2016's Reading List

At the beginning of 2016, I posted a list of the books I planned to read. That list is HERE.

Below is a list of what I really did read in 2016. I should put "read" in quotes because in reality I listened to the book on CD in most of these cases. I listened to the whole Harry Potter series and most of the Alex Rider series while driving my kids to school and on errands. A couple of the books I read from my phone while stuck in waiting rooms or lines.

All the Bright Places  review HERE
13 Reasons Why review  HERE
8 Notes to a Nobody Author interview HERE
Hunger Games- Read Bryan Davis' review HERE and HERE
The Fault in Our Stars review HERE
Harry Potter: The Sorcerer's Stone 
City of Ember review HERE
If I Stay
This is How I Find Her review HERE
The Outsiders
Tiger Eyes
The Boy in Striped Pajamas review HERE
The Chosen One
I Was Here review HERE
All Fall Down
Gathering Blue
The Messenger
8 Keys
No Such Person
The Face on the Milk Carton
There You'll Find Me review HERE
The Dare
Four
Divergent (Twice)(while driving from FL to NC to Cincinnati, to IN and back to FL)
The Dark is Rising (Same trip as above)
Counting by 7's (Same trip as above) review HERE
The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days review HERE
How I Became Skinny, Famous and Fell Madly in Love review HERE
10 Steps to Girlfriend Status
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Hate List review HERE
Just Listen
Because of Winn Dixie
Prisoner of Azkaban
Goblet of Fire
Order of the Phoenix
Half Blood Prince
Autism,The Invisible Cord, A Sibling's Diary
Fan Girl
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Stormbreaker
Point Blank
Skeleton Key
Rules
Eagle Strike
Scorpia

Books we read in family time:
The Giver
Gathering Blue
Messenger
The Son
The Castle in the Attic
Harry Moon: Halloween Nightmares
The Cay
The Year of the Dog
Honey Moon
The New Kid at School
The Case Time Forgot

Other books I read (non fiction and adult fiction)
It: Nine Secrets of the Rich and Famous That Will Take You to the Top
Dick Van Dyke: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business
Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family and Ducks Created a Dynasty
Write Your Novel from the Middle
The Gift
One for the Money
Blind Alley
Next Thing on My List
If I Run


I will probably reread a lot of the books on the list for three reasons:1. I have short term memory damage so until I've read a book a few times a lot of it is new to me.
2. I reread my favorites anyway.
3. The library has limited books on CD.

Which books on my list have you read?
What are you reading right now? I am finishing the Alex Rider series in the car. Listening to a James Patterson YA novel in the house.

Interview with YA Author Linda Hoover

Today Linda Hoover talks about her new book, Mountain Prophecy, a young adult novel set in the Appalachian Mountains. 

Who is your main character and what problem does he/she face?

There are three main characters. Dusty, Darla and Aidan. In the beginning, Dusty and Darla, teen twins, have the same goal. Rescue the missing girls and prove to their cousins they’re more than city kids. Then Darla believes God is calling her to help by going into the mine. Dusty’s new goal is to prevent her from going in on her own. He still wants to rescue the girls, but it’s not to make himself look good. Now he believes it’s the right thing to do.

Darla wants to be sensitive to God’s leading, and she has a soft heart for those who need help. Her problem is convincing Dusty to see her point of view. When that fails, she has to find the courage to do it without his support.      

Prince Aidan knows his people need help, but his father refuses to do anything other than wait for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Aidan has a hard time believing it could be real until he catches a glimpse of Darla. From that moment on he is focused on doing whatever it takes to make life better for the people living with him.

What prompted you to write this book?

Several years ago I took a correspondence course with the Institute for Children’s Literature. One of the assignments was to write a short story. I wrote about trolls in a mine. That idea stuck in the back of my mind and I eventually turned it into Mountain Prophecy.  

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

What I wanted to be when I grew up changed several times over the years. They included being a teacher, nurse, actress, airline stewardess and astronaut. By the time I got to college I still hadn’t settled on anything and chose psychology because it was interesting.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

From the time I was small I corralled my siblings and friends into acting in  plays I’d come up with or I’d set the scene for active play. I was only nine when I started writing fan fiction in my head. By the time I was twelve I started putting it on paper. The stories never stopped coming and a friend suggested I take a course and try to get published. It was an “ah ha” moment. I’ve been working toward that goal ever since.

What’s the most times you’ve read a book and why?

I loved the Little House on the Prairie series. I don’t even know how many times I read those books.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

I’ve been blessed to do a lot of traveling. The furthest I’ve gone is Australia. We crossed the international date line which caused us to lose a day on the way there. It was especially strange on the way home, because we landed in the US the day before we left Australia. On the way back we got home the day before we left. 

It was a wonderful trip, but I think the most adventurous thing I’ve done was when my husband and I took our kids on a mission trip with Heart to Honduras. We witnessed third world living first hand. It was an eye opener for all of us. On our last day there the trip organizers took us to a park with a beautiful waterfall. 

We actually got in the water and swam/walked behind the falls and if that wasn’t exciting enough there was a rock, almost as high as the falls that we could jump off of. I didn’t let that opportunity go by. I’ll have to say that’s the most adventurous thing I’ve done. 

Do you have life philosophy? Favorite verse?

My favorite Bible verses are found in Philippians 4:4-7

What advice would you give a teen who wants to be a writer?

Learn all you can about the craft of writing. Write everyday. Have patience, don’t give up even when you receive rejections and criticism. Try to learn from those experiences. Know going into it that it’s not an easy road.

Linda playing Rock Band with her son.

Connect with Linda on her webpage or her Facebook author page

You can buy the kindle edition of her book HERE

Author Interviews

 If you've been following this blog for very long, you'll have read several interviews with authors who write for teens. These are all Christian authors, but they write a wide variety of genres. If you've missed some along the way, I've featured: (click the name to read the interview)
Diana Sharples

Cynthia Toney

Bryan Davis

AJ Cattapan

Monica Mynk

Jean Ann Williams

Sherrie Giddens

JC Morrows

Tonja Condray Klein

Katherine Nelson

Angela Moody

Burton Cole (middle grade author)

And stay tuned. There are more to come.

Interview with YA author Angela Moody

Angela Moody joins us today to talk about her book, No Safe Haven.

How did it get its title? Angela explains:
 All through the writing process I kept calling my book “Tillie Pierce” after my main character, but needed a catchy title for publishing. I brainstormed with my critique group and someone made the comment that she had no safe place to hide from the war, and after mulling those words around, we came up with No Safe Haven. I liked it, so “Tillie Pierce” became No Safe Haven.

Did you design the cover?

 I didn’t design the cover, but I had a conceptual idea of what I wanted. I used the services at Paper and Sage, and though I’ve forgotten the woman’s name, she was really helpful and listened to what I had in mind. I had a picture of Tillie I found on the internet and wanted to use that, with a background of a civil war picture, but the pixels were too low for her. My daughter and I went to Gettysburg for the 150^th reenactment and she took some pictures while we were there. She let me look through them and I sent six to Paper and Sage. They chose the one on the cover and Voila! She was also kind enough to give my daughter copyright credit for the photo.

Who is your main character and what problem does he/she face?

 My main character is fifteen-year-old Tillie Pierce, she lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863. The problem she faces is that the Confederates are about to storm her town. She is brought up in a Christian home, but doesn’t want to worship a God who would allow the unbridled carnage she sees around her.

What might draw someone to your character?

 What might draw someone to my character? I’ve had many people who have read the book say that they can relate to her confusion about God and how we sometimes can’t see what he is doing in the midst of the “messes” we’re in. Tillie is in the same position. After 9/11, my children asked me why God would allow something like that to happen. That theme runs very strongly through No Safe Haven, as I was trying to find a way to answer that question.

What makes your book stand out from other books like it?

My book is a historical fiction with no romance in it. It was written for young girls who want to learn something, but enjoy a good story at the same time. I think the fact that there’s no romance, is what stands out. It’s an unvarnished look at how human beings interact with each other during the worst times, without being offensive or graphic.

What is one thing you learned from writing this book?

I learned that the Lord is faithful. I endured many strange occurrences as I was writing this book and looking back I realized that every time I needed advice or research or something, it would come my way in the strangest ways. For instance, in one church scene I needed a hymn that would fit the mood I was trying to create. Every Sunday at church, I would scan the hymnal and during the week I did internet searches trying to find the “perfect” hymn. This went on for months and I was about to give up and ask our music director if she could help me when that Sunday for the first and only time, we sang a hymn called  Am I A Soldier of the Cross? It was exactly what I was looking for. I went through periods of unemployment for periods of a year or more when I was at a point where the writing was coming fast and furious – boom! I’d lose my job for one reason or the other. (Always economic downturn stuff, never performance issues.) In fact, I’m ready to begin writing my new book and two weeks ago, lost my job again. What does that say for the Lord’s faithfulness?

About You

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

When I was  young I always wanted to write. Even from a very young age, I knew that was what I was good at. The problem was overcoming ridicule and lack of support from my family. Then when I got older, I got married and had a family at 24 and so put “all that” on the shelf and did what was necessary to raise my children, but I knew I wanted to be an author at least from the time I was 12 or so years old.

What are three things someone may not know about you?

1.  I am a expert crocheter. I make afghans for family members and friends mostly for wedding gifts, etc.

2.  I was always an avid reader. I did try to athletics in high school and played softball my freshman year in high school, but that was a pathetic exercise. Books were always my refuge.

3.  I had to work hard to overcome almost debilitating shyness as a teenager and young adult. When I was in my 20s a friend of mine told me that all I had to do, for a start, was to look someone in the eye and say hello. Once I learned to do that, I came out of my shell. I’m still quiet and reticent at first, but I warm up quickly now.

What books have influenced you most?

I have always been a historical fiction reader. John Jakes, Anya Seton, Margaret Mitchell (of course) and now Bernard Cornwell are some of my favorites. I like those writers because I learned something of history, and had a really good story to read at the same time.

What’s the most times you’ve read a book and why?

 Anya Seton, who passed away in 1990, wrote a book called Katherine. It was about Katherine Swynford who became the third wife of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. When I was about 14, a friend of mine gave me the book saying she thought I might like it. The story was so beautifully crafted and full of rich detail about life in medieval England. Until that time I had never heard of John of Gaunt or the Plantagenet’s or Katherine Swynford, the commoner who became a duchess. I was hooked. I have no idea how many times I read that book, but I literally read the covers off it, bought a new copy and did it again. Then, I went out and got every book Anya Seton wrote that were still in publication.

What advice would you give a teen who wants to be a writer?

As for any advice I’d give a teen who wants to write? I’d say, write. Don’t let the voices in your head tell you you’re not good enough. I listened to those voices for too long and they got me nowhere. If the good Lord designed you for crafting words then you must be obedient to His will and use the talent He gave you.

You can connect with Angela on her Goodreads page or her Face Book page

  

Interview with YA author Katherine Nelson

Today we are talking with Katherine Nelson, author of Escape the Pain to Survive, which is a Christian YA novel she classifies as action/suspense with a hint of sci-fi and romance. It's the first book in The New Waiver trilogy.

How did you choose the title? 

It was a long process, knowing that there would be three books and wanting a pattern to follow for the titles. I knew the word "Pain" would appear in all three as it is not only a reoccurring theme in the story but also a means by which I believe we all grow whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. With that in mind, I felt the words "Escape" and "Survive" best described heroine Sam's situation physically and emotionally in the first book. 

Did you design the cover? 

It was a joint venture really. I gave my publisher the idea of a long road leading out into the untouched dessert wilderness and the catch phrase, "A chance for a future? Or a death trap?" I also gave them a photograph that I took while traveling through New Mexico several years ago in the same area where the story takes place. They handled the rest and pieced it all together with a little bit of adjusting at the end. 


How would you describe the book to someone in a text message? 

Escape the Pain to Survive is the first of three in The New Waiver trilogy about a secret military based program that's recruiting young people ages 15 to 17, particularly from troubled homes or traumatic pasts as it gives them the opportunity to sign their own waiver without parental consent. 

Who is your main character, and what problem does she face? 

My main character is a seventeen-year-old girl named Sam Jones. Escaping an abusive home, she seeks to find a second chance for a future, but soon finds that the program she signed up for is not looking so promising either. Even more, she seeks to find meaning and purpose in her life. 

What might draw someone to your character? 

She asks the hard questions in life and is determined to make a difference, but she also has many flaws, weaknesses, and struggles. She's not exceptionally beautiful, talented, or smart, but the struggles she's faced make her resilient and determined to become someone better. 

What prompted you to write this book? 

Two things. First, I was tired of looking for a good Christian action/suspense novel that was both realistic and also weaved the gospel message and scripture right into the text in the same way that we should apply it to our own lives in reality. One day I picked up my smartphone and decided to just write my own. Second, I wanted to create a story where the heroes and heroines are a broken group of young people who have had tough pasts and endured trauma. Far too often, I believe society puts people in a box of medical and psychological definitions, particularly our youth. I wanted to turn that logic around and show that the phrase "freedom in Christ" truly means freedom and a new start in which we can leave the past behind and become someone better. 

What did you bring to the book from your own life? 

Hmm, I'd have to say a lot. From the militaristic aspects of my life to my passion for fitness, I feel the whole book and trilogy bleeds through with small pieces of my life. I had an elaborate imaginary play world with my brother when I was growing up and I like to say writing brought it back to life as an adult. One of the most surprising things I brought from my own life are depictions of nightmares. I've never been a sound sleeper and always made friends with the night. Dreaming up nightmares for the story came a bit too natural! 

What makes your book stand out from other books like it? 

I think really the mixture of action, suspense, and even violence that you would expect more from a secular book and the biblical doctrine and passages that you often don't find in Christian books of the same genre. 

What is one thing you learned from writing this book? 

I learned that writing is an adventure and even more fun than reading when you let your imagination run wild and your story play out in front of you. 

About You 

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

I wanted to join the military and serve and protect my country. 

Do you still want to be that? 

I'm quite content now as a law enforcement officer and part-time college instructor and CrossFit coach.

 

When did you know you wanted to be an author? 

I never really decided I wanted to be an author. It just happened the day I decided to pick up my smartphone and start writing. I honestly caught myself by surprise, especially since I was always better at math than English. 

Did anything unusual or funny happen on your journey to becoming an author? 

Not necessarily unusual, but definitely the most surprising thing was I learned a lot about myself. As I wrote the trilogy and each of my characters faced and worked through issues in their lives, I saw many things in my own life that I had never faced and conquered through Christ. It was amazing to see my personal transformation over the year span that I took to write it. 

Probably the funniest thing that happened was as I got deeper into my plot I began dreaming about it since often times I'd get my characters into a hopeless situation and needed to find a way out! Several portions were actually written when I first woke up after I figured things out in my sleep. 

What books have influenced you most? 

The Bible, of course, and Pilgrims Progress. 

What’s the most times you’ve read a book and why?

Besides the Bible, Pilgrims Progress. I probably read it four or five times as a teen. I loved the transformation in Pilgrim/Christian's life and all the parallels it had to our spiritual walk. Honestly, it's the only book other than the Bible that interested me enough to read more than once! 

What are three unusual things about you your readers might not know? 

Even though I have a Master's Degree in math, I hated it in high school. I literally started college at fifteen as a deal with my dad. He told me that if I took the one semester Pre-Calculus class he taught at the college in the fall, it would count as my year of math and I wouldn't have to do any in the spring. Five years later, I graduated with my bachelor's degree . . . in math of course! 

I met my husband as a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. I was the squadron commander, and he was my First Sgt. We were friends for four years before one day we actually decided to date. The rest is history! 

I took two years of fencing lessons (yes . . . sword fighting) when I was a teenager. I even placed fourth in a Junior Olympic qualifier. 

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? 

I attended a mentally and physically rigorous week long survival course in New Mexico when I was eighteen and a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. It was called Pararescue Orientation Course and was run by Air Force special forces members. We built parachute shelters to live in and learned survival skills such as fire building, mountain climbing, repelling, and land navigation. The best part . . . we lived off of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) for the entire week. Yum!!! 

Do you have life philosophy? Favorite verse? 

My life philosophy is to live life to the fullest by faith, with no regrets. I think it's a common philosophy in our world today minus the faith aspect, but really, we as Christians should live life to the fullest all the more knowing we're saved by grace and that we have the power through Christ to do all things. I choose not to live my life in regrets when He has forgiven my sins and given me the ability to learn from my mistakes and move forward to become someone better each and every day. 

I have many favorite verses, but my favorite all around is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

What advice would you give a teen who wants to be a writer? 

Enjoy writing just like you would reading. Let your imagination run wild. Start with a character and a scene and let your story unfold as you write it. Always place yourself into the mind and heart of each and every one of your characters. Ask yourself how you would feel or react to the situation at hand if you had their life experiences and were in their place. Most of all, always have fun with it. You can't force a book. You have to dream it.

Katherine "Katie" Nelson doing a burpee on the four corners monument where four states come together in the west.
Do you know what the states are? Leave a comment in the comments section.

You can connect with Katherine on her web page or her 

Facebook page

How Many Have You Read

The NPR has a list of the best ever teen books set up as a checklist so you can check off how many you've read. It's HERE. Give it a try and see how many you've read (Eleven for me). Do you agree with the list? What is missing from it?

It would be nice if they had a similar list for inspirational or Christian books. 

Here's what I've read from this list. This is not saying I recommend them. You can read my review of them in earlier posts

Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix (just finished this week)

The Hunger Games
Review HERE

The Fault in Our Stars
Review HERE

The Book Thief

The Giver

The Outsiders I was really bored!

Divergent

13 Reasons Why
Review HERE

The Dark is Rising

Forever

Just Listen

If I Stay

I think I've seen more as movies than what I read. I watched these as movies:
The Hunger Games
The Fault in Our Stars
Fahrenheit 451
The Book Thief 
The Giver
The Perks of Being a Wall Flowers
Paper Towns
Twilight
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Dark is Rising
If I Stay
The Maze Runner


Other YA Novels I've reviewed are:
All the Bright Places
City of Ember
I Was Here
This is How I Find Her
The Boy in Striped Pajamas
The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days
Counting by 7's

Interview with YA author Tonja Condray Klein

Today we have Tonja Condray Klein with us talking about Breaking the Shackles, the first of the Rebirth of Eirinth series, which she classifies as Fiction Literature of Epic Fantasy and Action/Adventure.

About Your Book

How did you choose the title?

Series Title was inspired by the song “Rebirthing” by Skillet. BREAKING THE SHACKLES came from how the characters developed with the action and then my own life dealing with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis and trying to not let the disease shackle me.

Did you design the cover?

Yes, but I commissioned the artwork from a talented artist over the past seven years and then designed it myself as well as the designs for tee-shirts I’ve worn for promotion for years.

How would you describe the book to someone in a text message?

Alternate dimension Fantasy with Anime-style fighting!

Who is your main character and what problem does he/she face?

The main characters are Jaedin and Ryuu Saito, and Seimitsu and Shiri Forester. As with most Fantasy there are several support characters. I use alternating POV’s to give the story an Anime visual feel with characters that readers will relate to, empathize with, fear for, and rejoice about. They face demons trying to take over Eirinth and begin to fulfill their destiny to protect others.

What might draw someone to your character?

Like with Anime, the different characters will pull various readers into the realm. Seimitsu and Shiri are sisters and will draw the teens as they equate their situations with theirs. Young Adults have Kaiyan and Shin Yamamoto, Zale Murakami, and Siena Stasheff to see their calling being interfered with by their leaders. Adults will see Ryuu Saito, Jun and Thalia Morgan, and even Gram Belva as contemporaries that try to help the fighters with their gifts to protect others.

What prompted you to write this book?

I wanted to write a Fantasy with Japanese Anime flavor since I’m an eclectic Fantasy and Anime fan that wanted to reach those two groups with a fictional story that had spiritual truth and real concepts that more than one generation needs to embrace in this time of chaos and lack of purpose.

What did you bring to the book from your own life?

Many of the characters have character aspects from members of my family, friends, and even colleagues. We are told in writing circles to NOT insert your own self, but since C.S. Lewis and Edgar Rice Burroughs did it in their beloved novels and actually used their own names, I figure Thalia being based on me should not be an issue.

What makes your book stand out from other books like it?

The alternate dimension world is usual for Fantasy, the fighting with elemental or energy power is normal for Anime, and Christian backgrounds have been used in countless genres of literature for decades, but…all of them together with Biblical gifts interspersed with the actual fighting against demons that are physical as well as spiritual? This creation is visionary!

What is one thing you learned from writing this book?

That the beliefs that come through the characters bring me to tears since they live in my heart and make me want their voices to reach at least one reader to find Tenrai Daystar in Eirinth and then Jesus Christ on Earth the way I know Him as Savior and Lord.

About You

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ve always written songs and stories, but I tried to be more “economically sound” by going into Computer Science with a minor in Teaching. I had to quit college due to sickness, but that led me to the company that had me get a Webpage Design Certificate I still use now instead.

And now?

I recorded my songs I wrote 30 years ago, published my first Fantasy novel, and still used my abilities with editing images and creating webpages for this project. I decided after I left school that I didn’t want to spend my life searching for a single line of wrong code. Now, I want to search for the right word in a sentence to make it reach out to someone who needs it.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Since I was a child. When I began going to Ohayo Con Anime Convention in 2004 I saw many teens, young adults, and adults my age or older that loved what I did, but they didn’t share in my Christian perspective when it came to so many things. Eirinth was born in 2008 as I finally went back to Church. The characters began coming to my heart, and I saw what they could become if I let God lead me down this path. Book 2 is named TREADING THE PATH for that reason.

Did anything unusual or funny happen on your journey to becoming an author?

My record producer Ron Short worked with me on the songs I used in my book and decided to write the story he felt called to write named THE NEED WORD. He mentioned me in his book, but I went by T.K. Morgan as an author then, and he didn’t get to change it before his book came out. My song “Dancin’ on the Wind” was recently on his show again, and he said I helped to encourage him in writing his book and used my real name. I still have my tkmorgan21 email, so maybe I should just change it to TonjaCondrayKlein to keep things straight from now on! *LOLOL*

What books have influenced you most?

The Holy Bible, Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, Wizard in Rhyme series by Christopher Stasheff, Ilyon Chronicles series by Jaye L. Knight, and all the books by Irene Hannon.

What’s the most times you’ve read a book and why?

Countless times since it’s a Living Book…The Bible.

What are three unusual things about you your readers might not know?

I’m allergic to honey

I’m addicted to Pure Leaf sweet tea

I wish I could write a novel based on Eric Champion’s album “Vertical Reality”.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

 I did Power Point presentation panels at Ohayo Con Anime Convention for several subjects related to sub-genres that are very worldly. My “Creating For Anime” panel in 2012 where I used my novel as part of the points and sang my original song used in the book LIVE in front of people that may have seen me do the other panels before. That took more courage because my book and songs are now my passion and could have been ridiculed.

Do you have life philosophy? Favorite verse?

 “Won’t Give Up, Won’t Give Out, and Won’t Give In!” and Isaiah 54:17

What advice would you give a teen who wants to be a writer?

Learn as much as you can from English and Composition courses as well as reading as many books in the genre that you feel drawn to write. If you want to write something that has meaning, make sure it says something you feel that others need to read to find a purpose that he or she can embrace too.

You can connect with Tonja on her webpage http://www.eirinth.com/

You can read a sample of her book http://www.eirinth.com/e-book_sample/