Happy February! Last week, I participated in World Read Aloud Day for the third consecutive year. For the unfamiliar, World Read Aloud Day is an annual celebration of the power of reading aloud sponsored by LitWorld and Scholastic. Authors offer free virtual school visits during this one day of the year. Typically the visits include…
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YA Review: FAME, FATE, AND THE FIRST KISS by Kasie West
One of my goals for May was to really figure out Instagram, which obviously is an ongoing process, and so I’ve been participating in a challenge. (If you’d like, you can follow me there @michelleimason.) One of the prompts early in the month was to post about an author you admire, and I chose Kasie…
My Favorite Reads of 2018
I considered waiting until next week to post the list of my favorite reads of 2018, but my kids will be home, so I really don’t think I’ll get much more reading done. I’m only at 79 books completed, down from 100 last year, but I read quite a few adult books this year (still…
YA Review: ROYALS by Rachel Hawkins
When I finish a book with a huge grin on my face, it obviously deserves a review. But it’s more than that–I raced through Rachel Hawkins’s ROYALS in two nights, laughing out loud much of the time. I’m not surprised. I loved her Hex Hall and Rebel Belle series (and she’s also written a middle…
YA Review: LUCKY IN LOVE by Kasie West
It’s no secret I love Kasie West’s books. They’ve consistently been among my favorite reads in previous years. I haven’t really thought about my list for 2017 yet (although I should start!), but there’s a good chance this latest book will be included. LUCKY IN LOVE is a complete delight. Without any further ado, here’s…
What I Learned Re-Reading the First Manuscript I Queried
I’m going to be completely honest here. I’m not really referring to the first manuscript I ever queried. Because that one was ten years ago, and it was this crazy adult time-travel Christian romance that I didn’t even let anyone read before I queried it (I know! Rookie move!). I had no idea what I…
YA Review: LOVE & GELATO by Jenna Evans Welch
Happy New Year! I’m a few weeks late, but I have excellent excuses–er, reasons. I was across the country for the first week of the year, doing things like attending my first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. (And, no, I’m not too old for Hogwarts.) Then I spent two weeks furiously revising so I…
YA Review: MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
All you have to do is read the dedication to know this book is going to be awesome: For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door. And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history. Well, I’m not! Because then I wouldn’t have…
YA Review: NOT IN THE SCRIPT by Amy Finnegan
I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve picked up in Bloomsbury’s If Only series, so I’m not surprised to add NOT IN THE SCRIPT by Amy Finnegan to that list. It doesn’t hurt that I have a soft spot for anything to do with movies. (Yes, like many authors, I not-so-secretly hope that one day I’ll write…
MMGM: SEABORNE: THE LOST PRINCE by Matt Myklusch
Several years ago I won a contest for a signed copy of Matt Myklusch’s first book, THE ACCIDENTAL HERO, and I became an instant fan. I loved all three of the Jack Blank books and passed that enjoyment on to my husband. I look forward to sharing them with my kids soon. (You can read…
The Benefits of Reading Your Work Aloud Revisited
Yes, I have already posted on this topic–but it’s been two years. Honestly, sometimes it’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging long enough to decide to write on something only to find I already did. And in this case, when I looked back at my original post, I was actually pretty satisfied with what I…
It’s Just a First Draft, Part 3
I finished my first draft! It ended up at approximately 68,000 words. I always let a first draft sit for a few weeks before I look at it again, although I already have a number of ideas about what I need to do with it when I start revising. In any case, here are my…
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