A Change is Upon Us

To My Faithful Readers,

   The time has come once more to switch things up. I have come to realize, and I am sure that you have noticed as well, that I don't stick to the simple read and review formula. I change things around, do interviews (when I can get them), comparisons, discussions etc. I find that I rather enjoy writing this way. With more creativity and spontaneity than just 'this is the title of the book, here is what happened and this is what I thought about A, B, and C.' And so with the start of a new season, spring/summer (in New York they seem to flow into one another) has finally begun, I am embracing this wacky way of updating. 

    Now fret not dear ones for there will of course be times that I revert back to the old formula standby. I am not knocking this method of blogging or updating. In fact I quite enjoy it most of the time, but I find that if I try to force myself to stick to that and only that I lose the passion for reviewing that I started with. That passion is not something I am willing to give up and so I am trying to find new ways of expressing it. I hope that since you have stayed with me for so long already that you too will be excited with the 'new' way of doing things. 

    Here is what I am hoping will be the new Girl in the Tiny Hat, I want to bring a little more me into the mix. I love reading people's personal accounts of how they came across a favorite book or an incredible story of a person's journey reading everything a favorite author has ever written. I hope to share these kind of stories about myself with all of you. I want to be able to share when I've gone to an author reading or a big book event in detail and without feeling like I am taking away from the reviewing process. There will still be book reviews for sure, that will never stop, but I want to focus more on the discussion aspect of the review process. Remember my review/discussion of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's?' If not click here. That is the type of comparison/discussion that I am going for.

     This is something that I have been thinking about for quite awhile but haven't yet put into motion. I plan on starting this in the next post. I guess though that this may even be considered the first post of the new Girl in the Tiny Hat. I believe that change can be a good thing most of the time and I hope that you all feel that way too. Because the more I think about it the more I realize that reading and reviewing, for me anyway, is less about the A, B, C's of the book and more about the feeling I get when I finally open that one book I've been looking forward to for months or finish a book that I came across in some unusual way. Isn't that more exciting and fulfilling than just reading what the book is about and if I liked it? 

     Anyway this is what I have planned for the new me. I hope that you all keep coming back to see what new thing or adventure I have to talk about. I think that this is going to be a super exciting new direction that I am taking and I look forward to hearing from all of you on it as well. I want to take this time to thank all of you for being readers, for coming to support me and for just generally being all of you. Maybe I haven't yet met you all or heard from all of you yet but just knowing you are out there being supportive of a book nerd such as myself is amazing. You are the reason I get on here and review book after book, and why I finally pick up that one book that I have been promising myself I have to read. So thank you for everything, and I look forward to this next journey we are taking together.

                 Happy Reading All,

                  The Girl in the Tiny Hat

 

'The Value of a Woman'-by Victoria Kante

Book Title: The Value of a Woman
Author: Victoria Kante
Version: Paperback
ISBN: 9781497346956
Publication Date: March 14, 2014
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Fiction

Victoria Kante has a true gift for storytelling. This was made perfectly clear in her wonderful first novel 'Loving Marcus' which I reviewed here . With her second novel Ms. Kante has brought something totally different and more visceral to the table. I had the incredible honor of editing one of the first drafts and with discussion and encouragement I feel that Ms. Kante was able to really let herself be herself. She took her storytelling talent and her love of writing and really allowed herself to write the way I always knew she could.

The novel tells the story of Amitola a young Native American woman living in Las Vegas and working as a prostitute. She walks the streets in order to make enough money to help care for her son who is currently lives with her Aunt Miriam. Told through the eyes of both Amitola, or Amy, and Miriam the story follows Amy's journey into dark places and her struggle to make a life for herself and her son. Amy finds herself in impossible situations that at times scare her and at others excite her. She is pushed and challenged, beat down and brought back up and ultimately discovers that in order to find true happiness she must first look within. The novel has all the parts that one looks for in a great read. A good story, it's well written and has incredible characters.

Victoria Kante has a talent, a truly beautiful talent, for taking dark subject matter and turning it into beautifully poetic stories. With 'The Value of a Woman' Ms. Kante has done it once again. It may begin as a story about a prostitute but it turns into a journey of self discovery. From the draft I helped edit to the final product so much changed that it was almost like reading a new book. And it was a beautiful change because she allowed herself to run free with her imagery and her descriptions. I loved seeing the transformation and I look forward to seeing what she will allow herself to do with the next book. I have true faith that Ms. Kante is only going to better with each new book and I look forward to seeing her talent grow.

All in all the book was a good read and full of some wonderful messages. There are parts that took me back and made me tear up but for every tear shed there was a smile that took its place. I really enjoyed following Amy's journey from the streets, to her tribe's reservation, to a whole new life for her and her son. It was a journey that had it's moments steeped in darkness but also had moments of breath-taking beauty.

I saw from the first pages of 'Loving Marcus' that Ms. Kante was a great storyteller, and I knew that she had it in her to be an equally great writer. With 'The Value of a Woman' I saw her writing talent really begin to come forth. By allowing herself to write for herself Ms. Kante has finally started tapping into her true talents. It's a beautiful thing to witness and something that no one should miss out on. This is a great book that I highly recommend to all my readers. Don't miss out on this wonderful read, and not just because I say so, but because it's a beautiful story, a well written novel and full of characters that touch the heart and soul. 'The Value of a Woman' by Victoria Kante is a journey well worth taking.

'Jack of Spies'-by David Downing

Book Title: Jack of Spies
Author: David Downing
Version: ARC
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: SoHo Crime
Genre: Mystery/Thriller


SYNOPSIS: It is 1913 and the world seems to be on the brink of war. Jack McColl is a Scottish car salesmen, traveling the world to help his company sell cars, picking up a new language here and there and doing some light spying for England on the side. Jack finds that though he is worried about the state of the world he rather enjoys his side business of spying to be rather enjoyable. Going from place to place, using his language skills, and at times being able to do a little bit of undercover work.

However as the world begins to slide further and further into a war zone things begin getting more complicated and dangerous for Jack. Especially when he meets a woman that puts into question everything that he has been working towards. When he is attacked in China Jack realizes that his casual side job ha taken a serious turn. When he gets to the states and starts spending more time with this utterly engaging woman he realizes that ever so slowly he is falling in love with her. Things get even more complicated when it turns out her family might be involved with the very people that Jack is trying to stop.

As things begin to escalate and all around the world more and more signs of war Jack McColl has quite a few big decisions to make. Does he want to quit life as a salesman and become a full time spy? Is he willing to leave the life he knows for one of danger and uncertainty? How far will he go to protect his country, is he willing to give up the woman he loves to do his duty?

REVIEW: I usually enjoy a good spy novel, I find it exciting to see what happens next, spend time guessing who the bad guy really is and will he or she get away with it? I like the mystery of it and the twists and turns. I think that, that is why one of my managers gave the ARC of 'Jack of Spies' to me. He and I were hoping that I would enjoy the characters and the mystery and the excitement of it all. This however was not the case with this book unfortunately.

I felt that it was a little long winded for a spy novel. The story was ok, nothing really all that exciting or new. There wasn't all that much spying or rather novel worthy spying. It just all felt so very boring. I didn't really care what happened next or how it would end. I also felt that it was a little too stretched out and unfocused. It was kind of a disappointment story wise.

Actually all around the book was a disappointment there was very little I liked about it. It was ok, and that is about it I really didn't find anything extraordinary about it. It was cookie cutter boring and not really filled with all that much mystery or thrill. I was rushing to finish it just to finish it. I have nothing much more to say about the book because it was just so very blah. I don't tip my tiny hat at all for this one, looking back at it I just didn't like it.

'Night Owls'-by Lauren M. Roy

Book Title: Night Owls
Author: Lauren M. Roy
Version: Mass Market Paperback
Published: February 25th, 2014
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Fantasy


Synopsis: The Night Owls bookstore is every college student's dream, open late into the night, lots of comfy study corners, right next to a late night coffee shop oh and it's run by a vampire. Of course no one knows she's a vampire they just think she's the super cool owner that only works the night shift. But Val is indeed a vampire with her very own Renfield, the occasional blood lust and a dark past that she is doing her best to keep there.

All Elly has ever known is a life on the run with her mentor and adoptive father Father Value. When Father Value is murdered protecting a book, going against everything that he taught Elly, Elly takes the book and runs from his murderers the Creeps. Knowing only one place where she and the book may be safe Elly runs to the college town of Edgewood to meet Professor Clearwater a one time friend of Father Value. Elly hopes to find some answers as to why Father Value had to die.

When the Creeps find Elly and Professor Clearwater things quickly take a turn for the worse and soon Elly finds herself running for her life but this time without the book. Professor Clearwater, a dear friend of Val's, put the book at Night Owls bookstore for safe keeping. When one of Val's employees and dear friend somehow extracts a spell from this mysterious book the Creeps come after him. Val taking this as a personal insult, along with her Redfield, Chas team up with Ellyn and her adoptive brother Cavale. Together with a pair of lesbian succubi they take a stand against the Creeps and their evil plans.

REVIEW: This is totally my kind of book. Magic, vampires, strong ass-kicking women, handsome men and books. I had a feeling I was going to like it right away and I was not disappointed. The fun part about this book even before I started it was that a friend of a friend edited it. Now I realize what I'm about to say is makes me a complete book nerd but the fact that I am acquainted with someone who is a full fledged editor is more exciting for me than meeting a celebrity.

Anyway knowing the editor of the book was the reason I picked up the book but once I started reading I found myself wanting to keep reading based on the book itself. I was immediately swept up in the story. The mystery and adventure of it all kind of took me away and kept me enthralled for 296 pages. It was a story that I loved losing myself in and the more I got lost, the more I wanted to get lost. I am thrilled that this is merely the first in an exciting new series because I can't wait for the next chapter in this story!

This is Lauren M. Roy's debut novel and what a debut it is! I thought that the writing was wonderful. I think the thing I liked most was that she didn't try to prove herself by using big fancy words that had me reaching for the dictionary every other sentence, she just wrote her story. Don't get me wrong I always enjoy improving my vocabulary but I find it rather annoying when authors use big words just to use big words. Ms. Roy is a good writer indeed, one that knows that her story can stand alone with out a lot of flourish and fancy trimmings. She had a very well put together story, lots of great twists and turns that had me guessing and jumping and wanting more! Also she seems to have a knack for slipping in some very funny moments. Lots of wit woven in which I absolutely adored. I can't wait to keeping reading what Ms. Roy writes because I know it's gonna be good!

The characters were totally captivating. Val and Chaz a perfect twosome full of love and kindness and an absolute perfect partnership. Elly with her grim outer exterior and her inner desire to just find a place to call home, Cavale with his charm and big heart hoping to make Elly's dream come true. These core characters along with the rest of the cast were so well created and drawn that I fell instantly in love with them. I loved all of them because they seemed like just the people next door with a few extra qualities. All of the characters were wonderful and I am so looking forward to seeing what other adventures they go on!

All in all I enjoyed the book from page 1 to page 296. Well written, well put together, great characters and an intriguing story all made for a really fun read. I recommend it to anyone who likes a really good fantasy novel and a great adventure. 'Night Owls' by Lauren M. Roy is the total package for a fun fantasy read, so if you are a fantasy fan go out and find yourself a copy because it's the beginning of a truly exciting adventure.

84, Charing Cross Road

Is there anything more beautiful or fulfilling to a book lover than a book about books? Whether it be fiction or non there is something magical about reading about the love of books. I even love movies about books, although since those are almost non-existent, I find I make due with movies based on books. Rarely do they compare to the book (however I have to admit that I have come across at least two movies based on books that I liked better than the books themselves) but I usually enjoy seeing books I love brought to life even if they usually are wrong. There have been times when I see and really enjoy a movie and then find out that it was a book first. The two movies that I liked better than there book counterparts were like this. I found out that these movies I loved were books, and being the book nerd I am, I had to go and read the books. Highly disappointing in both cases.

However, back in the day when I was working at the video store in Cali, I came across a movie about books. Titled '84, Charing Cross Road.' I watched and was utterly swept away by it. For someone who is looking for a movie for simple entertainment this is not the movie for you. In fact for quite a few people this movie may seem boring and make no sense as a movie. But if you are true book nerd this movie is so much fun and endlessly entertaining. Imagine my delight when I discovered that this was not only based on a book but that it is a true story as well. It is the story of Helene Hanff a writer and script reader from New York who writes to a book shop in London called Marks & Co at 84, Charing Cross road. What begins as a simple request for out of print books turns into a twenty-year long correspondence and friendship.

Helene Hanff is a writer and script reader in New York who has a voracious appetite for secondhand books. When she has trouble finding some of the books she wants here in New York she goes searching internationally. After seeing an ad in the Saturday review Ms. Hanff writes to a bookstore in England called Marks & CO searching for her books. To her delight they send her two of her requested books and promise to send along the rest when they find them. She responds "Gentlemen: the books arrived safely, the Stevenson is so fine it embarrasses my orange-crate bookshelves, I'm almost afraid to handle such soft vellum and heavy cream-colored pages. Being used to the dead-white paper and stiff cardboardy covers of American books, I never knew a book could be such a joy to touch" (pg. 3). This is just the start of what soon becomes much more than a simple client proprietor relationship. Very soon Ms. Hanff and Frank Doel, her main correspondent, begin a friendship that lasts them twenty-years. One Christmas Helene sends the shop a bundle of food because they are still under ration. This kindness opens the door to the other employees in the shop to write to her and in short order the entire shop has become pen pals with her.

The whole book is no more than 97 pages, and is made up of nothing but letters between Helene and various people connected with the bookstore. Some letters even seem to be missing as time seems to jump rather drastically. But for someone like me that loves books because they are books this was an amazing read. It made me want to find a bookshop in some beautiful country and start a letter writing relationship with someone who has a true love of books. I find that in our day of modern technology, where 140 characters is the most people are willing to use to communicate, people are reluctant to write letters. I love letter writing, and there is something truly fulfilling about receiving something in the mail that isn't a bill or credit card offer. For me this is the perfect book because it is about people that love books and it's all letters. It's a beautiful book about a beautiful relationship and I highly recommend it. This book is simple and wonderful and perfect for book lovers everywhere!

I know this isn't much of a review but I got so excited by reading the book and seeing the movie again that I wanted to share that excitement. There is nothing less amazing than sharing the joy of a book one has just read and enjoyed immensely. That is what this is, me sharing my joy with you all. I hope that it was as enjoyable to read as it was for me to write.

On a side note as for the book club/discussion thing that I want to do, I'm thinking of veering once again from that which I thought of originally. My friend, writer/blogger Sidney McEntyre, has a friend who is an editor (I know, I'm jealous too) and her first book is coming out soon. I've decided that I want to read this book next. Not only am I supporting a new friend but the book looks really good. It's called 'Night Owls' by Lauren M. Roy and once it comes out I hope that you will all join me in reading it for discussion! More details when I have them! Don't worry KD the spy novel review will be posted next! =D 

'While Beauty Slept'-Elizabeth Blcakwel

Book Title: While Beauty Slept
Author: Elizabeth Blackwell
Version: ARC
Publication Date: February 20th, 2014
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam
ISBN: 9780399166235
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm back by popular demand...well by demand anyway...ok, ok since I'm supposed to tell the truth I'm mainly just back because my manager (who has just started reading my blog) brought it to my attention that my last post was about a month ago. And so here I am once again. As my faithful readers have probably discovered the whole book club idea hasn't taken off. I seem to have lost my steam and excitement for it due to the lack of excitement from everyone else. So things have changed around a little bit. I'm still going to be rereading some books, although I've so far been weak to the calling of new books, but instead of trying to set up a discussion I'm going to put down my insights and thoughts on them and if people feel the urge to comment than that is awesome. One day I hope to have a more interactive website where things like virtual book clubs are the norm. For now this is what the new plan is. I hope that you all keep reading and enjoying what I put out for you for now!

SYNOPSIS: This is supposed to be a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. That's how it was presented to me anyway, and it was that, that made me so excited going into it. As soon as I started I realized it was more of what seemed to be a prequel to the story. It starts on a farm where a young girl, Elise, is searching for something more than just the life she leads. She lives a hard life of farming, raising her younger brothers, taking care of the animals of the farm and trying to dodge her father's blows. Although her dad was a hard man, a man that seemed to treat his children as objects, he seemed to always hate Elise just a little more than her brothers. One day at the town market Elise gets into a little scuffle with a boy, the boy angry and feeling above Elise calls her 'bastard.' Confused and hurt Elise asks her mother why the boy would call her such a thing. After thinking it over her mother tells her that Elise is actually the daughter of a man that her mother had met while working at the castle. 

Knowing that her mother had lived a whole life before the hard one she was living now was like throwing gas on a flame and Elise became determined to leave the farm and find a better life. After a great tragedy that kills almost all her brothers and her mother Elise decides to leave her old life behind and head to the castle. When she finally arrives she meets with the head housemaid Mrs. Twekes and when Elise tells her who her mother was Mrs. Twekes decides to give Elise a chance. As Elise begins to learn the ins and outs of the castle she finds that although it's a scary place she feels that she has at last found a home. 

After working there for some time Elise gets promoted to the Queen's personal handmaid. An honor that skyrockets Elise into a brand new style of living that takes her farther away from the rest of those that work at the castle. When the Queen finally gives birth to a beautiful baby girl Elise's love and loyalty is further cemented. On the day of their daughter's baptism the King and Queen throw a giant feast to honor their daughter and celebrate her becoming their official heir. In the middle of their great celebration the King's aunt, Millicent, who has been cast out of the royal favor shows up uninvited. Angry and vengeful Millicent makes a promise, a promise that seems like a curse, she says that her revenge will be that the King and Queen will enjoy the love and beauty of their daughter for only a handful of years and then one day they will have to watch her wither away and die. Scared and worried the whole castle gets turned upside down and the royal lives are halted. The Queen takes to fretfully watching over her daughter, the King to trying to find Millicent. 

Elise is witness to this all and as Rose grows Elise begins feeling as if she is her own. Watching her grow into a willful young woman who is searching for more. And though the immediate danger of Millicent seems to have disappeared Rose is always protected and warned against the dangers of the outside world. When the castle goes to war against those that protect Millicent every one's world gets turned upside down and the war seems to be just the beginning of a doom that seems impossible to escape.

REVIEW: Alright so I have to say I'm a little obsessed with fairy tales. I watch 'Once Upon a Time,' love all things Disney, and enjoy reading and hearing about all the real stories behind the fairy tales. And lately I've felt the urge to read whatever I can on them. So when I was given this I was super excited. I couldn't wait to get into a whole new telling of Sleeping Beauty. And though I liked it overall it wasn't really what I had been hoping for. But that's not going to stop me from telling you all how much I enjoyed it. 

Though the story was less a retelling and almost more of a prequel to the story of Sleeping Beauty. And it was interesting and it kept me wanting to read for most of the story but as I mentioned it wasn't what I had been hoping for. I felt that though the story was good it had it's moments when it seemed to drag. I felt that there was a chunk of about 90 pages or so that were unnecessary and made the story drag for a bit. But all in all it was an interesting story that I enjoyed reading. 

This was Ms. Blackwell's first novel and although she was a freelance writer before I was thoroughly blown away by her novel writing abilities. Keeping a voice and imagery alive for an entire novel can be a difficult thing at times for new authors. But I truly felt that Ms. Blackwell did a great job keeping the writing at a top level the entire book. It was flowing, and intriguing. I ended up thinking about the way she stated things and how she described the castle and the King's knights and the giggles of the ladies in waiting even while not reading. Her writing stuck with me and I really enjoyed it. 

The characters were well drawn out and full of life. Elise especially was put together in such a complicated and real manner that she was practically jumping off the page. The funny thing about the characters, and it made me like the book even more, was that none of the characters were all that likable. Elise was annoyingly naive, the Queen ridiculously overprotective, the King nothing but a hothead, and Rose was the spoiled brat that everyone circled around. But I kind of liked that I I didn't like any of them. It made it more honest somehow, everyone at court had a part to play and they all did it perfectly. 

All in all I found the book enjoyable. I tip my tiny hat three times to Ms. Blackwell and her journey into a different side of Sleeping beauty. It's a good book and one that if you have a true love for fairy tales could be a fun one to read. It is not a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale so go into it fresh and not expecting that. But it's a good book, well written and mostly exciting. 'While Beauty Slept' is a book that needs to be read and decided upon by each person. I liked it and recommend it and hope that you my dear readers pick it up on the 20th, read it and enjoy it as well.   

Author Interview #4 (Finally!)

Hey folks here, finally, is the author interview with Josh Conrad! If you missed the review of his super fun book click here. I am so excited to present it after so long. I really hope you all enjoy it!

1) What drew you to writing?
      "It all began in fourth grade for me. Every year, my school participated in a project called Young Authors where we had to write and illustrate our own book. I always loved receiving a new book with blank pages and endless possibilities, though I was definitely too young to take writing 'seriously.' I just did it for fun. I think this was the second time I had written and illustrated one of these books, and since the first one had taken place in space, I thought that this one should too. I decided to call it 'Lost in Space' and wrote about a boy who receives help from three aliens in an attempt to get back to Earth (somehow he had become lost...). My mother helped me type in all up after I hand-wrote the story, then I illustrated it and outlined everything in black before handing it in to my teacher. A few weeks later, she announced to our class that I had won the Young Authors award that year for 'Lost in Space.' I was shocked! Completely ecstatic (though I secretly didn't know what exactly 'winning' meant. Like, did I win a medal or something? Or just a new set of gel pens, which, let's be real, I would have happily taken...) I ended up bringing my book to the Young Authors Conference in Bloomington, IL (where, ironically enough, I would later go to college to study Music Theater) and had an amazing time there. Kids from all over the state brought their winning books and we all got to share them with each other and talk about writing. I had never experienced anything like it before. We even got to meet some of our favorite childhood authors, like Debbie Dadey, the author of the 'Bailey School Kids' books. Months later, I was sitting at my desk while my teacher read aloud from whatever book we were in the middle of when I started jotting down ideas for another story. When she saw what I was doing, she stopped reading, walked over to me, and bent down with a stern look on her face. 'Are you writing a story?' she asked. I nodded very nervously. She smiled. 'Good. Keep going.' Then she resumed reading. That moment has stuck with me until this very day and it is her support that I believe fueled my desire to continue writing through the rest of grade school and into middle and high school. I named a character after her in 'CyberWorld.'"

2) In 'CyberWorld...' you have such an interesting story line. What was the inspiration behind it?
      "In the Young Authors book I had written, the main character was playing a video game in an early scene and I needed to think of a name for it. On a whim, I chose 'CyberWorld.' Months after I had written it (when I was starting a new story about aliens running a secret Dimension in outer space), I re-read the book and decided to call my new story CyberWorld. It was a land completely run by aliens...and that's it. (Clearly I went through an alien phase...). I didn't really know what the story was going to be about, but I remember constantly asking myself, 'What IS CyberWorld? Who lives there? How are aliens running it?' Then, when I decided that I wanted humans in CyberWorld, I nixed the aliens and was struck with a new idea: I wanted to merge two of my childhood interests together. (SPOILER ALERT: If you have not yet read 'CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria,' I would stop reading this paragraph here and skip to the next question). I lived in a cul-de-sac my whole life, and one of my sister and I's favorite activities was spying on our parents and on our neighbors. We had spy kits and everything-it was legit. And since I was on a 'space' kick with my writing, I started to wonder what it would be like if a group of agents learned how to spy in outer space. As I considered this possibility, the muddy image of a boy and his dog trickled into focus. I still don't know why, but I knew that (SPOILER ALERT) the dog could talk. I also knew that the boy didn't learn that people could be trained to spy in outer space until he reached a certain age...and for a long time that age was 13. I was nine years old when the ideas for the story began percolating, and from its inception, it only continued to grow and grow as my imagination grew. I was constantly interested in seeing what new ideas I would get and where they would take my characters. Since I was so busy with school, it was unreasonable to set a deadline for the book; I worked on it when I could and toyed with the plot almost on a daily basis. I literally couldn't get the characters out of my head, nor could I stop asking questions about how they all ended up together in this unimaginable place fighting evil forces that they didn't even know existed. It evolved into an extremely long, nonlinear process, but the basic plotline (which was almost fully developed by the time sixth grade rolled around) remained the same."

3) What is your writing process? Do you sit down each day and force yourself to write for a while or do you sneak in time whenever you get inspired? 
    "After reading Julia Cameron's incredible book, 'The Artist's Way,' I   have taken to doing Morning Pages every morning right when I wake up. Basically I write three pages of stream-of-consciousness longhand before doing anything else. I do this to wake myself up, get my brain moving, and take dictation fro whatever my muse is throwing at me that morning. Sometimes I don't use punctuation and write complete gibberish or lists; other times the words just POUR out of me in perfect order and I'm shocked at how profound it sounds (especially when the rest of it is complete crap). I never know what to expect, which makes it exciting, but I'm not gonna lie, writing first thing in the morning can also be tedious. Otherwise, my process is very disjointed. I must have written twenty or thirty drafts of 'CyberWorld' before I even hit the halfway point; this was mainly because I was, well, a child, and my writing continued to evolve as I advanced through school. Even though I had the entire book planned when I was in sixth grade, I did not finish my first draft until exactly one month before I graduated from college. At that point, I had been writing it for so long that even finishing was a big deal. After that, I spent a year and a half editing, revising, submitting it to agents and publishers, editing again, revising again, etc. I was adding new things all the way up until my final read-through of the book a few days before I self-published it as an e-book. In terms of a writing ritual, my new favorite thing to do it sitting down in a new cafe that I've never been to and just go. I find that my writing is more dynamic when I throw the rule book out the window and let myself be messy with it. Lord knows I'll go back and fix it later! The thing that I find to be the most important is to always carry a notebook with me. I'm constantly writing down interesting words, thoughts, ideas, and epiphanies. They hit me at the weirdest times and in the strangest of places, so I absolutely fascinated by the idea of the 'artist's process' and have learned that our processes are as unique as we are; we all have to find what works for us and what makes our inner artist feel like he or she can come out and play."

4) Charlie is a truly great character! What was the inspiration behind him?
    "Thank you! I absolutely love Charlie, and I love writing him. He ended up being the dog that appeared in my mind when I envisioned Max going up to CyberWorld for the first time. Honestly, Charlie evolved entirely on his own. He came to me years ago, in summertime, when I was sitting on the side of my future high school's running track while my mom, sister, and I were getting our daily exercise (or, rather, my mom and sister were and I was sitting there writing...). I saw him clearly in my mind and knew that he was a sassy young thing. (SPOILER ALERT!) It only made sense to me that he could talk. Why not? Who doesn't love a talking dog? Especially one who can be facetious one moment and earnestly serious the next? After a while, he simply started writing himself. I have a few characters like that-Charlie, Sarah, Danny, Gyro-and there is nothing more incredible to experience or difficult to describe as having a character's words flow right through you, as if they live inside you and want to have their say before you can edit them. Not all of the characters are like that for me, but it's the ones who bugged me to get their story finally published that excite me the most."

5) What authors inspire you in your writing?
    "Oh gosh, good question. Well, the ultimate answer for me is an obvious one: J.K. Rowling. Even though it took me a little while to get into Harry Potter, she taught me everything about structure, character development, pacing, language, mystery, and the best trick of all: leaving breadcrumbs for your reader to either pick up or pass over without realizing that it's a clue for something that happens later on. She revolutionized books for everyone, not just children, and she heavily influenced my young and imaginative mind. Before J.K., I was obsessed with Roald Dahl. I don't know if I have ever read more imaginative children's books in my life; he tapped right into my soul and invited me to spend time with characters that I wished were real because I knew that we would've been friends (like Fantastic Mr. Fox for instance). In middle and high school, I became nuts over Ray Bradbury and John Steinbeck, and in high school I gained an appreciation for classics like The Catcher in the Rye (my favorite book) and Anthem. Lately, I'm reading all kinds of authors and genres, but I'm absolutely mad about the Beats. Jack Kerouac's writing is pure magic to me; I could read him every day, all day (and sometimes do). There are absolutely no rules for him; he just writes it like he feels it and didn't care much for vast amounts of editing, which speaks a lot to the idea that writing from a completely honest place often yields better work than an 'edit-as-you-go' approach. In terms of non fiction, I absolutely swear by Julia Cameron. Her books, including the 'Artist's Way' series and 'The Right to Write' have changed my life and made me see how important it is to grow in my art every single day. Collectively, these authors have shown me how to step out of my own box and embrace all that could be while also thoroughly investigating what is. I know that CyberWorld would not be what it is today without each and every one of their influences."

6) What can we look forward to from you in the future? I know in your author biography you mentioned more adventures in CyberWorld but anything else coming soon? Although truth be told I can't wait for the next adventure involving Max and his friends!!
     "Well, I know it won't take 13 more years, but I am hard at work on the sequel to Legend of Alaxeria and am hoping to have some kind of rough draft completed by the end of this year. I have planned for five books in the series, so I'm also simultaneously adjusting the plot lines for those books and figuring out how all the loose ends come together. Though I don't often stray from the Cyber Dimension when I'm in the zone, I have also been working on two television pilots (a sitcom and a musical drama), another book series, a stage play, and something that I should probably celebrate: having TOO many ideas! If I could sit and write all day, I would, but there are things to do and bills to pay, so I write in whatever free time I have. My ultimate goal at this point is to have Legend of Alaxeria published on a mainstream scale and then complete the CyberWorld series with the remaining four books. Then, the sky's the limit. (Though I wouldn't be surprised if in between writing the remaining CyberWorld books I dabble in some other ideas)."


Thank you Josh Conrad for taking time away from your precious writing time to answer the questions! I loved getting a glimpse into your life as a writer! I'm sure my readers will love it just as much!! I know we all look forward to the next from you!!