Contest for Aspiring YA Writers

This is a rare opportunity to get a renowned author or literary agent's feedback on your unpublished manuscript!


Pick one of the following stories from Book Wish Foundation's new book,What You Wish For, and write an essay of no more than 500 words about how the wishes in the story relate to the Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad. The stories were contributed for free by their authors so we could use the book's proceeds to develop libraries in Darfuri refugee camps. Essays will be judged on style, creativity, understanding of the story, and understanding of the refugees. If you win, either the story's author or the author's literary agent (as indicated below) will provide a one-page critique of the first 50 pages of a middle grade or young adult manuscript of your choosing. You will have six months to submit your manuscript, and the agent or author will have six months from submission to provide the critique.


To Enter:


Essays must be emailed to contest@bookwish.org no later than February 1, 2012, either pasted into the body of the email or attached as a Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or PDF file. Essays must include the name and email address of the entrant. Book Wish Foundation staff will judge the initial round of the contest and recommend finalists to the agents or authors, who will select the winners. Winners will be notified by email and announced on bookwish.org on or about March 1, 2012. Winners' manuscripts must be received by September 1, 2012. Manuscript critiques will be sent to winners within six months of receipt.

Essays may be published on bookwish.org. By submitting an essay, you grant to Book Wish Foundation the right to edit, publish, copy, display, and otherwise use your essay, and to further use your name, likeness, and biographical information in advertising and promotional materials, without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. The preceding applies to the contest essays, not winners' manuscripts. Winners retain all rights to the manuscripts they submit for critique.

For more information, please see http://bookwish.org/contest.

Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot

GENRE

Adult Historical Fiction / Romance (396 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

He's a tall, handsome knight with a secret. She's an adventurous neauty with more than a few secrets of her own. 

Finnula needs money for her sister's dowry, and fast. Hugo Fitzstephen, Earl of Stephensgate, is returning home to England from the Crusades, has money, saddlebags of gold and jewels, and lots of it. What could be simpler than to kidnap him and hold him for ransom? Especially when he's more than willing to allow himself to be caught by such a winsome captor. 

Well, for starters, Finnula could make the terrible mistake of falling in love with her hostage, only to realize he's been lying about his identity all along... But then, so has she. 

Now their lives--and the lives of everyone they know and love--could be in mortal danger. Is Finnula Crais in hell? Or in heaven?


MY REVIEW

This book had really good promise for me. I've only read a couple of the Princess Diaries books (I'm more familiar with the movies), but the ones I read were really enjoyable. When I first saw this book on the shelf, I thought it would be a great combination of Meg Cabot's signature humor and some good historical fiction.

This book just really missed the mark for me, and on every level... plot, characters, setting. I think with a bit more effort on Meg Cabot's part, it could have been much better written. 

Let's start off with the characters. I really loved the character of Finnula Crais, our leading lady. She is strong, tradition-defying sassy wench, but as soon as her love interest is introduced, she loses it. She's so hell-bent on not conforming to the constraints of medieval society, yet she ends up becoming everything she is not... the quiet, sub-servient wife of a nobleman, who is completely won over every time she's taken for a tumble in bed, to be frank.

Hugo Fitzstephen, our protagonist male, starts off the book with promise, but doesn't really grow out of his "lusty" stage. I really couldn't see him coming to love Finnula any deeper than the lust he has for her sexually. 

The villains of the story were totally cliched, with really nothing redemptive about them. In a novel, I like a villain to have something more... something that makes it a bit harder to really hate them. Not in this story. It was just cut-and-dry cliche.

Speaking of cliche, the whole plot of the story was completely unoriginal. It really read like a cheesy, Harlequin romance novel. I thought the beginning of the novel really had some promise, but by the end of the story, I was really left disappointed. It was like all of the hard work Meg Cabot put in to the beginning of the book was for nothing. 

The historical setting was passable at best. I'm pretty sure medieval women who went around in men's pants (as our leading lady did) were either disgraced or burned for witchcraft in those days. The narrator also adds that kidnapping and ransoming noble gentlemen was common practice for those medieval maids strapped for cash. It was just completely unbelievable.

The only thing I got a good laugh over was how Meg Cabot managed to include some of the medieval vernacular into her dialogue. She made some medieval "thees" & "thous" sound a bit more modern, which was fun. 

For those of you who don't know what the literary term "suspension of disbelief" is, look it up. You will become quite familiar with the term if you decide to read this novel.


MY RATING

1.5*/*


Appropriateness Factors

Please do not think that this novel is appropriate for tween girls just because it is written by Meg Cabot! There are quite a few (surprisingly) graphic bedroom scenes. Please proceed with caution, especially younger readers!


Book #18 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Follow Friday (24)

TGIF everyone! It's time for Follow Friday!

When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it...?)

I am a dreadful book hoarder. Seriously, I've gone through two bookcases already and am currently in the process of transforming one of the walls of my room into a library. That being said, I (almost) always keep my books. If I come across a book that I really didn't care for, I will put it up for swap on paperbackswap.com. Otherwise, long live book hoarding!

-To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
-(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
-(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Melanie @ Books Are Vital
-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
-If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Friday!

Phantom by Susan Kay

GENRE

Adult Historical Fiction / Mystery (468 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

A child is born... his mother's only gift is a mask. Precocious and gifted, he will live friendless and alone. Taunted and abused, he will flee, only to find himself caged again--as a freak in a Gypsy carnival.

A brilliant outcast... the world is his home. Filled with bitter rage, he will kill to escape, becoming a stonemason's apprentice in Rome... a dark magician at the treacherous Persian court... and finally the genius behind the construction of the Paris Opera House and the labyrinthine world below.

Lacking one thing only: a woman's love. Cloaked in secrets, his power complete, he will see the exquisite Christine and for the first time know what it means to love. Obsessed, he will bring her to his eerie subterranean world, driven to possess her heart and soul.

A haunting story of power and darkness, of magic and murder, of sensuality and betrayal, and ultimately, the unforgettable story of a man and woman and the eternal quality of love.

MY REVIEW

The story of the Phantom of the Opera has held a special place in my heart since I was first introduced to the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical way back. I was very excited on my discovery of this book, as I really don't think there are many retellings of the original Gaston Leroux novel out there. I had to read it.

This novel is an absolute feast for the senses in every meaning of the phrase. The way Susan Kay re-tells Erik's (The Phantom's) story is absolutely incredible. It invokes every single human emotion... fear, hate, love, disgust, sadness. It connects with a reader on an entirely different level, but remains faithful to complete human fragility.

The characters are all stunningly written. I especially appreciated Susan Kay's treatment of Erik and Christine. Instead of making Christine a zombiefied puppet always in the Phantom's trance, Susan Kay delves deep into the world of psychology to explain her complicated relationship with the Phantom. Because when you think about it, what would draw someone to a creepy stalker with the face of a corpse? Yet the ALWeber musical is the longest running stage musical, ever. There is something very deep that draws us to the Phantom, and Susan Kay does an excellent job of explaining that strange relationship.

And Erik's story... wow. Absolutely heart-wrenching. It really shows the Phantom in a new light, and explains the "method behind the madness," if you will. Like I mentioned before, when you are reading this interpretation of Erik's story, every imaginable emotion is brought out in you.

The setting of this novel, from Paris to Persia, was very well written and superbly described. The history was also very well researched. I went into the story expecting more focus to be on the story, but Susan Kay managed to include well-researched history, which made the story come to life.

Gaston Leroux's novel was a bit dry on the actual "story" side, because it was written as more of a Mystery/Thriller. But this novel keeps the reader absolutely engrossed with every turn of the page. The story is never dull. It is all too easy, in fact, to get lost in the Phantom's world.

This novel was really, really excellent. Not only did this book interrupt me from reading another book, it kept me up till around 5am on more than one occasion. Any "phans" of the story of the Phantom of the Opera must read this book. Please believe me when I will say you will not be disappointed by this masterpiece.

MY RATING

5*****

Book #17 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Follow Friday (23)

TGIF everyone! It's time for Follow Friday!

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

Wow. This is really a lot harder than I thought it would be. I think my absolute #1 pet peeve I have when it comes to books is writing a book with a sequel/series already planned out. I've actually posted about this before in some of my reviews. I just absolutely hate it when authors write a book for a series *ahem Bright Young Things!*, as I feel that this causes the authors to really skimp on the story. In the end, I feel like I've just read a giant prologue.

-To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
-(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
-(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Lauren Gets Literal
-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
-If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Friday!

Giving Thanks for the Things I Treasure

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

First off, I do have to apologize to those readers who are outside the US, as this holiday is decidedly US-centric. But I think the meaning of the holiday is something that everyone can relate to. Bear with me.

We all have things to be thankful for. Here's a short list of the things I am giving thanks for this year, in no particular order:

1. Books. I would literally be lost without them.

2. Authors. You serve as a daily inspiration for me, and for that I am extremely thankful.

3. My Family. You have supported me no matter what the cost. Words can't even express how much I am thankful for you.

4. My Blog Readers. You are the reason for this blog. Thank you so much for your continued support, and for caring so much about this project. I can't thank you enough.

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful day. Heck, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

What are you thankful for?

The Scarlet Contessa by Jeanne Kalogridis

GENRE

Adult Historical Fiction (454 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

Daughter of the Duke of Milan and wife of the conniving Count Girolamo Riario, Caterina Sforza was the bravest warrior Renaissance Italy ever knew. She ruled her own lands, fought her own battles, and openly took lovers when she pleased.

Her remarkable story is told by her lady-in-waiting, Dea, a woman knowledgeable in reading the "triumph cards," the predecessor of modern-day tarot cards. As Dea tries to unravel the truth about her husband's murder, Caterina single-handedly holds off invaders who would steal her title and lands. However, Dea's reading of the cards reveals that Caterina cannot withstand a third and final invader--none other than Cesare Borgia, son of the corrupt Pope Alexander VI, who has an old score to settle with Caterina. Trapped inside the fortress at Ravaldino as Borgia's cannons pound the walls, Dea reviews Caterina's scandalous past and struggles to understand their joint destiny, while Caterina valiantly tries to fight off Borgia's unconquerable army.

MY REVIEW

I am completely obsessed with the Borgias. It's definitely official. I went through my Tudor phase when the Showtime series was still on, and now I'm completely devoted to the Borgias. After reading Jeanne Kalogridis' last novel on the famous Italian family, I knew I had to pick this one up.

I think the thing that most impressed me about this book was its main character, Caterina Sforza. Pardon my language, but she was definitely the bad ass of Renaissance Italy. I thoroughly enjoyed how Jeanne Kalogridis portrayed her, both as a powerful ruler and as a broken human being. It really brought a nice depth to the story.

The historical setting was very well done. It most definitely accounted for all of the scandals and intrigue surrounding that time period in Italy. Not only that, but all of the politics that went along with it. Caterina, at some times in the novel, wasn't even sure if she could trust her own family. I think as a woman, I most definitely wouldn't have wanted to live in a world like that.

Something I wasn't too fond of was the pacing of this novel. The beginning and end were very well written, but the middle felt like I was reading a history book. Basically the middle of the novel consisted of the narrator, Dea, recounting what was going on, with a few genuine plot points happening in between. Sure, those historical events went on to affect Caterina, but I think it could have been written better. Like I said, it felt like all of a sudden someone had taken a few pages of a very well-written history book and stuck them in the middle.

The other thing I had a slight problem with was this whole neo-Christian mysticism that Jeanne Kalogridis added to the book. It was really only effective in the beginning and the end, and was very much forgotten about in the middle. And when it was effective, I didn't much care for it, but that's my personal taste. But to tell the truth, a lot was forgotten about in the middle. It was kind of like Purgatory for a bit there, just emptiness.

There were some plot decisions made that I didn't agree with as well. For example, when turmoil finds Caterina in her land of Forlí (I won't elaborate for the sake of spoilers), the narrator Dea's husband, the scribe Luca, decides to up and leave his love. Here's his quote:

'"I only know," he said, "that I am needed elsewhere. Just where, I do not yet know. But my heart leads me"' (364).

I thought that was a bit of a cop-out on his part. It was just little things like this that really took away from the story for me.

All in all, I think the negatives outweighed the positives in this book, but not by much. I definitely think that Jeanne Kalogridis' other novel, The Borgia Bride, was much better, and is a better read for those who are just getting into the Borgias.

MY RATING

3.5***/*

Appropriateness Factors

There are a handful of bedroom scenes, some more explicitly described than others, so proceed with caution.

Book #16 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge