages after they first met. They are connected in a way that most couples are not, so it read true for me.

As she's falling in love with Kai, Ashlyn is also discovering her Soterian powers. She can fly and become invisible. She meets the other Soterians in her group who all have various powers. I liked the idea that the Soterians have powers only when needed to take down evil, it gives the story a different tone than I've seen before. How could you get used to normal life once you no longer have those powers? Together with the rest of the Soterians, Ashlyn looks into a recent scandal in the gubernatorial race in California, the new governor seems to be more than just a little bit evil.

Rising Shadow mixes romance, martial arts, the supernatural and politics into one powerhouse package. I read the book quickly and overall did enjoy it, there were only a few sticking points for me. First, I felt that some situations were resolved too easily. Ashlyn would get herself into a tight situation, and I would feel my heart beat pound, wondering how she'd get out of it, only to find a neat solution a page or paragraph later. It was a bit disappointing as a reader. Secondly, there were some bits of dialog in the book that seemed to drag on for awhile-I felt that things could have been summed up quicker.

 If you're sick of reading about vampires, angels or werewolves, I suggest you give the Soterians a try.

We Have a Winner!

The winner of a $40 gift certificate to CSN stores is :

Ashley! 

Ashley had multiple entries in the contest and the winning number fell within her range of entries. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and keep an eye out for some exciting contests I have coming up in July and beyond!

ALA This Weekend-Light Posting.

I can't believe ALA is this weekend! :does happy dance:  I won't be around much this weekend and early next week. We are attending Sunday and Monday, but today and tomorrow I'm trying to finish up the books I'm reading now before the influx of ALA books takes over our house!

I can't wait to see what kinds of books are there, to meet with a few authors and hopefully a few book bloggers as well! If you are attending, leave a comment! There's a photo of me on the About Me page (I won't be wearing a wedding dress at ALA, but hey, when you have professional photos of yourself, you tend to prefer those over anything you could take) but I will be wearing a light blue top (on Sunday at least) and probably have a determined look on my face as I try to take in all the action! I will also have my dearly devoted husband in tow.

 I'm going to try and tweet while I'm there, so if you don't already follow me on Twitter, you can by clicking the big black 't' to the right. :points:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow My Blog Friday June 25th

It's time for another Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com.  This week I'm also participating in Parajunkee's Follow My Blog Friday as well!

If you're stopping by for the first time, welcome! I hope you take a look around and like what you see. I review books (mostly YA), talk about the writing process, talk a bit about my personal life and assorted miscellany. If you're a new visitor, please comment so I can check out your blog!

I have one contest going on right now: enter  here to win a $40 gift certificate to CSN stores! This contest is open to all-you don't have to be a follower.

Visual Inspiration for Positive Tension

Even though I'm taking a break from editing my first novel, Positive Tension, I was inspired by Steph Bowe's blog posts of visual inspiration for her current WiP, so I figured I'd try it for my own. Images come from We Heart It.

I think the images get across the heart of the story: love, loss and surviving in a world devastated by a super-flu that has killed off or turned humanity into walking infected-interested only in nom-noming on human flesh. Despite that description, there is a lot of gore in my novel, nor are there gory images below. Have you created a visual inspiration board for your WiP?

Review: Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Annette Laing

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When (The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 1)-Annette Laing
Publisher: Confusion Press
Publication Date: 8/07
Source: Review copy provided by author
Author website

What a nightmare.
Hannah Dias, California Girl with Attitude, and Alex, her laid-back brother, have moved from exciting San Francisco to boring Snipesville, Georgia. Life doesn't improve when they meet Brandon, a dorky kid who is plotting his escape from the Deep South, and the weird Professor, who has a strange secret.
Suddenly, the kids are catapulted thousands of miles and almost seventy years to England during World War Two.
They fall into a world of stinging nettles, dragon ladies, bomb blasts, ugly underwear, stinky sandwiches, painful punishments, and non-absorbing toilet paper. They learn so much more than they could ever learn in a history class. Not that they want to learn it.
But they can't go home unless they find George Braithwaite, whoever he is, and whatever it is that he has to do with Snipesville.
(Description from back cover)

Normally when I receive pitches from authors or publishers to review their books, I mull it over, and do my research before accepting-just to make sure the book is a right fit for me. However this time, I said yes pretty quickly. I adore books about time travel, and guess what my number one favorite time period is? World War II. I have been a huge WWII nerd since I was a child. Since a chunk of the action takes place in WWII England, I was thrilled to begin reading this book, and started reading it as soon as it arrived in my mailbox.

We meet Hannah and Alex right as they arrive in Snipesville from cosmopolitan San Francisco. Alex is inherently likable. His sister...not so much. I have to say that Hannah irritated me throughout the book. She seemed thick as a brick, and more concerned about herself and her own personal issues than the fact that a war was on and it was a time of sacrifice. Thankfully she is called on her behavior throughout the book, and by the end it has begun to sink in to her brain that she is a bit of a self-absorbed brat...at least a little bit.

Brandon is the third main character, and I really adored him. It was not as easy for Brandon to travel back in time as Hannah and Alex, as he's African American and tends to stand out a bit more. Hannah and Alex meet Brandon as they're at the local college signing up for activities. They also meet the Professor-who is responsible for sending them back in time. The children all arrive in 1940's England, and are treated as evacuees-children whose parents have sent them from London to the countryside to avoid the Blitz. The professor visits them and informs them of their mission-to find George Braithwate.

Mild spoiler

Brandon is separated from Hannah and Alex and ends up in London during an air raid. He nearly misses getting killed by the bomb but finds himself back in 1915. He ends up living and working as an apprentice to a dentist. He has to deal with hard facts of reality of the time period (bed pans, eek!) and the horrible Mrs. Gordon who is a racist cow. Brandon's story is separate from Hannah and Alex's-but his goal is the same, to find out about George Braithwaite.

End spoiler


The people Brandon, Hannah and Alex meet along their journeys are incredibly engaging. Mrs. Devenish is a strong no-nonsense woman who is hard not to love. Her granddaughter Verity is just as endearing. To sum up, I absolutely adored this book. It's gotten me on another WWII kick, and I started reading another WII time travel book (Blackout if you're curious) so I know I'll be getting out all the DVDs of WII programs that my mother has burned on DVD for me to watch!

Oh, I was summing up, wasn't I?  While this is a middle grade book, I consider it entertaining for all ages. The second book in the series, A Different Day, A Different Destiny (The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 2) is out, and I've added it to my Wishpot for when I have a bit of extra cash!

Blog Advice: Design

Now that my new blog design is up and running, I figured it would be a good time to discuss design and how it can be important to your blog.

Until I started this blog, I wasn't really interested in garnering an audience. I kept vague tabs on who was reading my wedding blog, but I knew that I wouldn't continue blogging about my wedding once I was married, so I wasn't interested in maintaining an audience.

Ever since my first blog back in 2000, I have been interested in graphic designs. I have to be honest-when I'm looking at a blog, of course the content is what's most interesting, but if there's content and good design, I will subscribe in a heartbeat. I guess I see it as a sign that the blogger is committed? Granted, this is not always the case, but most people that are either going to spend the time to design a blog, or pay someone else to do it are interested in maintaining a quality blog.

So what is good design? This answer will vary for everyone, but I think a blog should be easy to read, not have a million blinking/moving widgets and pictures that slow down load times, and have easy to find links for new subscribers. To illustrate my point, here are a few blogs that I think have a nice design.

The Book Vixen.  -She has a fair amount of widgets and pictures, but they're all kept to the sidebar, so it doesn't impede with the content of her blog. The design is sassy and gives you an idea of the person who's doing the blogging!

The Neverending Shelf - Crisp white background for text, lovely background image, and not too many widgets. I love the use of post signature as well. Simple and not too dramatic.

The Story Siren-LOVE the look of Kristi's blog. She uses different fonts for the post headers, has a gorgeous flourish between each post, and best of all, her blog is easy to read. The ads are all on the left or at the bottom of her post.

Good design doesn't have to mean that you're spending a lot. I'll be honest-I did drop a small bit of change with my blog design because it is so important to me-not just as a book blogger, but as an aspiring author. I want to have a web presence that speaks to who I am. If you're looking for a different design, but don't want to spend upwards of $50+, here are some great resources for you.

We Have a Winner!

We have a winner of my Finished First Draft Contest! A hearty congratulations goes to:

Sya!

She had multiple entries in the contest and the winning number fell within her range of entries.

Didn't win? You still have a few more days to enter to win my other contest: a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

Thanks for stopping by!

I have two contests going on at the moment: enter to win copies of Shade by Jeri Smith Ready & Sea by Heidi Kling, or two great books for writers! Enter here!

You can also win a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores! Enter here!

Review: The Spendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

The Splendor Falls-Rosemary Clement Moore
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: 9/09
Source: Purchased
Author Website

Can love last beyond the grave?

Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well?
(Amazon description)


I have to admit that I am a sucker for stories set in the south, and that's why I picked up The Splendor Falls. It sucked me in from the start, even though the start of the book is a wee bit slow (it takes a couple chapters just for Sylvie to get from the airport to her family's ancestral home) but there is enough humor and intrigue to keep the reader entertained.

 Sylvie is a likable narrator, a former ballerina dealing with the fact that her career is over, that her mother has married her step-shrink who thinks she's going 'round the bend, and has been pawned off to relations in Alabama for the summer. Of course as soon as she lands in the south, she meets Rhys, a delightfully persnickety Welshman, who just happens to be staying at her family's home.

Sylvie is headstrong, and I love that in a protagonist. She doesn't take guff from anyone, when the daughter of her cousin's business partner greets her with instant disdain, instead of just letting her heap abuse on her, she says something great (paraphrasing here) "I have to take my dog for a walk. I can only deal with one bitch  a time." Awesome.

Speaking of the dog, I could have had less of her in the book. It seems like Sylvie doesn't go anywhere without her dog, and it is a wee bit annoying.  There is real character depth in all of the characters, even with the bitchy Addie-her motivations are revealed in the end. There are also some spooky bits too, everything you'd hope for in a Southern ghost tale! The ending was a wee bit rushed for my tastes, but it was a satisfying one.

While The Splendor Falls is a book on the larger side (500+ pages) it is a very satisfying, easy read.

Last Chance to Enter!

My Finished First Draft contest closes tomorrow! Make sure to enter so you don't miss out on your chance to win Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready & Sea by Heidi Kling, or two great books for writers!

You have a few more days to enter to win a $40 gift credit to CSN stores, but you can go here to enter!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. I received two books this week, both for review.

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When (The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 1)-by Annette Laing. It's a middle grade time travel novel. I picked it up to flip through it and was immediately sucked in. I'm half-way through it.

The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional-by Phillip Yaffe
This is a writing instruction guide. Hoping to glean some new information that will help me through revisions.

What's in your mailbox this week?

Book Blogger Hop/Follow My Blog Friday June 18th

t's time for another Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com.  This week I'm also participating in Parajunkee's Follow My Blog Friday as well!

If you're stopping by for the first time, welcome! I hope you take a look around and like what you see. I review books (mostly YA), talk about the writing process, talk a bit about my personal life and assorted miscellany. If you're a new visitor, please comment so I can check out your blog!

I also have two contests going on right now, so if you like my blog and think you'd like to be a new follower, enter here to win Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, Sea by Heidi Kling, OR two great books for writers!

Enter  here to win a $40 gift certificate to CSN stores! This contest is open to all-you don't have to be a follower.

New Look for The Bodacious Pen & a Contest to Celebrate!

Hey, are you reading this on your feed reader? You might want to click through to The Bodacious Pen because the blog has a brand new look, which was designed by Smitten Blog Design.  Check it out!

I know that I have one contest going currently (go here for more info and to enter), but I was contacted by CSN stores to see if I would be interested in hosting a contest here at my blog, so of course I said yes! So in the spirit of the new look on my blog, I am hosting a giveaway for a $40 gift certificate with CSN stores. Why not try out a new look-either for yourself or your home!

CSN has a HUGE array of products, seriously, I was very impressed.  Need new lighting for your home?  They've got you covered.  Don't need anything for your home, but you want some shoes instead?  They've got you covered. I personally love all the bookcases they have. How cool is this one?

In looking around CSN's stores I've found a ton of stuff I like, so I'm sure you will too!

• The details: I'm giving away one $40 CSN Stores gift certificate to use however you wish.

• The rules: You must be a resident of the US or Canada to enter. You must be at least 13 years old. You do not have to be a follower of my blog to enter, but followers will garner more entries. You will also garner more entries if you blog or tweet about the contest.  

• The contest runs until June 25th . Winners will be announced June 26th, and I will forward your information onto a CSN rep who will award your prize!

Please fill out the form below to enter. Thanks for entering and good luck! 




Full disclosure: I was not compensated in any way by CSN stores to hold this contest. 

On My Wishlist: June 17th

On My Wishlist is a weekly feature ran by the great book blog Book Chick City. To learn more about this meme, get the details here.
This week's On My Wishlist is focusing on some books I've discovered as I'm doing research on the publishers who will be in attendance at ALA.

 Indigo Blues-Danielle Joseph
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: 7/1/10

Even though you tossed me away, I'm here to stay.
Oh, Indigo, how could you let me go . . -from "Indigo Blues" written    by Adam Spade, performed by Blank Stare

Indigo:
I never asked to be famous—or infamous. Such is my fate for briefly dating (and dumping) Adam Spade. Yes, the Adam from the indie rock band who wrote "Indigo Blues"—the song that gave the band overnight success, propelled them to New York City, and stole my precious anonymity. Now I'm pawed by fans, stalked by reporters, and pegged as a vicious heartbreaker. And Adam is still calling me. Doesn't he have better things to do?
Adam:
With a hit single and a promising career, I should be on top of the world. People on the street are beginning to recognize me, which is cool. And scary. The band is counting on me to write another hit, but I can't stop thinking about Indigo. Why won't she answer the phone?
(Amazon description)


Perhaps it's because I'm a former music nerd, but I love novels about bands, and especially novels about bands that feature a love story. Can't wait to check this out out. The author will be signing at ALA too!

Nightshade-Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Date: 10/19/10


Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?
(Amazon description)


I have to admit that werewolves are not usually my thing, but this book sounds intriguing, and I love the name of the main character-Calla. I used that name for one of my main characters once. Andrea will be signing at ALA also, so I'm hoping I can snag a signed copy of this one as well!

Bright Young Things-Anna Godbersen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 10/12/10

The author of The Luxe takes on the 1920's. Seriously-no description needed here! I haven't even read The Luxe series yet, but I know that when I do, I will gobble it up. At BEA, they were handing out samplers of this book, should I dare to hope that at ALA they'll have galleys? Here's to hoping!

Nearly free books, ARCs & Galleys Oh My!

If you've read my blog for awhile, you'll know that I participate in a few programs to earn a bit of extra cash, most of which I use for guilt-free book buying.  You're not going to get rich participating in these programs, and they do require an investment of your time, which is why I say the books are "nearly" free, because I value my time, and I assume you do too. The three websites below are in my opinion, the best sites to use to garner a bit of extra cash. 

Swagbucks-Hands down the best way to make a bit of pocket cash on the internet-not only for how quickly you'll earn, but how little spam you'll run into. Install their toolbar, use it for searches (I win SB every day, the amount varies) and watch the swagbucks add up. You can also earn points daily for flicking through special offers, voting in the daily poll, and often they have quick videos to watch for a few extra swagbucks. If you're really into it, you can snag codes they post a few times a week, do surveys and complete special offers (a lot of them are free.) I've been a member for about 9 months and have redeemed $40 in Amazon gift cards, and have about another $40 in my account that I'm saving for some of the late summer/early fall book releases. When you join, you get 30 SB. A $5 Amazon gift card is 450 SB-so you can earn pretty quickly.

My Points-Similar to Swagbucks, but I primarily earn points through reading e-mails they send me. You'll want to get a spam e-mail if you sign up if you don't already have one. They usually send between 3-5 e-mails a day, and you earn 5 points each for looking at them. They also have a shop & earn points program, a toolbar you can install to get points for searching, and a daily spin & win game of chance which is fun (even if I often lose). I've been a Mypoints member for two and a half years and have earned approximately $250.

Synovate Global Opinion Panels- Most survey websites suck. They make you go through 20 questions and tell you "sorry, you don't qualify!" Sure, if you have a lot of time to kill, you can go through that, but Synovate won't waste your time. You're not going to get surveys as often as with some of the crappier panels who send the same e-mails to everyone, but you can earn quickly here. Even if you don't qualify for a survey, you usually earn 100 points for your account. You get so many points for signing up and can earn quickly if you respond to every survey link. Right now I have about $6 in my account, but I've only been participating for about three months.You can start redeeming rewards at $5.

Now for the part you've been waiting for: ARCs and galleys!

Bloggiesta Wrap-Up

I have to admit that Sunday was Bloggiesta=fail. I had personal errands to do, and since my husband works on Saturdays and Sunday is his only weekend day off, we generally have to do a lot of errands and work around the house. Who knew that it would take two and a half hours to install a new mailbox?

I did spend a bit of time on blog-related activities, so I shall share:
-Responded to an author e-mail about doing a review of their new book.
-Wrote two rainy day posts, one was very image/link heavy.

All together on Sunday I spent about 90 minutes doing blog-related activities, so I think that's not too bad.

I accomplished every goal that I could for Bloggiesta. My blog design isn't finished as of yet, but everything else on that list (and then some) is done.

I spent a little over nine and a half hours working on my blog, and I'm so glad I took part in Bloggiesta. I think it's really helped me improve my blog, and best of all I found some new blog friends as well!

I can't really think of anything I'd change for future Bloggiestas, my only suggestion would be to make it a "long weekend" challenge. Perhaps Friday-Monday?

Thanks again to Natasha at Maw Books for hosting this great event, and to all the bloggers that hosted challenges!

Bloggiesta Update: Saturday

Here's the breakdown of how I spent my time (roughly four hours) during Bloggiesta on Saturday. I didn't sit down and do this in one fell swoop, but in bits throughout the day.

-Participated in the mini challenge that Bonjour Cass  hosted, which involved finding ten new blogs and leaving meaningful comments there. I had fun with this one!
-Went through my Google reader and cleaned it up a bit. Unsubscribed from some blogs that no longer update, or that aren't fitting my tastes any longer.
-Wrote one rainy day post-a really long one with lots of links.
-E-mailed graphic designers about adding a favicon into my redesign. 
-Spent some time considering how I want to run upcoming contests. Set aside a bit of cash in July's budget for post ALA contests.
-Spent time getting info about my blog ready for ALA. Organized business cards and worked on my lists of publishers booths I want to hit. 

How'd you spend your Bloggiesta Saturday?

Review: Zan-Gah by Allan Richard Schickman

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure-Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books
Publication Date: 7/07
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Author Website

“She began to move warily in a circle as the men tightened the trap, and as they got closer the lioness began to stride and prowl in a circle so small that she almost seemed to be chasing her tail. But she was watching, watching while she turned and snarled, for a weakness in the ever-tightening ring of her pursuers. Then, at the moment the attack finally was sounded--when the men, putting down their drums and torches, charged on the run with their spears--the lioness saw what she was looking for. One of her enemies was smaller, weaker than the rest. There was a point in the strengthening line that could be broken! Thought merged with furious action and the beast, with a mighty bound of astonishing swiftness, darted toward Zan. Five hundred pounds of snarling fury sprang directly at him with claws bared and fanged mouth open!”

(Sample text from publisher website)

I'm going to start my review of Zan-Gah the way that I've seen many others start theirs: I've never read any pre-historic novels. When the publisher asked if I'd review the book, I agreed, mainly because the story is so different from what I usually read. 

The story centers around Zan-Gah, a courageous young man who goes on the adventure of a lifetime in hopes of finding his twin brother who had gone missing. Most in his village assume that Dael, his brother, is dead, but after Zan kills a lion and is regarded by his people as a hero, he feels that he has the strength to go on what most would see as a fruitless search. On his quest to find his brother, he meets people from other clans, and not all of them are friendly. Some of them are down-right horrible. Without giving too much away, Zan has to go through a lot of tribulations throughout his journey.

While this is a young adult book, I think it's the perfect length for a middle grade aged child. Both boys and girls would enjoy it for the action, and the small amount of romance as well. The book is a little less than 150 pages, so it would be suitable for readers younger than ten, but there is some mild violence, so I assume it would be at the discretion of the parents for younger readers. There is enough of an interesting story there to keep children interested-while they learn a bit about pre-history as well. 

I give Zan-Gah 4/5 stars. It was well-written, easy to read story. While I feel anyone could enjoy the tale of Zan and his adventures, I would definitely pass this book on to any young reader I knew.

Wannabe Writers #20

Wannabe Writers is a writing group for the un-published and anyone is welcome to join. It's a place where future authors can ask questions, share stories, and get feedback. Click (here) to find more about how it works.

Where I am in the writing process: I completed my first draft this week! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud of myself for finishing this first step (of many) towards publication. Right now I'm taking a bit of break from writing. I have printed out my manuscript for making chapter notes, but I've set it aside for now. My goal is to let the manuscript rest until the ALA conference is over. Once ALA is over (it's two weeks from this weekend), I will continue making chapter notes, and  possibly begin a rough outline for the sequel. 

Once I make the revisions based on chapter notes, I will read it over and revise again before I hand it over to my beloved betas (husband, one of my best friends). I hope to have it in good enough shape for them to look at it by the end of August. Then I will revise again based on their notes, and hopefully start the search for a critique partner in the later part of the year.

My current problems:  No problems this week!

This week's question:  This week's question was given to me by my blogger-friend Swimmer.  She asked about writer jealousy.  

 

I discussed this topic a few weeks ago for my question when there wasn't one. If you didn't catch it, you can read what I had to say here.

Bloggiesta Update

Here's the breakdown of how I spent my time during Bloggiesta on Friday. I didn't sit down and do this in one fell swoop, but in bits throughout the day. I jotted down the time I spent on everything, and I spent four hours and fifteen minutes working on Bloggiesta! Here's what I worked on.

-Tidied up tags and prior blog posts.
-Wrote two "rainy day" posts.
-Ogled the new blog designs and went over revisions with graphic designers.
-Backed up my blog thanks to a tip from Farm Lane Books. 
-Reading and and writing my own goals for the  Blogging To-Do List mini-challenge.
-Installed the Add This button.

How are you spending time during Bloggiesta? 

Bloggiesta Begins!

I'm taking part in Bloggiesta, which runs from today through Sunday. Basically, Bloggiesta is one big challenge for bloggers to work on improving their blogs. Over the course of the next few days, I will be:

-Tidying up things here. Getting rid of tags I don't use,  and going back to old reviews and applying my new format to them, so everything looks uniform.
-Getting the final details down for my first sponsored contest, which should hopefully go live early next week!
-Work on some "rainy day" posts, for those days where I have no idea what to blog. I can just post one of those. Reviews, writer's topics, etc.
-Write a post for one of the mini-challenges. 
-Read some of the interesting posts on the Bloggiesta site to see how I can work on improving my blog.
-Lastly: I've been working with a pair of talented graphic designers to totally overhaul The Bodacious Pen. I should be getting the first revisions from them today, so I'll be getting set to roll out a new look, and I'm so, so excited!

Are you taking part in Bloggiesta? What are your goals?

Book Blogger Hop June 11th

It's time for another Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com. If you're stopping by for the first time, welcome! I hope you take a look around and like what you see. I review books (mostly YA), talk about the writing process, talk a bit about my personal life and assorted miscellany. If you've never been here before, leave a comment so I can check out your blog!

I also have a contest going on right now, so if you like my blog and think you'd like to be a new follower, enter here!

Finished First Draft Contest!

I'm happy to announce that I just finished the first draft of my novel, which is such an accomplishment for me! To celebrate, I'm having another contest! This contest is available internationally  provided you live in one of the many countries The Book Depository ships to. Not sure if your country is included? Please check here before entering.

Now on to the fun stuff! This contest is similar to the last one I had, but instead of just offering one book to choose from, I'm offering two. Since I blog about reading and writing, I am offering both fiction and non-fiction writing books as prizes. It doesn't matter if you're a writer and would prefer the reader's package, I'm just offering the writing books up for those that would enjoy them. On my last contest, most people picked the reader's package, but the person that won chose the writing book, so you never know. :)

The Reader's Prizes:

Sea by Heidi R. Kling, and Shade by Jeri-Smith Ready. Shade is one of my favorite books so far this year. Sea is on my TBR list, and I've heard marvelous things about it.

The Writer's Prizes:

The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner and Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. The Forest for the Trees isn't so much a writing instruction book, I guess I'd consider it more of an advice book? Writing Great Books for Young Adults features a lot of the stuff you'd find in a typical writing instruction book, but skewed towards a YA audience.

To enter, please fill out the form below. The only requirements are that you live in one of the countries The Book Depository ships to, you are at least thirteen years old, and that you are a follower of my blog. I do not require that you tweet (if you do so, please mention @tarawriter), blog, or offer up your first child to me to win the contest, but doing so will garner you extra entries. Well, you can keep your first child, but I appreciate the blogs and tweets. This contest will close on June 21st, and winners will be announced on June 22nd.

Good luck and thanks for entering!

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't notice the form cut off! I have edited the width of the form for any new entries, and will edit the entries in my spreadsheet for those of you that already entered.