Unwind, Book Review

Why didn't you tell me, bloggy friends, that kids' books could be so creepy? Goof Ball, Oatmeal Head, Owlie and I went to the library for a book signings a few weeks ago. There were two authors - Neal Shusterman and Gary Paulsen - who Goof Ball loves. I'd only heard of one (Shusterman), but I love a good book signing, so we all headed out.

OMG - the two authors spoke for a bit and I fell in LOVE with Gary Paulsen. He wouldn't let me take him home with me, but I could have tucked him in my pocket and squirreled him away. What a story teller! Unfortunately we only picked up one of his books, Hatchet. I've yet to read it.

Shusterman, on the other hand, is one of Goof Ball's favorite authors. We snagged a couple of his books, Full Tilt and Unwind. Full Tilt is sitting next to me, waiting to be read, but I was kept awake one night reading Unwind. I was kept awake the next night just thinking about Unwind.

The concept is chilling - sometime in the future, abortion is outlawed. In order to make the pro-abortion and pro-life camps happy, the legislation is written to allow parents to have children over the age of 13 and under 18 "unwound". Each part of said child has to be used in some other person. In other words, the child is, technically, killed and redistributed. But not killed, according to the way it's done and to how their parts are used. Freaky.

So if your kid isn't performing up to snuff, if they're getting into trouble, what have you, you can sign papers to have them unwound. Especially if you have another child or two who pleases you.

It's a spooky book concept. The biggest hole in the plot, from a parent's perspective is that, DUH - what parent of a 13 year old wouldn't sign those papers?!? Really? What were the legislators thinking? But as a pre-teen reading it? Scary stuff.

Shusterman did a fantastic job making this believable. And frightening. Well written. Gave me the heebie-jeebies. I want to read Full Tilt, too, but the premise for it looks even more unnerving. I'll let you know if I work up the courage to read it at some point. Until then, if you like futuristic young adult thrillers, I give Unwind two thumbs up!

Until I write again ...

Flea

Revised Chicken Watch

Lou the Loud, the cat we love to hate, got to poor little Peep. It was a sad, sad day. Many tears were shed. Many.

But don't feel sorry for us. Well, yes - feel sorry for us. Very sorry. Peep's friends are here. All five of them. And the menfolk are busy building a moveable coop.

Until I write again ...

Flea

Friday Meme

I found this fabulous meme at Froggarita's blog. Scrumptious! Play along, will you?


With this Meme I will ask you 5 question which could be book related or not so we can get to know each other better! The only rule is you can't use the same answer twice!


1. What new book coming out soon do you plan to buy?
2. What upcoming book are you dying to read?
3. What series is a must read for you?
4. What new author have you found so far in 2011?
5. What little known author are you a fan of?


The Good Flea's responses:


1. Eva Marie Everson's latest book, Chasing Sunsets, will probably be my next new book purchase. It's set in Cedar Key, FL, so I look forward to visiting familiar places.


2. Upcoming as in soon to be released? I just told you. Upcoming as in I plan to read shortly? Stephen King's Misery. I'm actually about 30 pages in and already uneasy, but enjoying the book.


3. I can only get so far in a series before I'm done. I'd have to say, though, that Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series is one I've read nearly every book of.


4. This is an easy one! Nancy Rue! So far I've only read The Reluctant Prophet, but it's a great book and I'm hoping the rest of hers are as enjoyable!


5. That's a tough one. How many of you have read Al Gansky? I don't know that he's little-known, but I can't always find his older work. LOVE his mystery/suspense/supernatural thrillers.


Play along, will you? Let me know if you blog this one.


Until I write again ...


Flea

The Reluctant Prophet, Book Review

At the Blue Ridge Writers Conference (where I had lots of fun and walked around with pneumonia and met new people and struggled to breathe and learned so much I thought my head would explode), I picked up some novels and had a few signed. One of my favorites so far is by a writer who's evidently written quite a bit, but whom I've never heard of. Allow me to introduce you?

Bloggy friends, meet Nancy Rue, author of The Reluctant Prophet.

This book was an unexpected delight. The cover illustration is a woman on a motorcycle. First page of chapter one, the main character, Allison, is sitting in church. I was prepared to be less than dazzled. I went in with prejudice, frustrated to see the book setting begin in a church. Somehow that sets the stage, for me, for disappointment on a grand scale.

Allison and her nudges from God turns my prejudices and expectations on their ear pretty quickly. Nancy Rue drew me in, kept me there, threw people all over the place in the process, and did NOT disappoint with the ending. Nothing neat, tidy or formulaic about The Reluctant Prophet. I LIKE IT. Very much.

What's not to like? A middle aged woman, is told, by God no less, to buy a Harley. Then learn to ride it - something she's never had a desire to do. She meets a whole group of people who turn her prejudices and expectations on their ear, the Harley riders. LOVE. Then - THEN - she takes on the city's underbelly. One person at a time. And not how you'd think.



Cool trailer, huh? Make you wanna read the book? It's worth your time, I think. And it's a quick read - perfect for a day at the beach under an umbrella. Let me know, if you read it, what you think, please.

Until I write again ...

Flea

Chicken Watch

A boy and his chick

The More Important Stuff

Books, writing, conference ... let's put all that aside. There's more important stuff to consider at the moment. Stuff like this:

ISN'T SHE THE CUTEST WIDDLE THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN?!? She'd better be a she. Or she's a future meal.

Saturday night I'm out with my Hunny and Maybelline, enjoying fine dining and dancing (and Edward Olmos, keynote speaker) at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's first annual award banquet in Tulsa. See? My darling daughter and I had a wonderful time.

And she danced with her daddy! I don't dance.

While we were living it up, Goof Ball was out with a friend's husband, supposedly looking for driftwood for me to burn baby animals into. They didn't find any driftwood. That might be because, oh, I don't know, it's kind of tough to find driftwood in a FEED STORE. Yeah. They came home with Nugget. A day old chick of unknown origin. Here's my boy and his chick. She loves him to pieces already.

Here's where I'm begging for information. I've looked up all the fun stuff on caring for chicks. Heck, Goof Ball and Oatmeal Head did all the research online before we ever got home. The part I don't get is what kind of chicken our little Nugget is. She has feathers all the way down her legs and covering her toes. Anyone? Anyone have a clue? I'm hoping whatever kind she is lays tasty eggs.

So it was a crazy weekend. Crazier still that I may be taking a chicken to work with me tomorrow. I'm supposed to check on it five times a day. Why? To make sure it's still alive? Still making that peeping noise? Still pooping everywhere? Why?!? *sigh* I'm just going with it.

Until I write again ...




Flea

All Night Long

Father's Day is coming! Father's Day is coming!

It's June 19th, to be exact. I wanted to catch your attention well in advance, since you'll want to order this little book if you know a new dad, or an old dad with a new kid.

I've mentioned the book before, but Steve Knight is a local author and his book is the most adorable thing ever. It's the perfect read aloud for every single night of a small child's life. I adore All Night Long and am sure your children or grandchildren will as well. It's a simple poem from a daddy to his child, speaking of love, longing, missing. Sweet.

Melanie Florio's illustrations are gorgeous. I have a weakness for children's book illustrators and she's a new favorite.

So head over to Amazon. Snag a copy. I think you'll love this book, too!

Until I write again ...

Flea

3 Things the Conference Did for Me

Heading into the  writers conference, in the back of my head was the mantra, "I'm doing this for Heather." Not because I didn't want to go, but because I didn't know WHY else I was going to a writers conference. That, and Heather's a REAL writer, working on three separate books (not a series). I just wanted to have fun and be around other creative types. That's a great reason to spend a boat load of money and travel halfway across the country, right?

This conference did three things for me. I'm so glad I went.

1)  I realized that I am a writer.

Five years ago when I attended this conference, I wasn't a writer. Not even a beginning one. I had written NOTHING since high school. Nothing. Journal rants about people I couldn't stomach, and records of nightmares I was trying to decipher. Not a writer.

Being with other writers, talking about the craft, exchanging stories and information, answering questions - the week highlighted my writing experience, even if I don't think of myself as prolific.

I have y'all to thank for most of that. Blogging is how I started writing. If y'all weren't such great friends, so encouraging, so hilarious in your comments and your own posts, if I didn't have this community, I never would have kept up with the blogging and probably would have turned exclusively to other art forms. So, thank you!

2)  I know a lot more than I thought I did.

I have to thank Lil' Bro here. A couple of years ago I was gung-ho about starting a website about a specific topic to make money. Lil' Bro is in marketing and he knows his stuff. He would talk to me late into the evening about SEO's, the right way to drive traffic to my site, how to title articles and posts, a wealth of information. I took copious notes. I didn't do a whole lot with them, but it sunk in.

This last week, sitting in Al Gansky's Writer for Hire workshop, I realized how much of what he was saying about how to succeed in writing I already knew. Not everything, but enough to text my brother and thank him. That was a good feeling. An I-can-do-this feeling.

3)  I'm inspired to write.

I don't necessarily have the energy, but I am inspired. Pneumonia has kicked my tuckus. Typing this is wearing me out. And it's been a long time that I've had one thing or another. Here's hoping antibiotics knocks it out for good and I can stay well.

There are several writing projects I've picked up and discarded, or tucked away, the last couple of years. Listening and interacting last week with faculty and conferees, I realized that the passion for a couple of those  projects is still lurking under the surface. One in particular, which I put away because the subject matter is so dark, so not-me. But it begs to be written.

I didn't want to spiral into depression writing the story. Neither did I want to write something upbeat and ruin it. Deb Raney, in her Surprises and Secrets workshop (shhh! I'm going to tell you one of her secrets), talked about writing being depressing when you delve deep into the lives and psyches of the character. Not everything is sunshine and roses.

That was just what I needed to hear. That it's normal to ride emotional roller coasters when developing a character. That it's what I have to do to get the story out.

With all the laughter and tears, the activity and inspiration, these three things meant the most to me. I highly recommend a writers conference if you can find one to attend (if you love to write). Oh! There were also speakers there (public speakers use the written word), editors, writers of every type. Try one out. There is probably a conference near you sometime this year.

Until I write again ...

Flea

Lookit who's 18!!!

MAYBELLINE!!!

Um, I never did find that logic she wanted for her birthday. Good thing we're not setting her loose on the world yet.

Until I write again ...

Flea

In a Nutshell

Where to start? Last week I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in Ridgecrest, NC. It's a mouthful. And a pretty place.

I made friends:

Heather and Konnie - Heather attended with me

Renewed old friendships:

Eva Marie! One of my favorite authors! And a good friend and blogger to boot!

Attended some fantastic workshops, led by authors I admire. Ate cafeteria food that was pretty darned good. Made the mistake of drinking the coffee exactly ONCE. *shudder* That's a note to self right there.

I won't go in-depth about the conference here. We stayed busy and running up and down hills from dawn to past dusk. There were tears, laughter, enlightenment, entertainment, and more learning than I've been able to wrap my brain around. Oh, and tons of inspiration.

What I will do over the next few weeks is review books. Since I've been home I've finished two that authors signed (I have a weakness for author signed books), and a box of books should be arriving from North Carolina this week. I'm pretty excited about reviewing the first one I read, The Reluctant Prophet, by Nancy Rue. Definitely want to read more of her work, maybe find her teen books for some of my favorite kids.

Speaking of my favorite kids, it's off to work I go! I'll be catching up with you all tomorrow - tonight we celebrate Maybelline's 18th birthday!

Until I write again ...

Flea

Casa de Pulga

I missed my family SOOOO much while I was gone. This is why:

Hunny, Maybelline, Oatmeal Head, Goof Ball and Owlie, all in one place. It's good to be home.

Until I write again ...

Flea

Culinary Shermans

I just had the best week of my life and it began with liver and onions.

The past eight days I've traveled, almost died, eaten too much, had my brain stuffed to bursting, and been badly mistreated by an airline I once respected. I told my husband this morning that I felt like the week was a sandwich - tasty deli meat, cheese and veggies layered between moldy, maggot-infested bread. I'm going to pick off the top bread and share the veggie layer. Meat and cheese next week!

Heather and greens, together at last

Friend Heather and I left Tulsa last Thursday and flew to Atlanta to see my very favorite aunt, Dr. MAM (she's a newly minted doctor) and spend Mother's Day with her. Heather researched the best fried chicken joints and mapped out the three days in Georgia. Our first stop, on the way from the airport to my aunt's, was a little cafeteria in Tucker, GA, that was featured in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, called Matthews. Lookit my liver and onions! Can't get that at home. No one else will eat it.

WHY won't my family eat liver and onions?!?

The running joke all week was that we were culinary General Shermans, plowing through all the fried chicken in Georgia. Unfortunately, Matthews doesn't serve fried chicken for lunch on Thursdays. What we had, though, was scrumptious. Bonus? Heather had turnip greens for the first time and fell in LOVE.

The Bear's Den cafeteria fried chicken. Died and went to heaven.

This is the fried chicken at The Bear's Den in Macon. Oh. Em. Gee. It's tied for first place for best fried chicken EVER. Moist, tender, perfectly fried. Their beans were equally delish. Unfortunately, my body was attempting to kill me. More on that another day. The meal was good, though.

Mary, Mary, quite adorable!

My cousin (that's her with her boy) showed Heather the hot pepper vinegar trick for greens and took her experience to a whole 'nother level. It's all Heather. *shudder* Give me the black-eyed peas any day.

These were some scrumpdiddlyitious field peas!

This is Clayton, Georgia's chicken, at the Clayton Cafe. Nom nom nom. The biggest chicken breasts we'd ever seen. The ambiance was almost better than the food. Over heard:
"Are the mashed potatoes real?"
"Well they come from potatoes."
Alrighty then.

*DROOL*

Our last fried chicken stop was, believe it or not, at the Atlanta airport, the only shining moment of the last day, a place called Paschal's. It's a seriously tough call between Pacshal's and The Bear's Den when it comes to the chicken.

Umm. Yeah. It was that good.

I liked it. Very much.

But there is NO CONTEST when it comes to dessert. Feast your eyes ...

I saw angels ascending and descending from Heaven while I ate this. Seriously.

I considered licking the plate. No one in that airport will ever see me again, right? My genteel southern upbringing stopped me (stop sniggering), but not before I thought long and hard. I rarely have red velvet cake because of the dye and my ADD, but this piece was worth breaking the rules for. The creamy chocolate layers with the cream cheese frosting ... to die for.

That, my friends, is the edible version of my trip. Next week? The conference!

Until I write again ...

Flea

Conference

FYI - Conference? Not relaxing.

On a related note, conference? AWESOME.

Like my big writerly words?

Yeah. Brain fried. Big writerly words to resume next week

Until I write again ...

Flea

Will Resume Shortly ...

I am (drumroll, please) in Ridgecrest, NC. Blue Ridge Christian Writer's Conference, of all things.

I'm all kinds of excited.

So while I soak up classes, y'all have fun. I'll fill you all in when I return.

-----------------------------

On a separate note, I know I've been ill quite a bit the last six months. It's hampered my blogging quite a bit.

Last Thursday I flew into Atlanta. I was at the tail end of my first case of bronchitis. I thought I was better. Evidently flying and bronchitis don't mix.

Friday night I walked into an Urgent Care clinic. Bronchitis, pneumonia and sinus infection, with a side of acid reflux.

The point of that story is that I fully intend to recover while relaxing, hence getting back to blogging when I return to Tulsa. Really. And reading blogs.

So everyone enjoy your week! I'll be catching up next week.

Until I write again ...

Flea

The Chair

I have a lovely green chair in my living room. It's The Sick Chair. It's arms are high (nearly to my shoulders) and close, well padded. It's a soft, sueded microfiber. A comfortable, secure chair.

Sitting in my chair, I can hear my children in their rooms if their doors are open. I can hear Goof Ball even when his is closed, since there's an opening in his wall. He talks in his sleep, you know.

It's not always the most convenient chair. I can't, for instance, do handwork (e.g., smocking) in the chair. The embracing arms leave little room for elbows to dance with a needle and floss.

However, on nights like tonight, when I have bronchitis and my cough won't allow me to lie prone, the chair is my best friend. It beckons, swallowing me, allowing me to sleep upright without listing too far to either side.

I know, I know. That's not a photo of the chair. It's Oatmeal Head, Goof Ball and OH's girlfriend, Owlie (we love her). I thought it would be nice to mention that Oatmeal Head turned 17 yesterday. I have two 17 year olds in the house for the next 17 days. Poor kid had a birthday while I was sick. He had a great day, I hope, regardless.

Happy May and happy spring, y'all.

Until I write again ...

Flea