In this month’s Library Media Connection magazine, which is aimed towards school librarians and whether or not books are good fits for their curriculum and collection, my guests book was ladled “"Full of adventure and mystery, this novel is sure to bring out the explorer in every reader."

After listening to today’s “A Book and a Chat” I am sure it is a book that will find its way into many library.

Sarvenaz Tash, pronounced Sar (like the first part of Sara) – ve (rhymes with meh) – naz (rhymes with ‘cuz... yet I still had issues saying it..
Was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. This means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY where all the streets are laid out in a delightfully simple grid system, which is a good thing for as we learned she is not very good with directions unlike “Goldenrod Moram” the hero of her debut book “The Mapmaker and the Ghost.”

About “The Mapmaker and the Ghost”

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home.

This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest

The book is a rollicking adventure full of great characters from Goldenrod, the intrepid explorer, who has the quest to map her town. Her little brother, who just wants to be brave enough for his sister to let him come along on her adventures, to a group of runaway kids called “the Gross Out Gang”, and of course the ghost…

The book has just enough danger to make you worry for their safety intermixed with humor ranging from slapstick of the Gross Out Gang with their gleefully disgusting habits and kids will adore to equally as intelligent and quirky interactions that any adult reader would enjoy.

The book is due out April 24th, if I were you I’d get an order for this book in now, no matter what your age as I can see this not only being a great hit, but to me "The Mapmaker and the Ghost" is also destined to appear on one form or other silver screen.

So listen now and share an interesting,and entertaining sixty minutes with my guest Sarvenaz Tash.


If you have enjoyed the blog or the radio show, why not become a follower of the show?

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Sarvenaz Tash

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Sarvenaz Tash"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:"Sarvenaz Tash - The Mapmaker and the Ghost"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

Today’s “A Book and a Chat” was another one hour special being that my guest was another of the great group of debut YA authors from the Class of 2K12. J. Anderson Coats author of the brilliant historical fiction novel “The Wicked and the Just”.

Jillian grow up surrounded by books as her mother was a librarian, sharing with her daughter the joy of the written word, her father being a geologist added the enquiring mind that questioned some of these books, also being the reason she was later able to travel a mile underground.

She started writing almost as soon as she could hold a crayon, and encourage by her parents created several stories featuring nothing but ponies, some of these early creations I’m pleased to say she still has.

At the age of thirteen Jillian finished her first novel. It was pretty bad, but fortunately no one told her that. By the time she graduated from high school, she’d written six other novels, including one massive 500,000-word doorstop book with a sweeping, complicated plot and way too many characters. None of these books was very good, but she loved every single one and learned something new with each.
Her literary education mixed with her love of history has now brought forth her debut novel “The Wicked and the Just”

About “The Wicked and the Just” (taken from Class of 2K12):

1293. North Wales. Ten years into English rule.

Cecily would give anything to leave Caernarvon and go home. Gwenhwyfar would give anything to see all the English leave.

Neither one is going to get her wish.

Behind the city walls, English burgesses govern with impunity. Outside the walls, the Welsh are confined by custom and bear the burden of taxation, and the burgesses plan to keep it that way.

Cecily can’t be bothered with boring things like the steep new tax or the military draft that requires Welshmen to serve in the king’s army overseas. She has her hands full trying to fit in with the town’s privileged elite, and they don’t want company.
Gwenhwyfar can’t avoid these things. She counts herself lucky to get through one more day, and service in Cecily’s house is just salt in the wound.

But the Welsh are not as conquered as they seem, and the suffering in the countryside is rapidly turning to discontent. The murmurs of revolt may be Gwenhwyfar’s only hope for survival – and the last thing Cecily ever hears.

During the show we learned much about the Welsh history and that is Wales the country, not that swims in the sea as one person we heard thought the book was about, including the reason for the mention of Caernarvon, rather than it being called Caernarfon.
The book has already received many rave reviews before its launch date in April.

As one blogger put it…

This book was filled with excellent characters, tons of actions, heaps of emotion and kept me up until way past my bed time. I’m really looking forward to see what Ms Coats writes next.

I for one agree with that statement, especially as we learned there is at least another if not two books in the pipeline about that period of Welsh history.

So listen now and share an interesting,and entertaining thirty minutes with my guest J. Anderson Coats .

If you have enjoyed the blog or the radio show, why not become a follower?

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with J. Anderson Coats

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"J. Anderson Coats

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:"J. Anderson Coats - The Wicked and the Just"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

My guest on today’s Book and a Chat is one of this year’s debut YA authors, a member of the Class of 2K12 Megan Bostic. Let’s first get the name right it’s Megan with a long “e” so it’s more like “Me gan”, now that’s out the way let’s chat about this great new author. Megan is the author of “Never 18” a YA book that has received great reviews from teens and adults alike.

Megan lives over on the west coast, but not the sunny climes location that one thinks of, the rainy and gray northwest weather that makes her extremely “angsty” (one of her favorite words). Megan loves the color black, monkeys (has a collection of sock monkeys), and is a notorious Facebook addict. She migrated from early writing of poems and songs, though the poetry is making somewhat of a comeback to writing her first novel which she completed in 2008. That novel still has to see the light of day and in 2009 she produced “Never 18”.

She writes in the “seat of your pants” style, typing away with reckless abandon to get, with the aid of numerous sticky notes, the story that is bursting out of her head typed out. Once written, then starts the editing and smoothing out process.

While “Never 18” is only 200 pages long it is filled with emotional scenes, though some the language and topics are perhaps not for the younger end of the YA market, “Never 18” is a book for all ages, and can and should be shared by adults as well as children as it relates to real life situations.

About “Never 18”

Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

While Never 18 is Megan’s debut novel there are already several others either completed or in the pipeline, including another contemporary YA tentatively titled, Sad. I call it a story of loss, loathing and lacerations. It’s about a girl suffering from depression who ends up being a cutter, and her healing process.

As one reviewer put it…

New author Megan Bostic makes writing look easy. Her new novel, NEVER EIGHTEEN, is so clear, so smooth, so effortless, that the reader is completely immersed in the story, living it along with the characters. This story is so moving, so touching that I could not put it down. I read NEVER EIGHTEEN from cover to cover in a matter of hours. And normally, I would never look at this kind of book. It just isn't my normal genre. But I knew of Ms Bostic, and I had heard a lot about this book, so I leaped at the chance to give it a try. And, OH MY, I feel honored and privileged to have read NEVER EIGHTEEN. Megan Bostic it a true talent, and NEVER EIGHTEEN is a brilliant debut.

I for one, totally agree with that!

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining sixty minutes with my guest Megan Bostic

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Megan Bostic

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Megan Bostic"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Megan Bostic - Never 18"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

I have one of the debut authors from the Class of 2K12 on my show today. Lynne Kelly was born in Galesburg, Illinois, grew up in Houston, lived in some much colder places, then found her way back to the Houston area, where she works as a sign language interpreter. For a few years she also taught special education, a good career for someone with excellent organizational and planning skills. Lacking those skills, she quit teaching in 2006 and thankfully has more time for writing. But it was during those teaching years that she worked with some great kids and became interested in writing, so that all worked out.

After giving up her main teaching role, she started writing her book “Chained” which though going through many edits and re-writes has been well worth waiting for.

As we discussed during the show doing research Lynn found out many things about elephants that she did not know before writing her novel, the research also included a personal “get to know” with one of these might beasts.Did you know…

Sscientists recently discovered that there are three species of elephants, not just two. (One in Asia, two in Africa.) African forest elephants are much smaller than their neighbors in the savannah, and the two African species are as different as tigers and lions.

Or that…

A long-distance call: some sounds elephants make are too low for you to hear even if you're standing nearby, but an elephant two miles away will hear them

The resulting book “Chained” has been worth all the research, receiving some great reviews..

“…a story that unwraps the heart and asks it to be brave, loyal, and above all, kind.”
~ Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author of The Underneath and Keeper.

“…It doesn’t matter if Kelly is writing about about gentle giants, adults who have made mistakes, people left without choices or boys who rise to their own occasion, she has a talent for making the characters feel real and for making readers feel.”

About “ Chained”

The touching story of a boy and an elephant who have a friendship stronger than any lock, shackle, or chain.

Ten-year-old Hastin’s sister has fallen ill, and his family must borrow money to pay for her care in the hospital. To work off the debt, Hastin leaves his village in northern India to work in a faraway jungle as an elephant keeper. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and punished until she learns her tricks perfectly. With the help of Ne Min, a wise old man who seems to know all about elephants, Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can. Still he wonders–will they both survive long enough to escape?

As we learned during the show, Lynne is already hard at work on her next book a YA novel, with a more humorous touch “Reasons for Leaving” about a hitting the road to find a long lost friend, when all you want to be is safe at home.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Lynne Kelly

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Lynne Kelly

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Lynne Kelly"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Lynne Kelly - Chained"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is Caroline Starr Rose, teacher poet, member of the Class of 2K12 and now author. Caroline was an avid reader while young, and as we heard, also put on “magic shows” as “Caroline the Great”. She spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chili in the other.

She’s taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, the freedom to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.

She also spent some time in her teens in Australia as an exchange student, camping in the Outback, climbing Ayers Rock, holding a koala, and getting bitten by an emu. Of course from her stay in Australia, we could also discuss the virtue of Marmite over Vegemite.

Along the way Caroline has shared her love for poetry with many students in many forms, including dressing up as a character from the planet Zircon.
She started writing seriously about ten years ago, at first trying her hand on an historical novel about the Oregon trail, which though something that might never see the light of day, she found to be a good learning curve that has eventually lead to her debut YA novel “May B”.

About "May B"

Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, or May B. as she is known, is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead, “Just until Christmas,” says her Pa. Twelve-year-old May wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by fifteen long, unfamiliar miles.

Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned to the oncoming winter, trapped all alone in a tiny snow-covered sod house without any way to let her family know and no neighbors to turn to. In her solitude, she wavers between relishing her freedom and succumbing to utter despair, while trying to survive in the harshest conditions. Her physical struggles to at first withstand, and then to escape her prison is matched by tormenting memories of her failures at school. Only a very strong girl will be able to stand up to both and emerge alive and well.

In this debut novel written in gripping verse, Caroline Starr Rose has given readers a new heroine to root for, one who never, ever gives up.

The book is written in verse a form that helps move the story along as well as making the reader feel even more part of the reading, as one reviewer put it, “It made me feel as if I was in the snow storm.”

Caroline’s journey to publication from a start where she had several offers for her book, was not a smooth one, when her first publisher closed just as her book was planning to be launched, however lucky enough another publisher picked up “May B”, though this did mean several more rounds of editing. The result however is well worth waiting for, “May B” which is officially released on January 10th 2012.

As Newbery winner, Karen Cushman wrote…

“Heroes come in all sizes; my newest hero is a pint-sized girl named May B. Caroline Starr Rose tells May's story in simple, moving verse that captures the joy of family, the gloomy isolation of a dirt soddy, and the determination of one scared but indomitable young person. May B. is a girl you'll be proud to know. “

In “May B” we have Laura Ingalls Wilder–inspired ode to the human spirit who is a brave, stubborn fighter, written in beautiful and riveting verse.

This book is book for all, and certainly one to use those to add to your reading wish list for 2012.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Caroline Starr Rose

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Caroline Starr Rose

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Caroline Starr Rose"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Caroline Starr Rose - May B"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

With almost 400 shows under the “Book and a Chat” belt we’ve had many guests appearing several times on shows, today I am very pleased to have one of our most popular and prolific authors back on the show, the one and only Kathi Macias.

Always an interesting and entertaining guest, Kathi shared with us about a new series of three books she has written, once again touching on something that will not only make the reader will enjoy reading about but also make them think.

The first book in the new series is called “Deliver Me From Evil” the start of a series which goes into the world of slavery, or human trafficking. As Kathi shared with us during the show, there are estimated to the 27 million people around the world involved in human trafficking, with upwards of 300,000 in the USA.

In “Deliver Me From Evil” we meet Maria who has been taken by her Uncle to be sold at sixteen she is one of the oldest - she has seen many children die in the conditions Readers will also meet 18-year-old, Bible-college-bound Jonathan and his 16-year-old sister, Leah, whose paths cross Mara’s and who become involved in her dramatic rescue.

Interwoven between the stories of Mara, Jonathan, and Leah is the heartbreaking story of another young woman in captivity in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, whose past life mysteriously connects to the young people in San Diego.
As one reviewer put it…

Growing up in New Zealand , we don't at times realise how blessed and safe though of course we are not short of the horrific crimes that occur but compared to America and other countries we are quite lucky.

Deliver Me From Evil touches base on a topic that scarily enough does happen and more often than not , the number of victims are higher in statistics than the number of survivors and escapees. Overseas, we read that Human Trafficking is one of the biggest crimes - Children mainly from countries like Mexico, South American Countries are taken or sold from their homes by their families with hope that they can get a better life over in America - across the borders. However , more often than not the families of the children who are used for Human Trafficking aren't aware of the consequences as they believe their child is better off when in fact -they are worst off as they are beaten, sold, kept in captivity and not nurtured for.

These children are sold to the highest bidder and used for Prostitution etc. It is a game to many people, but for the girls -they have to learn to stay strong as only the strong will survive. .. (The Phantom Paragrapher)

Kathi told us how she struggled with writing this book series, as even for her the subject and just what she found out from her investigation went to some very dark areas.

I am sure this will be yet another “smash hit” of a series for Kathi.

On a lighter note, Kathi also has he first but by no means the last “Christmas Book” coming out.

“A Christmas Journey Home” tells of two widowed woman, one driven by fear and a promise, the other by bitterness and revenge who must make their journeys along different pathways, but with the same destination: a barn full of animals that stands waiting for them on Christmas Eve.

Forced to face their personal demons, Isabella and Miriam soon discover a common yearning that will bind them together in a most miraculous way.

As always Kathi left us with a snippet of her up and coming work, with a second Christmas book already penciled in for 2012, and the release of the further novel in the “Deliver Me From Evil” series, she will be working with other authors on a book series about a fictitious town. I’m sure we will hear more about that during a show next year.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Kathi Macias

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Kathi Macias

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Kathi Macias"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Kathi Macias - Deliver Me From Evil"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

My guest on today’s one hour “A Book and a Chat” is another member of the “Class of 2K11” the group of debut authors whose books are released in 2011.

Amy Fellner Dominy debut novel “OyMG” has come from a literary background, from those early days of short stories, and like many of the authors she speaks to, she still has many of those early efforts still on her book shelf, or hidden away to be produced into a masterpiece at a later date.

Her love of the written word lead her to career as advertising copywriter, until Amy went back to school and in 2004 she got her MFA in 2004 with an emphasis in playwriting.

Amy’s plays have been staged across the country and she’s published in both children’s plays and short stories. “OyMG” is her first teen novel, though not her last.

Amy grew up in an area of Phoenix where the only other Jewish kids in school were her brothers and sisters. She tells the story how when she was fourteen, she was fired from a babysitting job when the family found out that she was Jewish.
It was something she had never experienced before, such hate like that. At the time it made her wary, and there was a temptation to hide the part of herself you think someone might not like.

The question is how much of yourself would you be willing to hide? From that question came the creative juices behind OyMG.

About “OyMG”

Jewish girl. Christian camp. Holy moly!

Ellie Taylor loves nothing better than a good argument. So when she gets accepted to the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp, she's sure that if she wins the final tournament, it'll be her ticket to a scholarship to the best speech school in the country. Unfortunately, the competition at CSSPA is hot-literally. His name is Devon and, whether she likes it or not, being near him makes her sizzle. Luckily she's confident enough to take on the challenge-until she begins to suspect that the private scholarship's benefactor has negative feelings toward Jews. Will hiding her true identity and heritage be worth a shot at her dream?

Debut author Amy Fellner Dominy mixes sweet romance, surprising secrets, and even some matzo ball soup to cook up a funny yet heartfelt story about an outspoken girl who must learn to speak out for herself. (from The Story Siren blog)

The book has humor, a great story and a moral; many reviewers have told Amy how it helps them understand how other people’s lives can be affected by religion. The book is sprinkled with pieces of Yiddis, Tuchus (your behind) Schlep (carry) Kvetch (to whine and complain) Nosh (to snack).

As in: “Quit your kvetching, move your tuchus and schlep in these grocery bags or you’ll get nothing to nosh"

Amy’s wish for the book is that it will help the reader realize we're all different in our own ways. And that's it's okay to speak up and speak out--to be ourselves. It's always easy to find people to tell you that you're "less than" but we should all listen to our own voices. We should celebrate our uniqueness, not hide it.

With her second book coming out next year I am sure we will hear a lot more of Amy Fellner Dominy.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend sixty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Amy Fellner Dominy"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Amy Fellner Dominy - OyMG"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

On Tuesday my guest Daren Krupa told us how at the age of fifteen his English teacher asked him to write a book on the meaning of life, my guest today went one better, in fact you could say twenty seven better.

Caridad Pineiro multi award winning author, love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project – to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.
From that early success, Caridad has gone on to produce twenty seven published novels, this after her first novel ”Long Way Home” failed to find acceptance with a publisher. That how ever did not stop this great author, whose books have been compared with the JD Robb series.

Caridad has moved from one hit series to another going from traditional romance, to being one of the forerunners of the vampire type romance books.

Her award winning titles include hits such as “Death Calls” one of the novels in the award-winning THE CALLING Vampire series, “Sins of the Flesh”, the “South Beach Chicas” series and now another new series and another hit with her latest novel “The Lost”.

About “The Lost”:

Adam Bruno is no ordinary millionaire. The heir to an ancient race possessing a dark, powerful magic, he can shapeshift and create energy. His gifts make him a living weapon and have forced him to live in seclusion. But now an inhuman force hunts down Adam-just when he finds someone who makes him feel more human than he ever imagined possible . . .

Home from combat in Iraq, Bobbie Carerra wants only peace, yet soon joins Adam in a terrifying battle against paranormal enemies who hide in plain sight. She's drawn to his strength of mind and body; he's attracted to her courage and intoxicating energy. Their scorching passion can either transport them to the heights of ecstasy or-if Adam's powers rage out of control-destroy them. But when an invisible brotherhood tightens its nets and someone Adam trusts betrays him, only a heartrending decision can save them.

The Lost is the first in the “Sin Hunter” series; the reviews she has received have been fantastic…

Wonderfully exciting and powerful. (Romance Reviews Magazine)
Piñeiro's new series will excite readers, new and old...
Utterly unique . . . Piñeiro is breaking the mold.

With praise such as she has already received you know that Caridad has another hit on her hands, as one reviewer out it…

“THE LOST is an excellent beginning to a new series that will have readers counting the days until the second Sin Hunters book is released."

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Caridad Pineiro".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Caridad Pineiro"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Caridad Pineiro"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Caridad Pineiro - The Lost"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A fellow Connecticut author and I’m glad to say friend Melissa Crandall is my special guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat”.

Melissa is one of those great people who started writing little stories as soo9n as they could hold a crayon, and as she shared to us, her father recently came across one of her early stories about a dog and a fox, written in pencil with drawings… obviously into self publishing even then.

From those early days Melissa went on to write several different items, her credits include Star Trek novels “Ice Trap” (written in collaboration as L.A. Graf) and “Shell Game,” Quantum Leap novel “Search and Rescue,” and “Earth 2.” She is a contributor to Amoskeag: The Journal of Southern New Hampshire University, The Geranium Farm Cookbook, 5.5BW – Poems and Stories, and Serve It Forth: Cooking with Anne McCaffrey. Her articles have appeared in Animal Watch – the magazine of the ASPCA, NEWN Magazine, Strides – the magazine of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, and various newspapers.

Her first book “Darling Wendy and Other Stories” a set of spellbinding stories that which liked a sketched character cover the light, dark and many of the colors in between. One reviewer described it as… “An artful look into the seamy underside of Neverland, the price of eternal youth and the incompatibility of two alien worlds. The "alliance" at the end is indeed surprising and, I must admit, satisfying.”

Now Melissa’s latest YA novel “Weathercock” has charged onto the blogosphere, finding a place on numerous bookshelf’s.

About "Weathercock":

Weathercock. The name evokes flames and chaos, and a mythic hero who will one day change the world. Young Kinner - betrayed by those he loves and sentenced to die - knows only one thing: in a world where women hold all the power and men are nothing but property, heroes are hard to come by.

Determined to find a life on his own terms, he flees execution only to discover he knows nothing about survival. Used to relying on others, he dreams of rescue. Instead of the Weathercock, what he gets is Rai and Bayna, mercenary soldiers on the run from the determined (and increasingly psychotic) Commander Remeg.

The last thing they need is to play nursemaid to a half-grown whelp, but a madwoman's dark secret soon ties their fates. For a while, things actually go their way until further treachery casts a dark wing over the travelers. Alone once more, Kinner must discover within the bravery and skill to save not only himself, but also his friends.
And what of Weathercock? Can someone who doesn't even exist appear when Kinner needs him most?

As one reviewer wrote…

Weathercock made me laugh, cry, and kept me on the edge of my seat! My whole family read it! Each of us agreed on one thing, we want MORE! Excellent book!

Well that person wish looks like coming to fruition, as her previous planned work “Call of Blood” seems to have hit a bit of a bumpy road, so she is now, as we heard, starting to create the follow up to Weathercock.

What more can you say about this great book? I’ll let another author/reviewer answer that question…

Melissa Crandall has written a rousing adventure with a unique twist: What...if women were the dominant gender and men were smaller and weaker and considered only good for household chores and procreation? And what...if some people wanted to change that? Crandall has peopled her story with sympathetic and believable characters, and her skill at developing these characters and making them "breathe" is superlative. Even minor characters are developed with uncommon care, and each comes alive on the page. In addition, Crandall's pacing is taut and nearly flawless. This novel is a page-turner! The climax was both surprising and satisfying, and it was delivered with the precision and flare of a gifted writer. --Jim Mastro, author, The Talisman of Elam

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Melissa Crandall".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Melissa Crandall"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Melissa Crandall"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Melissa Crandall - Weathercock"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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