Guest Post: How Songbird Came to Be by Angela Fristoe

How Songbird Came to Be by Angela Fristoe

In October 2009 I was talking with some writers about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which a contest to write 50,000 words in 30 days held every November. A day before it started, I almost backed out. While others I knew who were participating had plans, and outlines, I didn't even have an
idea. So, when I sat down at my computer on November 1st, I just opened a blank document and started typing. I wrote the first chapter of Songbird that day.

The rest of November sped by, and I wrote pretty much a chapter a day. A few times, I would write ideas down throughout my regular work day, but mostly I sat at that empty screen and just wrote as it came to me. By the end of the month, I had thirty chapters of Songbird done. The last five chapters took another
three months to complete, primarily because I wasn't sure how I wanted Dani's story to end. I felt a lot of pressure to build up certain aspects of the story and get the word count up. Finally, I just put all of that aside and focused on what Dani was going through, had already experienced and where she needed to go. I
was done by the summer of 2010.

In February 2011, I decided to self-publish. It was a hard decision, but I don't regret it. I spoke about my decision on a writer's workshop I participate in and was then approached by two other members who were starting up Little Prince Publishing, an independent publisher. They asked if I would be interested in
publishing with them. I jumped at the chance.

I love working with Little Prince Publishing. It is very similar to self-publishing in that I have complete control and responsibility for my book, but they are there to support me in getting the book up and out there and to assist me with marketing.

The past five months have been spent revising, editing, formatting, and more recently, marketing. Marketing is by far the hardest part. The cover and book trailer were fun, but there were a lot of elements to them, and the other marketing ideas I've been working on, that I had never realized.

I'd always thought that writing 'The End' really was the end, or at least it was after revisions and edits. but I don't think Songbird will ever be done for me. There will always be more I can do to find Dani's audience and get her story out there.

Book Review: Borneo Tom by Tom McLaughlin

  Borneo Tom: In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia

Publisher: Tom McLaughlin

Publish Date: August 27, 2010

Paperback, 132 pages 
Non-Fiction, Travel, Memoir
 ISBN: 978-9838082112

My Review
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book.  I think I figured I would read a few of the essays/chapters/stories, whatever you would like to call each one page section, skip around and then write my review.  I did not expect to be so captivated to take my entire afternoon and read it cover-to-cover.  Though I will confess to reading the last couple of pages in the middle, but that didn't ruin anything, it just made me want to read the rest all the more.

Borneo Tom is a collection of what I like to think of as essays or short stories of different adventures in Tom's life as he lives and travels through the Far East.  I really enjoyed the stories.  He has a very down-to-earth tone that makes you feel like you are right there with him on each of the journeys.  I like the lessons he learns and the humor he uses.  I feel like I have gotten to know Tom a little and an area of the world that I knew very little about a lot more.

I found Borneo Tom to be a fascinating read and well worth my afternoon.  And the illustrations that go along with the stories are great.  I personally didn't need them, but they do add to the book.  I want more of his stories and hope he continues to write and will be sure to check out his websites below.

If you enjoy travel-type memoirs then this is a book for you.  If you like a book you can pick up here and there, then this can be a book for you but I dare you, I think you will find it hard to do it.  I would finish a story and would immediately be immersed in the next even though I really needed to go do something else.  It was just that enjoyable to me.  So come join Borneo Tom and the others who join him on his journeys and learn more about this area of the world that he has chosen as his home at least most of the time.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About Tom McLaughlin

Science teacher Tom McLaughlin battled a rare neurological disease to a stand still, packed up his life and moved to Malaysian Borneo from a Washington D.C. suburb.

 

Landing in Kuching, he quickly learned the Malay language and involved himself in projects which includes orangutan rehabilitation and research about the famed naturalist, Alfred Wallace, whose thunder was stolen by Charles Darwin.

The advent of cheap air travel to many destinations in Southeast Asia transported him to many adventures. From dancing naked in an earthquake in Sumatra, to getting lost in a warren of World War II Japanese caves to walking the rim of a volcano with poisonous gas, he has jumped with foolhardiness into everything wild and wonderful, all related in his book Borneo Tom.

Reuniting with his Peace Corps family of thirty five years ago, sharing adventures with one daughter, then reconciling with another after a divorce, marriage with full kampung ceremony and then taking both daughters on his honeymoon to Bali are a few of the highlights of his remarkable personal life. Oh, but we can’t forget? His vasectomy coupled with a wife diagnosed as barren has reproduced a son, Dzul Patrick, now a few months old.
Tom teaches at the Lodge International School in Kuching, Malaysian Borneo while writing about his adventures as a US expat living in Borneo.

You can find him at:
BorneoTom.com
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Kindle!

About Borneo Tom: In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia

Join award winning science teacher Tom McLaughlin as he moves from America to Malaysian Borneo as he tracks orangutans, dances naked in an earthquake, swims with jellyfish AND MORE DANGEROUSLY…falls in love.

Walk with him through a cacophony of emotions including great joy when he finds the love of his life and marries in a village ceremony, reunites with one daughter after a divorce, travels with another and flies the entire family on his honeymoon in Bali. Oh, yes, did I forget? His vasectomy and his wife’s diagnosis of barrenness produces a son, Dzul Patrick, now a few months old.

Each stand alone chapter is humorously sketched by Water Front Niki, a familiar face to all who visit Kuching. Niki’s sensitive portraits of the national bird, the Hornbill, decorates living rooms world wide.

**Proceeds from the book go for items that support the Matang Wildlife Center that rehabs orangutans and other amazing wildlife.**

Read an Exerpt!

Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra Indonesia – Women rule here. The culture, matriarchal, requires the land pass to the daughters. The custom predates the arrival of Islam and no number of Saudi Arabian missionaries, whose job it is to ensure pure Islamic tradition being observed, are ever going to change it to the Qu’ran required patriarchal system. They have tried. And believe me when I tell you, these ladies would have no part if it! Local customs and religious belief coexist side by side as they have for hundreds of years. I wandered into one particular village and stopped at a house and chatted with the owner. She was lovely lady in her 40s with two teenagers, a son and daughter. She informed http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpher husband had divorced her and left. I teasingly asked her if I could marry her and move in but I think she thought I was serious. She looked me over, considered the idea and said yes but everyday I would have to work in the nearby rice fields. There would be no freeloader man in her house, I surmised.

FTC Information: I received this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book Promotion for an honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Guest Post: Author Tom McLaughlin (Borneo Tom)

Today I welcome Tom McLaughlin, author of Borneo Tom with his guest post.  Tomorrow I will also have a review of Borneo Tom so stay tuned for that as well.

Throwing all Away by Tom McLaughlin

Ever wanted to throw it all away and move to an island in Southeast Asia? Oh come on! You must have thought about it once or twice! Well, I packed it up, rented the house and had the mail forwarded.

My book, Borneo Tom, includes my travels and adventures by a retired science teacher. How did I afford that? Air Asia, Malaysia’s discount airline, offers super cheap air fares and sometimes I travelled for less than $8.00 per flight.  An ad would appear in the newspaper and for a destination and I would run and book the ticket over the Internet. It didn’t matter where the plane was going. I just got on and went.

These mini adventures brought me to exotic places where I danced naked during an earthquake, got lost wandering in former Japanese occupied caves, strolled around the rim of a live volcano, panned for diamonds and other experiences, some very foolish!

Borneo attracts some of the greatest minds in biology and I was privileged to meet some of them and my
experiences includes frog watching at night, meeting the top panda guy, learning about orang-utans and many other critters. I became a rabid fan of Alfred Wallace, the adventurer who devised the Theory of Natural Selection. Andyou thought it was Darwin.

And of course love intervened. Many kinds of love appeared including a changed and beautiful relationship with my daughters as they travelled part of the way with me. Then, there is my marriage to a local girl where I participated in a kampung wedding that has ended with a wonderful unexpected surprise.

The people and their customs are all there seen from the point of view of this wide eyed American with humour and sensitivity. The book hold sixty essays coupled with a sketch by local artist Niki who some of you may know from his work on the Kuching waterfront. Come share my adventures as I walk, run, fly and swim through the enchanted lands of Southeast Asia.

Tom McLaughlin is a biology, English and Literature in English teacher at the Lodge School in Kuching, Malaysian Borneo where he lives with his wife and six month old son. Formerly a science teacher from the Washington D.C. area, he has written numerous articles for regional newspapers and magazines. He writes every Wednesday for Thetentacle.com and has a science related blog on Borneotom.com.

 

In My Mailbox + Giveaway - July 11

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. To see this weeks list of participants go here.

I get a number of books that come in that I don't get to right away but deserve to be recognized on the blog so that is what I plan on doing.

I received some great books this week.  Tell me which one you are most interested in for a chance to win one of these books! (US/Canada only, ends 7/18/2011, book may be shipped later so I can read it)  The ARC tour books are not part of the giveaway, sorry.

Winner from week #1:   Diana at The Lovely Getaway who I will be emailing soon who unless she has changed her mind will choose Original Sin. (Diana if you see this feel free to email me and let me know which book you want from this post.

I forgot to link up week 2 so there were no entries.  Those books are open to win this week as well so you can post those as a win this week, the post can be found here.

For Review:

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma

Atria Books, Publish Date: 6/28/2012

A Map of Time by Felix J. Palma. Set in Victorian London with characters real and imagined, The Map of Time is a page-turner that boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H.G. Wells is called upon to investigage purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence. What happens if we change history?

Claim of Innocence by Laura Caldwell
Mira Books, Publishing Date: August 23, 2011

It was a crime of passion-or so the police say. Valerie Solara has been charged with poisoning her bet friend. The prosecution claims she's always been secretly attracted to Amanda's husband...and with Amanda gone, she planned to make her move.

Attorney Izzy McNeil left the legal world a year ago, but a friend's request pulls her into the murder trial. Izzy knows how passion can turn your life upside down. She thought she had it once with her ex-fiance, Sam. Now she wonders if that's all she has in common with her criminally gorgeous younger boyfriend, Theo.

It's Izzy's job to present the facts that will exonerate her client-whether or not she's innocent. But when she suspects Valerie is hiding something, she begins investigating-and uncover a web of secret passions and dark motives, where seemingly innocent relationships can prove poisonous . . .

In Search of the Rose Notes by Emily Arsenault

William Morrow, Publishing Date: July 26, 2011

A moody and engrossing mystery, In Search of the Rose Notes follows two best friends from childhood who once unsuccessfully investigated the disappearance of their teenage babysitter, and now, in their twenties, attempt once again to uncover the truth.  Readers who love the literary, female focused mysteries of Laura Lippman, Tana French, and Jennifer McMahon will be thrilled to add Emily Arsenault to their must-read lists.

Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein

Harper Collins, Publishing: 5/3/2011

Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking?

Meet one funny dog—Enzo, the lovable mutt who tells this story. Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them. He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and his daughter, ZoË, his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack—it isn't simply about going fast. And, applying the rules of racing to his world, Enzo takes on his family's challenges and emerges a hero. In the end, Enzo holds in his heart the dream that Denny will go on to be a racing champion with his daughter by his side. For theirs is an extraordinary friendship—one that reminds us all to celebrate the triumph of the human (and canine) spirit.

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Kensington Teen, Publishing Date: 7/26/2011

 

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.
But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

Book Review: A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone

A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publish Date: July 5, 2011

Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0374364212
Young Adult, Fiction

My Review:

Rene is different, he is OCD and he knows he is.  He has a fascination with Batman and superheroes and stays away from all things dealing with the number 13.  He knows that other kids find him strange, but he is strangely comfortable in his own skin.  Except there are always those few kids that make life miserable for kids like Rene.  That kid is Johnny van Slyke.  But one day after meeting Gio and becoming friends with him (or as close to friends as anyone has been with Rene) Rene stands up to Johnny and then Rene's life is turned upside down and that's when Rene really learns about life, how to live and who the true superheroes are.

I loved this book.  Rene is different.  I have never had much dealings with people with OCD but I believe Mr. Blackstone has done his research.  He does not paint Rene as a freak or anything of the sort, he just has orders and beliefs and ways of doing things.  We all do, just not to the extent that Rene does.  I also like Gio.  Gio seems cool and befriends Rene, but has problems of his own and through Rene light is shed on his problems.  The book is deep but reads as a fun read.  I really enjoyed being in Rene's head from the beginning of the book until the end and seeing him grow and change and not change too.  It was a really fun ride and this is a book I will definitely encourage my son to read when he is just a little bit older.  A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie was definitely a great read!

My Rating:  4.0/5.0

On the parenting level:  there is a little bit of bad language, nothing too out of place or too bad, no sex or real mention of anything beyond kissing.  Rene is 14 and immature 14.  There is one amusing scene that I won't go into detail, but if you son is 12 or older it won't kill your son to read I promise! (you can email me at crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com if you need to know what it was about)

About the Book:
Fourteen-year-old Rene Fowler, can't pick up a face-down coin, or move a muscle if the time adds up to thirteen (7:42 is bad luck because 7 + 4 + 2 = 13), or wash his body parts in the wrong order. If he does, Rene or someone close to him will get left back in school, break a bone, fall into a coma, contract a deadly virus, and/or die a slow and painful death like someone in a scary scene in scary movie. Or worse.  With a voice that is sarcastic, candid,, hilarious and hopeful, this powerful, debut about a teen with obsessive-compulsive disorder will make your stomach ache with laughter even as it breaks your heart with its honesty.

About the Author:

Matt Blackstone joined Teach for America after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, and presently teaches high school English in the South Bronx. He lives in New York City with his wife.  This is his first novel

Website

Twitter 
Facebook

Matt, the author is hosting a giveaway for 10 copies of A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie through Regal Literary, so visit here and enter win:  http://www.regal-literary.com/contests/yasummergiveaway/a-scary-scene/.  Giveaway runs through July 31, 2011.



FTC Information: I received this book through The Teen Book Scene to review for the current tour.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Tour: Wishing for Snow by Minrose Gwin

Wishing for Snow: A Memoir by Minrose Gwin

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Publish Date: June 21, 2011

Paperback, 240 pages 
Non-Fiction, Memoir
ISBN: 978-0062046345

*** My review will be coming later today.  ***

About the Book:
A daughter’s brave and beautiful tribute to a remarkable damaged soul . . .

For novelist Minrose Gwin, growing up was a time of chaos and uncertainty, the result of being raised by a parent with a serious mental illness. Life with poet Erin Taylor was unpredictable at best and painful at the worst times, as she spiraled ever deeper into psychosis until her eventual death from cancer. But reading her mother’s childhood diary as an adult, Minrose encountered a very different Erin Taylor Clayton Pitner. Her late mother’s words, written in the 1930s, revealed a cheerful, perceptive young girl growing up in rural Mississippi who wished for snow that “usually didn’t come”—a girl with a bright view of the future as she progressed from college student to young mother to published poet, only to have an unbearable darkness close in around her, cruelly suffocating her hopes and dreams.

In her poignant and extraordinary memoir Wishing for Snow, Minrose Gwin sets out to rediscover her mother in the poems, letters, newspaper clippings, and quixotic lists that Erin left behind after her death. The result is an unforgettable true story of a Southern family and the tragic figure at its center—and a loving daughter’s determination to find the mother she never knew.

About Minrose Gwin

Minrose Gwin is the author of The Queen of Palmyra. She has written three scholarly books, coedited The Literature of the American South, and teaches contemporary fiction at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.

 

 

Minrose’s Tour Stops

Thursday, July 7th: My Reading Room
Wednesday, July 13th: Reviews By Lola
Thursday, July 14th: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms
Monday, July 18th: Knowing the Difference
Tuesday, July 19th: Lit Endeavors
Wednesday, July 20th: Cozy Little House
Tuesday, July 26th: Good Girl Gone Redneck
Wednesday, July 27th: Lisa’s Yarns
Thursday, July 28th: Natty Michelle
Thursday, August 4th: she reads and reads

FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher through TLC Book Tours for an honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Character Interview: Hailey from The Education of Hailey Kendrick

Today I welcome author Eileen Cook, Author of The Education of Hailey Kendrick.  Today her character Hailey will be interviewed here at My Reading Room.

1.  What do you think of the boarding school you attend?  Did you want to go there when you were first sent there?

I TOTALLY did not want to go to boarding school. My mom had died recently and my dad thought it would be easier for me to adjust if I went away to school.  Why do parents always come up with big plans on how to make your life better, and never think to ask you what you want?

On the upside, if you have to go to boarding school Evesham is where you would want to go. Most the kids who go here come from wealthy or famous families so it’s pretty posh. The cafeteria has great food, the dorms look a bit like castles (my room even has a fireplace in it), and there are maids who clean for you.

2.  You are/were Vice-President at the school, what did that post entail for you?

I joined student government because I think it’s important to be involved in making the world a better place. If we don’t stand up for what is important, we can’t count on anyone else doing it. However, the Evesham student government isn’t exactly dealing with issues like creating peace in the middle east or tackling the homeless problem.  Most of our student government time is taken up with “critical” issues like what will the theme be for our big spring dance, or how do we make sure there are enough organic vegetarian options at lunch. At least I can put the fact I was vice-president on my college applications.  I’m hoping to get into Yale.

3.  What's it like dating the son of two parents who have both won Academy Awards.

Going out with someone who has famous parents has both good and bad bits.  On the good side his mom lent me a vintage gown that Betty Davis wore to the Oscars, I got to meet Johnny Depp at a pool party they were having at their house, and when you go out to eat the staff always falls all over themselves to be nice to you.  On the downside the paparazzi tries to get pictures of you, and I’m usually the one who takes those really bad pictures where my mouth is open or the back of my skirt is tucked into my tights.

4.  Why were you always a rule follower until that one fateful night?

People always say “rule follower” like it’s a bad thing. It’s just that after my mom died I realized that bad things could happen. I got a bit obsessed with safety. For example, did you know that more people are killed by falling vending machines than sharks? Imagine it- you’re shaking the machine because your Diet Coke didn’t come out and the next thing you know-WHAM- game over.  Doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to follow the rules when you’re snuffed out by a cola machine. Then you can look at what happened to me the one time I didn’t follow the rules.

5.  If you could go back and change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Even though I still think it’s a good idea to follow the rules, I’ve learned that keeping yourself safe doesn’t mean keeping yourself safe from feeling things. Sometimes you have to let go and trust things will work out.  I’m still staying away from vending machines, but I’m learning to lean on people.