Thought for the Day:
“You are going to feel like hell if you never write the stuff that is tugging on the sleeves in your heart — your stories, visions, memories, songs: your truth, your version of things, in your voice. That is really all you have to offer us, and it’s why you were born.”
~ Anne Lamott ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Good pacing can really make a difference in your writing. HERE C. S. Lakin at Live Write Thrive has some great tips with 3 Ways to Ramp Up Your Fiction Pacing and Tension.
Are you stuck? Janice Hardy has a GREAT guest post on Writers in the Storm HERE with 10 Ways to Get Your Story Un-stuck.
Writers can always use good tips for novels. HERE Anne R. Allen has 7 Tips to Plan Your Novel Like a Pro.
Last week when I posted, I showed the weather app with temps up to 108 this week. Nah. That’s not happening. It’s going to hit 113 on Tuesday with five other days at 107 or higher. I guess autumn hasn’t arrived yet. Good thing I don’t have any outdoor activities this week! It will be a great week to stay in and work on my writing. I have been working on re-writing a picture book that I love and have great hopes for, so I will concentrate on that. And I really need to start on an agent search. It is something I have meant to do for a long time, but I seem to always let things get in the way. So that will be another good hot-weather activity. I hope all of you are enjoying your Labor Day weekend and having better weather. It seems one should be able to have a barbecue on Labor Day without being barbecued in the process!
Last week I offered a gently-read paperback copy of Forensics for Kids by Melissa Ross to one of you. The winner this week is Pete Springer. Congratulations, Pete! If you don’t know Pete, you can learn more about him at his site HERE and read his blog. Worth your time. Pete, I will get your book out to you soon. For the rest of you, keep reading. There is another giveaway this week.
I had read another book by Melanie Conklin (Counting Thyme) which I liked very much when I saw Every Missing Piece by her come up on the review list for the Manhattan Book Review. It’s always fun to find a new book by an author I’ve enjoyed, so I requested it. I’m really glad I did. It’s a terrific book. I should have reviewed it by now. It came out in April, but it’s never too late to review a good book. It has been out long enough that she already has another book out which I have also read and will review here soon. Here is the review of Every Missing Piece I wrote for the Manhattan Book Review.
Maddy lost her father in a terrible accident, and now she worries about nearly everything and sees danger everywhere. She is no longer allowed to call the police on her own. Her mother has remarried, and Maddy hasn’t accepted her stepfather, Stan. Would liking Stan mean she is disloyal to her father? Maddy thinks she spots a boy at school who was kidnapped months earlier, and she sets out to solve the mystery with help from her BFF Cress, but Maddy and Cress aren’t getting along as they used to. Now Mom and Stan want to have a baby. Things are changing at home and at school, and Maddy is having a very tough time.
Melanie Conklin has created an interesting cast of characters and given them a story with lots of drama, mystery, friendship conflict, parent and stepparent troubles, and more. The dialogue is snappy, and the writing is conversational and inviting to young readers. Maddy is believably imperfect, and she will have readers rooting for her every step of the way. The problems she faces are ones middle-graders will easily relate to. This is simply a terrific book that will rivet readers and keep pages turning.
I have a gently-read paperback for one of you. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Rosi, I’m excited to hear you are feeling optimistic about a picture book project! Yay! I understand about the quest for an agent. It can be daunting! I hope you find the perfect one for you! Thanks for the review. Every Missing Piece sounds intriguing. If I win I will read and share with a local school library.
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Good luck and thank you for commenting!
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Any advice on the agent search would be gratefully accepted, Joyce. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thanks for your reviews and the opportunity to read some great MG books. I have plans regarding Forensics for Kids. Still living in the same city where I taught for 31 years, I have seen many of my former students follow the education path. One just started her student teaching year, and I plan to pass on this book and quite a few other MG books from my collection to help her begin her classroom library.
Great luck with your picture book. I’m all about trying, so I’m glad you’ll be looking for an agent soon. I’ll do the same in a few months with my MG manuscript.
Every Missing Piece also sounds like an outstanding read. Since many children (not to mention retired teachers) worry about a lot of things, I love to see authors take on topics that are relevant to kids.
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Aw, thank you! Good luck to you!
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I was hoping Forensics for Kids would be won by a teacher, so you giving it to your mentee really makes me happy. Thanks for doing that, Pete. I’ll be looking for an agent who handles a variety of things since I have a MG novel and a Tween novel as well as several picture books. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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It sounds like we’re trying to write for the same audience. I haven’t attended much of anything from SCBWI because of Covid, but maybe we’ll run into each other down the road at some event. Best of luck to you, Rosi. If I remember correctly, you’ve got a critique group that meets regularly (so do I), but if you ever want another unbiased opinion about something you’ve written, I’ll be glad to do that.
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I haven’t read this one yet, but it looks good. I love the line: “She is no longer allowed to call the police on her own.” I can see how that’s going to play out!
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Haha, yes! Thanks for entering and happy reading 🙂
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That is an intriguing line, isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thanks for my weekly smile, Rosi – that’s as close as I get to push-ups myself! Best of luck with the picture book and the agent hunt, great idea to do it while it’s so hot (and I don’t envy you those temperatures!).
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Glad you like the meme. It sure is something I relate to. Thanks for the comment and good luck in the drawing.
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Keep us posted on your agent search. AS big a job as writing the book itself. Sounds like a good book; count me in. Thanks!
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Thank you! Best of luck to you 🙂
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The agent search is just so daunting, but I have to do it. You are in the drawing. Good luck.
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I’ve been wanting to read this book since I first read about it. I shared on Twitter, Facebook, and tumblr. Thanks for sharing books with us!
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It is a book well worth your time. Thanks for sharing my link. Good luck in the drawing.
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Such a perfect read for tweens! I haven’t read any of Conklin’s books, so thank you for the heads up on this remarkable author!
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I think you will really enjoy all her books. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck in the drawing.
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I enjoyed COUNTING THYME and this one sounds even better. I’ve added it to my future read list. The links were great reading today and very helpful. It’s also been hot here but not triple digits yet. Thanks for once again being a part of MMGM.
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Glad you like the links. You keep me in the link business! You will enjoy this book. It’s great. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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I hope your air conditioner is efficient, and you can stay inside and quiet. Thank you for finding another terrific sounding MG book.
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Yes, so far so good on the air conditioning. I am taking it easy. The heat should break tomorrow. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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This book sounds like a lot of fun. Sorry your weather hasn’t cooled down yet. Today at 7 am it was 49! And now it is 40 degrees higher at 4:30.
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Ooooo! 49 degrees. That sounds heavenly! Thanks for stopping by. Good luck in the drawing.
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Love the quote from Ann Lamont. Her book is always within reach. Stay cool.
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Anne Lamott has a way with words, doesn’t she? Glad you could stop by and leave a comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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I love it when you say, “It’s never too late to review a good book”! I don’t know how you fit everything in with your writing several genres, reviewing books and sharing writing tips with all of us. Stay well and keep sharing, Rosi!
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