IWSG, Romance, and Hope

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!  

October's Question: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?

My favourite genre for both writing and reading is romance, specifically romantic suspense on the lighter side of the genre.

I love this genre because it's all about hope.

• Hope that you can become a better person
• Hope that you can find someone to spend your life with
• Hope that you can solve the problem
• Hope that you can make the world a better place
• Hope that good will always win
• Hope that hard work pays off
• Hope that love makes everything better
• Hope that happy endings can be real

Of course, Hope isn't specific to romance.

I also read a lot of Mystery, Fantasy, & SciFi where Hope is often a major theme - at least in the books I love!

How about you? Do you like books that have Hope as a central theme? What's the central theme of the genre you like best?

IWSG & Settings for Self

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

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September 4 question - If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

There are so many great places where I'd love to write...

• outdoors under the Northern Lights 
• a sidewalk cafe in Paris
• a balcony overlooking Tokyo or NYC at night
• a comfy chair dropped into the middle of the Serengeti or the green rolling hills of Scotland 
• a gondola in Venice or a whale-watching boat in the ocean
• a beach Down Under

But I'm a Canadian girl at heart, so I'd love a tree house overlooking a lake out in my beautiful Northern Ontario forest, surrounded by the amazing fall leaves at their best.

How about you? Where would you like best to write or read? Anyone want to join me?

IWSG & Picking Favourites

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

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June 5 question: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

I love so many genres - both for reading and writing!

I've been immersed in the world of nonfiction recently getting ready to publish Dancing With Dementia. It holds a huge part of my heart because it deals with my family and how dementia has affected all of us.

Nonfiction is a different beast from fiction and it's had its own set of challenges and joys.

Because it's consumed my world for the past few years, it's definitely my current favourite genre. Writing a deeply emotional subject is obviously not easy, but writing it with the purpose of helping others makes it easier to do.

I'm looking for early readers for Dancing With Dementia. If you're interested, send me an email (jemifraser@gmail.com), let me know in the comments, or sign up for my newsletter over in the righthand sidebar of the blog. (The newsletter will be for all my writing, not only the nonfiction.) Thanks!

Once this book is out and about, and I start focusing on my romance stories again, I'm sure that genre will zoom back into my favourite spot!

How about you? Do you switch up your favourites depending what you're working on? Anyone interested in an early copy of Dancing With Dementia?

The IWSG & Yay I'm a Writer!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

November's Question: What is your favourite aspect of being a writer?

Another tough question!

There's so much I love, but I really love the thought that, one day, my characters will be 'alive' for someone else.

For me, reading and writing are all about the characters and their emotions. The people in the books I've read have often become real for me, starting with Anne of Green Gables way back when. If the characters' emotions reach into me, then those characters become people.

If I can write characters who truly come alive for a reader or two, that would be incredible!

How about you? Is it all about the characters for you, too? What's your favourite part of writing? Or reading?

Olympic Moments

The Olympics are over - until next time.

Two weeks of emotional highs and lows. I always want everyone to achieve personal bests and to fulfill their dreams. :)

I love the athletes who are thrilled and awed to be there despite knowing they have no realistic chance to medal.

I love the camaraderie among many of the athletes despite the fact they're competing against each other.

I love learning fascinating tidbits about sports I've loved for a long time and sports that are new to me.

For me, there were many highlights, but a few stood out:

• Watching the Men's Rugby 7s Team from Fiji listen to their national anthem after winning their country's first ever Olympic gold medal
• A young Brazilian man achieving a personal best and surprising the field by winning the Gold in pole vault
• Simone Biles
• Usain Bolt
• Our Canadian athletes - medaled and otherwise. So many amazing stories, so many incredible moments
• Our fabulous Canadian television coverage. Three stations worked together to ensure coverage of a bazillion events. At many times I could access 7 channels all showing different events. 7!!! And not all focused on Canadian athletes. Instead, we were able to see a huge range of sports showcasing many different countries. Fantastic!

The Olympics always give me hope that Humanity is taking steps to be better, to work together, and to take peace seriously. Let's hope that's true!

Are you an Olympic junkie? What was your favourite moment?

Home Run Books

Last day of August - how did that happen?????

I've spent part of my summer organizing my classroom library in my new classroom. So much fun! I've got a lot of books - I've had my students do a math activity every year estimating how many books are in my library. Conservative estimates put it over well over 5000 books. It's a very crowded room.

I've got the books organized into buckets - divided into fiction & nonfiction, then by topic, genre, reading level within the genre, authors and more. I always have a few students who volunteer to help me keep it organized over the year. Couldn't do it without them!

One of the best parts of my job (special education resource teacher) is helping kids find those 'home run' books - books that turn them into readers. I love 'touring' new kids around my library and showing them possibilities. I generally send them away with a handful for them to try out. Often, we'll read the first bits together and see which ones excite them.

Once they know how to find books that are at their level and are about things they're interested in, they dive right in. Then, before long, they start expanding those tastes and trying new things. Having the power to choose and the time to explore is often a key to reading success.

Do you remember one of your 'home run' books? One of the first books that turned you into a reader? I think one of my first was the Encyclopedia Brown series, then Nancy Drew & the Boys. I still like mysteries now!

Favourite Couples

Valentine's Day is almost upon us. Cue the cardboard hearts and fancy chocolates!

Love and romance are part of human culture and obviously show up in many of our books. There have been countless couples throughout history who have captured the hearts of readers. Even young readers.

Some of the earliest couples I remember reading about are:

• Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables
• Nancy Drew & Ned Nickerson (had to look up his last name!)
• Amy March & Laurie (never did like that match up though)

There weren't really any YA books around when I was a kid and I moved pretty much from those books to Agatha Christie - not a lot of romance for poor ol' Hercule!

Current MG and YA books are full of couples and love triangles (but that's another post) and some of them are very memorable. One of my recent faves is in Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson. While it's totally an adventure book the realistic relationship that grows between the characters is fabulous. Shannon Messenger, Medeia Sharif, Elana Johnson, and Shelli Johannes are other authors who create strong relationships between their YA characters. Wish those authors had been around when I was a kid!

Who are your favourite couples from the books you read as a child or teen?

'Tis the Season to be Sappy!

It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one who knows me that I'm a bit of a sap. I can be a tough cookie about a lot of things, but stories with heart get me. So 'tis the season to find me with Christmas movies on in the background.

I even watch some of those really over the top ones where the plot is so predictable you know the ending within the first five minutes. I know they're going to syrupy sweet and deliberately sappy, yet I still find myself welling up. This amuses my family to a ridiculous extreme!

I tend to get teary with at least one scene from every movie. Rudolph's Island of Misfit Toys? The scene where the General enters the showroom in White Christmas? When the angel gets her wings? When the letters arrive in a Christmas on 34th street? These get me every single time.

How about you? Are you a fan of Christmas movies? What's your favourite?

Hook Me!

First lines are so important!

There are so many great examples of great first lines - one of my favourites is It was a pleasure to burn from Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Love its simplicity and how much it tells of the story without being complex or bogging me down.

Styles change and currently it seems popular first lines are fairly short. The main character is often involved. There's usually something intriguing or unique to pull you in. Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book begins There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife. No main character but it is pure Awesome! My MG & YA readers gobble it up!

One of my favourite all time books is Anne of Green Gables. It was written in 1908 and the styles were definitely different. The first line is over 100 words long, doesn't mention the main character (I don't think Anne shows up until Chapter 2) and includes 3 semi-colons. Most agents and readers today would pass it right by!

I'm getting better at writing those first lines. Like many other writers, I revise that first line and scene many times before I'm satisfied. And then I do it some more.

How about you, do you have any favourite first lines? Do you find them easy to write?

I'm over at From the Write Angle today talking about first lines in a query - how do you hook that agent??? I hope you'll pop over and join the discussion!

Elliot's Tough Questions

The charming Elliot Grace over at So Close, But... has tagged me with the Liebster Award! The rules are simple, offer 11 fun facts about yourself, answer 11 questions provided by Elliot, pass the award on to 11 blogger pals, answering 11 new questions from yours truly. 

On to Elliot's (really hard!) questions...

1) What is your favorite genre to read?
I love so many genres! Currently my fave is definitely contemporary romance, but I also love fantasy, sf, mystery, YA & MG (I know those last 2 aren't genres--humour me) and more!
 

2) Pizza or pasta?

This is another hard one! We live in a town with a TON of fantastic Italian restaurants. I've been to bigger cities with more famous places and tried a variety of popular chain restaurants, but there is nothing that beats our local pizza & pasta. Nothing! My heart is a little torn with this question, but I think I'll go with pasta!

 

3) If you were to be stranded on an island and could choose one book to take with you, which would you choose?

AHHH! Can I have an easy question please??? Okay. I'd bring Lord of the Rings. I never tire of Tolkien's characters!

 

4) If you could choose to have dinner with one writer, in order to pick his/her brain, who would you choose?

Nora Roberts! She is such a prolific author. She's written a mind-boggling number of best-selling romances and each character is unique and intriguing. Her In Death series has an incredible cast of repeat characters and each book keeps getting stronger!!

 

5) Who is your choice of musician for inspiration while writing?

I never listen to one musician at a time. I always set my iTunes to shuffle. My tastes are pretty eclectic with music too - I've got everything from classic rock to easy listening to jazz to blues to country to Motown to pop... So it would depend on the scene I think!

 

6) The Walking Dead, or Breaking Bad?

Sadly, neither. I've stopped adding new TV series to my schedule. There's just not enough time to watch and do everything else I want to do so I haven't seen either of these.

 

7) If you could choose an actor to play the part of lead role in your book, who would it be?

Another tough one! I actually think Chris Pine would make a pretty good Jaz in the book I'm hoping to pub later this year.

 

8) Do you prefer writing in the a.m or p.m?

Both! I am a morning person, but for most of the year, the job gets in the way. During the school year I tend to write after 9 p.m. once family life has slowed down. In the summer I have more freedom and write whenever I can.

 

9) What is your best antidote for writer's block?

Try something else. I currently have 4 stories in various stages of editing and another one I'm drafting. For a person who thought she was a one draft at a time writer, it's a bit of a shock, but it works!

 

10) When going on vacation...drive or fly?

I'd love to fly to more places but the wallet usually says we drive. My hubby likes to drive so that leaves me free to read too!

 

11) Name the city that tops your bucket list to visit.

So many! Probably Hong Kong. Or New York. Or Rome. Or Cairo...

 

And 11 fun facts about me...

1. I hate/despise/detest/loathe housecleaning
2. My dad and I used to always shop for bonus 'as is' presents for people for Christmas on Christmas Eve when the stores were nuts and the crowds desperate. We got some really strange items and had a ton of fun!
3. I used to walk along the tops of swing sets as a kid
4. I've never owned a pet even though I love animals
5. Although I'm Canadian, I'm a rotten skater. Actually I can skate pretty well, it's the whole stopping thing I never mastered
6. I make an awesome lasagna!
7. I want to go on an African photo safari one day
8. Although I don't watch too many TV series, I'm kind of a sports nut and often have sports on in the background when I'm writing
9. I LOVE teaching Math!
10. When I'm baking/cooking I rarely measure anything - that would take the mystery out!

I won't tag anyone specifically, but if you'd like to play along, please do!

Tell me one fun fact I don't know about you!

Top Ten Movies

The Ninja Captain Alex J Cavanaugh is at it again! I think his original Dirty Dozen Blogfest was the 1st blogfest I participated in, so I'm happy to do this one again!! :)

 

Favourite movies are hard! There are sooooo many great ones out there!

 

Okay - for a movie to have made my list I decided I'd have to have watched it several times and still want to watch it when it comes on late night TV. I could make my whole list from the SciFi genre, but I forced myself to take 4 from other places.

 

From WAY back...

 

The Wizard of Oz - I remember waiting desperately for this to come on once a year when I was a kid. The moment when Dorothy opens the door and the movie changes from black and white to colour is pure magic! And the characters are awesome ... the flying monkeys, the lion and most of all the scarecrow! Almost a perfect movie!

 

The Sound of Music - another one I waited for every year. (Never did figure out why these 2 were considered Christmas movies though.) We even had a record of the songs. I think I can still sing them all word for word!

 

Regular Movies

 

Bourne Identity - love the premise and the character and the discovering of layers and layers of deception. Amazing stuff. The books were better than the movies, but I still really enjoyed it!

 

Blindside - Such a powerful movie! Sandra Bullock is fantastic!

 

And SF & Fantasy

 

Star Trek - Wrath of Khan - KHAN!!! Love, love that movie, although when he puts the thing in his ear, I still turn away. :)

 

Star Trek - Voyage Home - Ridiculous I know, but I love that scene with Spock on the bus and the punk with the stereo. Spock makes that whole movie for me!

 

Star Trek - the new one. I was so nervous/excited when they decided to start the series in a new direction. Brilliant. Can't wait for #2!

 

Star Wars - cheating here - counting the original trilogy as one movie! So many great characters, so many great scenes. Love it!

Serenity - It's such a shame Firefly was discontinued before it really had a chance. Such fabulous characters and setting! I could watch this series over and over and over!

LotR - cheating again! I watch these movies several times a year. These are my #1 favourites. It's not only the story line that shines, it's the incredible play of light and shadow, the camera angles, the pauses and silences. Total beauty.

 

As I read over the list, I realize there's not one single movie on here anyone else in my family would put on their lists! Not one! I do tend to be a little different...

How about you - do you like any of these movies?



Favourite Genres

Genre Favorites Blogfest, September 17, 2012

One blogfest, four favorites!

Ninja Captain Alex J Cavanaugh is at it again! Another awesome blogfest with fun questions. Click on Alex's link to check out the other people contributing.

Favourite Movie Genre: Science Fiction

•  even though my favourite movie of all time is probably the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I have to go with sf, not fantasy. There are SO many great sf movies - starting with Star Wars (although some folks categorize this as fantasy) , through the Star Trek movies to Serenity to so many more. Love them!

Favourite Music Genre: Rock

•  this one is really tough for me. Even tougher than books. I listen to a wide variety of music and love most of it. I'd have to say I prefer the lighter rock to heavier rock, but there's nothing quite like a rock beat to get you moving!

Favourite Book Genre: Romance

•  I love watching a relationship develop between the two characters, knowing there's a Happy Ever After in store for me. I LOVE books in so many genres (sf, fantasy, suspense, adventure,...) but time and again I find myself going back to romance.

Favourite Guilty Pleasure: ...

•  this was tough - once again, there are so many to choose from! I love a lot of old cheesy music especially, but I think my biggest guilty pleasure is a movie, but not from my favourite genre. It's Miss Congeniality. Sandra Bullock is so much fun in this one. So many scenes make me smile - lots of fun!

Help me out here - tell me one of your guilty pleasures from one of those categories! Please!! :)

Movie Influences on Elana

Dude! I'm so excited today to have Elana Johnson here. Elana's one of my favourite people in the bloggy-verse. Not only do I adore her books (see here and here to hear me gush!), but she's a total sweetie - honest, kind, open, generous - she's an awesome lady! So, here's Elana...

The Influence of Minority Report

A guest post by Elana Johnson

Okay, so I’m a lover of thrillers like The Bourne Identity and Mission Impossible. One of my favorite futuristic movies is Minority Report. I haven’t seen it for a few years, and I recently watched it. I felt like I’d taken a slice of SURRENDER and inserted it into the movie.

Or the other way around. Maybe I’ve taken a slice of Minority Report and inserted it into SURRENDER…

Here’s a couple pieces of the pie you’ll see in both places.

The spiders. In Minority Report, there’re these robotic spiders that can be programmed to find a specific person. They scan retinas to ID people.

Well, SURRENDER has spiders too. Some are used for menial labor, like cleaning smudges off floors and windows. Some are for protection, like guard dogs with eight legs. Some are used for enforcement purposes, like disabling a person until officers can arrive.

I strongly dislike spiders, so I thought they’d be a perfect addition to a futuristic society as a symbol of something for the citizens to dislike or be afraid of—just like we are.

The pre-cogs. In SURRENDER, some of the citizens have paranormal abilities. Some can manipulate tech, some can read minds, some can command the elements. And some can see the future.

True, in Minority Report, the pre-cogs wallow in this weird watery stuff and can’t seem to function in society. That’s not the case in SURRENDER, but as I was watching the movie, I thought “I have people who predict the future too!”

It’s a fascinating concept to me—all of Minority Report is—and I’ve recently written an entire novel about time and knowing too much about the future. I love thinking about things like this, which is why I enjoyed Minority Report and enjoyed writing about people who can see the future in SURRENDER.

That’s about the extent of the similarities between SURRENDER and Minority Report, but I thought it was fun to see them as I watched the movie.

Have you ever written something with slices from something else? Have you read something that reminds you of a particular movie/book?

This week, as part of the SURRENDER blog tour, you can win one of three $15 Barnes & Noble gift cards and become a winner winner, chicken dinner! All you have to do is fill out this rafflecopter widget with what you’ve done. NOTE: One of the options is to blog about a time you didn’t surrender. Go here for full details on this, including how to sign up for your free swag package!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks, Elana! Those spiders are definitely creepy!!  If you'd like to catch up with Elana you can find her here: blog, twitter & Facebook.

Bio: Elana's work including POSSESSION, REGRET, and SURRENDER is available from Simon & Schuster wherever books are sold. She is the author of From the Query to the Call, an ebook that every writer needs to read before they query, which can be downloaded for free on her website. She runs a personal blog on publishing and is a founding author of the QueryTracker blog. She blogs regularly at The League of Extraordinary Writers, co-organizes WriteOnCon, and is a member of SCBWI, ANWA and LDStorymakers.

She wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.

About SURRENDER: Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.
All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn.
Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque….

Purchase your copy here: Simon & Schuster (this has links to all major retailers!)

So what slices of books or movies show up in your stories?

Surrender Rocks & Never Surrender!

 DUDE! You've got to read this book!!!

I had to borrow Elana Johnson's vocabulary to shout out about her latest book, SURRENDER. I finished it about an hour ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. I'm pretty sure I'll still be thinking about it tomorrow. And the next day. And next week...

(Okay, this post was scheduled - I actually finished it a few weeks back now, but I had to write this down as SOON as I finished it. And, yes, I'm still thinking about it!)

It's one of those books. You know the ones - they stick in your heart and your head for a very, very long time.

Elana creates incredible people - wait! I have to remind myself they're characters... The 2 main characters, Gunn and Raine, wound themselves into my heart in no time. They're vibrant, strong and so passionate about their world!

The world was well developed in Possession, and now, in Surrender, it becomes deeper and darker. The layers of the world make it so real - no one-dimensional setting here!

I also love the way this companion book integrates the characters from Possession. They're blended into the story seamlessly. And they still have the power to break my heart and make it soar - sometimes at the same moment!

Elana - you've created some magic here - great job! :)

ALSO...

To celebrate Surrender's release, Elana's having a great blogfest the week of June 11th - 15th. In her words...

All you have to do is blog about a time you didn't surrender. Trained for a marathon? Queried agents? Had to study for an entrance exam? I'm looking for inspirational stories that you have experienced. Hard things you've accomplished because you didn't give up. I want to be inspired by you!

Anyone who blogs this week for the theme can enter to win one of three $15 B&N gift cards. Everyone who blogs this week will receive a SURRENDER swag package. (You can get the blogfest language and badge here.)

Sounds like fun! I hope you'll join me -- I'm looking forward to all the posts!

What book have you read lately that makes your heart both break and soar?

First Loves Blogfest

Alex J Cavanaugh is at it again! Another great blogfest. If you haven't met Alex yet (is that possible???), hop on over to his blog to say hi and grab the list for other participants!

First Movie Love
It has to be The Wizard of Oz. My older sister hated it - especially the flying monkeys! - but I fell in love from the first scene. The evil lady trying to hurt Toto, the caravan, the pig pen and the guys! Then, when the movie changed to colour, it was pure magic! The Scarecrow is, of course, my favourite character! Can't watch it without singing along! :)

First Band Love
(So glad you didn't say singer, Alex - that's a little embarrassing!) I listened to solo artists for the most part, and mostly pop music, but the first band I fell in love with was Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody was my favourite. I learned to play (most of) it on the piano. Pretty much wore out that album!

First Book Love
The first book I remember really getting to my heart was Little Women. I was pretty young. As soon as I finished it, I started reading again - hoping THIS time, Beth wouldn't die. When it happened the 2nd time, I was heart broken. Again.

First Person Love
I'm one of the lucky ones - I'm still married to the first guy I fell in love with. Crushes now? Different story. :) There was a guy named John (or Jim?) in grade 6 who had the best hair! Can't remember much about John himself, but I can still picture that hair! Sixth graders aren't known for the depths of their feelings after all!

How about you? Any first loves you'd like to share?

Non-Mom Moms

I'm one of the lucky ones. I grew up in a family with lots of love. I still have my mom and we still spend a lot of time together. Not everyone's so lucky.

Mother's Day always makes me think of the kids I've worked with over the years who don't have moms who live with them (or don't have them at all). Thankfully, most of them have someone in their life who takes on that role to help them through.

You don't have to be a mom to be a mom ... if you know what I mean. :)

Some of my favourite non-mom moms from my favourite stories are:

•  Matthew & Marilla from Anne of Green Gables - they pulled off a great tag-team mom for the lonley little girl and showed her how to love and be strong
• Gandalf in LotR - he really takes care of Bilbo and makes him a stronger, better person
• The Receiver of Memory in The Giver - Jonas has never experienced love. It's an un-used emotion in the dystopian community. The Receiver gives Jonas memories and strength and courage and hope .. and love
• Mrs. Beale in Maniac Magee - she takes in this runaway kid from the other side of the town and treats him like her own. She ignores the customs of her town and not only loves him, she gives him the thing he wants/needs more than anything else in the world - an address.

Moms make you better, stronger, happier people. They give you the skills required to be an adult. They give you unconditional love and a kick in the pants when you need it. Thanks Mom!

How about you? Who are some of your favourite non-mom moms?

Yoda

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!

Yoda

“Do or do not. There is no try.” Love that quote and love the character. Jim Henson was an incredible genius. I LOVED the Muppets when they were on when I was a kid – Animal, Fozzie, Beaker, Pigs in Space... Fabulous characters and stories. When I heard Henson was going to be responsible for a character in the Star Wars series, I was beyond thrilled. And Yoda met every expectation.

Are you a muppet/puppet fan? Who is your favourite?

X-Men

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!

X-Men

I read comics when I was a kid – but mostly the Archie type series. Don’t know why I didn’t do the other kinds because I love all of their stories. So, I’d never heard of X-Men until the movie came out. Loved all the characters and their abilities. And of course having Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen in it was a HUGE added bonus! Such great imagination and yet another story with many layers and many insights into humanity’s character.

Who’s your favourite X-Men character? Did you read comics as a kid?

(A) Whale for the Killing

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!

A Whale for the Killing

(source - GoodReads)

This is the last Farley Mowat book on my list. As you can tell, his work really impacted me. This is another true tale – this time of a whale that gets trapped by the tides. This book shows us all sides of the human experience. On the one hand we have people working desperately to save this poor, scared creature. On the other, we have people having fun with their guns using it for target practice. Details of whaling practices are interspersed with the narrative – sometimes enough to make you ill. Another powerful read. Another powerful message that we’re not nearly the species we should be.

Any favourite reads of yours have environmental/social messages?

Virunga

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!

Virunga

(source)

This is another Farley Mowat masterpiece. It’s the story of Dian Fossey’s life and death and it combines Mowat’s narrative with excerpts from Fossey’s diaries. Fossey spent most of her life studying the mountain gorillas in Africa. She was an incredible woman with strong passions. Her life wasn’t easy – and she didn’t always make it easy for those around her. This book is filled with powerful messages and strong themes and is one book I wish everyone would read. Her murder has never been solved, probably because there were so many people who profited from her death – and so much money (& politics) working against her. This is a hard hitting book – we need to treat ourselves, other people and species and our planet much better than we do.

What's a hard hitting book you think everyone should read?