Monday, October 29, 2012

ANWA Writers Conference Contest

Spread-the-Word Contest!

It's that time of year when we gear up for the annual ANWA Time Out for Writers Conference held February 21-23. The fun and learning will happen at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa, Arizona (be sure to let them know you're with ANWA when you reserve your room).

We have some great things happening this year. Some returning stars: pitch opportunities with agents/editors, the Beginning of Book (BOB) contest, wonderful workshops, the All-Star Breakfast, the bookstore and the fabulous James Owen as our keynote speaker. New stars to the line-up: the Protagonist Ball (come dressed as your favorite protagonist and have a great time mingling with attendees and presenters).

We want to let as many people know about the Time Out for Writers Conference as we can so we're hosting a week-long contest to Spread The Word. The winner will be randomly picked. You can earn multiple entries using the Rafflecopter below. The prize: a $25 Amazon gift card!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 15, 2012

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
inspired by Siobhan Dowd


Back of Book: At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

YA

Don't let the cover scare you off. I have to admit, though, that I love the cover. I have blinds on all my windows due to horror films/TV from my youth, so you would think that I would avoid reading something with a monster heading for a house and a 13 y.o. boy. But no, I picked this up and started reading it. 

It's a quick read (took me about two and a half hours), but so worth the time. It's a heart-wrenching tale that made me cry a couple of times (but, I'm like that, so no surprise there). I just typically don't read criers. But I digress. This would be great for book clubs and I want my kids to read it, too. In an environment where things worth reading can be hard to find, this shines! Get it. [Amazon.com] Read it.

Disclaimer: I checked this out from the library and received no compensation for this review.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Earthbound by Theresa Sneed

Earthbound by Theresa Sneed

Back of the Book: Heaven used to be such a perfect place . . .

As the time draws near for the first spirits to leave their home in heaven, a group of rebellious dissenters begins to appear at every blue-planet planning meeting, demanding that all mortals are ruled by compulsory choice, instead of having the freedom to choose for themselves. Daniel is a courageous Freedom Fighter who vehemently opposes the No Choice movement. Sophie is impressed by his strong desire to do what's right . . . and by his intense blue eyes. But she also has a strange attraction to the handsome and ostentatious Coe, a leader of the No Choice movement, who has his sights on her and will stop at nothing to claim her as his own.

LDS Romantic Fiction.

Normally I'm not a huge fan of LDS fiction, but I loved this book! I like fantasy/sci-fi and there were parts of this that fit right into that. This was also a book that made me look inside. It was a good reminder that every choice matters. And to have read it right before LDS General Conference didn't hurt either. I highly recommend it--even if you're not LDS (and if you're not LDS and have questions, stop the missionaries, they'd love to answer your questions or visit LDS.org). I'm looking forward to checking out Theresa Sneed's other book, No Angel.

Theresa's books can be found at Amazon or Deseret Book. Get it and enjoy an engaging and thought-provoking story.

Disclaimer: I bought this book and received no compensation for this review.

Book Sale!

Need some sweet romance to sigh your way through the holidays? Here you go: Merry Christmas and happy wishes for however you celebrate!