TSS: Literary Certificate Program: The Birth of Rozlyn Press

The reason I enrolled in last week’s program is two-fold. The first fold is the Determination fold. It’s the one where I was rejected twice from the publishing graduate program I wanted to get into. It’s the fold of stubbornness, the fold that says “I’ll show you!” The fold that keeps going when it’s easier to quit. It’s an important fold, because it’s the fire on top of the fuel.

The second fold is the fuel for the fire, it’s the Passion fold. The passion I have for books and literature and reading and writing. It’s the fold that started The Crowded Leaf and sets my heart pounding when I look at my books. This fold is what desired more education in publishing in the first place.

So I signed up, paid, bought my notebooks and new pens and set to. What came out of last week is a monster. A monster in the shape of me with a new spark in my eye and a new project in my brain and a strong fire in my belly. What came out of last week is Rozlyn Press, my new business: a small book press focused on female fiction novelists. Think Alice Hoffman, Carol Goodman, Aimee Bender, Audrey Niffenegger, Elizabeth Kostova, Sarah Addison Allen, Sarah Stonich, Kate Morton, Karen White; female authors who write books of the entertaining variety. Books that make people excited, that people can sink their teeth into.

Everything is in the works right now, fresh and new, but I am so excited for every step of this process. The website is a work-in-progress, just like everything else, but in the coming months everything will come together. I can’t wait!

The Sunday Salon: Where’s the nature music channel?

I’m writing a book. I’m not that far along, but I am writing it. And if you’ve ever had to write anything before you know there are certain environments you like working in and certain places where it just doesn’t happen. I’m experimenting with finding the right place for me. Panera is always over-crowded and has children running amok. Dunkin Donuts would be good but the music is too loud and there’s too many people who think someone with a laptop is just there for just for fun, so they feel free to plug their cell phone in to the wall and get in a fight with their girlfriend right behind said person with laptop (true story). Barnes & Noble is my favorite so far, but it’s a twenty-minute drive which just seems silly to work for only a couple of hours. I had found the library, but they aren’t open on Sunday which is my favorite day to work. So today’s experiment is a risky one: the bedroom. I know, take a breath.

I’ve got the laptop and the music channels and the windows are wide open and I’ve told the hubbers I am officially not here. So far so good, but I want to know what happened to the nature-sounds channel on Music Choice? I could have sworn there used to be one, and that’s totally what I need right now. But it isn’t there and I don’t know what happened to it. I’ve chosen “Light Classical” as my back up plan, but whoever Salieri is he sounds like an angry man and I don’t need overly excited mojo in my writing time. I need chirping birds and trickling streams and wind in the grass. I guess I know what kind of songs to download tomorrow.

Off to post my mailbox finds and get to work now that Salieri’s simmered his business down. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

The Sunday Salon: A Library Kind of Day

It’s so incredibly dreary and wet out today. Has been for the last couple of days here in Massachusetts. It’s the kind of eerie, windy, mysterious day that I would really like to use to go to the library. I haven’t been to the library out here, even though I’ve been talking about going since I moved to this town three years ago. It’s not the most beautiful of towns, but the library is big, and stone, and old looking, as all good libraries should be. I’ve yet to set foot in it, however. And the last thing I need is more books with more deadlines to read them. I just finished 31 Bond Street, but I’ve got four more books all releasing on March 30, 31, and April 1. I’m making my way through She-Rain right now, which is some sort of incredible writing that words can’t quite describe. Michael Cogdill took ten years to write this book, and though it’s language has me going slow at times, the beauty of the prose and depth of his words cannot be compared. Then after She-Rain I have Fireworks Over Toccoa, She Walks In Beauty, and The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. So I’m a speedy-reader at this moment in time, but it strengthens my resolve to accept/request less books in the future so I’m not stressing myself out. I am looking forward to April and May where I should be able to read some of the books that have been gathering dust on my unread shelves. So, I will probably not go to the library. But today is the perfect kind of day where I should.

In My Mailbox Monday: The Life O’Reilly. The Sunday Salon

 In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and Mailbox Monday is hosted by The Printed Page. Last week I received The Life O’Reilly from the author, Brian Cohen.

From the author’s website:

On the outside, Nick O’Reilly has it all: a high-flying legal career, as a partner of an elite Wall Street law firm, and financial security, with an apartment overlooking Central Park.  Having grown up in a working-class family, as far back as Nick can remember this was his dream.  But at the age of thirty-six, after several years of sacrificing his personal life for professional gain, Nick has started to ponder his future and consider the mark he wants to leave on society both professionally and personally—his legacy. 

After being chastised in the press for turning a cold shoulder to the community, the firm calls upon Nick to help rehabilitate its image by handling its first pro bono case.  Nick is asked to represent Dawn Nelson, a domestic violence victim who is fighting for custody of her young son, Jordan.  A far cry from Nick’s specialty of defending the misdeeds of Corporate America, it is up to Nick to set Dawn and Jordan on a path to a better life.  But Nick gets much more than he signed on for, as Dawn forces him to reassess his life choices and, ultimately, be true to himself.  Only when Nick finally realizes what is truly important in life does he face his toughest—and possibly final—challenge: a battle for his own survival.

Exploring the flaws of being human and the importance of controlling one’s own destiny, The Life O’Reilly reminds us of how precious life is and how quickly and tragically it can change.  Written with great empathy, The Life O’Reilly is an emotional and unforgettable tale that will challenge one’s expectations of the modern love story.

 I have a couple books that I have to get through before I can start The Life O’Reilly, but I am really looking forward to it.

Sunday, sun-day kiddos. Back to work tomorrow. I had a super busy reading week last week, and posted three reviews (The House of Tomorrow, Arcadia Falls, Worst Case), which makes me feel like I’ve made good progress through my ARCs. I’m doing better about checking my calendar before I request books, so hopefully soon I’ll be able to read books I’ve owned for months that I’ve been dying to get to.

Did any of you see Alice in Wonderland this weekend? Hubbers and I went to the midnight show on Thursday. The combination of sleepiness, plus Real 3D craziness, plus the colors and all Tim Burton’s nuttiness resulted in a pretty trippy, but awesome viewing experience. I definitely enjoyed Burton’s version/interpretation of Alice, it stayed true to the book Wonderland, but certain things had their own little spin, like how Alice knew of Wonderland to begin with. Johnny Depp was really wonderful as Hatter, he definitely went mad at times and started speaking with a Scottish accent. The best part was his recitation of Jabberwocky, which isn’t found in any other screen version of Alice that I know of. So many movies cut out much of the book since there isn’t a lot of time to include it all, but Burton got all the good stuff; Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the talking flowers, the cards, Cheshire Cat, Door Mouse, etc. I think the only missing characters were The Duchess and The Cook, but they’re my least favorite people anyways! Oh, and the girl who played Alice, Mia Wasikowska, was fabulous as well. All in all, I highly recommend Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

In My Mailbox Monday: Worst Case (TSS)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and Mailbox Monday is hosted by The Printed Page.

Just one for me this week courtesy of Hachette:

Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

The son of one of New York’s wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. His parents can’t save him, because this kidnapper isn’t demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury. In this exam, wrong answers are fatal.

Apparently this is the third book with the main detective, and I haven’t read the first two, but it doesn’t seem like one of those series where I’ll be confused reading out of order. This is me giving Patterson a second shot since I’d pretty much sworn him off after the fourth Women’s Murder Club novel.

Hope you’re all having a great Sunday. Check back later or tomorrow for my review of The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni; one of the funniest, most refreshing books I’ve ever read. I just found out I won a copy of Romancing Miss Bronte: A Novel by Juliet Gael from GoodReads. I’m SO excited I got this since it was a Waiting On/Wishful Wednesday selection not too long ago. Woohoo!

The Sunday Salon: A Wave of YA

Is it me or does there seem to be a crazy explosion of Young Adult fiction everywhere these days? From blogs to bookstores, it’s overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good YA as much as the next person when I want a little relaxation, fun, and a reminder of what it was like when I was younger. But I’m concerned that the quality of these books is being compromised by the quick pace at which they’re being released. It seems every week there’s ten new YA books making the rounds (Hush, Hush, Beautiful Creatures, Fallen), and they pile up in bookstores and take over the shelves of fiction. Can they all be as good as they should be? Actually, maybe I haven’t read as much YA as I think I have. It seems, looking at my shelves, that I went from Harry Potter, Twilight, and Percy Jackson, to Alias Grace, The Swan Thieves, and The Strain. Basically: I went from grade school literature to adult, with no YA in between. For those of you that have read a lot in the YA genre, how do you feel about the mass amount of paperbacks that seem to be everywhere? Are they as good as you think they should be, or are publishers sacrificing quality writing for a quick money-maker? And can you recommend any YA you think I’d like?

Happy Sunday!

TSS: In My Mailbox Monday: The Chimera Seed, The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin, Altar of Eden, The Strain

I’m definitely taking advantage today and posting my In My Mailbox (hosted by The Story Siren) as part of The Sunday Salon (view more entries here). Not to mention, I’ll probably update it tomorrow so it can be included for Mailbox Monday (hosted by The Printed Page). I am excited for the books I received last week!

I already mentioned The Chimera Seed by Matthew Tully in my last Friday Finds post, so I’ll just post a brief description here.

Richard Tiernan’s sudden death sparks a chain of events that threatens the survival of the human species. The visionary scientist’s son and only heir, Dr. Michael Tiernan, inherits Oisín Pharmaceuticals and learns of his father’s astonishing secret. Hidden away in the little Sardinian town of Boroneddu, Michael discovers his father’s greatest legacy: the fountain of youth.
 
In possession of Dionysinol, the most dynamic anti-aging drug ever engineered, Michael Tiernan aspires to turn Oisín Pharmaceuticals into an empire. His plans rapidly unravel when he becomes ensnared in a cutthroat game of pharmaceutical espionage and learns just how far some people will go to acquire immortality and how far others will go to destroy it.

I also received The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin by Patrick Doud from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Elwood Pitch is only thirteen years old when he is carried away to the land of Winnitok, in the otherworld of Ehm. Desperate to find a way back home to his family, Elwood’s one hope is Granashon, the land’s immortal protector. But Granashon is missing, and her power that protects Winnitok is fading fast. When Elwood dreams of the Eye of Ogin, a legendary object with the power to see Granashon wherever she might be, he vows to find it. With his dog Slukee and two newfound companions, Drallah Wehr of Winnitok and her talking raven Booj, Elwood sets out on an epic quest.

And, thanks to good ol’ Dad, I received Altar of Eden by James Rollins, as well as a copy of The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know how excited I am for BOTH of these.

I’ve posted a synopsis of Altar of Eden before, so instead of re-posting the same thing, I’ll post an excerpt of a hysterical interview Steve Berry (another of my favorite authors) gave about James Rollins, his competitor and close friend.

“Which brings us to Altar of Eden, Rollins’ latest concoction. Here he goes again, not satisfied with a thriller out in the summer, he has to publish another in the winter. Which, by the way, directly competes with me (of course, Rollins doesn’t care). This new book has it all. A savvy veterinarian (like that was a stretch), genetic engineering on long extinct animals (which was fascinating, I have to admit), fractal science (whatever that is), biological warfare (in ways you’ve never seen before), and mach-speed mayhem. The thing is drum-tight in its execution. Does this guy have herbs that stimulate his imagination in some amazing way? I read Altar of Eden in two sittings (yeah, it’s that good) and, when finished, I promptly hurled the book across the room. It landed on the shelf where all of Rollins’ other tomes stand, each sheathed in plastic, first editions, and, of course, signed (for which he charged me $5.00 a piece, cash. He wouldn’t take my check).”

The whole interview is sarcastic and hysterical. You can read it on the Altar of Eden Amazon.com page here.

And last but not least, The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, the first in a trilogy (oh, how I adore a good series!):

They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.

In two months–the world.

All in all, I had a fabulous week of mail, and lots of lovely additions to the bookcase. Let me know if you got anything good!

The Sunday Salon: A Fun Book, No Matter How Old You Are

What was it about Harry Potter that made people fall in love with those big, beautiful books? The story? The characters? The writing? Or that it made the reader so completely entranced with each page that we felt like a child, no matter how old we were? I think it was that last one. I was in my twenties when I finally caught on to the craze and I’m glad I waited because it meant I had less years in between each novel to wait and feel lost without Harry and his friends. They were fun books, no matter which way you look at them. Good stories, enchanting plot lines, excellent messages, and now that they’re done we all want to read them again. I know I feel a little lonely remembering how warm and entombed I felt reading those books, like something’s missing now that they’ve all been written and read. Reading The Lightning Thief, the first of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, brings me back to that wonderful feeling. The one where I really, truly don’t want to put a book down, where I use every excuse I have to read, take a bath and soak with my novel. The pages are flying by, and when I realized I was over half-way done last night (soaking in the bubbles) I panicked! I don’t have the next one yet! But then I had to be an adult and recognize the fact that I have four ARCs that I must (responsibly) review. The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran is next. Plus I have… one sec… oh, ha, 68 other books on my TBR bookcase. It wouldn’t really be fair to stop everything just to read all the Olympians books. How many are there now? What?! Only five?! Ugh. Well the point is, it’s nice to feel this way again. There’s something different about reading these books, made for twelve year-olds, that make you feel fun, like you’re a kid yourself. It’s nice to act like a kid sometimes.

TSS: A Fantasy Filled Weekend

I’ve just realized how much fantasy-themed things I’ve seen this weekend. Yesterday we went to see Avatar in the new fancy Real 3D. Let me tell you, that stuff is crazy! Gone are the days of those flimsy half-red, half-blue paper glasses of old. The kind that make certain things pop, while the rest of the movie is purple, and give you a migraine half way through. The new 3D movies are amazing! True colors and it feels like you’re in the room with the movie. Not to mention, the glasses actually LOOK like glasses and don’t give you a headache. Oh yeah, Avatar the movie was great as well. Such a good message, loved the characters and the story and the effects. It was all beautiful. I can see why Cameron waited a gazillion years for the technology to be good enough for his next movie. I highly recommend it. Avatar was two hours and forty minutes, but it really didn’t feel that long. Just pace the soda is all.

I’m currently watching Prince Caspian while waiting for my hair to dry. The newer versions of the Chronicles are nice and cute, but the old BBC versions with the awful effects will always be my favorite. I am excited for the next one though, The Voyage of the Dawn Treador which comes out in December.

I’ve started reading The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl, which had me a little off at first, because there was a lot of going back and forth in time, but I’m getting the gist now. Dickens is dead and the final chapters of his latest installment of The Mystery of Edwin Drood are also missing. I loved Pearl’s Dante Club, but found The Poe Shadow to be only so-so. We’ll see what Dickens brings.

Okay, I’m off to do a couple errands. If I “happen” to pass a bookstore I “may” take a peek for Lori Lansens’ The Girls or Rick Riordan’s first Percy Jackson novel, which I want to read now that I’ve seen the preview a bunch. Fantasy again!

Have a great Sunday. Go Patriots!

TSS: End of Vacation Blues

It’s been so lovely to have the last two weeks off of work, however I must return tomorrow, as so many do. I shall enjoy my last day of relaxation, do the cleaning and laundry, blow my nose a lot since I have a head cold. Take down the Christmas decorations. Oh, and I’ll also have to re-shelve Bookcase Number Two to make room for the Christmas haul. Thirteen books to squeeze in somewhere.

 Hopefully I’ll finish Black Rain today or tomorrow. It has been a really fun book to read. History, conspiracy, betrayal, Mayans, temples, glyphs, and big bad monsters. I was worried it was going to pull an “Atlantis Code” type of disappointment on me, but so far so good and I’ve got less than 100 pages left. Speaking of The Atlantis Code, that pawn “Sweetheart” left me another comment on my Amazon review. This one was truly spectacular:

your not supposed to be using arcs for reviews as they can be changed by as much as 20% from what the book ends up as.

if you shell out the cash then review the book.

And that, my friends, is a direct copy-and-paste, yes “your” is spelled wrong. But more than that, who is this person who thinks ARCs aren’t for reviews??? Does he/she have any idea who we get ARCs from in the first place, and why they are sent to us? Such a moron. I’m not going to respond, but I hope the comments keep coming because it cracks me up to see how much of a fool this person is. And also, how amazingly dedicated they are! I’m not the only one who gave The Atlantis Code a bad review and he/she left the same comment on another persons review as well.

I think The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens is up next since it’s released Feb. 12. What are you doing today?