One Last Petal

Trouble in Bookland: Part One by Marlene Simonette First of all, I would just like to say that I am honored to know this young and talented author personally. I met her last year through the NaNoWriMo forums and she is one of those with whom I have stayed in contact over the past several months. Her joie de vivre and vivid imagination are easy to see even in just how she interacts online, and are among the reasons I was looking forward to the release of her first book so much.  Trouble in Bookland  fulfills the dreams of so many authors and readers - it offers a place where writers and characters can interact in the world together. Thirteen-year-old author Linda is taken to this wonderful land for her birthday, and while she's there, adventure ensues, just as it should. While dealing with something from her past, Linda must grow as an author in order to defeat a villain that seems intent on destroying book worlds.  This is a fun little story (only took me aroun...

I picked up this book on novel writing by Walter Mosley the other day at the library. I was looking for another one, (which I didn't find, sadly), when this one stood out. It's small, but the affirmative wording of the title drew me to pick it up (Clever, Mr. Mosley, clever). I read it in just a couple of hours this morning, the blizzard outside giving me a great excuse to curl up with hot chocolate and a book. It's not full of profound wisdom nor overly burdened with examples or "must do's", which I found made it all the more enjoyable. The straight-forward wording is something that I relate to, and the example that were given were clearly laid out. It's not a workbook or a reference guide, just a simple presentation of the basics of novel writing, along with a forthright assumption that you will now go write your novel. A few things that I hope to take with me from reading it: 1. Write every day. Mosley suggests a minimum of one and half hours a day....