I've Never Heard of this Before: Author Adapts Novel to be Consistent with Movie: A Book Giveaway: JUMPER-GRIFFIN'S STORY

Have you seen the movie Jumper? It's the one that stars Hayden Christiansen from the Star Wars films. In Jumper he has the ability to teleport himself from one location to the other at will, hence the name Jumper.

The film was based on the novel JUMPER by Steven Gould. We know that when a novel goes from the page to the screen, it is adapted and changed to fit that venue. In the case of the novel I'm giving away, just the opposite occurred. The author wrote another novel, based on the adapted version of his original book to the screen. I've never heard of such a thing, have you? If you have, please leave a comment telling me which book and film.

The blurb from the book, gives greater detail of the story:

The first time it happened, Griffin O'Conner was only five years old; he'd jumped from the steps of the Martyrs Memorial in Oxford, in front of a busload of torists. The next time, his family had to leave the United Kingdom forever.

                                                                                                                         

I held up four fingers and ticked them off one by one. "Never jump where someone can see me. Never jump near home. Never jump to or from the same place twice. And never, never, ever jump unless I must-or unless you or Mum tell me to."

SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield: A Personal Journey, Ten Years in the Making.

The completion of SCARS, was a very personal one for the author, Cheryl Rainfield.  It took her ten years to get it published. Though it is a book of fiction dealing with self-harm, it's foundation is based upon her own painful struggles with sex abuse. Self mutilation is an attempt to release tension and a response to feeling shame. It is not uncommon in children who have been sexually abused. As a therapist that has worked with such children, I know how important it is for people to recognize the signs of this kind of trauma. I hope you'll pick up this book. It'll be an eyeopener, much as Boy Toy by Barry Lyga, that I discussed in a earlier post.

The arms you see displayed on the cover of the novel are actully those of the author Cheryl Rainfield. The scars were enhanced for the cover.

SCARS releases today!

Thanks for dropping by.

AND THE WINNER of SILENT SCREAM is...

It's my pleasure to announce another winner this week. It's just so much fun to give books away! I think I'm becoming obsessed with getting great reads into peoples hands. I hope I can get a book published that you all will be clamoring to read. I'm working on it! Well, enough about my dreams and aspirations, lets get to the second winner this week...that title goes to the awesome...

Another lovely Award: It means so much!

I was pleasantly surprised to discover another beautiful blog award awaiting me today. When I started this venture, I wasn't sure where it was going to lead, or if anyone would ever find their way to my tiny corner of the blogosphere. I'm happy to say my fears were unfounded and you have all been positvely awesome and great. I read every comment and do my best to respond to them too. You could be doing something else besides paying me a visit, so I really appreciate that you feel my site is worth your time and attention. Thanks ever so much.

AND THE WINNER of Nora Robert's VISION IN WHITE IS..

Once again I have the priviledge of announcing a winner. I'm so grateful to all of you that stopped by, entered and became followers. I always try to make it good experience. Let's move on to the winner shall we? The winner of VISION IN WHITE IS...(drum roll please)....

Robert Pattinson's REMEMBER ME: A Movie Review

I loved Twilight, liked New Moon and became a fan of Robert Pattinson over the past year. When I first heard he was going to appear in a new movie, called Remember Me, I was interested and looking forward to it coming out. I watched some of the filming while the crew was in NY. That was pretty fun, but another story entirely.

It essentially tells the tale of a college  student,Tyler (Pattinson) and his relationship with a father that works too much and expresses little feeling toward his children. An older brother committed suicide because of it. Tyler wanders through life aimlessly as he struggles to come to terms with his brothers death, his tenuous connection with his father and the love and concern he feels for his little sister who is showing great promise as a serious artist.

Tyler has a run-in with a police officer who indulges in a little police brutality because he can. Tyler gets arrested and the closest exchange between him and his dad occurs when dad bails him out of jail, not once but twice. Tyler's friend encourages him to have a cavalier affair with the officer's daughter as an act of revenge. She moves in with him, not knowing what his plan is. When the plan is discovered, the girl is devastated and returns home. Tyler has developed real feelings for her and tries to get her back.

Blog Affiliates? Who knew?

The other day, I ran across a couple of posts on other blogs that discussed obtaining and/or becoming a blog affiliate. Maybe I'm the last person in the blogosphere to know about this, but I never heard of such a thing. Apparently some people took umbrage with the entire idea of it, saying it was just a big popularity contest.
In some, (I have no idea how many) one had to fill out an application and apply for the privilege. Folks were clamoring for the opportunity.

Review and Another Giveaway in Honor of my Followers: SILENT SCREAM by New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Rose

Title: Silent Scream
Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Hachette Book Group (Grand Central Publishing)
Format: ARC (Advance Reader Copy)
ISBN: 978-0-446-53836-7
Price: $7.99  Pages: 570
Release Date: June 2010

Silent Scream by Karen Rose is a little different than what I usually read. It's a Romantic Suspense and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got into it. Let's hit the blurb on the book.

When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: A vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case, but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unsaid and hearts were broken.


David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twenty-somethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close - and is moving in for the kill.

New Book Giveaway:In Honor of 100 Followers: Nora Robert's VISION IN WHITE

I want to extend a tangible thanks to all of you who have paid my little blog a visit, shared your thoughts and made this experience so fun and worth while. I'm giving away VISION in WHITE, Book One in the Bridal Quartet, by Nora Roberts.

You are cordially invited to meet the childhood friends Parker, Emma, laurel and, Mac - the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut's premier wedding planning companies.


After years of throwing make-believe weddings in the backyard, flowers, photography, desserts, and details are what these women do best: a guaranteed perfect, beautiful day of memories to last the rest of your life. 

And the Winner of the Fabulous novel: THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS is...

Thanks to all of you that stopped by, entered and became followers. You're all fabulous in my book. I mean that. This book giveaway was truly one of the most fun I've had. I love this book so much, I know you all picked up on my enthusiasm. I wish there were more copies available to be given away, but the author's got to make some money selling this great book right? :- )  Okay, without further delay, let me announce the newest winner. It is...

Come on. Get involved! Join the Book Blog Hop!

Jennifer, of the Crazy for Books blog has started a cool book blogger hop. Drop by her site and add yourself to the list, then check out some great blogs. Follow the ones you love and let the bloggers know how you found them. It's all about community folks!

World Building: YA PANEL. NY Chapter of The Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI)

As I stated in yesterdays post, I went to SCBWI-NY last night and listened to Connie Hsu, Editor at Little Brown talk about world building in your novel. As I work on my YA manuscript, I'm attentive to all things related to literature and the craft of writing. I have two Master's degrees and neither of them is a MFA, so essentially this is a learn as I go proposition. I'm amazed at how much I have learned and how far I've come since I began this journey over the past year.

I want to pass on a few tips Ms. Hsu touched on last night. This post is  not in any way comprehensive. It gets you started with a rudimentary knowledge of what world building is. First, why is world building important? It's important because it sets the place, time and environment of the story. The boundaries, via the words and imagery the author chooses, are instrumental in bringing the world of the characters to life and making the story believable.

And the Winner of RAVEN STOLE THE MOON is...

Sorry I'm so late posting the winner guys. I just got home from a local SCBWI meeting. Connie Hsu, Editor from Little Brown, gave a nice workshop on the craft of world building in a novel. I hope one day, you all will want to buy a book that I've written! But enough about me. You want to know who won this great book right? Right.

Once again I want to thank everyone for stopping by and becoming a follower. You know I appreciate it. So, without further ado, the winner of Raven Stole the Moon is...

Book Review and Giveaway: The LANGUAGE of SECRETS by Emmy nominated screenwriter, Dianne Dixon. Can you say delicious?!

Title: The Language of Secrets
Author: Dianne Dixon
Publisher: Doubleday
Format: Bound Galley
ISBN: 978-0-385-53063-7
Price: 24.00(tentative), 272 pages
Release Date: March 23, 2010

I am so excited to let all of you know about this book! It is an absolute masterpiece. I can't wax poetic enough about it. Yes. I'm singing it's praises far and wide because I'm so blown away by it. Let's get right to the blurb on the book *smile*

Justin Fisher has a successful career as the manager of a luxury hotel, a lovely wife, and a charming young son. While all signs point to a bright future, Justin can no longer ignore the hole in his life left by his estranged family, When he finally gathers the courage to reconnect with his troubled past, Justin is devastated to learn his parents have passed away. And a visit to the cemetery brings the greatest shock of all - next to the graves of his father and mother sits a smaller tombstone for a three year old boy: a boy named Thomas Justin Fisher.


What follows is an extraordinary journey as Justin struggles with issues of his own identity and pieces together the complex and heartbreaking truth about his family.

So Many Great Books Awaited Me This Week in My Mailbox!

There were so many wonderful books coming my way this past week. The photo is a sampling of what I received from publishers to review. It's like diving into a literary treasure chest. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and I like to pass on my good fortune to others. Several of these books will be available as a giveaway to my followers whom I deeply appreciate.

We're starting with Raven Stole the Moon, which will end on Monday, March 15. I'll be reviewing and selecting another one of these books as a giveaway, probably over the weekend if not before. Stay tuned and as usual, my sincerest thanks for stopping by!

New Book Giveaway: New York Times Bestselling author, Garth Stein's RAVEN STOLE THE MOON

If you haven't read my review of this book, please do. I enjoyed it so much, I want to get it into the hands of a faithful follower! If you read this blog, you guys know I truly appreciate those who take the time to stop by this tiny piece of the internet and see what I've got rocking over here.

For your chance to win a copy of Raven Stole The Moon, become a follower if you're not already, leave a comment and a way to contact you. If you're on twitter, please tweet about the giveaway and if you have a blog, post it on your site. Leave a link to those. It's not mandatory, but I'd appreciate it.

Thanks to Sarah Daily of Terra Communications for making the book available.

Giveaway open to residents of the US and Canada only.
Ends Monday, March 15, 2010 at 5pm                                  
Toodles!

Book Review: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Garth Stein. His novel, RAVEN STOLE THE MOON

Title: RAVEN STOLE THE MOON
Author: Garth Stein
Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Finished book
ISBN: 978-0-06-180638-4
Price:14.99, 445 pages
Release Date: March 9, 2010

You may be familiar with Garth Stein from his writing of the New York Times best seller The Art of Racing in the Rain, but did you know that Mr. Stein wrote a couple of books well before that one, one of which we'll be discussing today. Due to the overwhelming success of Racing in the Rain, the publisher thought it a good idea to release a new addition of Raven Stole The Moon. Lucky for us that they did. If you missed the book the first time around as I did, you certainly don't want to pass up your chance to read it again. Let's start with the blurb on the book.

When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to visit Wrangell, Alaska, it's a wrenching return to her past. The hometown of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay resort, where Jenna's young son, Bobby disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death. But whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby's fate, and Jenna must sift through the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit, who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness.
Armed with nothing but a mother's ferocious protective instincts, Jenna's quest for the truth about her son--and the strength of her beliefs--is about to pull her into a terrifying and life-changing abyss.

And the Winners of JUST LET ME LIE DOWN are....

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway and became a follower. I deeply appreciate it. Let me not keep you waiting any further, the winners of JUST LET ME LIE DOWN are:

Paula
Janet Ruth
Sheri Larsen

Congratulations girls. I'm sure this book will validate that sometimes crazy, often maddening, but clearly awesome experience known as motherhood!
Please email me your addresses so I can pass it along. The book will be coming directly from the publisher.
                                                      
Winners were chosen using Random.org.
 Thanks again to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for making the book available

See you again soon. New giveaway posted shortly.

Toodles!

New Novel: THAW - Read it for free right here!

Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called THAW. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth's first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow here.
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These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It’s a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we’re being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.
The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they’re stuck to the outside of her hands. They’re a colour that’s difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.
I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I’m giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don’t think I’m alone in wondering whether it’s all worth it. I’ve seen the look in people’s eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I’ve heard the weary grief in my dad’s voice.