Thought for the Day:
“If writing is thinking and discovery and selection and order and meaning, it is also awe and reverence and mystery and magic.”
~ Toni Morrison ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Voice, voice, voice—that elusive characteristic of writing comes up so often. HERE is an excellent post from Lydia Netzer with nine components of narrative voice. Enjoy.
Got a great idea for a story? HERE is an article by Emma Walton Hamilton with next steps for what to do when inspiration strikes.
Character naming is a real art. I think I could write a dissertation on the brilliant character names in Steinbeck’s works. Anyway, HERE is a terrific article from Writer’s Digest by Elizabeth Sims with The 7 Rules of Picking Names for Fictional Characters.
The beat goes on. The news continues to be weird and shocking and depressing. I’m trying to keep busy with other things, but every time I turn on the TV or radio, there it is. In the interest of keeping things light, here are some really bad puns. Hope you like them.
Roy Rogers rode up on Trigger with his new boots in tatters and a dead cougar draped over his saddle. Dale Evans said, “Pardon me, Roy, is that the cat that chewed your new shoes?”
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The human cannonball was getting tired of being shot out of a cannon night after night, so he went to the ringmaster and told him he planned to retire. The ringmaster was stunned. “You can’t retire,” he said. “Where would I ever find another man of your caliber?”
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Some Franciscans were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened a flower shop to raise money. But a rival florist across town resented the competition, and he hired Hugh MacTaggart, the most notorious thug in town, to persuade the friars to close. Hugh threatened the friars and trashed their shop, warning that he’d be back if they didn’t shut down. The terrified Franciscans complied, proving that only Hugh can prevent florist friars.
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The city zoo was getting a new wildebeest, but the animal arrived a few days earlier than expected, before its cage was ready. The crew that was supposed to lay the floor tiles was due to arrive the following day, but for the moment, all the tiles were stacked in a corner of the cage. There was no place else to put the wildebeest, so into the cage it went. The zookeeper gave it some food and fresh water, locked the cage, and left for the night. When he returned the next morning to see how the wildebeest was doing, the zookeeper was astonished to see that all the floor tiles had been neatly laid. The cage was still locked, and the zookeeper had the only key. He called the veterinarian and told him what had happened. The veterinarian came and examined the animal, and finding it to be perfectly healthy, concluded that it was a typical gnu, and tiler, too.
Well more than a year ago, I read a review of ELSETIME by Eve McDonnell on Valinora Troy’s wonderful blog, and I had to have it. I even stopped while I was reading Valinora’s review to order a copy because I was so taken with the title, the cover, and her review. After I got the book, I put it in my staggering TBR pile, and it got lost in there for quite a while. I finally got around to reading it a couple weeks ago, and I loved it. I’m not a big fantasy reader, but I do love time-travel portal stories, so this one was right up my alley.
It’s 1864 in the town of Ithington. Needle, 12, is a mudlark, someone who digs treasure from the riverbed when the tide is low. He takes his findings to a hidden room in the bridge, and he turns them into beautiful treasures to sell at the local market. Needle’s Da disappeared some time ago, and Needle and his mom miss him terribly. But Da’s crow friend, Magpie, has been helping Needle find treasures and even helping him ward off some bullies. Needle has a special ability to know the age of what he finds by the temperature it is. The colder, the older. The pieces also tell him their stories. And he sees words in colors. But one day he finds a piece of metal that is burning hot. It is part of a plaque commemorating people who died in a flood in Ithington in 1928! Magpie leads Needle to another hidden room in the bridge, and Needle falls, hitting his head. When he wakes up, he finds himself in 1928, two days before the flood!
It isn’t long until Needle meets a girl his age, Glory, who works for an evil woman, Mrs. Quick, who owns a shop that sells fancy, handmade necklaces, brooches, combs, tiaras, and the like. Mrs. Quick takes credit for the artistry, but it is Glory, working long hours in the back room who creates the beautiful pieces. Mrs. Quick takes on a special order and puts the onus on Glory to finish it on time, threatening her with losing her job. Glory’s job helps to keep a roof over her and her sister’s heads. Needle convinces Glory of the danger of the flood, and they set out to save the people of the town, including Needle’s Da, who is stuck in the low-lying jail. They encounter enormous obstacles.
Eve McDonnell has created a wondrous cast of characters and a stunning setting to tell her fantastic story. Clearly, this is a story that could not have actually happened, but readers will be so pulled in that they will accept it all completely. Her writing is lovely, the dialogue is just right for the characters, and the story is filled with wonderful tension. I loved every word. Middle-grade readers will as well.
I have a gently-read paperback of this book to give to one of you. All you need to do is be a follower (it’s free and easy — see the top, right corner of the post) with a US Address, and leave a comment. If you share the link to this post on social media, please let me know in your comment, and you will get an extra chance. And please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Thanks for the book review, the humor that gave me a smile and laugh and an altogether uplifting post.
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So glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your kind words. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thanks for the puns. I could use them today. I’m glad you enjoyed this book that Valinora recommended. Please don’t enter me in the giveaway. I’m actually making a dent in my TBR list.
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Thanks for the puns. I could use them today. I’m glad you enjoyed this book that Valinora recommended. Please don’t enter me in the giveaway. I’m actually making a dent in my TBR list.
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Glad you like the puns. Some were real groaners. Making a dent in teh TBR pile. I’m impressed. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I am so glad you loved the book, Rosi! I loved it at the time but having read your review, I remember all the reasons I love it (not least Magpie going through time to look after his human friends), and learning about mudlarking! There was a real flood too which inspired the story. I love the wanted ad too! Thanks for the chuckles and the links, and have a great week!
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Magpie was such a great character. Glad you like the links and the comic. Thanks for reading and commenting. I appreciate it.
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Yes, depressing times but we keep our chins up and focus on antidotes like good deeds, generosity, and humor! Thanks for the review! Looks like fun! I’ll post on FB.
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I like your philosophy, Joyce. Thanks for sharing my link. An extra chance for you. Good luck in the drawing.
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ELSETIME sounds fantastic! Thanks, Rosi, for the review!
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You are welcome. Nice to see you here, Ellen. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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I love reading fantasy and time travel and when an author can suspend my beliefs, it’s amazing! Thank you for introducing me to this exciting book. I can’t wait to read it. I shard this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and tumblr.
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It sounds like a perfect book for you. Thanks for sharing my link. An extra chance for you. Good luck in the drawing.
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Those are truly atrocious puns. The best kind, of course.
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Glad you are a pun fan. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Ooh, sounds great.
I’m a subscriber and would love to win.
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You are in the drawing. Good luck.
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I loved your Schodener’s cat Wanted Poster! This sounds intriguing. I do love time travel, and this sounds like the author knows the time period.
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It is pretty clear the author did some good research. Glad you enjoyed the joke. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Elsetime Looks AMAZING! Thanks for the book-rec
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You are welcome. It is amazing. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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I remember adding this book to my crowded TBR list after reading Valinora’s review. I still haven’t gotten to it, but now it has been moved up to the top of my future reads thanks to your review. Also enjoyed all the links this week especially the one on voice. Thanks for being a part of MMGM this week.
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Thanks for the kind words. Glad you like the links. You will like this book, Greg. It’s a good one. Thanks for reading and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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I’m not usually a fantasy fan, either, but this does sound interesting. Thanks for the puns. The news grows more horrifying daily.
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It is a terrific read, Jilanne. I hope you get a chance to read it. Thanks for the comment and good luck in the drawing.
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Thank you for writing such a beautiful review of Elsetime, Rosi! I am so delighted you enjoyed it – it was a fun story to write, especially as it all began with a gift-bearing crow in my garden who once delivered a tiny spiderman head beneath my bird feeders! Good luck to everyone entering your give-away!
Eve McDonnell
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I’ll bet it was fun to write! How great that you had a crow deliver a gift to you. Thanks for stopping by.
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I’m a fan of time travel portal stories, too, so I guess I’ll have to add this one to my TBR too (which is also towering, of course – but I can’t resist adding one more book to it when it sounds so good!!).
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I know about the towering TBR pile. It never seems to get smaller. Thanks for the comment. Please subscribe to be in future drawings.
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This one is right up my alley, Rosi. Unfortunately, it’s not (yet) available at my library so it will have to go on my TBR list (as distinct from my TBR pile). Thanks for the recommendation!
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