Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Timekeeper's Moon

I will have to stop saying I never win anything. Recently, I won a Native American dinner prepared from authentic recipes and ingredients. It was delicious and interesting! The same could be said of The Timekeeper’s Moon, by Joni Sensel. I won an advance copy of the book in a contest over at Joan Stradling’s blog .
I loved it! I did not want to put it down and I stayed up late to finish it. A sequel to Sensel’s The Farwalker’s Quest, Timekeeper’s Moon, is set in a world far in the future when all technology has vanished from the world. The people developed innate talents to survive after “the Blinding” a war that left everyone blind.
Ariel, the only remaining one with “Farwalker” talent is a wonderful character. She hears the moon calling her and feels compelled to follow. With a mysterious map and her feet to guide her, Ariel sets out on a dangerous journey to save the vault of knowledge she discovered in the first book.
The writing is beautiful, original and suspenseful. The world is fascinating and well-crafted. It’s hard for me to say which of the books I like best, but if I had to choose, I would say the relationships between the characters in Timekeeper’s Moon tips the balance. They feel so real they practically thrum off the page.
Another thing I will have to stop saying, is that I don’t like fantasy. Joni Sensel, you captured my heart with this one.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Kidlit Contest

Associate agent Mary Kole, from Andrea Brown Literary Agency, is offering a chance to submit the first 500 words of your completed MG or YA novel over at her blog’s “Novel Beginnings” contest!

The prize?

Grand Prize Winner: A 15 page critique
First Place: A 10 page critique
Second Place: A 5 page critique
Third Place: A 2 page critique
Honorable Mention(s): A critique of the first page of your novel

Deadline for entries: Sunday, January 31st at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time.

Read the details of the contest and submit at
Kidlit Contest

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Talking Books

Many thanks to Mary Cronk Farrell for organizing a monthly book-talk group. Last Friday, a congenial mix of teachers, librarians and writers gathered to chat about recently read books we loved. Among those discussed:

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen
All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg, YA
Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, HS/adult
The White Giraffe by Jill St. John, MG
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, MG, YA
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, MG, YA
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, YA
Pagan's Crusade by Catherine Jinks, YA
Columbine by Dave Cullen, HS/adult
A Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, HS/adult
Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberg, adult
The Help by Katheryn Stockett, adult

--cross-posted to Under the Covers