Book Review - The Hound of The Baskervilles

Title: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Series: Sherlock Holmes
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Release Date: 6 Mar 2008 (this versions) Originally Published in 1902
ISBN-13: 978-0141034324

Synopsis
Some blame the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville on the legend of a fearsome and ghostly hound that is said to have haunted his Devonshire family for generations.
So when the services of famed detective Sherlock Holmes are engaged to ensure the safety of Baskerville heir Sir Henry – recently arrived from America – Dr Watson is surprised to find his friend dismissive of the matter. In fact, Watson is dispatched alone to accompany Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall in Devon while Holmes deals with another case.
Yet Watson finds the wild moors are a far cry from the orderly streets of London, and in the cold night a savage and bestial howl may be heard...

My Review
I am a fan of the Sherlock Holmes books and I am slowly making my way through them in order. This has recently been on TV but I missed it, however a lot of requests started coming in for the book and I will admit this has been in my locker at work since October (approx 3/4 months) oops! So I thought I had better read it so I could send it out to fill the requests. At only 214 pages I managed to complete it in one day and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles is a haunting tale, it is said a Demon Dog runs the moors in Devon-shire and lurks round the grounds of the Baskervilles manor waiting for it's next attack. Genereations of fmaily members have been plagued by the story, but no-one knows if it is really true, but then Sir Charles is found dead in the grounds, terrified to death. The cause of death is blamed on the dreaded Hound, but why was he wandering the grounds by himself in the first place?
Holmes is called in to handle the case, Sir Henry has inherited the estate and is being warned off by a mysterious stranger. Watson accompanies Sir Henry back to the house and tries to solve the crime. 
As always this book is just plain Brilliant! Sir Arthur really thinks things through and knows how to tell a gripping tale. Throughout I was guessing who was guilty, whether there really was a hound and when Holmes would appear.
Every time I had thought I had figured out who was behind it, a twist would happen and I would have to re-think. I like Watson's clear narrative and his explanations, I love to see how he thinks things thorugh and comes to a conclusion. It's sweet when he beams at the praise Sherlock gives him, liek a child waiting for the parent to say 'well done.' I will agree that Sherlock doesn't give him half the credit he deserves.
Full of suspense and mystery these books will capture your heart and mind. Sir Arthur really did have a talent. Holmes is such a legend and so real, with such a brilliant mind. It's just genius.

My Rating

 

Guest Post: Derek Taylor Kent

I have a guest post for you today by Derek Taylor Kent author of 'Scary School'

The Scary Path to a Book Deal

By Derek Taylor Kent (AKA Derek the Ghost)

My name is Derek Taylor Kent (AKA Derek the Ghost).  I recently received a three-book deal for my YA horror-comedy series Scary School, which came out June 21, 2011 (scaryschool.com). How this came to be is a bit of a horror-comedy itself.

March 1994. At the age of 15, I undertake writing an epic illustrated fantasy series. It’s an ill-conceived cross between Dr. Seuss and Lord of the Rings, but I spend six long years trying to get it published. Nothing ever comes of it.

April 2005. Painfully abandoning the illustrated book series and inspired by Harry Potter, I spend a year writing my first novel: Scary School, Book 1: My Homework Ate my Dog. After completing the first draft, I submit it to a few agents and publishers. All rejections. 

Confused, I gave the manuscript to readers. I receive notes that suggest a heavy rewrite. Reluctantly, I spend months doing exhaustive rewrites, but I had to admit the book was greatly improved.

Early 2007. I feel the book is ready to submit once again. But I had a relentless day job and my spare time was filled with other projects. My Homework Ate My Dog goes on the backburner.

Another year passes.

July 2008. There’s a brief window of time off from my day job. I decide that it’s time to go full-out toward finding an agent or a publisher. If it doesn’t happen, it will probably be the end of my YA writing aspirations. 

The task before me is daunting. I have the Guide to Literary Agents and the Children’s Marketplace books. It would take me a year to reach out to every agent and publisher, and I only have a window of a couple weeks. So, I hire an assistant. His job is to send out packages to every single YA lit agent in America. I spend my time focusing on online querying.

Responses start coming in. I’m getting bites. About one in every ten I sent out is asking to read my manuscript or sample chapters. Most are rejections, but if you have a 10% positive response rate to your query, you know that you probably have something good.

August 2008. Eric Myers from the Joe Spieler Agency requests sample chapters. A week later he requests the complete manuscript. On September 20, 2008, Eric Myers is my agent. He is very enthusiastic and has a great track record.

December 2008. Every publisher my agent has submitted to has passed.

The only glimmer of hope is from a junior editor at HarperCollins who says that she “really likes my writing and the humor of the book, but what I was expecting from a book called Scary School: My Homework Ate My Dog was not what I got. I was hoping for a light, funny book about a Scary School for a young audience.”

She was exactly right. My title was screaming: silly/funny book for 8-year-olds, but I had given her a darker Harry Potter fit for 12-year-olds.

The editor concluded with: “I do feel there is a market for a Scary School book series for a younger audience should he feel inclined to write it.”

There it was. A bite from a publisher. The only problem was my “bite” felt like an orca whale. I’d have to write a whole new book for her, and I’d have to write it fast so she didn’t forget about me or buy another book in the same genre.

I sequester myself and complete the first draft of a new book series, just called Scary School.

The first draft is done by January 2009. I send it to my agent.  He’s a little shocked that it’s not a linear story like My Homework Ate my Dog, but we agree to send it to HarperCollins as is.

March 2009. The junior editor writes back: “This is exactly what I was hoping for. I love it! I think we really have something here!”

A few weeks later HarperCollins offers me a three-book deal for Scary School.

I dance around my apartment and weep with joy.

The advance is not enough to quit my day job, but it’s enough to create a website, hire a publicist, and print thousands of Scary School T-shirts.

As I write this, I am exactly one week away from the Scary School release date on June 21, 2011. I had to wait another two years before it was scheduled for release.

It was agony.

Over that time I have self-published what is now called Rudy and the Beast: My Homework Ate My Dog!  There’s still an issue with the title, but I won’t surrender it. I also self-published an illustrated book called Simon and the Solar System.

This year, I finished a new YA novel called Principal Mikey about a kid who becomes principal of his school. I think it’s my most well-written novel and is absolutely hilarious.

No bites so far.

 Thanks for featuring on my blog Derek. The books sound like great fun. :D

Book Review - Monkey Business

Title: Monkey Business
Author: Anna Wilson
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Release Date: 21 Jan 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0330509282

Synopsis
For Felix and Flo, animals are the NUMBER ONE TOP PRIORITY in life. And although Felix loves his pets (a lazy dog, an angry cat and a noisy hamster), what he really wants is the chance to look after an animal which is EXOTIC and DIFFERENT like an elephant, or a monkey, for instance. So when he finds out from Flo that you can actually adopt your own animal via the MIRACLE OF THE INTERNET, he is beside himself with excitement until he realises that this plan isn't as FOOLPROOF as it seems.


My Review
This is another book that I had to read for this year's book day at work, I;m about half way through the list now.
Felix is obsessed with animals and so is his best friend Flo. He is always being told off for taking in all sorts of insects and small animals in to the house, but he now wants to think bigger and the pair come up with a crazy idea to get an exotic pet.
As the Synopsis shows, there are a lot of words in capitals. This happens all through the book and I found it really irritating. Now, I know this book is aimed at young children, the main characters are 8/9 years old, but I'm not really sure who would read this, it seems a bit long and there is a lot of information on conservation in there that young children would struggle with, but then it seems too young for the next level of reader. Maybe it's one parents could read to their children.
Felix was a good character, standard excitable little boy with a passion for muck, mess and creepy crawlies. He has a passion for learning about animals and the environment and you can tell he has a good heart, but he does makes some very silly decisions.
Flo, his best friend however was not a nice character. I really didn't like her. She was moody, stroppy, bossy, rude and just plain irritating. She spends all her time telling Felix what to do, or shouting at him, or coming up with stupid ideas then blaming him for it when it goes wrong. When they get in trouble she has no problem throwing him in the deep end. She was spoilt. I didn't like their relationship at all, it was very bossy woman, taking over.
Felix's uncle known as 'Zed' was a bit of comic relief, he is a bit of a hippy, but even this annoyed me after a while, nearly every sentence he spoke included the words, 'dude', 'chill', 'man' etc, 
I think this story could be really good for younger children if it was shortened, it just seemed to be repeating bits. The idea of the book was good, but it didn't live up to expectations, maybe I'm just too old for it, and kids will love it, but it just didn't strike a chord with me. Mayeb good for reading a chapter at bedtime with children. Lots of doodles on pages, and only 237 pages which isn't too long.

My Rating

  
 

Book Review - Something Witchy This Way Comes

Title: Something Witchy This Way Comes
Author: Veronica Blade
Publisher: Crush Publishing
Release Date: 3 Sep 2011
ASIN: B005L9B0MM

Synopsis
Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her an escape from her self-absorbed parents. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s motives. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other. When the school’s scrumptious delinquent, Hayden Anders, offers Tessa self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, his timing couldn’t be better. Although hanging out with him is a necessary evil in Tessa’s fight to stay alive, resisting a bad-boy she secretly yearns for might be more than she can manage. Together, Tessa and Hayden work to unravel the mysteries behind the two covens to discover why they’ll stop at nothing to lure Tessa to their side. She must form an alliance with one of the covens before it’s too late. But the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all who she holds dear — including Hayden.

My Review
I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Tessa discovers she is a witch, but this means she is in danger, two rival covens are vying for her attention and she isn't sure who to trust. Bad boy Hayden is assigned to guard her whilst at school, Tessa can't believe she has to be stuck with him, but soon they form a team and try to work out just which side they should choose. With lots of unexpected twists and mysterious appearances the choice isn't easy.
I liked the sound of this book, it sounded like a great twist on what I call High School Paranormal. Was definitely a nice break from vampires and werewolves, this is all about the magic.
Tessa is not instantly likeable, she comes across as a bit full of herself and thinking that she is above Hayden. She gets really good grades and has practically raised herself and her little sister, so she knows she is a fighter. But she soon opens up to Hayden and when she lets her guard down she becomes a whole new person and I started to connect to her more. I felt sorry for her, she has basically been ignored by her mother all her life and has been badly hurt by an ex boyfriend, but what I really like about her is the fact that she doesn't give up. She is a survivor, a fighter and she isn't afraid to go for things.
Hayden is like the guys I avoided at school, a player and a bit of an ass to be honest. So full of himself and convinced that girls are just there to please him. He has had a rough few years with an abusive step dad, and has given up on life. There were many times I wanted to slap him, but again as he started to open up and become more of a human I connected more. It was almost like, once he found a reason to live, I found a reason to like him. 
He has great sarcastic come backs and a witty sense of humour. He does get quite possessive of Tessa and that's a bit weird but I can see why he does it, sort of. it's not complete stalker weird so he can get away with it.
When Hayden and Tessa are together it makes for good reading, they either get along or blow up at each other, they make me laugh. 
Rena is also great, really couldn't tell what side she was on but I didn't like her. In fact there were so many great characters. 
The plot moves at just the right pace, with enough description to let you know where you are but not too much. Once I started this book I read it quite quickly and I wanted to know what would happen.  

My Rating

FF (54) & TGIF (37)

Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee.

This week's question feature is from Book’d Out

Q: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

My Answer: I avoid 'Horror' at all costs as I am a total wimp. I like Paranormal, Fantasy etc but when it crosses the line to Horror I can't take it. My imagination is far too active and I start to see monsters, muderers etc everywhere I turn, just can't handle it.

TGIF!

This meme is hosted by GReads!

This Friday's Question:

 

 Buy or Borrow: Where do your books that you read come from? The bookstore? The library? Do you prefer to own a book, or have it on loan?

My Answer: I used to buy all of my books, but when I started working in a library 5 years ago I realised it was silly. I tend to borrow most of my books now from the library, but if I find one I really love I will then buy it. On the other hand if it is an author I know I love or have the rest of the series like Rachel Caine or Derek Landy etc then I will buy the book straight away.

Happy Hopping, have a great weekend everyone!!! 

Don't forget to enter my YA Giveaway Hop for your chance to win 1 of three books. International Open 27th-31st Jan

Guest Post: Lauren Bailey

Today I have a Guest Post from Lauren Bailey,  :D
Here it is:

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The Importance of Libraries: Updating Libraries for the Digital Age

For years, libraries have been an emblem of academic and intellectual life. With shelves upon shelves of books and the perfect quiet study environment, it no wonder why many college students and academics call the library their second home. However, as our society becomes more and more immersed in the digital age, libraries are beginning to struggle with what seem like outdated methods of research and learning. Students today are completely tech dependant, relying on the internet for most of their social, academic, and leisure lives. While the internet, eReaders, and personal computers have no doubt had an effect on library use, these digital phenomena have not injured libraries as much as many of us think. While some aspects of library use and library science need updating, there are still many relevant and useful things that libraries have to offer.

There are several ways in which libraries can update their curriculum and technologies to become even more relevant in today's society. As eReaders gain in popularity, libraries will need to respond to this trend. Traditional libraries can begin allowing eBook checkout, mobile applications concerning book availability, have library professionals trained for online resource retrieval, and more. All of these mostly minor updates can make a huge difference in bringing in new patrons. There's no question that libraries have seen slower days with the huge impact that the internet has had on academic research and accessibility to resources. However, this has by no means made library research irrelevant.

Many people fail to realize just how useful library research and use can be in today's society. Librarians properly trained in library science are taught to find information and resources in the fastest and most useful fashion. This can be extremely useful in today's academic world. While internet research allows you to do all of your source finding at home from your personal computer, this can cause several difficulties. For one, online research can actually take more time to conduct because of the mere vastness of internet. Moreover, many online resources offer falsified information that can be difficult to detect. By actually going to a library and utilizing the expertise of a trained librarian, we can reduce our work time and find more accurate and useful sources.

Lastly, but certainly not least importantly, libraries offer a study environment like few others. There is something purely academic and peaceful about reading or studying in a library setting. With all of these tech centric updates that libraries will be making in the near future, it is essential that they don't lose their traditional charm. I don't think that these updates will cause them to lose their studious feel, but it is a valid concern. Imagining entering a library for your Sunday reading session and feeling like you've just entered an Apple store is pretty disheartening. These small but important updates to the technology and running of traditional libraries can be enacted without changing the overall feel of the establishment.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey

I love how Lauren has captured the tradition and feel of a library. As I work in a library I really know how precious they are and how much they can do for people, and they are becoming more modern day by day, but I don't want them to lose heart. Make your library a special place to visit. Enjoy going there, if you don't use them, you'll lose them.
Thank you Lauren for your insightful post. :D

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

The Young Adult Giveaway Hop is being run by 'I Am A Reader, Not A Writer' and 'Down The Rabbit Hole' and is being run from 27th Jan - 31st Jan

As my blog mainly focuses on YA books I thought this was perfect to take part in.

My Giveaway

One (1) winner will get a choice of one (1) book from the following books, shipped from  'The Book Depository'. Open International as long as the BD ship to you.

Click on the titles below the pictures to go to the Book Depository Website for more info on each book.

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Book 1 Morganiville Vampires
(Can change for one later in the series as long as under £7)

Inside Out by Maria V Snyder
Book 1 in series

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Book 1 in Inheritance Cycle
(Can change for one later in the series as long as under £7)

These are 3 of my favourite YA books and I highly recommend them all. 

UPDATE** You MUST fill in the Linky form to be in with a chance to enter. Do NOT put your details in the comments section. 
I don't have time to go through all the comments or add you on the list myself. All you need to do is put your name/blog name in the box that says 'Contest Entry', a link to your blog/facebook in the box that says 'Link' and then your email address in the box that says 'Email'
I've had a lot of entries in comments and these will not be counted. I know it sounds harsh but I have to have order to be able to make it fair and minimise my work.

Here are the rules: 

1) Competition opens Friday 27th January
2) Competition closes on Tuesday 31st January Midnight GMT
3) Enter your Name, E-mail and Blog Link in the Linky List Below (email will be hidden, if you don't have a blog just enter your Facebook or Twitter page)
4) You Must be a Follower to enter!
5) One Name will be selected at random from the list.
6) Contest open INTERNATIONALLY!!! :D
7) Winners will be contacted by e-mail
8) Winners will have 3 days to reply or another winner will be selected.

Spread the word and have fun.

The Hop list of all the other blogs taking part if below and my entry list is below that. :D

Good Luck to everyone.  

Book Review - Memory Cage

Title: The Memory Cage
Author: Ruth Eastham
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 3 Jan 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1407120522

Synopsis

Alex's grandfather keeps forgetting things, and Alex has overheard his adoptive parents say that they're going to put granddad in a home. His grandfather begs Alex to save him from that, and it's a promise Alex is desperate to keep. But Alex once promised his little brother that he would save him, and in the terror of the Bosnian war, he failed. As Alex struggles to protect his grandfather, he uncovers secrets that his family and the village have kept for two generations. Unravelling them will cause grief, but will they save grandfather, and perhaps help Alex come to terms with his own private war.

My Review

This is another book that I had to read for 'Book Day' at work that's happening in March. Two of my colleagues had read it before me and they both seemed to really love it.

This is definitely not my type of book. Alex is adopted, he was rescued from the war in Bosnia. His adopted Grandad is losing his memory and keeps having accidents or incidents. Alex takes it upon himself to try and help his grandad his 'brother/sister' don't seem interested and his 'parents' just want to put him in a home. Alex finds out there are a lot of secrets in the past keeping everyone at a distance.

I started reading this and thought, 'oh no. this is quite slow, and i'm really not that interested.' but I couldn't just give up as I had to read it for the work event, plus at only 230 pages it really wasn't that long. However after about 40 pages I was really getting into it. I started to really care and feel for Alex and I wanted him and his family to be happy. 

Soon I was flipping through the pages, determined to find out what the big secrets were. 

The whole plot unfolds nicely. there is just the right mixture of action, discovery and talking. I surprised myself by just how much I enjoyed. 

It's a great book for getting kids to talk about things like Alzheimer's and wars/fighting without having it shoved down their throats. This book will move them and hopefully make them interested and open to talk. 

Overall I was very impressed with this book

My Rating

      

 

Book Review - Happy Birthday To You

Title: Happy Birthday To You
Author: Brian Rowe
Series: Birthday Trilogy (book 3)
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: 2nd December 2011
ASIN: B006HKI6NU

Synopsis
Newlyweds Cameron and Liesel Martin aren't able to celebrate their wedding bliss for long. Not only is Liesel unexpectedly pregnant... they're also facing the end of humanity!
Liesel's evil witch sister Hannah has cast a spell to make all humans on Earth age a whole year with every day. It's up to Cameron and Liesel to stop her... and save the world! Who will survive? And who will perish?
Here it is... the third and final epic chapter of the Birthday trilogy... Happy Birthday to You!


My Review
Ok, I was hesitant about the first book but found myself enjoying it. I liked book two even more and actually found myself looking forward to book three. I wondered where Rowe would go with this one after having the main character experience the effects of agin both ways, i thought what next?
Well this time Cameron and his new wife Liesel are the only ones not aging, instead everyone in the world is affected, babies, teens, oap's, rich, poor - Everyone! the pair have just three weeks until the youngest person will be too old and will die. In those three weeks they must track down Hannah - Liesel's evil witch sister who is causing the curse to happen.
After reading the blurb, I must admit i was intrigued, I wasn't expecting that and thought it sounded like it had great promise. 
It has been a couple of weeks since I finished book two as I haven't had much time to sit with my laptop and read it, but I started tonight and found the start very promising. I was immediately back into the world and fully involved with the story. Straight into the catastrophe and faced with the struggle ahead. Cameron and Liesel have no second thoughts, they rush straight in to fight Hannah and stop this dreadful curse. I thought, awesome, this is going to be good!
The scenes with Cam and Lies were great, the urgency, despair, love and trust they have in each was great to read, thier journey really swept me up. 
However every other chapter was from a different characters point of view, someone we had met in the previous books - like Cameron's Basketball Coach, Liesel's Grandad, Cameron's Ex, etc. This was our chance to see how the curse was affecting the rest of the world, but really it was a chance for the author to just wipe out any character you had ever met. Liesel's Grandad's death was fairly realistic and I was sad, the coach was slightly further out their but still realistic, but after that they just got more ridiculous - stepping in front of a fed-ex van and being thrown in the air, being stabbed in the head with a stiletto, angry cosmetic patients clawing hair, eyes, tongues and then intestines out of a character - not only was that gruesome to read but it was totally unrealistic. I know it was supposed to convey the panic taking over the world, but seriously? The more I read, the more I was stopping and actually saying out loud - "you have got to be kidding me?" or "really? like that?" It just seemed really ridiculous. The book became more of a joke - guess the silly death, instead of a serious situation. I don't know. Some people may think it was very dramatic and really works in, but for me it just missed the bar.
If I could read this book with just Cameron, Liesel, Hannah and maybe Kimber's point of view I would be happy. The other chapters spoilt it for me. 

However I must say, that the last 2 chapters really brought it back for me. They were moving and by the end I was fully crying. The ending is bittersweet but did touch my heart. I had a feeling something would happen like it did but not exactly that way and it moved me. The ending for me redeemed the whole book, it made me care about the characters again, if only for a while. 

If you have read and enjoyed the rest of the series then I would recommend finishing it, it does have great moments in. Glad I read it, and it is a quick read, I did it in 3 hours,  but I will admit I was disappointed.

My Rating

Guest Post: Elle Casey

 Today I have a guest post from new author Elle Casey talking about how her novel 'Wrecked' came about.

My Writing Process – How WRECKED Went from Idea to Novel

Hello, my name is Elle Casey and I am a guest blogger.  Thank you, Becky’s Barmy Book Blog for inviting me over.  Today I’m going to tell Becky’s readers about my writing process and specifically how my first novel WRECKED went from a simple idea to the finished novel.

I actually started writing WRECKED a couple of years ago – just a very basic outline.  This idea of kids being shipwrecked on an island had been floating around in my head for years.  I could never get it totally out of my head.  I was a fan of The Swiss Family Robinson, but I always wondered what it would have been like if there had been no adults around.  Sometimes I’d find myself daydreaming about it, wondering what I would do if it happened to me.  Finally, I guess you could say I got tired of the idea bothering me all the time, so I sat down and wrote a brief outline for a story.  I had never written a fiction novel before – just plenty of work-related non-fiction.  Once I had the outline done, the idea settled down in my head and didn’t seem as urgent.  I left it alone for a year.

After some time had gone by, the thoughts of the shipwrecked idea and also thoughts of the characters started to haunt me again.  I would imagine what the characters’ personalities were like, how they would speak, what their motivations were.  The more I did that, the more they began to feel like real people to me.  And then it was like real people were bothering me to tell the story.

Finally, in September of 2011, I got serious and started writing the book.  It was really a matter of just getting the book out of my head and on paper so I could sleep at night!  I didn’t focus on it too much though.  When I had time, I’d write a few thousand words, maybe every couple of weeks or so. 

But then I read an article about an author who published her book for the Kindle, and it really inspired me and caused me to write faster and with purpose.  You see, part of the reason I didn’t bother to write sooner or take writing seriously, is because I saw getting a book published as kind of like winning the lottery.  I’m not that lucky, so I never put much effort into finishing any of my stories (I have a folder full of outlines and ideas).  But now that I knew I could publish my book and find readers on my own, I was totally inspired.  I started seriously writing in November. 

My fingers flew across the keyboard.  It was as if the story was already totally written; I just had to listen to the voices telling it to me.  Those were the voices of Sarah, Kevin, Jonathan, and Candi – the main characters of WRECKED. 

I have since finished and published WRECKED, which is available for the Kindle or Nook on www.Amazon.com or www.BarnesandNoble.com.  You can also buy a printable version on www.Smashwords.com.  

 And now I’m working on my next project, WAR OF THE FAE.  It’s a Young Adult Fantasy novel, a series of four books, and I’m super excited about it.  The first book is done and in editing now (to be published the first two weeks of February), and I’ve begun the second book in the series (scheduled for publishing in March).  For these books, like WRECKED, I started with an outline, which serves to get the ideas out and noodled through, then I write from there.  I’ve heard of other authors working completely from an outline that is nearly the entire book without dialogue, but my outlines are more just general directions for the story.  Often the finished product only vaguely resembles the outline.  My books are out there in the ether somewhere; I merely just take the dictation of them from the characters.  I know it sounds crazy, but that’s how it works for me!

Thanks again to Becky for inviting me to post today.  If you want to know more about my books or about me, you can visit my website www.ElleCasey.com.  I’d love to have you as a reader!  :)

Thanks for taking the time to write the Guest Post Elle, I admire your hard work and courage. I wish you the best of luck with your novels.