The Dreaded Synopsis

So one of the things I worked on during my break was my synopsis.  I pounded the thing out in an evening and sent it on to my crit partners.  Apparently they died of boredom so bad one even forgot to send it back to me with notes.  Sigh....

So, back to the drawing board.  Thankfully my wonderful crit partners were able to explain to me a little more about what it's all about and give me some great notes as well as give me this great link from Elana Johnson's blog :  How To Write a Synopsis

I'm still a little clueless as to how we are supposed to make an essentially dry and boring book report into something so juicy you want to immediately sink your teeth into it.  It's one of the most frustrating things I've dealt with in my writing "career" so far.  But I'm working on it...(as you can see by the self portrait)

So tell me, how did you overcome the dreadfully boring synopsis and make it shine?

(also, don't forget to enter mine and Colene's contest HERE!)

Watch out 2012, I'm Back!

Hello my lovely Bloggy Buddies!  I'm very pleased to announce that I am officially back to blogging!  I miss you all so much, I just couldn't stay away too long.

And to show how much I love and adore you, and have missed the pants off you (okay not literally...because that would be weird) Colene Murphy and I have decide to hold a little contest!  Yep, she's back too!  We're comin' back in style, my peeps!

It's SO super easy and I would feel oh-so-loved if you'd just leave a comment here and tell me which book you've been DYING to read but just haven't gotten around to it.  If you win, I'll buy it for you! (or if you have a favorite book that you'd like to own, put that down!)  Plus, you have TWO chances to win- leave a comment here, and jump on over to Colene's blog and leave a comment there!  We'll be picking 2 winners on Monday January 16.

Anyway, so now that that is out of the way, I'll just do a quick little list of what I've been up to while I've been gone.
1. Finish revising WIP to make it shine.
2. Write the dreaded synopsis and subsequently kill my crit partners with boredom.
3. Drive Little Monster back and forth to school, activities, parties, and gymnastics.
4. Catch up on reading- I almost forgot how to do that.
5. Keep my house above sanitation codes.
6. Start NEW WIP, yay!

Welp, that about sums up my break!

Now I want to hear what YOU'VE been up to!  Please please let me know because I really have thought about you a lot during my break.

So remember to let me know what book you'd love for me to get you (don't forget an email if its not attached to your account), tell me how you've been doing, and go see Colene!  Contest closes Sunday January 15th!

I'm so glad to be back and see your shining faces!  Tootles and mwah!

STRING BRIDGE Chart Rush! Get a free copy of the album with purchase of the book!

Hello all of my bloggy friends!  I am crawling out from under my edits (and crazy life, for that matter) to promote my good friend Jessica Bell's new book STRING BRIDGE!


Here are a couple sweet things you need to know about Jessica and just how cool she is:
She's Australian- need I say more?
She lives in Greece- um, SO romantic!
Not only does she write books, she also composes and performs her own music!
She writes Women's Fiction which is a nice compliment to YA when you are itching for something with a little bit older themes.

Scroll down to read some reviews and click on the links to read more about the book.  Plus if you buy the book TODAY, she'll email you the link to download the whole album for free!  You won't be disappointed with this one!


Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit
the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!

All you have to do is
purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and
then email the receipt to:

jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com

She will then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

If you are
not familiar with String Bridge,
check out the book trailer:

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of my
veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page,
yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of
heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as
with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet and
musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the
difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout,
seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that
allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world
begins to unravel … String Bridge is
a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a
hint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of Repulsion
Thrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer
of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult
scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds
barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop
character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel.
I look forward to reading her
next novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen Jones
Gowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

Connect with Jessica:



String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell

Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/

Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell

Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com

Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!

An Evening With Sarah Ockler

As many of you know, Sarah Ockler's book, Twenty Boy Summer, was recently "banned" from my town's high school along with Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.  Right before Banned Books Week, the school board voted to put both books back in the high school library.

But there's a catch.

They're kept behind the desk in the school library and only parents can come and check the book out for their teens like the books are some dirty magazines or something.  Which is a pretty lame solution.  I guarantee you the kids that really need those books don't have parents who will go to the school on their own time to check it out for them.  Sigh...

Anyway, my library was able to receive a grant that allowed us to bring Sarah Ockler to speak during Banned Books Week!  How awesome is that?

And get this!  I met her!  Squeeee!

I always wondered what authors who write somewhat depressing books are like- like are they all emo with black hair and clothes with a debbie-downer outlook on life?  No way!  They're totally awesome and well spoken and LOVE teens.  All Sarah wants is to convey these truly real emotions teens experience every day.  And even though Contemporary Fiction is generally not my cup 'o tea, I really think it's needed.  Teens need to feel validated that they aren't alone in what they're feeling.  That some adults DO get them.

Anyway, Sarah was absolutely awesome and had a wonderful answer to every question asked.  And there were a TON of questions.  It looked like she took days of careful thinking when in reality, she had no idea what the questions would be coming into the talk.

The message she stressed that night was that this book is first and foremost about grief and the ways different teens deal with it.  I think its funny she and her publishers had never once thought her book would be banned when she wrote it.  I mean, why would a book about grief be banned?

We had a great turnout and it was such an honor to have Sarah Ockler to our library.

And for those of you who still don't believe I work with THE Greenbeanteenqueen, here is a pic with her and Sarah!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

My bloggy buddy Michael over at In Time... is hosting a blogfest!  He wants us to write about what we did on our summer vacation- much like those groan-inducing essays we had to write EVERY.SINGLE.FIRST.DAY.OF.SCHOOL for 12 years.  What's one more in the grand scheme of things?  Besides, I was so holed up at my house editing, I'm practically a vampire.  I want to see what my chaps have been up to!

I've decided to write my essay from the point of view of my 1st Grader.  Except with correct spelling and grammar (because I'm sure you don't want to read 300 words of "I ouent to the prk wif my Mommy and Dady and rid my bic and ouent swmmmmg."

Actually I must say, her spelling has improved dramatically in just the first few weeks of school.  I'm one proud mama!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation
By Little Monster
Mr. DiGesu   Homeroom

My Summer Vacation was so awesome, except I really really missed school.  I told my mom this every day.  In fact, I asked her every single day when I was going to go back.  I think she even may have mentioned how excited she was for me to go back.  I'm glad she loves school as much as I do.


I've decided this year that I'm terrified of bugs.  Doesn't matter what kind, really.  I will run and scream as if I'm being chased by an axe murderer.  Silly me. I can't wait for the snow to come.

I was asked to join the competitive gymnastics team in June.  I had to practice 12 hours a week!  I loved every minute of it and I could tell my mom did too.  When she heard my practice was 3 hours a day her eyes lit up. She even dropped me off early and practically sped off while I was halfway out the door. I'm so glad she's so happy for me.

I turned 6 in July this year, which is SO much better than 5.  When you're 6, your teeth start falling out and you get money from the tooth fairy. I'm happy I got enough money to buy my own diary!  No one knows where my diary is except all the kids in my class, my teacher, my best friend, and my whole neighborhood. Good thing I hid it in my mom and dad's closet so they won't find it.

We went to Chicago on a train for my birthday and it was WONDERFUL!  We saw all sorts of things including a HUGE crab, jellyfish and dinosaur bones. My Gamma and Pop-pop came too.  They stayed in the same huge hotel, ate out at all the cool restaurants and went to all the museums with us.  But I don't know why they didn't get me very many presents...now that I think about it, Mommy and Daddy didn't really get me anything either. 

I had a blast with my mom and dad and my friends this summer.  I am glad to be back in school and am very excited for the snow to come.  In fact, I ask my mom every day when it will come.  She's so sweet, she just pats my head and leaves the room for a while.  She wants me to have some peace and quiet to help center my chi.  She loves me so much.




Welp, that was Little Monster's summer in an nutshell!  How was yours?  Did you do anything fun?

Sabriel Kicks Ass

One of my favorite authors, Garth Nix, is having a contest.  I kind of almost didn't want to tell you guys because naturally I want to win it and I don't want you all running to enter.  But the only way to win is to write a review/musing of one of his books online.  Plus if I could enlighten you all about this book and how completely and totally awesome it is, I'll jump at the chance!

If you have ever been a 14 year old girl, you know how awesome it is to read books with strong female characters.  If you have never been a 14 year old girl...just pretend.  Besides I'm pretty sure 14 year old boys love kick-ass male characters so you know what it's like.  And if you are a 14 year old boy and you love kick-ass female characters?  You are going to go far in life, my friend.

Anyway, when I was in Junior High I was at a point in my life where I devoured books with independent, kick butt female characters (side note: I'm 30 and I STILL devour YA books with independent, kick butt female characters).  She had to be strong, witty, smart, (and beautiful of course).  I loved to get lost in a completely different world, leave my worries behind and pretend I was that girl in which there was always a romance and always some kind of epic battle.

Photo Credit - Garth Nix

I picked up Sabriel by Garth Nix around that time.  It had all the elements I wanted in a fantasy.  A main character, Sabriel, that was smart, had magical abilities (she could walk in death- how cool is that??), she was independent and actually rescued the love interest (not once, but twice!), Touchstone, whom annoyed her at first but she soon grew fond of.  I mean, how awesome is that?  Now this was a character I wanted to be like!  She wasn't a snively little whiny-butt who could do nothing without a man.  She took matters into her own hands and controlled the dead with the ring of a bell.

After reading this book, I knew some day I wanted to be a fantasy writer.  It changed my life because of how vivid his storytelling and characters are.  How it made me feel after reading it.  How I kept thinking about it after putting it down.  How I devoured any little anthology with stories taking place in that world after the trilogy had come out.  I wanted to make readers feel the same way I felt after reading that book. I wanted my main characters to be like Sabriel.

Garth Nix was one of the first pioneers of strong YA female protagonists.  I will be forever thankful to him for inspiring me to make up fantastical worlds with girls who kick some serious booty.  The time of the Damsel in Distress is long gone.  In her place is the girl who saves the Prince in Distress.

How to Avoid Eating a Bogey Flavored Bertie Bott Bean Whilst Looking Like Jo Calderone

Okay guys, calm down, I'm not officially back yet.  I've still got some edits to work on so my attendance will be sporadic (ha, my favorite word).

Anyway, my alter ego, Abby Gabby is posting over at the Thestral Gazette today.  She's got some great advice for students of Hogwarts including how to avoid getting those nasty bogey flavored Bertie Bott's beans.

So hipppity hop on over there - I'd greatly appreciate it!

Also, I think my alter ego needs a picture/personality.

What do you think of this?

Photo Credit

Too Rough?

Okay, how about this one?

Photo Credit

Too Nymphy?

Aha!  Here it is:

Photo Credit

Yep, this one totally adds class with a touch of Avant-garde.  Plus it keeps my identity hidden with the big glasses and hat.  But I'm still all proper and Jackie-O stylish.  Love it!  

P.S. I miss you guys so much!  Just a little more time for edits and I'll be back!  Toodles!