Uncontrollable Book Launch

Yay! Uncontrollable is out today!

Uncontrollable is the second book in "The Nature of Grace" series by S.R. Johannes. Untraceable, the first book in the series, has won and been nominated for several awards including Winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Award (YA), 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (YA Nominee), and a finalist in The Kindle Book Review's "Best Indie Book of 2012 (YA)".

Kirkus reviewed Untraceable as "A thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance.  The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page."

If you like a page turner, you will love this series!

Head over to Mundie Moms for a Big Uncontrollable Launch Party with tons of prizes and then over to SR Johannes blog for even more.

To continue on with the blog tour, check out the line up! Where SR talks about anything from marketing to writing to her books to personal interviews and giveaways.

Book Summary

As 16-year-old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants. 

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

Little does she know, she is being hunted too. 

On Sale Now! 

Uncontrollable is on sale in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, iBooks/Apple (coming soon),  Smashwords, and B&N. If you haven't read Untraceable, you can get it in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

Author Bio

S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes.  Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.

 S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult) and was also recently nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult). Untraceable was also recently named a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Indie Book of the Year (YA)

 After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. 

Connect!

Follow S.R. online on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest

You can also sign up for her newsletter to keep up on author or book news.

Molly, by Golly! Review and Interview

Molly, By Golly!  The Legend of Molly Williams, America's First Female Firefighter
Author -  Dianne Ochiltree
Publisher:  Calkins Creek Books
Pages: 32
Source:  Review galley from author
Genre:  Children's Picture Book, Historical Fiction

From Goodreads:
This legendary tale introduces young readers to Molly Williams, an African American cook for New York City's Fire Company 11, who is considered to be the first known female firefighter in U.S. history. One winter day in 1818, when many of the firefighting volunteers are sick with influenza and a small wooden house is ablaze, Molly jumps into action and helps stop the blaze, proudly earning the nickname Volunteer Number 11. Relying on historic records and pictures and working closely with firefighting experts, Dianne Ochiltree and artist Kathleen Kemly not only bring this spunky and little-known heroine to life but also show how fires were fought in early America.

My Thoughts:
I am always on the lookout for great children's picture books.  This ranks right up there.  You may wonder what makes it different.  No, it isn't the pictures even though they are wonderful.  It isn't the story, even though it is well written.  For me it was the idea that a story was written that will entice children of all ages.  Not only that, the author has done a tremendous job of providing the historical information at the end.  You the reader have the opportunity to share it with a child.  She has also provided resources for parents and teachers to further entice children to learn more about fighting fires.  I was very impressed and consider myself lucky that Dianne Ochiltree is my guest today for an interview.

Interview:
 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WANT TO BECOME A WRITER?

I think it was all the books read to me by my mother at bedtime, along with all the others I read by myself by flashlight under the covers when I was older.

Our home was filled with all sorts of books and we were encouraged to explore them.  Good writers are always good readers first. 

 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDREN’S BOOK? All the ‘Golden Books’ were well-loved,  and as an older reader, I remember devouring Madeline L’Engle’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.

BRING US INTO YOUR HOME AND DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING ROUTINE.  I work from an office at home, and I have two ‘office assistants’:  Simon, a Maine Coon cat and Sally, our chocolate Labrador Retriever.   My routine varies according to whatever else is happening that day, but I do make the effort to put words on paper each day.  My early morning is dedicated to making this happen.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT WRITING?

Finding large blocks of time for the creative work, the actual writing.  I have learned not to be picky about writing time---I will write whenever there are fifteen minutes, or two hours, or whatever, to devote to writing.

 

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE AGE GROUP OR GENRE YOU WRITE? In large part, children’s writers don’t choose the age group they write for---their natural voice and inner child’s viewpoint points them toward their primary readership.  I wrote a lot of different stories and learned that I was most naturally suited to writing for the very young reader.

 

WHAT GENRE DO YOU LIKE TO READ? I read a little bit of everything.  As long as the subject is of interest and the writing is good, I am one happy reader.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND AND RELAX? Yoga!  It clears my head and soothes all the muscle kinks that come from being at a keyboard.

 

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR READERS? I don’t always get my stories right the first time.  I have to write them again and again.  My editors are my teachers: they ask me to re-write things sometimes because they want me to be the very best writer I can be.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WRTING MIDDLE SCHOOL OR YOUNG ADULT BOOKS?

 I have had a young adult short story published in an anthology for teens, titled

DON’T CRAMP MY STYLE: STORIES ABOUT THAT TIME OF THE MONTH (2003, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers).  My latest book, MOLLY BY GOLLY! THE LEGEND OF MOLLY WILLIAMS, THE FIRST FEMALE FIREFIGHTER IN AMERICA (2012, Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press) is a picture book aimed at slightly older readers, about 7-10 years old.  It’s a re-telling of Molly’s legendary adventure, drawn from firefighting lore, that also teaches kids how fires were fought in early America.  For more information about this book or my other books, go to

www.ochiltreebooks.com .

 

I look forward to providing a review of "Don't Cramp My style at the end of October.  Check out her website and her book for a quality read.

Four Wonderful Children's Books by Clayton J. Liotta

Here are my first four reviews for the Fall Into Reading Challenge.  I don't think I could have picked any better books to begin this fun, laid back challenge.

Reading the four books by Clayton J. Liotta was very refreshing.  It had the same feel of reading a Dr. Seuss book.  The only difference was that Dr. Seuss created his own language.  Mr. Liotta has create story lines that rhyme and roll off of the tongue.  They are fun to read.  I have to say as an adult they kept me on the edge of my seat to see if what I predicted would happen actually did.  What follows is a brief synopsis of each of the four books he sent me,

 

I Thought I Saw a Dragon Late Last Night is the story of a young boy who goes on a quest to find a dragon he thought he saw the night before.  He goes all the places he believes he would find the dragon based upon the knowledge he holds of dragons.  It was a cute book with wonderful pictures, also created by the author.


 

When Verdell Comes to Visit tells the story of a young boy expecting a visit from his friend Verdell.  The fun thing is that Verdell is not your typical friend.  He is an alligator.  The young boy realizes that no matter how much he likes his friend, his friend is difficult to have around.

Up a Tree With Chicken Soup.   A young boy sets out in search of an adventure.  He takes with him some water and chicken soup in his backpack.  As he comes upon a magnificent tree he realizes that it is calling him to climb it.  Every time he goes up a branch or two he realizes there is another creature there and they all love his chicken soup.  A wonderful book about adventures and sharing.

The House at 25 Clearview Drive  was probably my favorite of all of them.  Upon hearing that new neighbors will be moving into the house across the street a young boy becomes very excited.  He can’t wait because they have a kid his age.  He anxiously watches the workers come and fix up the run down house.  Finally the day arrives. The movers tell him the new family will arrive the next day.  He sees all of Bobby’s toys and can hardly wait.  When the family arrives he realizes that things weren’t exactly the way he expected them to be.  This was a fun book.  I kept reading it over and over.

About the author:

Clayton J. Liotta is an Illustrator, Author & Cartoonist.  He currently has six books out.  They include Dubs Goges to WAshigton,   Dubs Runs For President, and the four books listed above.

You can check out what Clayton is up to by visiting his Facebook page or his website. www.Liottastudios.com

Fall Into Reading Challenge

Once again it is that time of year.  You know, the time when you dust off all of those books you've been hoping to get to, create a list, and begin reading them.  Katrina at Callapidder Days has once again set up this wonderful challenge.  It is one of two that I participate in each year.  This is a laid  back challenge.  It is simple.  Just create a list of books you would like to read and start reading.  It starts September 22 and ends December 21st.  You create a post of your book goals and then at the end create a post letting everyone know how you did.  In the Spring I had a  super long list and then was unable to get to them all. With new duties at school I have created a reasonable list and will add to it as I am able.  So let the fun begin.  Below is my list of books for this challenge. I am sure I will be adding books to the list as I go.

Picture Books
When Verdell Comes to Visit - Clayton J. Liotta
I Thought I Saw a Dragon Late Last Night - Clayton J. Liotta
Up A Tree With Chicken Soup -Clayton J. Liotta
The House at 25 Clearview Drive - Clayton J. Liotta
Molly, by Golly! - Dianne Ochiltree
The Dog Show - Sally O. Lee
'CAT'ASTROPHE' - Kathy Johnson
The Amazing Adventure of Paddy Platypus - Tom de Paolo
Quest for Good Manners - Karen LeFranc


Middle Grade/Young Adult/Adult Books
The Wind of Life: Vita - Oliver Neubert
The Chest of Visions:  Secrets of Caperston - Tim Ferguson
When the Lights Go Out - Max Elliot Anderson
The Scarecrow - Max Anderson
River Rampage - Max Elliot Anderson
The Golden Scarab - S.W. Lothian
The Cursed Nile - S.W.Lothian
A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate
The Upside of Ordinary - Susan Lubner
Stealing Kevin's Heart - M. Scott Carter
Thompson Twins Las Vegas Adventure - Lesa Hammond
The  Land of Whoo - Ryan O'Brien
Pieces of Me - Darlene Ryan
Legend of the White Eagle - Barbara Hay
The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls -John Lekich
Just Breeze - Beverly Stowe McClure
Losing Elizabeth - Tanya J. Peterson
I Want to Fly - Allel Kheroufi
Curse of the Shamra - Barry Hoffman
Katia - Bruce Judisch
Latitudes - Anthony Caplan
Demoneater - Royce Buckingham
Demonocity - Royce Buckingham
Escape to Mars - Greg Krehbiel

Added to List
Demonkeeper - Royce Buckingham
Poppy and the Stranger - Eli Jay
Ella The Pink Elephant - Doris Rueger
Morris the Village Voice - Doris Rueger
Captain Jack's Treasure - Max Elliot Anderson
When the Lights Go Out - Max Elliot Anderson

Student Saturday: The Homework Machine - Dan Gutman

Student Review by Madison D.

This is an okay book to read.  Some people do not enjoy homework, but some people do.  I am one of those people who enjoys homework.  I think if you don’t like homework you should read this book.  If you are like me and enjoy homework you might still like it.  I found that I didn’t like some of the opinions in the book as much.

This book is about a group of kids in school called the “P” Squad.    They invent something called the homework machine.  If you want to know what it is you will need to read the book to find out.  I could make a lot of personal connections to this book.  However, the one thing that stood out the most to me was when Brenton said he didn’t need friends to live.  I am like Brenton.  I realize that I don’t need friends to live either.  There were some good lessons to be learned from this book such as: think before you do things, everything and everyone has consequences, choose your friends wisely, don not choose a friend because of their grades. 

Make sure you check out this book.  It is a quick, easy book to read.

Student Saturday: Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Welcome to the first Student Saturday of the new school year!

So you may be asking what Student Saturday is.  This is a time when I showcase my student's reviews.  They get to speak out about what they are reading.  In the process they are LEARNING how do create a book review.  So be kind.  This is their first attempt at letting you the reader know what they think makes a great book review.  Find out what books they have discovered and their opinions.

My first reviewer of the year is Maddy D.  The words and opinions written here are hers.
This book is recommended for upper elementary or lower middle grades.

I think Clementine is a very fun and energetic book.  I loved the book so much I want to recommend it to you.  I am like Clementine in many ways.  I want to share one with you because it is an important lesson.  Clementine and I like to help friends whatever the situation.

I think the setting of the book is anywhere like school and her apartment.  If you like to be a daredevil you will definitely want to read this book.  I think even if you are not someone who likes to get down and dirty or go extreme and you like books like that then you should definitely read this book.

This book mostly is about her life and how it is going.  It is also about how it is different from our everyday life.  So, if you like how it sounded, definitely read it.  It is an amazing book.

I AM STILL HERE!!!

So you are probably scratching your head wondering if I dropped this blog.  I know, I know, I usually write at least once or twice a week when I am super busy.  So, you are probably wondering what happened?  School did.  I took on the added position of Testing Coordinator at my school this year.  Since the kids returned August 20th, we have given three district tests with one more to go next week.  I've had to miss half days of school for training.  I have close to 150 students this year and they have been steadily turning in essays and that lovely Summer Reading Project.  The other testing coordinator and I staved off major upheaval by agreeing to take on the responsibility of grading the ENTIRE school's District Writes Essays.  That would be 600+ essays.  What I figured would be "not too hard" a job has turned at times into a nightmare.  I know I'm not the only teacher who is so compulsive that I always separate the tests and answer sheets and alphabetize them to make the testing coordinator's job easier.  I know I am not the only teacher to follow the testing directions when it comes to taking attendance, returning said tests (in a timely fashion) and above all else, pulling out the tests of those students who were absent for make-ups.  Yes that is some of the idiotic things I've found testing coordinators must go through.  My cohort and I have been staying anywhere from 1-3 hours after school for this and coming in 1 - 1 1/2 hours early for this.

Now you would think when I get home that I would be free.  NOT!   Most evening when I get home my grand kids are there and my granddaughter asks me to help her with her homework.  After that it is grade until I can't keep my eyes open.  So what about reading?  Great question.  I have three books I am currently reading and not getting very far.  I am reading S.W. Lothian's  The Golden Scarab, Max Anderson's When the Lights Go Out, and Oliver Neubert's last book in The Wind of Life Series: Vita.

I am lucky.  I am one of those people who can read two plus books at the same time and keep them straight.  My problem is time.  We are helping my daughter out since she has become a single parent.  My husband babysits making sure to get the granddaughter off to school each morning and picking her up.  He takes care of the grandson each day.  Because my daughter works for Publix she doesn't have a Monday - Friday job so weekends we usually have the kids.  There has been little down time for reading.  My granddaughter reads to me now.  My two year old grandson Occasionally lets me read to him.  So have the reviews gone away?  Not at all.  I am happy to announce that starting this Saturday my Student Saturday reviews will begin and I have several reviews for next week.

Thanks for hanging in there with me while I tried to get the beginning of this new school year underway.  By the way, if you are looking for a great book to read, we are reading Loser by Jerry Spinelli in class.  We will be reading The One and Only Ivan beginning October 1.  So stay in touch.  I haven't gone anywhere.  I had a slight bump in my road.

So tell me,  how your school year has been so far?  It is different for teachers, parents and grandparents.  So come on and tell me how yours has been so far.

Back to Bataan - Jerome Charyn

Publisher:Farrar Strus & Giroux

Pages:  101

Source:  Review copy from publisher

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Back to Bataan Summary:

New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...

Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.

My Thoughts:

This is one of those stories that stays with the reader long after they have read it.  It is very well written.  We get to look through the eyes of a young man who has lost his father to the war.  He is like many who lose their way only to find it in a strange turn of events.  I look forward to putting this on my shelves at school.  It will give my students a look at life during the 1940’s for children of that time.  There are so many lessons to be learned through this book.  There is so much they can compare to today and the war we fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The book was a look at one life in particular, Jack Dalton.  However, we see that not only is he affected by decisions he makes, but his decisions affect others as well.  This is a must read for anyone interested in life during this period in time.  This is a book for old a young alike.

Jerome Charyn's Bio:

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Important Links:

Back to Bataan web site

Jerome Charyn's Facebook

Jerome Charyn's Website

Jerome Charyn's GoodReads

Tribute Books Website 

Buy the Book Here: 

Kindle

Nook

iBookstore

Google

Smashwords

PDF

A Sound Among the Trees - Susan Meissner

Publisher:  WaterBrook Multnomah

Pages:  336

Source: “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for  

                this  review”

Genre:  Historical, Contemporary, Romance

From Goodreads:

A house shrouded in time.

A line of women with a heritage of loss. As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past. When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there. With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love. 

My Thoughts:

I loved this book.  It has something for everyone.  There is the contemporary romance between Marielle and Carson.  Marielle has moved across the country to  in the house that Carson’s first wife lived in.  She is now raising his two children from that marriage.  In the mix is the grandmother-in-law who is the matriarch of the house.  Most of the people in the area believe the house is haunted.  Adelaide doesn’t.  She believes the house holds a grudge that affects the women in the family.  If Marielle is to survive in this new environment she must put to rest the ghosts, real or imagined, of this house.  She must discover the secrets that have kept generations in the dark.  I loved that the person who held the key (literally and figuratively) to those secrets was the one person most considered an outcast.  She was also the one person that I really admired.  She faced her ghosts head on. 

This is a book that I whole heartedly recommend to anyone who likes romances, the Civil War and it’s impact on families and a great mystery to tie it all together.

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

This is to inform all of those wonderful people I have promised reviews to that I have hit a small
glitch.   Okay, so it's a BIG glitch.  I've been having problems with my computer and have patiently been waiting for a new one.  (I am currently writing on my school computer).  It had a major crash and all of my files were deleted.  Not good at all.  Luckily when having the same problem a couple of months back I put everything (or most of it) on my husband's external hard drive.  I am trying to recover everything.  It is taking a while.  Please bear with me as some of it may be delayed.  Thank you for understanding.