Alone by Megan E. Freeman: Review & Megan’s Top Ten Addictions

Posted by & filed under Author Top Ten Lists, Feed Your Fiction Addiction, Reviews.

Today I’m featuring my good friend Megan E. Freeman’s debut ALONE, a middle grade retelling of Island of the Blue Dolphins in verse. Alone releases tomorrow, January 12th, so get yourself to a bookstore and buy it now (I can’t wait to pick up my finished copy)! This book so accessible and beautiful—it’s sure to capture the hearts and minds of even the most reluctant readers.

Make sure you also check out Megan’s list of top ten addictions and a giveaway for ALONE or for another book if you already own ALONE by the time you win! (Yep, you read that right. Scroll down for the details…)

Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Published by Simon & Schuster/Aladdin on January 12, 2021
Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Retellings, Dystopian, Verse
Pages: 416
Source: The Author
Cover Artist: Pascal Campion

When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned.

With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten.

As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life?

(more…)

Off On a Basement Writing “Retreat”

Posted by & filed under Feed Your Fiction Addiction, Writing.

Starting tomorrow, I’m going to try to hole myself up in the basement and focus on writing for a whole week. I have no idea how successful this will be, but I figure it’s worth a try. I had been considering going on a real writing retreat, but right now my family’s quarantined anyway until November 1st (more about that in my Sunday Post tomorrow), and my mom’s here with us, so I figure I might as well take advantage.

I haven’t figured out all the logistics yet, but my goal is to treat this as much like a true retreat as possible, at least during the day. I’m not sure how evenings will work—I might have to play that by ear.

(more…)

My Successful Sneak Attack Using Fiction

Posted by & filed under Feed Your Fiction Addiction, Let's Discuss.

Sometimes talking with your kids about an important subject is hard. Depending on the kid, a conversation might be brushed off or misunderstood. This was the case with my youngest when it came to having conversations about the fact that his sister is transgender.

My youngest was the last one in the family to consistently use proper pronouns and call his sister Jade—it’s not like he was willfully rebelling. Noah has a cognitive disability that makes certain concepts harder for him to grasp, especially abstract concepts (time is one example—it’s never come easily to him). For him, the idea that the person he always knew as his brother was actually his sister was more than a little confusing—he’d lost that childlike ability to just go with the flow, but he also didn’t have the immediate ability to grasp concepts of gender vs. sex either. Luckily, Jade never held it against him, so we would just correct Noah when he misgendered her and move on.

(more…)

Reviews of Secrets of Storytelling: A Creative Writing Workbook for Kids & Cookie Cutters and Sled Runners – PLUS Rompella’s Top Ten Addictions!

Posted by & filed under Author Top Ten Lists, Feed Your Fiction Addiction, Reviews.

Today I’m featuring two books by Natalie Rompella: her newly-released kids’ writing book, Secrets of Storytelling: A Creative Writing Workbook for Kids, and her MG contemporary, Cookie Cutters and Sled Runners. Plus, scroll down to see Natalie’s top ten addictions!

Natalie is a friend of mine from my SCBWI critique group, so I was excited to get this chance to feature her!

Secrets of Storytelling: A Creative Writing Workbook for Kids by Natalie Rompella
Illustrator: Jeanine Murch
Published by Rockridge Press on 7/14/20
Genres: Middle Grade, Non-Fiction
Pages: 196
Source: The Publisher

Master the magic of storytelling―100 creative, short fiction prompts for young writers

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve already written a ton of stories, practice makes perfect when it comes to writing for kids. Build your skills the fun way with Secrets of Storytelling; it’s packed with dozens of short, creative fiction prompts and plenty of space so you can write to your heart’s content.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, make mistakes, and get weird with words! Prompts and fun activities about writing for kids inspire you to get creative and help you build intriguing plots, strong characters, and vivid settings for your stories. It’s time to unleash your inner author!

All books about writing for kids should include:

Fun activities―Explore engaging exercises that get your creativity flowing, including brainstorming, filling in the blanks, and beyond.

Tips on writing for kids―Learn simple strategies for crafting strong storylines, and get pointers for overcoming writer’s block, editing your work, and more.

Quotes for creativity―Discover inspirational and motivational quotes from famous writers.

Step up your storytelling skills with the short, creative fiction prompts and fun activities inside this book about writing for kids.

(more…)

July Junk Art Creations

Posted by & filed under Art, Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

My husband and I worked on a lot more refinishing/building projects than junk art in July, but we did finish one junk art project that I’m incredibly proud of—it’s definitely my favorite yet—so I wanted to share it with you.

And then I thought I’d also share the gift that my daughter Danielle and I made for my husband for his upcoming birthday as well. (Once it was made, we couldn’t wait to give it to him, so he’s already seen it. 🙂  )

Without further ado, meet the newest pup in our household…

(more…)

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag 2020

Posted by & filed under Book Lists, Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

Well, I’m a little later than everyone else with this tag this year, but I figure we’re not THAT far past the mid-year point, so I’m still going for it. Besides, it will make me feel better about my current state of non-reading to remember the good things I read earlier in the year.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020

It just so happens I’m going with my two March Best of the Bunch picks for my favorites of the year. Apparently, March was a great reading month. My MG pick is In the Red by Christopher Swiedler. Maybe it’s my current state of mind, but that book just captured my attention and held it the whole way through—something that’s been tough this year! Instead of a YA choice, I’m going with an adult read: A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen. This book gives hope in the face of a pandemic, and that stuck with me!

(more…)

June Junk Art Creations

Posted by & filed under Art, Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

I’ve been in a major slump lately when it comes to my reading/blogging/writing life. It’s been pretty extreme, and honestly it feels like it’s getting worse, not better. If anyone has any advice to get me out of it, feel free to share!

But, while I’m not doing much with my blog, I’ve been filling the creative void by creating junk art! I do the designing (or the finding of designs) and my husband does the welding. It’s been a fun hobby that we can do together, which is nice since we actually don’t have many of those. I thought I’d do a monthly post to share our newest creations.

(more…)