E is for E-QUIZZES

Welcome to Yes, This Will Be On the Test.

Waving to visitors, new followers, and fellow A to Z participants. I’m sending virtual hugs to you all for taking a moment to stop by.

I’ll be sharing my “take-aways.” All those snigglets, golden nuggets, and lessons learned from other creative sources. Scroll down this link to find other A to Z participants.

I am addicted to the online quizzes that ask you a series of questions to figure out who you'd be in different stories/movies/tv shows etc.

If you want to play - I'm linking you up!

Here are a few of my results:

What ONCE UPON A TIME 

character are you? 

Charming

                                               

What GAME OF THRONES house do you belong to?

What SHAKESPEARE character are you? 

Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing

What BIG BANG THEORY character are you most like?

Sheldon

The sites BUZZFEED, ZIMBIO, and PLAYBUZZ are fun sources for quizzes.

So if you want to know which AVENGER or CHILDREN'S BOOK you are - join my obsession and dig into the quizzes.

TAKE AWAY: 

The results of the quizzes always come with a character blurb. I cut and paste these into files as a collection of mini character analyses to shop from when I write.

Have you done any of these? Who are you?

D is for DEAD DOGS

Welcome to Yes, This Will Be On the Test.

Waving to visitors, new followers, and fellow A to Z participants. I’m sending virtual hugs to you all for taking a moment to stop by.

I’ll be sharing my “take-aways.” All those snigglets, golden nuggets, and lessons learned from other creative sources.

Yes, you read that right - 

Dead Dogs

Spoiler alert: if you haven't read the books below - this post constitutes a four legged mortality zone.

I've been teaching in the 5th and 6th grade trenches for over a decade and deceased canines are a reoccurring theme in our grade level kid lit.

You've all heard of -

Grab the tissue - right? I checked to see if my dog was foaming at the mouth for months after I read the book.

Just when I thought it was safe to get attached to my pooch, here comes -

Double dog death here. 

My first experience with "Red Fern" was reading it aloud to my class before I'd read it myself. I did some serious "booger crying" when I hit the sad part of that one.

Really - must we subject the kids to offing man's best friend even if the books are beautifully written? So says grade level core literature lists and excerpts appearing in reading texts. 

I guess such a theme falls under the "life lesson" category.

Just when I'd vowed to NEVER read a book involving dogs of any kind to my class again, along came redemption - 

Gordon Korman is my hero! Wallace Wallace the MC in this book challenges the rampant doggie disasters in the classics. It's a hilarious read and did wonders to bring my students back from the brink of serious DDD - dog death depression.

TAKE AWAY - 

Blast an accepted theme to smithereens. I'd love to see Pollyanna or Anne of Green Gables start spewing gloom and doom. Twist a trope and see where it takes you.

Was there a book you read in grammar school that bummed you out?

C is for COMIC CON

Welcome to Yes, This Will Be On the Test.

Waving to visitors, new followers, and fellow A to Z participants. I’m sending virtual hugs to you all for taking a moment to stop by.

I’ll be sharing my “take-aways.” All those snigglets, golden nuggets, and lessons learned from other creative sources.

Yep, I'm a pop culture fangirl.

Star Wars, The Avengers, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Agents of Shield, Once Upon a Time, Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, Girls, Dr. Who, Firefly - Really anything involving Joss Whedon...

I could go on, but you might run screaming from your computer.

Mecca for we pop culture fans is Comic Con. Every July in San Diego, California we come together to revel in fandom bliss.

There are panels, presentations, costumes, and a exhibition cavern that makes you feel like you've died and gone to fandom heaven. I really love that YA lit. panels are a part of the celebration every year. It makes me dance a jig that kid lit. has a niche at Comic Con.

Yes, at my house we had multiple laptops up and running to score tickets for "The Con" - just like the episode of BIG BANG THEORY. 

TAKE AWAY:

Fans rock. Geeking out to favorite stories and characters across mediums is a way of showing the love we feel for the chance authors give us to escape into other worlds, times, places, people. 

Now fess up - what makes you go fanboy or fangirl?

B is for BROADWAY

Welcome to Yes, This Will Be On the Test.

Waving to visitors, new followers, and fellow A to Z participants. I’m sending virtual hugs to you all for taking a moment to stop by.

I’ll be sharing my “take-aways.” All those snigglets, golden nuggets, and lessons learned from other creative sources.

I majored in Theatre Arts at UCLA. Even before that I had a dream...

...Broadway!

The ultimate Broadway dream is to perform on a Broadway stage. Still working on that one.

Last year, I fulfilled phase one of my Broadway dream - to see a show on Broadway.

In fact, I saw two - ONCE and EVITA. I was lucky enough to see Ricky Martin's last performance as Che in EVITA. There was a sweet farewell to him at the curtain call - what a treat to be present for that.

Every year as a kid, I watched the Lesley Anne Warren/Rodgers and Hammerstein version of CINDERELLA on TV. Guess what  -  the Rodgers and Hammerstein CINDERELLA is on Broadway! Updated - witty - wonderful.

I had front row center seats for it in January. Yes, I chatted up the conductor a wee bit. Such a rush.

I also saw Pippin and Kinky Boots this year.

My love affair with Broadway is stronger than ever.

TAKE AWAY: 
Never give up on your dreams even if it feels like they are taking FOREVER to come true. It took me forty years from the time I set the goal until I sat in a Broadway theatre waiting for the curtain to go up. I am still determined to stick to phase two - performing on a Broadway stage within the next 20 years.
  
Never give up - never surrender.

What's your big ticket creative dream?

A is for ADAPTATIONS

Welcome to Yes, This Will Be On the Test.

Waving to visitors, new followers, and fellow A to Z participants. I’m sending virtual hugs to you all for taking a moment to stop by.

I’ll be sharing my “take-aways.” All those snigglets, golden nuggets, and lessons learned from other creative sources.

Since I’m from southern stock on my mother’s side, and Irish on my father’s just like Scarlett O’Hara, it was a requirement to for me to read 

the summer after fifth grade.

I time traveled with Scarlett while my kin (yes, the southern ones) took me to Civil War battlefields and even treated me to a ride down the river on an authentic paddle wheeler.

The story seeped into every cell of my body.

And then I saw the movie.

 Oh, my God. They vaporized two of Scarlett’s children among other horrifying discrepancies affronting my eleven-year-old mind.

But I LOVED the movie every bit as much as the book.

Was I a Yankee traitor?

Thankfully no.

After getting over my pre-adolescent righteous indignation, I gave myself permission to love them both.

Hey, Red Riding Hood wears a different cloak each time her story is retold in print, song, tv, theatre, or the movies, but her adventure is still a great ride.

TAKE AWAY:

I have learned to appreciate and celebrate adaptations of stories I love. I’m a student of the choices made by each new storyteller when a tale jumps mediums. "Why" questions fill my brain and I analyze like crazy. Do I always agree? Heck no, but I wonder and learn from the new spin.

Is there an adaptation you’ve loved?

Is there one that has made your blood boil?

FUN FACT: I’m named after Leslie Howard 

who played Ashley Wilkes in

GONE WITH THE WIND.

Self Lovin' Blog Hop!

TL Watson is running a bloghop this week to 
celebrate our talents.

 In her words: "Please share with us what you're good at. There's something--I know there's something--no matter how small you think it is." 

Check out Tara's Blog post about it, and feel free to join in!

I'm not big on talking about myself, but I do have a smidge of talent in something I enjoy and don't do enough of anymore.

Watercoloring

I spent many years as a scenic and lighting designer. Here is an eclectic collection of renderings from my past. 

Road Trip - original

Desert Ruin - Inspired by existing work 

Renderings for a scenic projection backdrop - original 

Seascapes - Inspired by existing work

Backdrop Rendering - City Neighborhood - original

Pop over to some of the other blogs in this hop:

1.	Feel of Something New	2.	Meradeth's Write Stuff
3.	Leslie S. Rose Yes This Will Be On the Test	4.	SPBowers
5.	The Girdle of Melian	6.	In the Shade of the Cherry Tree
7.	Elizabeth Seckman, Author	8.	SC Write
9.	Liz Blocker's Blog	10.	All About Growing Up and Becoming a Famous Author

Please share in the comments what you are good at in writing or some other hidden talent.

Happy Spring!

I Challenge You!

This is making the rounds on Facebook.

You click on the classics you have read to get your score. 

It was a blast. My TBR list just expanded exponentially.

No fair counting books 

you've only seen as movies. 

Don't be intimidated by the term "classics." You'll see Charlotte's Web, Harry Potter, and lots of old favorites you read in school.

My score is 47.

Game on!

BOOK CHALLENGE

Cover Reveal: Contact by Laurisa White Reyes

The best part of this crazy writing world is the people you meet along the way. 

Laurisa White Reyes in one of those special folks. 

She wears many hats including founder and coordinator of our local Santa Clarita, California SCBWI Schmooze. 

I'm delighted to share her exciting news with you - this gorgeous cover of her upcoming novel.

Drum roll please...

 It takes only half a second, like those commercials where a crash test dummy rockets forward at high speed and slams into a wall. In that instant every thought in Emma Lynn Walsh’s head collides with mine—every thought, memory, hope, disappointment and dream.

I open my eyes to see Dr. Walsh peering at me, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Let—go—of—me,” I order though clenched teeth.”

Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira it’s a curse from which she cannot escape. 

To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated for the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of the miracle drug Gaudium. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth, but proving it just might get her killed.

COMING JUNE 23rd 2014...

 

Laurisa White Reyes
            author of 

THE ROCK OF IVANORE 
THE LAST ENCHANTER
CONTACT (coming in June 2014)

Editor in chief of

MIDDLE SHELF: COOL READS FOR KIDS

MIDDLE GRADE MANIA BLOG DIRECTORY

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Guest Post from Julie Musil - Book Reviews: Go For It!

As my southern grandmother would say, "I'm thrilled spitless," to welcome the amazing
Julie Musil - 
Friend - Talented Author - Critique Partner - Inspiration


Her fantabulous debut novel

is available NOW - YES RIGHT NOW! 

Julie was my mentor in navigating online reviewing. 
Today she's sharing her savvy on the topic. 

The Importance of Book Reviews & How to Write Them

Book reviews...who needs ‘em? 

Apparently, writers and readers!

I’ll admit, I never used to write book reviews. If I loved a book I’d share the good news with my friends and family. 

But that was it.

As I prepared to self publish my YA novel,

The Boy Who Loved Fire, 

I learned how important reviews are for authors and readers. 

Why?

• Reviews are important to the author because even negative reviews make the title visible to potential readers. Visibility helps sell more books.
• A review is important to readers because it helps them decide whether or not to invest valuable time and money in a book.

I have two tips for leaving book reviews:

Be honest but fair. No need to be cruel with a review. If you didn’t like the book, don’t feel pressured to leave a five-star review. The point of a review is to help future readers. 

Say as much or as little as you’d like. If you want to say only a few words about what you did or didn’t like with the book, that’s fine. If you want to write an in-depth review about your favorite or least favorite parts of the book, go for it.

If you’ve read the story on a Kindle, chances are you’ll receive a pop up window requesting a star rating and review after you turn the final page. (I’m not sure if this happens with a Nook. If you know, please mention it in the comments). 

Here's the online step-by-step reviewing process for Amazon:

1. Search Amazon.com for the title in question. Click on the title.
2. Below the title, you should see “Be the first to write a review” or (4 customer reviews) — or however many reviews have been received so far. Click on this statement.
3. Under “Average Customer Review” you should see “Create Your Own Review.” Click that button.
4. Click on the number of stars you want to rate it. 1= I hate it, 2 = I don’t like it, 3 = It’s okay, 4 = I like it, 5 = I love it.
5. In the line provided, write a headline summary of your review. When writing the review for Philippa Gregory’s The Kingmaker’s Daughter, my title was “Fascinating read.”
6. Click in the box below where it says “Write your review here.” This is where you can write what you did or didn’t like about the book. In the review for The Kingmaker’s Daughter, I complimented the author on her beautiful language and character development.
7. Click Submit.

The process for Barnes and Noble and Goodreads are basically the same. 

And there you have it—a quickie tutorial on writing book reviews.

What’s your opinion on book reviews? Do you still trust them? Do you write them? Any tips you’d like to add?

If you’ve read The Boy Who Loved Fire, thank you so much! If you’d like to write a review, click here.

Julie, thank you so much for popping by. 

I wish you all good things for 

The Boy Who Loved Fire

Julie Musil writes Young Adult novels from her rural home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and three sons. She’s an obsessive reader who loves stories that grab the heart and won’t let go. Her novel The Boy Who Loved Fire is available now. For more information, or to stop by and say Hi, please visit Julie on her blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

The Boy Who Loved Fire

By Julie Musil

Manny O’Donnell revels in his status at the top of his high school food chain. He and his friends party in the mountains on a blustery night, sharing liquor and lame ghost stories around a campfire. The next morning, as a wild fire rages in those same mountains, Manny experiences doubt. He was the last of the drunken crew to leave the cave, and he’s uncertain if he extinguished the flames. Within hours, he becomes the number one arson suspect.

Santa Ana winds + matches = disaster. You’d think he would've learned that the first time he started a fire.

As he evades a determined arson investigator, Manny, a modern-day Scrooge, is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future. He’s forced to witness the fate of his inadvertent victims, including Abigail, the scarred beauty who softens his heart. Manny must choose between turning around his callous, self-centered attitude, or protecting his own skin at the expense of anyone who gets in his way.

Buy Links for The Boy Who Loved Fire

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple

Kobo

Smashwords

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