Friday, December 30, 2005
Cows with Guns
Cows With Guns
Well, I've been pretty worthless this entire holiday. Worthless as in, I've gotten little (read: absolutely no) work done. I have, however, had a lovely holiday with the family, had playdates, swam in the pool, cleaned house top to bottom, and did other various things like look at goofy webpages. Like this one.... ("we will fight for bovine freedom ..."). Yes, I am easily amused.
Tomorrow, ten pages or bust!
Well, I've been pretty worthless this entire holiday. Worthless as in, I've gotten little (read: absolutely no) work done. I have, however, had a lovely holiday with the family, had playdates, swam in the pool, cleaned house top to bottom, and did other various things like look at goofy webpages. Like this one.... ("we will fight for bovine freedom ..."). Yes, I am easily amused.
Tomorrow, ten pages or bust!
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Me, Me, Me!
Hey! Karen Scott just posted an interview with me on her blog! check it out: It's My Blog and I'll Say What I Want To!
Threads of Malice - mystery AND paranormal! What could be better?
Be sure to check out Threads of Malice by Tamara Siler Jones! I'm totally intrigued by the premise, and can I just say how much I love the cover art?
A blend of historical mystery and paranormal fantasy, Tamara Siler Jones delivers a fast-paced, chilling story with THREADS OF MALICE. Here, in her second Dubric Byerly Mystery, a vicious killer stalks the quiet towns of the northern reach, kidnapping and murdering boys. With a score dead and two more missing, can Dubric and his team find the killer before he strikes again? A twisted murderer may not be all Dubric is looking for...or the only evil that he will find.
Praise for GHOST IN THE SNOW:
“Dubric is the sort of detective who leaves you wanting more.”
—Locus
“Engaging and suspenseful.”
—Romantic Times
“Not for the faint of heart.”
—SFRevu
“For a nice Midwestern housewife, Jones is one sick lady.”
—Sequential Tart
(Note from Julie: the last one cracks me up!)
More about the book:
In this relentlessly gripping thriller, Compton Crook Award winner Tamara Siler Jones weaves together her unique blend of fantasy, forensics and suspense to create a world terrorized by a killer out of our darkest nightmares. Now one man must follow a trail of savaged victims to save an innocent life hanging by the slimmest of hopes.…
One by one, young men in the kingdom’s outer reaches are vanishing into the dark. So far, two bodies have washed up on the local riverbank. But Dubric Byerly, head of security at Castle Faldorrah, soon realizes there are countless more victims…for it’s his curse to be forever haunted by the ghosts of those whose deaths demand justice.
The latest to vanish is Braoin, a seventeen-year-old painter whose mother came to Dubric’s aid when he most needed it. All Dubric knows is that the boy is still alive. But time is running out, and it isn’t only Braoin’s life hanging in the balance. If Dubric can’t untangle the twisted web of clues and lies and find his way to the killer, one of his own pages will be the next to die.…
About Tamara
Tamara Siler Jones lives in Iowa with her family. An avid mystery reader, this is her second novel, continuing the series that began with Ghost in the Snow, and its main sleuth Dubric Byerly.
Visit her website at http://www.tamarasilerjones.com/ and her blog at http://www.tamarasilerjones.com/blog/index.html
A blend of historical mystery and paranormal fantasy, Tamara Siler Jones delivers a fast-paced, chilling story with THREADS OF MALICE. Here, in her second Dubric Byerly Mystery, a vicious killer stalks the quiet towns of the northern reach, kidnapping and murdering boys. With a score dead and two more missing, can Dubric and his team find the killer before he strikes again? A twisted murderer may not be all Dubric is looking for...or the only evil that he will find.
Praise for GHOST IN THE SNOW:
“Dubric is the sort of detective who leaves you wanting more.”
—Locus
“Engaging and suspenseful.”
—Romantic Times
“Not for the faint of heart.”
—SFRevu
“For a nice Midwestern housewife, Jones is one sick lady.”
—Sequential Tart
(Note from Julie: the last one cracks me up!)
More about the book:
In this relentlessly gripping thriller, Compton Crook Award winner Tamara Siler Jones weaves together her unique blend of fantasy, forensics and suspense to create a world terrorized by a killer out of our darkest nightmares. Now one man must follow a trail of savaged victims to save an innocent life hanging by the slimmest of hopes.…
One by one, young men in the kingdom’s outer reaches are vanishing into the dark. So far, two bodies have washed up on the local riverbank. But Dubric Byerly, head of security at Castle Faldorrah, soon realizes there are countless more victims…for it’s his curse to be forever haunted by the ghosts of those whose deaths demand justice.
The latest to vanish is Braoin, a seventeen-year-old painter whose mother came to Dubric’s aid when he most needed it. All Dubric knows is that the boy is still alive. But time is running out, and it isn’t only Braoin’s life hanging in the balance. If Dubric can’t untangle the twisted web of clues and lies and find his way to the killer, one of his own pages will be the next to die.…
About Tamara
Tamara Siler Jones lives in Iowa with her family. An avid mystery reader, this is her second novel, continuing the series that began with Ghost in the Snow, and its main sleuth Dubric Byerly.
Visit her website at http://www.tamarasilerjones.com/ and her blog at http://www.tamarasilerjones.com/blog/index.html
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Informing Ourselves To Death
"'One should, each day, try to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it is possible, speak a few reasonable words.'" -- Goethe
I was going to write a blog entry on my reasons for unsubscribing (or, rather, going nomail) on so many of the email loops I'm involved in. There are a lot of reasons, really, but the primary one is information overload. If the email comes in, I, having no self-control whatsoever, felt compelled to read it. So I went cold-turkey (with a few exceptions) and it's been rather remarkable: I've read a ton of books lately, organized my study, got caught up on filing, outlined a book, spent a ton of time with my kiddo, decorated for Christmas, baked Christmas cookies (instead of freaking out over a deadline as is my usual holiday approach to life), had lunch with friends, and, you know, generally had a life. And got my work done too.
I tell you, it's like a little miracle.
So I was going to wax poetic about information overload and stepping back from the computer, et cetera et cetera.
Then I stumbled across this article, and while it's not exactly on point, it's close enough that I simply had to refer to it. Besides, any article/speech that quotes Pogo, Goethe and Socrates simply must be shared: Informing Ourselves To Death
Hope it makes you think as much as it did me. (And will just ignore the irony of the fact that I'm distributing this link via computer, shall we?)
I was going to write a blog entry on my reasons for unsubscribing (or, rather, going nomail) on so many of the email loops I'm involved in. There are a lot of reasons, really, but the primary one is information overload. If the email comes in, I, having no self-control whatsoever, felt compelled to read it. So I went cold-turkey (with a few exceptions) and it's been rather remarkable: I've read a ton of books lately, organized my study, got caught up on filing, outlined a book, spent a ton of time with my kiddo, decorated for Christmas, baked Christmas cookies (instead of freaking out over a deadline as is my usual holiday approach to life), had lunch with friends, and, you know, generally had a life. And got my work done too.
I tell you, it's like a little miracle.
So I was going to wax poetic about information overload and stepping back from the computer, et cetera et cetera.
Then I stumbled across this article, and while it's not exactly on point, it's close enough that I simply had to refer to it. Besides, any article/speech that quotes Pogo, Goethe and Socrates simply must be shared: Informing Ourselves To Death
Hope it makes you think as much as it did me. (And will just ignore the irony of the fact that I'm distributing this link via computer, shall we?)
Monday, December 05, 2005
Anyone But You
Here's another awesome sounding book to check out, this one by Lara Zeises, and called ANYONE BUT YOU.
Here's a blurb:
SEATTLE AND CRITTER HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BEST FRIENDS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES TALKING TO ANYONE BUT EACH OTHER?
“Family, it turned out, was something you really could choose for yourself.” So says Seattle, one of two teen protagonists in Lara Zeises’ third novel for young adults, ANYONE BUT YOU (Delacorte Press / on sale November 8 / $15.95). The other, Critter, is Sea’s best friend and “pseudo brother,” with whom she’s grown up since her dad took off six years ago. Set within Zeises’ home state of Delaware during one steamy summer, the novel takes a fresh, hard look at what it means to be a family – especially when relationships change in surprising and unexpected ways.
It all begins when Seattle, 15, and Critter, 17, get tired of sweating out their days waiting for summer school to start. Sea, too hot to hop on her skateboard, hatches a plan for Critter to sweet-talk their way into a private pool. It works – but Sea gets more than she bargained for, as Critter falls under the spell of the Penn Acres princess guarding the pool. No way can Sea stomach Critter hooking up with a girl like that.
But Critter can’t believe his luck when Sarah seems to like him as much as he likes her. He’s certain this girl “gets” him – a quality that up to this point he’s only found in Seattle. Even though Critter knows Sarah could break his heart, he can’t understand why Seattle is less than happy for him. Especially since Seattle has found Scott, an older skater boy visiting from out of town. Not that Critter approves of their relationship, he is certain Scott’s only after one thing – and he won’t get it, not if Critter has his say.
Just when things couldn’t get any more confusing, Seattle’s dad resurfaces, his mere presence a threat to the fabric that binds their unconventional family. Told in alternating viewpoints, ANYONE BUT YOU delivers the story of a family in crisis – and the love that keeps them together.
LARA M. ZEISES is the author of two other Delacorte Press novels, Bringing Up the Bones and Contents Under Pressure. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College.
PRAISE:
ANYONE BUT YOU was a A Teen People Top 10 Pick and
A 2006 Best Books for Young Adults Nominee!
It's getting great buzz from the critics!
“Pitch-perfect narration.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Zeises manages family relationships with acute precision, as she did in her previous novel, the highly praised CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. This is an unusual family, and Zeises faces the emotional storms head on.” – KLIATT
“Readers grades nine and up will be magnetized by this powerful, impetuous girl (Seattle).” – Children’s & Teen Librarian
“Zeises alternates seamlessly between Seattle's and Critter's voices. The emotions are complex yet heartfelt, and Zeises bangs the teens' feelings up against each other with expert ease.” – Romantic Times Book Club
“[The characters have] got bite and sass, not to mention some interesting fashion sense.” – Kimberly Pauley, Young Adult Books Central
“The ending will leave you panting for more.” – Cynthia Leitich Smith
Check it out! I know I will be!
Here's a blurb:
SEATTLE AND CRITTER HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BEST FRIENDS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES TALKING TO ANYONE BUT EACH OTHER?
“Family, it turned out, was something you really could choose for yourself.” So says Seattle, one of two teen protagonists in Lara Zeises’ third novel for young adults, ANYONE BUT YOU (Delacorte Press / on sale November 8 / $15.95). The other, Critter, is Sea’s best friend and “pseudo brother,” with whom she’s grown up since her dad took off six years ago. Set within Zeises’ home state of Delaware during one steamy summer, the novel takes a fresh, hard look at what it means to be a family – especially when relationships change in surprising and unexpected ways.
It all begins when Seattle, 15, and Critter, 17, get tired of sweating out their days waiting for summer school to start. Sea, too hot to hop on her skateboard, hatches a plan for Critter to sweet-talk their way into a private pool. It works – but Sea gets more than she bargained for, as Critter falls under the spell of the Penn Acres princess guarding the pool. No way can Sea stomach Critter hooking up with a girl like that.
But Critter can’t believe his luck when Sarah seems to like him as much as he likes her. He’s certain this girl “gets” him – a quality that up to this point he’s only found in Seattle. Even though Critter knows Sarah could break his heart, he can’t understand why Seattle is less than happy for him. Especially since Seattle has found Scott, an older skater boy visiting from out of town. Not that Critter approves of their relationship, he is certain Scott’s only after one thing – and he won’t get it, not if Critter has his say.
Just when things couldn’t get any more confusing, Seattle’s dad resurfaces, his mere presence a threat to the fabric that binds their unconventional family. Told in alternating viewpoints, ANYONE BUT YOU delivers the story of a family in crisis – and the love that keeps them together.
LARA M. ZEISES is the author of two other Delacorte Press novels, Bringing Up the Bones and Contents Under Pressure. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College.
PRAISE:
ANYONE BUT YOU was a A Teen People Top 10 Pick and
A 2006 Best Books for Young Adults Nominee!
It's getting great buzz from the critics!
“Pitch-perfect narration.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Zeises manages family relationships with acute precision, as she did in her previous novel, the highly praised CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. This is an unusual family, and Zeises faces the emotional storms head on.” – KLIATT
“Readers grades nine and up will be magnetized by this powerful, impetuous girl (Seattle).” – Children’s & Teen Librarian
“Zeises alternates seamlessly between Seattle's and Critter's voices. The emotions are complex yet heartfelt, and Zeises bangs the teens' feelings up against each other with expert ease.” – Romantic Times Book Club
“[The characters have] got bite and sass, not to mention some interesting fashion sense.” – Kimberly Pauley, Young Adult Books Central
“The ending will leave you panting for more.” – Cynthia Leitich Smith
Check it out! I know I will be!
