Sheila's Guests and Reviews

I love being asked to review children's books. Sometimes the review I write will have as many words as the book I read, which is surely odd. But I'm writing to inform and guide a choice, perhaps. The author of the book is writing to teach, perhaps, and entertain.They are different functions I guess. I love reading children's books for the change of pace - a chance to read, enjoy, and sit back with a sense of completion much sooner than I might with an adult novel. I love them too for the art - I enjoy color and shape and the many different styles employed in children's books. And I love them for the sound of the words - a good children's book begs to be read aloud, rolls off the tongue, plays music in the ears. I love them for well-chosen words, for simplicity of message and directness of meaning, and for the clean simple lines of a tale quickly told, with plenty left to the imagination. I love writing children's books too. I wonder when my next book of anim...

My third novel has come out. It looks gorgeous. It has a cat on the road on the cover. And yes, there is faith in it, somewhere, because there's faith in me. But no, it's not a Christian novel. The biggest question of faith in Subtraction though isn't about God at all, it's about humanity. Can we be trusted? Will we always do the wrong thing? Will the innocent always suffer? A math teacher hides his own hurts - the lives subtracted from his path, the families he's lost. Now he teaches a class full of kids subtracted from regular schooling - misfits perhaps more lacking in hope even than he. Then a girl goes missing, subtracted from class and bringing everything back. Can the teacher forgive himself for losing a child? Can he forgive the world for threatening her? And can he save her? There are some Christian characters in my novel. Faith matters to them and they even talk about it once in a while. But faith doesn't matter to the protagonist. He's not abo...

I was going to post some book reviews of tales set in dark days of past, present and future. Life kind of delayed me though, together with my own delightfully dark and beautifully bright and sunny day when the sun disappeared. Did you see the eclipse? It's long been a dream - on a par with dreaming that I might one day walk on the moon - that I could see a "real" solar eclipse. When I found it would only take an hour's drive (possibly longer with traffic), I tried holding my breath. But could I really impose on my husband to take time off and go with me? It turns out I could - in fact, he suggested it without even knowing my childhood dream. So here I sit at my computer, still wondering, still staring into space; did it really happen? And if dreams come true, can they come true in threes? Can I still walk on the moon? What surprised me most about the eclipse? The ring was white, not gold. What intrigued me most? The sky wasn't black. What absorbed me most? ...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author and filmmaker Stephen Zimmer to my blog as part of his Rayden Valkyrie celebration. I read and thoroughly enjoyed Heart of a Lion , first of the Rayden Valkyrie novels, some time ago - click on the link to find my review. But now there's a second book, Thunder Horizon, and a TV PILOT too !!!!! Knowing about the TV Pilot, and seeing all those screenshots as they've been released, I just had to ask Stephen about... The Road from Book to Television: How Does it Affect An Author Seeing Real People Portraying One's Characters It has been a very exciting time for me, seeing the character I most love to write, and have a deep affinity for, coming to the screen.  Rayden Valkyrie has been a very special character to write.  Having personally inspired me during some difficult times, I have a strong drive to see her be a similar beacon of light to others going through various trials and struggles in life.  The world of nov...

Today I'm delighted to introduce author  Vineet Aggarwal and an Indian Mythological character Vishwamitra, as part of a b00k r3vi3w Tours book blast.  Vishwamitra by Dr. Vineet Aggarwal Indian Mythological Fiction ABOUT THE BOOK: When Satyavati, wife of Rishi Ruchik, exchanges with her mother the magic potion for bearing a child, they change not just their children’s destiny, but also the history of mankind. Born of this mix up is Vishwamitra, the son of a Kshatriya, who strives to become a Brahmarishi—the ultimate and most powerful of all Gurus. Vishwamitra is the powerful story of a brave but stubborn, haughty yet compassionate, visionary king of Aryavarta who not only acquires material wealth through military conquests but also becomes one of the most well-known sages of all times. Find it on... Goodreads I Amazon ABOUT VISHWAMITRA: Almost everyone would have heard the name of Vishwamitra and some may even know of his dallianc...

Subtraction, third in the mathemafiction series, is here , there, and everywhere good books are sold, or at least it soon will be, because all booksellers will surely want to know what happens to a subtracted life. Subtraction is here anyway--just click on the link. But what is Subtraction? That's the question teacher Andrew Callaghan asks his middle-grade special needs class, and all is going well until an autistic girl subtracts herself from their company. Then memories surge, terrors drive him to action or inaction, and cats lead the way. Hence the cat on the cover. What is Subtraction, the novel? It's a road trip story, as Andrew crosses the country in search of the missing child. And it's a human trip through Andrew's history, finding what drives him as he drives the car. Can I tweet it? I'll try, and I'd love it if you'd copy or retweet my tweets. After all, Subtraction's just been added to my writing universe--I'd love you to add i...

This summer I'm unpacking my garage back into my basement, having finally recovered from winter's flood. Sometimes I feel like a multi-armed alien, carrying books and boxes and longing for extra arms and legs. But mostly I just feel lucky that I'm able to move back before the heat upstairs drives me crazy. So... where will you be this summer? And will you meet any aliens? I'm delighted to welcome author Peter Thompson to my blog today. His new novel, Summer on Earth, is advertised with the very cool tagline - The story of a boy, an alien, and a summer they'll never forget. Can you resist it? Peter has kindly offered to let us in his secrets of how to beat writers' block. Readers of Summer on Earth will be very glad that he's not blocked. So, welcome to my blog Peter, and over to you.. . How to beat writer’s block by Peter Thompson Have you ever had writer’s block? If you are a writer, this is an all too common problem. I had a case of write...

Today I'm delighted to introduce a supernatural pet sitting author, Diane Moat, who is touring the internet with Pump up Your Book. Title : THE SUPERNATURAL PET SITTER: THE CURSE Author : Diane Moat Publisher : Createspace Pages : 155 Genre : Middle Grade / Fantasy Pepper Neely is no stranger to dangerous situations. In The Supernatural Pet Sitter: The Magic Thief , the young gnome defeated an evil witch who was stealing magic from the Familiars that Pepper took care of. She wouldn’t have survived without the intervention of a pack of werewolves, who endured painful, fiery spells to save Pepper’s life. Now Pepper is determined to repay the werewolves for their sacrifice, no matter what it takes. She decides to break the centuries-old curse that keeps them in wolf form. At first she keeps her plans a secret, but it’s not long before Pepper realizes she will need all the help she can get to end this curse. Magic is everywhere as enemy witches cast dangerous sp...