Hi Everyone,
I’m over on YouTube today, talking with award-winning author Jo-Anne McLean about her books, indie publishing, and lots more, including her new audiobook project!
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Book Club Mom’s Author Update: News from Pat Spencer
Hi Everyone! Pat Spencer recently shared news of her latest book, A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling. Read what it’s all about!
Author name: Pat Spencer
Genre: Fiction Writing Reference
Book title: A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling
News: Today I’m sharing news of my new book, a storyteller’s writing guide. Here’s the blurb:
Unlock your potential with A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling by award-winning author, Pat Spencer. If you seek to free your imagination from its past confines, this writing guide is perfect for you. With wit and charm, Dr. Spencer shares her expertise on how to write bolder, clearer, and more engagingly. Her thirteen tips will enable you to infuse passion, symbolism, body language, action beats, and sensory experiences into your prose. As a published author of fiction and nonfiction, Spencer’s engaging approach to storytelling makes this book a must-read for those wanting to write tales that readers simply can’t set aside. If you liked Stephen King’s On Writing or Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, you’ll love A Baker’s Dozen for Writers. This book is a powerful resource for seasoned writers as well as those just starting out. So why wait? Unshackle your creativity. Treat yourself to this essential guide and create captivating stories today.
Here’s a recent review by Maddie Margarita from the Southern California Writers Association — “If you still think 13 is an unlucky number, you haven’t read A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling. A delicious mix of writing hints and wisdom.”
Website: https://patspencer.net
Are you working on a new book? Have you won an award or a writing contest? Did you just update your website? Maybe you just want to tell readers about an experience you’ve had. Book Club Mom’s Author Update is a great way to share news and information about you and your books.
Email Book Club Mom at bvitelli2009@gmail.com for more information.
Open to all authors – self-published, indie, big-time and anything in between.
Author submissions are limited to one per author in a six-month period.
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Book Review – Bound by Ice: A True North Pole Survival Story by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace
Bound by Ice
by
Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace
I checked this captivating eBook out from the library, not realizing it was a middle grade book, but I think it can be enjoyed by all ages! The authors depict the 1879 voyage of the U.S.S. Jeannette to the North Pole, in a quest to be the world’s first successful expedition. The U.S. Navy sponsored the expedition and it was mostly funded by James Gordon Bennett, owner of the New York Herald.
Thirty-three men departed San Francisco toward Alaska and the Bering Strait, hoping to cross through to the Arctic Sea and east toward Siberia and the North Pole. Their plan was based on a false theory that the warm Pacific Ocean current called Kuro Siwo would enable them navigate free of ice. Interestingly, the captain and crew used maps drawn a man named Petermann who was considered the “world’s foremost maker of maps,” but had never traveled! Unfortunately, these maps and Petermann’s theories were unreliable and caused them much frustration.
Lieutenant Commander George Washington DeLong hand-picked his sea-faring crew with experts in engineering, navigation, and medicine. Chief Engineer George W. Melville was one of the most notable senior crew members, a Civil War hero and genius in fixing things. Also on board were experienced sailors as well as a naturalist and a newspaper reporter.
As foreshadowed by the title, the ship became trapped in ice and drifted with the ice floes for almost two years! Along the way, they discovered two islands. In 1881, the ship sank due to the crushing pressure of the ice. The crew persevered, however, across ice and eventually via three smaller boats they had managed to save. A violent storm separated the boats and, while some made it to Siberia to be rescued, others died from injury, starvation and cold. Of the thirty-three, twelve survived. DeLong was found dead on the ice, but his journals survived, providing an important record of their journey.
I really liked this account and how the authors included plentiful pictures, renderings, maps, and other documents. I liked seeing their daily menus, which were surprisingly decent. I also liked reading about their daily schedule and how it included two hours of exercise.
It’s hard to believe that these types of expeditions occurred less than 150 years ago. I’m always impressed by these explorers and how tough they were under unimaginable conditions. I recommend Bound by Ice to readers who like history and sea-faring adventures.
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Today on YouTube: Playing Piano and Feeling Emotional
Hey Everyone,
I’m over on YouTube playing the piano and talking about how emotional I feel when I play this song!
It’s a short video (about 5 minutes) – I hope you’ll have a chance to stop by!
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From the archives: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
The Weird Sisters
by
Eleanor Brown
I recently stumbled upon this old review of The Weird Sisters and remembered how much I liked it, so I thought I’d share it again. I read it back in 2013 for my book club and I’ve updated this post a bit to fill in some details about the book, including the updated book cover.
After looking into Eleanor Brown’s other books, now I’m interested in reading her latest book, Any Other Family, published in 2022. Follow this link to read all about it.
I really enjoyed reading The Weird Sisters. It is so nice to read book that is actually upbeat as it depicts characters who struggle and confront difficult problems. This is a story about three sisters who face turning-points in their own lives. Their father is a Shakespeare professor and the sisters are all named after women in Shakespeare’s plays (Rose, Bianca, and Cordelia). It is believable, interesting, funny and emotional as the three face their mother’s illness and their own relationships with their parents and themselves. Anyone who has siblings or children of their own will appreciate the dynamics that occur here.
You have to have an open mind about reading this though, and be ready for a lot of Shakespeare references. Their father speaks mostly in verse! And Brown tells this story through what I guess you would call the plural first person, as she speaks as the collective sisters. In the beginning, I thought there was a fourth sister! It’s a little different and awkward at first, but I got used to it. I think she uses this format to show the unity between Cordy, Rose and Bean.
I thought the Shakespeare references might be overwhelming because it has been a long time since I picked up a Shakespeare play. But they weren’t. They are there because they help explain the way the family communicates with each other. You don’t have to remember exactly what happened in King Lear or Macbeth to get the point.
Other people might think this original style is quirky. I did not and I don’t even go for quirky books! It works and, like the Shakespeare references, the style helps you understand the sisters and their story.
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Sharing Shorts (on YouTube) May 2024
Hi Everyone,
Here’s a new batch of shorts from my YouTube channel. What are Shorts? Shorts are 30-second (or shorter!) videos, kind of like stories on Instagram, but they don’t go away after 24 hours. You don’t need a YouTube account to watch them.
Little frog
Big frog
Sheep and wool day at the farm
Farm animals
More goats
Goat
Goats in love
Tractor
Last night
Bird life
Times Square
Golden trout
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Grammar check – in sync or in synch?
A few days ago, I began to ponder which was correct: in sync or in synch. I wanted to add the “h” but it looked funny to me. And then I wondered if I spelled it with an “h” people would think I meant to say cinch, as in a strap to hold a saddle on a horse, a tight grip, or easy peasy, a phrase I almost never use!
My internet search came up in favor of in sync, but some sites say you can use both. Merriam-Webster says this:
in sync, idiom
1: in a state in which two or more people or things move or happen together at the same time and speed. Examples include:
- The dancers moved in sync.
- The film’s sound and picture need to be in sync.
- She moved in sync with her partner.
2: in a state in which two or more people or things agree with or match one another and work together properly. Examples include:
- Our ideas are in sync.
- The quarterback was in sync with his receivers.
- The President is not in sync with the concerns of the people.
Google’s rogue cousin, ChatGPT says this:
Both “in sync” and “in synch” are used, but “in sync” is the more common and generally accepted spelling. They both mean the same thing, indicating that something is synchronized or in harmony with something else.
And Collins Dictionary says you can use both, but in sync is preferred.
So there you have it. Does this one ever trip you up? Remember when we just had a big dictionary on our shelves to check?
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Today on YouTube: I’VE CHANGED!
Hey Everyone!
I’m on YouTube today talking about what’s changed in my book review style. It’s a quick video so I hope you have time to take a look!
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Reading update – catching up on reviews
I don’t know what happened, but I’ve let my book reviews slip and now I’ve read three books without properly reviewing them. So, to get back on schedule, here are quick reviews of books I’ve recently enjoyed:
Hidden in Snow by Viveca Sten
This was a free book on Amazon Prime. I’d never heard of Viveca Sten, but I like Swedish authors and decided to give it a try. Sten is the author of the #1 internationally bestselling Sandhamn Murders series, and her books have sold more than 7.5 million copies. Interestingly, Hidden in Snow was translated by Marlaine Delargy, the same woman who translated An Elderly Lady Is up to No Good by Helene Tursten. (I highly recommend that one, watch my YouTube review here.) Hidden in Snow is a crime novel set in Stockholm and Swedish ski resort Åre. When Hanna Ahlander, a Stocklholm City Police officer whose love life and career are off the rails, retreats to her highly successful sister’s vacation home in Åre, she finds herself in the middle of a case. Amanda Halvorssen, a high school senior, has disappeared after a party. One of the only clues is a scarf found by the side of the road. Hanna is desperate to redeem herself as a police detective and talks the local police department into a job. Readers learn about Amanda’s friends, the party scene, her parents, and questionable relationships, as well as witness her family disintegrate as the hours and days pass. I was totally engrossed in this book and the character development. It’s not too violent or gritty either. I seem to always compare Swedish books to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, which is much more violent and disturbing. This is the first book in the Åre series and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum
I enjoyed this light and sarcastic look at the nonsense and buzz words and phrases that have infiltrated the corporate world. This story is all about the highly-paid executives of Aurora, an ad-tech company on the verge of being purchased at a whopping price. CEO John Shiller has gathered his executives for a special retreat, including the newly-hired Caitlin Levy who will lead the company in a new series of meta events. No one really understands what that is, but rumors of a $3 million salary have created a lot of problems among her new coworkers. Set in swishy and swanky Miami, the group attends a string of team-building events, while readers learn about individual affairs, beefs, and lives at home. When one of the executives disappears, Shiller and his group carry on, worried that any scandal will get out and cancel the sale. I laughed at all the events and the characters’ ridiculous and inflated corporate roles. I got this book as an ARC from Edelweiss and the book is due for publication on May 14. Rosenblum also wrote Bad Summer People, so it seems this is her niche. Although silly and without much character development, I’d recommend it to readers who want to read something light and fast.
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
If you’re a Louise Penny fan, you will like this story, set in her idyllic village of Three Pines, Québec. This is Book 18 of the Inspector Gamache series. I’ve read two others in this series, A Rule Against Murder and A Great Reckoning and enjoyed them. I read this for my mystery book club and the one thing I will say is that everyone agreed, if you haven’t read a lot, or all her books, this one did not provide as much back story as the others. Several people in my group have read all of them and a few had not read any. With only a couple under my belt, I had a little trouble ramping up, however, once I did, I thought it was a great story. In the present, Gamache is head of homicide for the Sûreté du Quebec and his younger partner, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, also his son-in-law, to solve the mystery of a secret room that has been bricked up since 1862. Additionally, we meet the adult siblings of a woman who was murdered ten years earlier and revisit the case that brought Gamache and the young and inexperienced Beauvoir together. In that case, the daughter, Fiona, then thirteen, was convicted of killing their mother and has just been released from prison. In the present, Gamache and Beauvoir of strongly different opinions of the brother and sister. Gamache thinks the younger brother, Sam is a psychopath and that he played a bigger part in the murder. He’s taken Fiona under his wing and now Fiona is staying with Gamache and his wife. Beauvoir, however, formed a special connection with Sam and defends him to this day. When Sam appears in Three Pines, readers will have to decide for themselves. Is the mystery of the secret room somehow connected? There is a lot more going on!
On to the next book!
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On YouTube: Talking honestly about blogging
Hi Everyone,
I’m over on YouTube talking honestly about blogging. I hope you’ll have the chance to stop by!
What’s going on with my blog? What’s it like after blogging for almost 11 years? Blog slumps, blog stats, blogging friends, making time for life, hobbies, work, and everything else.
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Book Club Mom 
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