Author of Middle Grade novels about friendship, family, and figuring out where you fit in.

Monday, February 23, 2015

A Jumble of 500+ Writing Prompts by Tyrean Martinson

It's my absolute pleasure to feature this book today: A Jumble of 500+ Writing Prompts by Tyrean Martinson. Personally, I enjoy reading through prompts for inspiration. The more open-ended they are, the better. These prompts were the best, because they were specific enough to get an image in your head, but brief enough that I didn't feel restricted to a particular type of writing. There were prompts that fit all kinds of genres. Realistic stories, magical stories, stories for adults, stories for children... there truly is something...
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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Review of BAD HAIR DAY by Adrienne Vincent Sutton

You guys must know by now that middle grade is my favorite genre. I can't emphasize enough how much I love a good middle grade voice, and I'm always so excited to find a character with a voice so strong that it sticks out in my mind. BAD HAIR DAY by Adrienne Vincent Sutton has one of those memorable voices. A summary (from Goodreads.com): Gabby McGee is a 12-year-old girl trying to shed her “bad hair,” her parent’s strict rules, and her insecurities—all at the same time. If only she could change her hair from nappy, kinky, and unruly,...
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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Introducing... One Hundred Thirty Stars

I previously mentioned that I have a new book coming out. It's called ONE HUNDRED THIRTY STARS, and it's another contemporary middle grade book. Everything's really coming together for "Stars," and I'm planning to release it in mid-March. (Exact date will be determined soon!) If you're curious, here's what the book is all about: Eleven-year-old Kelly “Birdie” Knotts has the perfect summer vacation planned: she’s finally going to visit her dad, Arthur. Birdie hardly knows him, but she has high hopes that he’ll be the one family member...
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Monday, February 2, 2015

Dear Journal...

I'm a writer, so it would make sense if I kept a journal, right? Except I don't. I've tried and tried over many years. When I was a kid, I had a little purple and blue diary with a lock on it. I only wrote in it for a few weeks. As a teenager, I tried all different kinds of notebooks. Ones with cute animals on the cover, ones with inspirational quotes on them, big books with wide lines, small books with narrow lines... and each time, I just couldn't stick to it. I'm even surprised I've blogged this long. Today it's been five years exactly since I started this blog as "Stories in the Ordinary," a blog that I hoped would...
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