Order of Katie McGarry Books
Katie McGarry is an American author of YA romance novels. She writes the Pushing the Limits series. Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers that era as the best and worst of her life. She loves music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a closet University of Kentucky basketball fan. (more…)
Order of Penny Warner Books
Penny Warner is an American author of mystery novels, children’s books and non-fiction books. She is the author of the Connor Westphal, Party-Planning Mystery, Code Busters Club, Troop Mystery and Food Festival Mystery (as Penny Pike) series. Penny has her Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a Master’s degree in Special Education. She has been teaching child development at the local college for over 20 years. She also teaches writing tips at conferences across the country, including Pikes Peak, Whidbey Island, San Francisco, Jack London, and dozens of others. She belongs to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, SCBWI, Women Writing the West, and California Writers Club. Penny lives in Danville, California, has two grown children and four grandchildren. (more…)
Order of Candace Camp Books
Candace Camp is an American author of historical and contemporary romance novels. She has also written as Lisa Gregory and Kristin James. Candace has set her novels in various periods and settings, but her favourite of them all is the Regency Era of England. She started writing fiction when she was ten years old. Candace later attended law school at the University of North Carolina, but gave up practicing law in order to become a writer. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband. Her daughter, Anastasia Hopcus, is a YA author. (more…)
Order of Jean Johnson Books
Jean Johnson is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels, with romance mixed in. She is the author of the Sons of Destiny, Theirs Not to Reason Why, Flame Sea and other series. Jean has played in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) for 25 years, likes to sing and often argues with her cats about whose territory the office chair is. She lives in a home with zone heat and decent plumbing, but wishes to put turrets and ramparts on it in order to make it look more like a castle. Jean currently lives in the Pacific Northwest. (more…)
Order of Unwanteds Books
The Unwanteds is a series of YA fantasy novels by American author Lisa McMann. The series has been described as a mix of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter by Kirkus Reviews. Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their graves. On the day of the Purge, identical twins Alex and Aaron Stowe await their fate. While Aaron hopes to become a Wanted, Alex knows his chances are slim. He’s been caught drawing with a stick in the dirt-and in the stark gray land of Quill, being creative is a death sentence. But when Alex and the other Unwanteds face the Eliminators, they discover an eccentric magician named Mr. Today and his hidden world that exists to save the condemned children. Artimé is a colorful place of talking statues, uncommon creatures, and artistic magic, where creativity is considered a gift… and a weapon. (more…)
August 2016 Newsletter
Usually I read a lot during the Summer but for whatever reason I’m just not feeling it this year. Not sure why that is – I think mostly I just want to capture up on TV shows and have been doing that.
I did read through a few more Gregg Hurwitz books in the Tim Rackley series. I think I have about 5 more Hurwitz books to go then I can move onto a new author. (more…)
Reader Mailbag: Book Memories
This months question is: share a personal story/memory related to books.
The sort of story you might tell a friend about over drinks when discussing books, or just a fun book related story. Here’s two of mine:
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Order of Lisa McMann Books
Lisa McMann is an American author of YA fantasy novels. She writes the Unwanteds series. Lisa graduated from Calvin College in 1990. She has wanted to be a writer since she was in fourth grade. Besides writer and reading, Lisa likes to cook, swim, watch reality TV shows and hang out with her family. Originally from Holland, Michigan, Lisa now resides with her family in Phoenix, Arizona. (more…)
Order of Lucia Berlin Books
Lucia Berlin (1936-2004) was a short story writer. She didn’t get published until later in life, with some encouragement from poet Ed Dorn. Berlin was never a bestseller, but was widely influential within the literary community. She has often been compared to Raymond Carver and Richard Yates. One of her most memorable achievements was the stunning one-page story My Jockey, which captured a world, a moment and a panoramic movement in five quick paragraphs. It won the Jack London Short Prize for 1985. Berlin also won an American Book Award in 1991 for Homesick, and was awarded a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. (more…)
Order of Wiley Cash Books
Wiley Cash is an American author of literary fiction and non-fiction books. He is from western North Carolina, which is generally where he sets his fiction. Wiley has had stories in the Crab Orchard Review, Roanoke Review and The Carolina Quarterly. He earned his B.A. in Literature and M.A. & Ph.D in English. Wiley teaches in the Low-Residency MFA Program in Fiction and Nonfiction Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. He and his wife live in West Virginia. (more…)