Armchair BEA: BBC Roundtable Writing and Building Content

First of all, thanks to everyone who participated in the Twitter party. It was a huge success! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Today I want to talk a little about writing and building content.  This is arguably one of the most important things in blogging. I mean, if you don't have good content, people are not going to come back.

So, how do you keep your content fresh without spending every waking minute devoted to your blog?

Planning

I spend a little time each week determining a schedule of posts. I try to find a good balance between memes, reviews, and other book-related posts. Sometimes that can be hard to do, especially in weeks where I don't read a lot. I try to have at least one book review ready to go for those days when I just don't have the time to craft a new post. But, ultimately, if you are posting at least once a week, you are doing pretty well.

So, I'm going to list a few things that I've learned over the last year about blogging to keep your content fresh.

• Rotate your memes. You don't have to do each meme every week. Try doing In My Mailbox every other week.
• Come up with one thought-provoking post once a week. (Or once a month if you are a less frequent blogger). They get lots of comments and get people thinking.
• Invite bloggers and authors to do guest posts. Guest posts are fantastic because you don't have to write them. Bloggers and authors are usually flattered to be asked to guest post for you.
• Pay special attention to a reader. Did you get an awesome comment from someone? Feature the comment and write a post about it. Find an awesome new blog. Blog about it!
• Look at what other bloggers are writing about and put your own spin on it. A few weeks back people were posting all about how much they loved blogging. Once you follow a lot of blogs you start to notice themes in posting. 

May your content always be fresh and may your readers flow in like milk and honey in the promised land.

Vampirates News

Any news to do with the Vampirates is big news for me, and today, the title for the sixth and possibly final book in the series was announced by Justin Somper himself!

Immortal War! Argh! I love it. Nice and dark. Here's what Mr. Somper had to say about the title in his latest blog: " If you’ve read EMPIRE OF NIGHT, I think you’ll understand why the next book has the word WAR in its title."

Excellent! Can't wait for it to be released next year!

Armchair BEA: It's the End of the World as We Know It

It's no secret that I love dystopian fiction.  There is something truly wonderful about a story where all seems lost, and then the reluctant hero emerges. So, here is my dream "dystopian" panel.

Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games Trilogy
Cory Doctorow: Little Brother
Susan Beth Pfeffer: Life as We Knew It
Lois Lowry: The Giver
Scott Westerfeld: The Uglies Trilogy

What kinds of things would we discuss?

How do you define dystopian fiction?
Why do you think dystopian fiction has become so popular lately?
What are the essential elements of dystopian fiction?

So, what would be your dream panel? Want to take a crack at some of the questions I posed to my panel?

Shark Island [Review]

Witten by: David Miller.

Published by: Oxford University Press.

Format: Paperback.

Released: 7th May 2009.

Rating: 4/5.

Official synopsis: "Hanna, Ned and their parents are on the holiday of a lifetime on the paradise island of Kaitan. But the idyll is shattered when pirates come in the night, burning their house and kidnapping their mother and father. The children are stranded, and don't even know if their parents are alive or dead . . . In this action-packed adventure, there is no one to help. Survival and escape are up to Hanna and Ned."

Shark Island is a remarkable, roller-coaster of a book. It is gripping. Once you get into it, you literally cannot put it down! Shark Island, so called because it looks like a sharks fin rearing out of the water, is a dangerous place, as Hanna and Ned soon find out when their parents are taken by Pirates. It's up to them to save their parents.

Don't be fooled by the artwork. It looks like it's for a slightly younger audience, but this book will be loved by older and younger readers alike! And the description! The location is brought to life brilliantly by Mr. Miller, who has spent many years living in Malaysia and Singapore, and this shows.

This book has everything you could want from a book. Suspense. Danger. Courage. Fear. Old conflicts. Bad guys. Good guys. It's just fantastic. Fast paced too. It suits every reader.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the follow ups. Sea Wolf (released in January this year), and the third book, Leopard's Claw (released in July!)

Buy from Amazon UK

Interview with Melissa from Book Nut

Welcome to Day 2 of the Armchair BEA goodness! Today is interview day, and I have an interview from Melissa from Book Nut. I have been following Melissa's blog for the last year, and I love it! One thing I love most about Melissa is how many books she checks out from the library. It's not all about ARC's and free books for her. Anyway, on to the interview!

Explain in a few sentences about your blog, how long you've been blogging, and about yourself

I'm a stay at home mom (with aspirations of getting a job here in the next year or so, when my youngest goes to kindergarten). I read.  A lot. (I also garden, play the piano, sometimes dabble in photography, and spend too much time on Facebook.) My blog is pretty much a record of what I read, which is really pretty much anything (except erotica). YA, Middle Grade, adult, non-fiction, fantasy, travel, classics, graphic novels... I've been running it (keeping it? writing it?) for five and a half years. But never, ever, in my wildest dreams, did I think keeping a blog would turn into... this!

Name one book you read in the last month that you loved and why.

(Good thing I have a blog to help out with this...)  I haven't put a review up of this yet (soon!), but I loved Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock. Amazing in its conception: a story told in letters, with absolutely gorgeous artwork. weird, wild, wonderful.

Name a few books that will be coming out in the next 6 months that you would love to get your hands on

Mockingjay, Susan Collins (of course!). Other than that, I'm pretty much at a loss as to what will be published in the next six months. I'm trying not to notice; I'm SO far behind with my stacks, I'm not really accepting anything new right now. (And I keep checking books out from the library. What's with that?! I really think I can read all those??)

You are planning a dinner party and can invite two authors (living or dead) and three fictional characters, who do you choose? And what would you serve?

Mo Willems (he just seems like a very fun person to have over for dinner), John Green (fascinating to talk to), Razzo (from River Secrets; because he would be highly entertaining), Elizabeth Bennett (why not? She could keep up, I think), and Augie Hwong (from My Most Incredible Year). I would probably serve grilled burgers, homemade potato salad or pasta salad, some veggies and white bean and sage dip, with some good soda to wash it down. Homemade ice cream for dessert. (It is summer, after all.) 

If you were at BEA this year what 3 ARCs would you grab, and what 3 authors would you love to meet?

Authors are easy: Mo Willems, Mitali Perkins, and Sarah Pennypacker
ARCs: I don't know. I'd probably shove whatever looked interesting into a bag to take home

Gotta say, I'd definitely show up to Melissa's dinner party! Thanks Melissa for the interview and for your awesome blog!

Armchair BEA: On Signed Books

Oh how I love signed books. Actually, I just love signed anything. I have a special shelf on my bookcase that holds just my signed books. So, I thought I would show you a few of the signed books I currently own, and some of the ones that I would have loved to pick up at BEA.

First there is The Thirteenth Reality by James Dashner. Cute, fun book. And I seem to run into James everywhere. Our conversations go like this:

Me: Hey, you remember me?
James Dashner: Yeah, Emily, right?
Me: Yep, that's me. How's it going?
James Dashner: Good
Me: I liked what you had to say on the panel this afternoon.
James Dashner: Thanks!

Pretty much every time. Here is a picture of James and I at a signing. And.. the signed book:

At the same signing I met Jessica Day George. She signed her book Sun, Moon, Ice and Snow for me.

And, just recently I had the opportunity to get a book signed by Mette Ivie Harrison. It was her newest book, Princess and the Snowbird. (Which I sadly have not yet read). I didn't get a picture with Mette because sometimes I'm totally scatterbrained, and this was one of those times. But, here is the signed book.

But, my most prized book of all time is Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.  I won't go into a whole lot of detail about this signing, because I'm going to do a post about the whole event at a later date. But, here is the book and a picture of me with Shannon Hale and her husband Dean. In case you can't read the book, it says "For Emily- who is my biggest fan, but not in a Kathy Bates way."

And now, the books I would LOVE to have signed at BEA. There were so many that I just decided to highlight three:

Matched by Ally Condie

Not only is this cover awesome, but the book sounds sooo amazing. I love dystopia. Love, love, love it!  Luckily, this author is local to me which means I will definitely get this one signed someday. And, I have exchanged emails with her, and she's really nice. A definite plus.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

I don't have a real reason behind this one.. It just looks awesome.

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

More dystopia. Oh, and it's a book by Maria Snyder. I like all of these things.

So, what signed book do you treasure? What books do you wish you had signed?

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn: Review

Folly

By: Marthe Jocelyn

 Received from Around the World Tours

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

Three fates intertwine in this moving and passionate love story set in Victorian London.

Mary Finn: country girl, maid to a lord in London

Caden Tucker: liar, scoundrel, and heart's delight

James Nelligan: age six, tossed into a herd of boys

When Mary Finn falls into the arms of handsome Caden Tucker, their frolic changes the course of her life. What possesses her? She's been a girl of common sense until now. Mary's tale alternates with that of young James Nelligan, a new boy in an enormous foundling home.

My Review:
I knew very little about this book going into it. All I knew was that it was historical fiction. And... honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction. I like my stories with a bit of the impossible mixed in.

I was not expecting the emotional reaction that I had to this book.

I got absolutely sucked into Mary's story. And for the four hours that I spent reading this book I shared in her happiness, vulnerability, and intense sadness. Marthe Jocelyn has created a masterpiece of historical fiction that I will not soon forget.

I was engrossed in every character's story. I was concerned at first since the book is told from four different perspectives. It definitely has the potential to get very confusing. Especially since I read very fast and sometimes skip over important parts, thus losing details.  But, I was able to follow each story and keep all the characters separated.

And little James. Oh how I wanted to reach through the pages of this book and cuddle that poor boy. Marthe captured beautifully the emotions and sadness of a six year-old boy.  I had never heard of the "foundlings" before, even though I did take a European history class. I felt such an intense sadness for these children who never knew their mothers and were taken away from their foster parents at such an early age.  It was really eye-opening to see how unwed mothers were treated. In many cases, they were left with very few options.

The end of this book left me in tears. I cried for every single character in this story, even the ones I hated. Even the characters that I hated were so beautifully crafted that I felt like they deserved a chance at happiness as well.

Thank you so much Marthe Jocelyn for sharing this story. I can't wait to read more of your work.

Book-A-Likes: The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

My Rating:

5 Stars!

Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Sexuality: Moderate
Violence: Mild

In My Mailbox 5/23

Slim pickin's this week folks. Narry a book was to be found in my mailbox. I guess because it's BEA next week, people aren't sending out much stuff. Can't say I blame them! But, I did pick up this beauty at Border's this week:

 The Demon's Lexicon

Ugh, I'm trying so hard not to judge this book by it's cover. I'm sorry, I'm just not a big fan of the puffy lips. But, I've heard the book is simply mahvelous, so I'm going to read it anyway. (And, my cover does not look like that, thankfully).

I also got some SWAG from Bree Despain and Kristin Walker to give away at the Armchair BEA Twitter party this Thursday. Don't forget to follow us with the hashtag #armchairBEA. We're going to have such a blast this week!

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren

Bookcase Winner

Wow! There were 293 entries into this contest. I am pleased to announce the winner picked by Random.org is:

 And... number 48 was...

Alicia

I have emailed Alicia, and I'm waiting for a response. She has 72 hours to get back to me or I'll pick a new winner.

If you didn't win this time... don't despair. I have giveaways lined up for every week in the month of June. Some will be on the blog, some will be on Twitter, and some will be on my Facebook page. To maximize your chances of winning, I suggest you follow me on all 3.

Want a sneak peak of some of the prizes that will be offered?...

 It's going to be awesome... Just you wait!

Friday Faves (4)

BEA is next week which means I'm going to shut off my google reader for the next month so as to not feel totally jealous. Just kidding. But, I am participating in Armchair BEA, and I hope you all are going to as well.  Next week's posts will be all about Book Expo America. I've got interviews, dream schedules, ARC's to watch for, and the crowning jewel, the Twitter Party on May 27 from 8-10 pm EST. If you are not following me yet on Twitter, please do so you can win some awesome prizes.

Speaking of BEA, you should check out Pam's post on Bookalicio.us about sellings ARC's. (In a nutshell, big no-no). Pam is going to be our on-site correspondent for Armchair BEA. Can't wait to see what she has to show us from the big show!

And.... I'm going to be in a book! I helped with Bree Despain's street team for The Dark Divine last year and early this year. Besides being a totally awesome and fun experience in book promotion, I was rewarded with a character named after me in The Lost Saint

You've got until May 22 at midnight to enter my bookcase giveaway. So, if you haven't done it yet, get on it!

If you're here from the Book Blogger Hop, welcome!

Introducing my new coblogger: Julie!

I've mentioned this a couple times before, but I am an adviser for a venture scout group called The Literati. We meet a couple times a month and discuss books and writing with a group of about 8 teenagers. It's so much fun! My friend, Julie, got me into the group last year and I've really had a blast helping this group of kids develop a love of reading. (I don't write fiction, so I mostly focus on getting awesome books into the hands of these kids).

Anyway, so Julie and I were talking the other day about our Literati blog. We both post reviews there, but we really want the blog to be all about the teens and letting them develop their own site. Julie didn't really want to start her own blog, so we decided it would be a fantastic idea to have her join me on my blog.

Julie and I both love books, but we have pretty different taste when it comes to the types of books we like. I have a really hard time with contemporary fiction. It just doesn't speak to me like sci-fi and fantasy does. But, Julie, being the awesome English teacher she is, totally gets contemporary fiction. This means that the reviews here are going to get a lot more diverse. Which is always a good thing. Homogeneity in reviews is lame.

So, here's a little bit about Julie. I hope all you wonderful readers will leave her some nice, welcoming comments!

Julie is a high school English teacher and has always been a reader and a writer. She's currently juggling 9th and 10th grade students, a 1 y/o daughter, and about 20 different ideas for her writing. She's very excited to contribute her reviews and can't wait to join Emily's blog family.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting: Review

The Body Finder

By: Kimberly Derting

 

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

"A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him."

My Review:
I can't even tell you how excited I was to get a finished copy in my mailbox from HarperTeen. I did a happy dance all over my living room. I read the first few chapters on HarperTeen's website and I was hooked. 

Kimberly Derting did a lot of things right with this novel. It was engaging, suspenseful, and just a tad creepy.  I liked that Violet didn't have this secret that she was trying to cover up, like in other paranormal novels.  Her family knew about her ability, and so did her friend, Jay.  They were all there to support her and help her as she learned what she was supposed to do with her ability. Just like a normal family would act. Or at least I like to think so.

I especially loved reading from the point of view of the serial killer. It added a very interesting flavor to the book and certainly added to the suspense. I think for the most part Kimberly nailed the psyche of a killer. It was very believable. My only complaint is that I wanted to see more of his thoughts. I know, I must be really weird or morbid or something, but sometimes I thought the book went too long without checking in with the killer.

There were so many awesome and wonderfully crafted passages in this book. I wanted to share one of my favorites:

She reached in again, this time not to dig, but to sweep away the thin layer of dirt to get a better view of what lay beneath.  She had captured her father's interest, and he leaned over her, looking into the shallow hole.

Violet worked like an archeologist, carefully sifting and brushing across the top of her discovery, so as to not disturb what might be buried there.

She heard her father gasp at the same time she recognized what she had uncovered.  She felt his strong hands reaching for her from behind, pulling her firmly by the shoulders away from the fresh dirt and gathering her into his strong, safe arms... away from the sound that was calling to her...

And away from the girl's face staring up at her from beneath the soil.

Now, about Jay and Violet's relationship. Some aspects of it I could really sympathize with. One of my most significant crushes of high school was on my best friend. We liked each other on and off for most of high school, but couldn't ever quite connect and gave it up... Anyway, while the does-he-like-me-like-I-like-him was believable, it did get a little old. I found myself wanting a lot more of the suspense and drama of the murder and less of the suspense of who Violet was going to go to homecoming with.  And, I was really bothered by Violet and Jay using other people to make each other jealous. Even though the people they were using were not the nicest of people. Still, it seemed a little sleazy to me.

Also, I felt like there was a surprising amount of profanity in the book. Generally, I just overlook it, and it doesn't bother me. For the most part I was able to do that with this book, but there were a few times where it really interrupted the flow of the story for me and it would have seemed more natural just to leave it out.

This was a fantastic book. I saw on Goodreads that there is going to be a sequel. I'm definitely going to pick it up. I think there is a lot more than can be done with this story, and I'm anxious to see where Kimberly takes it.

Book-A-Likes: The Mark by Jen Nadol, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

My Rating:

 4 Stars!

Profanity: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Sexuality: Moderate
Violence: Moderate