PROJECT US REVIEW

Quote of the week:“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” 
― C.S. Lewis

Here is one of the books I just finished reading. Very interesting.

I did not post the blurb from Good Reads because it would give everything away, which would spoil your curiosity.

My thoughts.

PROJECT US

By Ottilie Weber

Imagine you’re on a school field trip, a trip that turns into a project to teach the students the responsibility of adulthood. Sound a little weird, does it? Just wait. This is only the beginning.

In PROJECT US by Ottilie Weber, the reader meets a group of high school students as they set out on an overnight field trip, at least that’s the way it starts out. When Rachel Hertz discovers that her roommate is Nick March, a guy she’s known for years, she’s puzzled. Something is wrong. Teachers would not allow a girl and a guy to share a room, right? No mistake has been made, however. The other students are matched the same as Rachel and Nick, a boy and a girl assigned to each room. 

Even worse, if possible, they have little or no contact with their parents to help straighten matters out. I don’t want to give anything away, but the situation gets worse.

Rachel is a likeable character, trying to figure out her life as most teens do. Nick is adorable, and the connection between the two is fun and realistic. Told from alternate points-of-view (Rachel and Nick) we get to see both sides of the story.

A fun read with some serious thoughts, which led me to the question: how much control should the government have over our schools and students? What about the parents? Shouldn’t they know what’s going on with their children? What do you think?

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Happy Reading!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD

I love you, Dad. I miss you. You are my hero. Dad is the barber. I used to watch him cut men's hair.

He is the father of one son and two daughters.

This is my husband, dad of my four sons. 

He rests now with our oldest boy.

I miss them too.

He was Tiger's hero. Mine too.

Have a great week.

CHRYS FEY New Release and Giveaway

I'm so happy you stopped by today. We have a wonderful book from fantastic author Chrys Fey to share with you. Take a look.

NEW RELEASE & GIVEAWAY!

Catch the
sparks you need to write, edit, publish, and market your book!

Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You
from Idea to Publication offers an abundance of data in one handy book. From
writing your novel to prepping for publication and beyond, you’ll find sparks
on every page, including 100 bonus marketing tips. You’ll also discover how to
write specific scenes and characters, adding depth to your work.

•        Spark One:
Being a Writer

•        Spark Two:
Story Essentials

•        Spark
Three: A Book’s Stepping Stones

•        Spark Four:
How To

•        Spark Five:
Character ER

•        Spark Six:
Editing

•        Spark
Seven: Publishing

•        Spark
Eight: Marketing

•        Spark Nine:
Writing About

•        Spark Ten:
Final Inspiration

With so much information, you’ll take
notes, highlight, and flag pages to come back to again and again on your
writing journey.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon CA / Amazon UK

Barnes
& Noble / KOBO
/ iTunes

 AUTHOR BIO:

 Chrys Fey is the
author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept blending romance,
crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group
and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur
Press.

Fey realized she wanted to write by
watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started her
first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey
lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes.

 

Chrys Fey’s Links:

Website / Blog / Amazon
/ Goodreads

Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

Open to
all from June 4th 2018 – July 6th 2018

Click here to enter or
use the form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUT - JUNE

It's June, a new month, and you know what that means. Yes!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Link to this page.

Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh is the founder of IWSG. 

His awesome co-hosts for the June 6 posting of the IWSG are Beverly Stowe McClure,Tyrean Martinson, Tonja Drecker, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

Every month we ask a question that you can answer or not. Your choice. The question for June is:

What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

This is an easy one for me. With most of my novels the title came first. The title for LISTEN TO THE GHOST, one of my earlier books that is now out of print, the title came to me one summer on vacation. We went to South Carolina to visit our son and daughter-in-law. Charleston is a land of magic for those who love history. They took us on several tours to old houses, some with ghosts, Fort Sumter, White Point Gardens where pirates were hanged, the College, and so many other interesting places. The stories about ghosts haunting some of the houses fascinated me and gave me a story as well as a title.

When we visited Vicksburg and I learned how the citizens survived the Civil War there by living in caves at times, my novel CAVES, CANNONS, AND CRINOLINES was born. No doubt about the title in my mind.

STAR OF THE TEAM, for middle grade readers, came from watching my granddaughter and her friends play basketball. I knew nothing about the sport, but learned and wrote their story.

I could go on and on about the titles, but I won't bore you. Yay!

As for character names, they sometimes take a while to come up with, and I even change them at times in early drafts when they don't sound right.

How about you? Titles or Character Names?

Happy Reading!

JUNE BIRTHDAYS AND STORIES FROM THE HEART

It's Monday again. Where did the week go? At least half of the things I planned to do last week are still waiting. Shh! Don't tell anyone. I'll do them, eventually. In the meantime, I'm celebrating the month of June with birthdays. My real sister has one this month and several of my story book children have birthdays too. Before we wish them Happy Birthday, I just have to share my latest review with you. No, no, don't go away. I promise not to take long.

This is my mg/tween historical fiction novel loosely based on my mother's life. It took a lot of research, but I learned so much about the time period the story takes place and about the Orphan Trains and the children that road them.

Here's the latest review.

Reviewed by Lauren Davis for Readers' Favorite

Beverly Stowe McClure’s story, A Family for Leona, is a poignant tale of adoption that is sure to melt your heart. Eleven-year-old Leona Chapter and her five siblings experience hardship and loss before ending up in the Brooklyn School and Home for Destitute Children. One by one, the Chapter children are sent off in different directions and we wonder if and when they will reunite. The setting is the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries when trains carried orphans from New York to Texas. Leona is forced to board that train, all the while scheming for a way back to her family in New York. When Leona is selected from the group of homeless children and she finds herself riding over flat land in a Model T, the possibility of a return seems bleaker by the second, but Leona is tenacious and hopeful about returning.

A Family for Leona is a story of hope and restoration geared to children and young teens. The adventures and trials Leona and her best friend, Noah, endure pull us into their plight and we cheer and ache with them. Their experiences from a tenement dwelling in Brooklyn to farm life in Texas are quirky, enchanting and ultimately satisfying. Beverly Stowe McClure’s emotional fictional narrative is beautifully written through the eyes of a stubborn adolescent girl with a penchant for increasing her vocabulary. With themes like new beginnings, friendship, love and family, I recommend A Family for Leona and rate this book 5 stars.

 Amazon

Now for my other children's birthdays in June. 

Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines

This is another historical fiction novel set during the American Civil War in Vicksburg. When we visited the city and I heard about the citizens living in caves, I knew I had to write their story. The research was really interesting. I can not imagine living in a cave.

June 15, 2010

Happy Birthday, Lizzie!

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Frankie's Perfect Home

A picture book for young readers about an armadillo searching for the perfect home. The idea for this story came to me when my son found a nest of baby armadillos in our pasture. Fascinating critters.

June 13, 2011

Happy Birthday, Frankie and brothers.

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Life on Hold

A YA novel about a girl that learns a secret her parents have kept from her for 16 years.

June 20, 2013

Happy Birthday, Myra.

###

Princess Breeze

Tween/teen novel about a girl who sails to an island in the Pacific Ocean to visit the prince she met at school and his family.

June 11, 2017

Happy Birthday, Breeze.

My family is growing.

Happy Reading!