Curious World - HMH

There's an app called "Curious World" from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It's for the iPhone and iPad.
https://www.curiousworld.com/

Here's the the link to the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/curious-world-early-learning/id994556645?mt=8

Description

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a leader in classroom education for over 100 years - start your child’s learning journey with a FREE TRIAL and get unlimited access to nearly 1,000 fun and educational books, games, and videos, perfect for your child’s discovery or family time! Designed for kids ages 2-7, Curious World brings you: 

• Over 500 fun and educational games, videos and books
• Favorite characters like Curious George and Gossie
• New activities added every week
• A safe and ad-free environment
• Content curated by early learning experts across key learning areas
• A personalized experience based on your child’s age

Games, videos and books are curated by early learning experts across the following key learning areas:

• Science
• Math
• Literacy
• Executive Function
• Creative Expression
• Social & Emotional
• Family & Community
• Health & Wellbeing

Subscription details:

Curious World is free to download with access to select content and features.

With a Curious World subscription, you will receive:

• Exclusive access to unlimited games, videos and books – new content added weekly!
• A personalized experience for your child
• Ability to create up to 5 child profiles
• Access to the Parent Dashboard to track your child’s activities
• A safe and ad-free learning environment

FREE 7-DAY TRIAL

Free Kindle Book!

The first book in my YA fantasy trilogy, THE SEVENTH BLESSING, is now *free* on Amazon.com for a short time! Hurry on over and pick it up. And, you know, read it. Love it. Tell your friends about it. All that good stuff. <3

Link to Amazon.com

Sense and Sensibility Film Adaptations

Holidays With Jane: Spring Fever!

Anticipated release date: 3/18

From Indie Jane Press

The story that I adapted into a modern tale was Jane Austen's SENSE AND SENSIBILITY.
I've read this book five or six times. (Maybe more?) It's one of my favorites and for good reason. STRONG characters! I love the stark contrast between Elinor's sense (reason) and Marianne's sensibility (feeling). There are many film adaptations of S&S. My favorite for years was the Emma Thompson version (it won her an Oscar for best adapted screenplay). Several reasons this version is fantastic can be explained in gifs.

Alan Rickman, Hugh Laurie, Hugh Grant. All in one movie. Awesomeness.

---

I just watched the new S&S produced by BBC as a TV mini-series in 2008.

I *loved* the casting in this series, for the most part. Namely, Edward Ferrars. Willoughby looks very devious in this adaptation and it's not very believable that Marianne would fall for him. She would want a romantic guy, not a bad boy. Now Edward, on the other hand, is the perfect romantic hero.

What version is your favorite? Or do you like a completely different adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY?

Hop on over to my fellow authors' sites all week to see what Austenesque films they love!

Holidays With Jane: Christmas Cheer - Cover Reveal!

Scheduled release date: October 28

Check out updates on the Facebook page - Holidays With Jane

Six talented authors make your Christmas lights twinkle with these modern-day adaptations of Jane Austen's novels. Curl up with some peppermint tea and enjoy something special in your stocking this holiday season.

~~~~~~~

The Work of an Instant

by Jennifer Becton

When Frederick Wentworth's ship docks at the Navy base in Charleston just in time for Christmas, Anne Elliot feels torn between desire to see her former fiancé and fear of rejection. Will taking a risk end in humiliation or give Anne a second chance with her first love? To find out, all she has to do is turn around and face him.

Mischief and Mistletoe

by Melissa Buell

Thrifty designer and secret Gothic novel enthusiast Cate Morland gets the opportunity of a lifetime to plan the costumes for the upcoming Dickens' Christmas Festival. There she meets Henry Tilney who shows an interest in more than Cate's costume designs. Mistaken by Henry's father as a rich heiress, Cate is invited to stay with the Tilney family at their estate. Will Henry feel the same for Cate once he discovers she is a seamstress paying her own way through design school?

A Tale of Three Christmases

by Rebecca M. Fleming

When their father dies, leaving their brother everything, life changes radically for the Dashwood girls. Librarian Ellie and musician Marianne have their work of course, but what about teenage Maggie? Maggie only has her writing—a surprising saving grace that helps her chronicle the ups and downs of life, love and family in this tale of three Christmases.

With Love, from Emma

by Cecilia Gray

A visit to Emma Gold's flower shop can save a relationship but a date at Lance Knightley's bar can take that relationship to the next level, so who should be considered Heartfield, Oregon's resident romance expert? Emma and Lance square off at their best friends' wedding to settle the score. Sparks fly as bets are made and favors are won in this contemporary Christmas retelling, recounted With Love, from Emma.

It's a Wonderful Latte

by Jessica Grey

Evie St. Laurent can always count on three things: being single during Christmas in Los Angeles, her job as manager at Mansfield Perk, and Frank Nakatomi, her best friend and coworker, cheering her up when she's down. But when the glamorous Piper siblings come to town and sweep everyone off their feet, what Evie thought was sure in her life starts slipping away. It will take some Christmas magic and the help of a very special angel named Jane to help Evie see that the love she's been waiting for has been there all the time.

Pride & Presents

by Kimberly Truesdale

Liz Bennet wants to make this Christmas the best that Longbourn Community Center has ever had. When basketball superstar Charles Bingley shows up to volunteer, it looks like that just might happen—even in spite of his unhelpful friend Will Darcy. But when everything starts to go wrong and Longbourn itself is in danger, Liz must set aside her pride and ask for help. Then she'll discover that the best presents are the ones you never expect.(less)

Feeling some Christmas Cheer!

I'm very happy to report that some super cool Janeite friends and I are coming out with a short story collection just in time for the holiday season! We each took a Jane Austen novel, modernized it, shortened it, and added some Christmas cheer to it. :-)

Back story to the short story collection. A family member was in the hospital and I desperately needed some happymaking in my life. I was thinking about what makes me happy. Christmas and writing came together in my mind. I called Jessica Grey and said, "Hey, what do you think about writing a Jane Austen Christmas story together?" That quickly swirled into all the Austen novels and calling up amazing writing friends to add to our Christmas writing fun. All this to say that you never know where inspiration will come from! (And my family member is much better now!)

My book was NORTHANGER ABBEY. My short is called "Mischief and Mistletoe." If you know Catherine Morland, you'll understand the mischief portion. Mistletoe, because, obviously, Christmastime and...it also starts with "M". I'm a big fan of alliteration. Below is one of my favorite quotes from NORTHANGER ABBEY. It helped inspire me to send Cate away from home. I'll write more about that later.

The other authors are:
Jessica Grey - My co-conspirator, YA fairy tale author, and writer-of-other-amazing-books!
Cecilia Gray - YA author of "The Jane Austen Academy" series!
Jennifer Becton - Austenesque author and thriller writer!
Kimberly Truesdale - Austenesque author and fellow English teacher!
Rebecca M. Fleming - One of my first bookish friends on the interwebs! We both share a love of Anne of Green Gables and hobbits. Rebecca is a blogger and a librarian. This is her first published work.

As we get closer to the release date, we'll have fabulous giveaways and fun blog hop things. We're all about the Christmas Cheer!

Book Review: HIT by Lorie Ann Grover

Hit by Lorie Ann Grover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


FROM GOODREADS:
After receiving a full-ride scholarship to Mills College for Girls, it appears Sarah's future is all laid out before her that is until she walks into a poetry class led by Mr. Haddings, a student teacher from the nearby University of Washington. Suddenly, life on the UW campus seems very appealing, and Sarah finds herself using her poetry journal to subtly declare her feelings for Haddings. Convinced Mr. Haddings is flirting back, she sets off for school in the rain with a poem in her back pocket one that will declare her feelings once and for all. Mr. Haddings has noticed Sarah's attention; the fallout from any perceived relationship with a student is too great a risk, and he has decided to end all speculation that morning. But everything changes when Mr. Haddings feels a thud on his front bumper when he glances away from the road, and finds Sarah in the street with blood pooling beneath her."

-------------

I loved that this book was based on true events that a friend of the author went through (that may sound horrible!). I was drawn into the story immediately. Sarah is a likable character and though she is mature, she still thinks like a teenager. This made the story more real to me. I enjoyed seeing Sarah and her mother go through real mother-daughter conversations. I enjoyed that the story was told from both Sarah and Haddings' points-of-view. I felt the pain of what each character went through emotionally.

I think that when you read a book and are able to place yourself into more than one of the character's shoes, that is very impressive. I saw myself in the young girl of Sarah. I saw myself as the driver who is temporarily distracted. (I've never hit anyone! But all drivers do get distracted...) I saw myself as the overprotective mom. I saw myself as the overprotective friend. This made me get totally into the story. I read the book very quickly because I couldn't put it down.

I recommend this book for readers: who enjoy clean reads, novels based on true events, contemporary young adult novels. I have recommended HIT to my students and they have made a "waiting list" for who can read the book next. :-)

**Book received for free from Blink/Zondervan for an honest review.

Now available for purchase! Amazon   Barnes and Noble   IndieBound (indie bookstore near you)  Powells  Zondervan.com

------

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lorie Ann Grover is an awarded YA novelist and board book author whose works include Kirkus Starred Review, Firstborn, and Parents Magazine Best Children's Book, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish. She co-founded readergirlz and readertotz. Living with her husband in the foothills of Mt. Rainier, she writes, practices weapons tai chi, and watches hawks take flight.

*Personal note* I met Lorie Ann through mutual friends. She gave me advice when I first started to write. I appreciate her wisdom very much! She is a sweet lady who has much perseverance. I admire her greatly.

ATONE: A FAIRYTALE by Jessica Grey

The second book of the fairy tale trilogy by Jessica Grey is now available!

ATONE: A FAIRYTALE

From Goodreads.com

Becca Ward knows that magic is real...

Two years ago not only had she and her best friend Alex found a real-life Sleeping Beauty in the middle of Los Angeles, they also discovered that they were powerful in their own right. They’ve managed to keep both their fae powers and their friend Lilia’s identity as a medieval princess a secret and live a normal life. Now their normalcy is threatened by the return of their former advisor at the Gem and Mineral Museum—and Becca’s least favorite person, Nicholas Hunt.

...and she’s about to find out that more than one fairy tale is true.

Nicholas has been obsessed with proving Lilia’s identity and the existence of magic. While working on an archeology dig he discovered an ancient fae artifact—a mirror that is imbued with a powerful protection spell that twists his obsession, and his body, until he is more beast than man. In order to protect her friends, Becca is forced to help him, and she is surprised to find that in spite of his outward appearance, Nicholas is no longer the beast she remembers. Will she let herself be the beauty that breaks the curse, or will she let her prejudice against him stop her from discovering true love?

*****

I just finished reading this book and I LOVED it! It's the right mix of fairy tale magic, strong female main character, and brooding man-turned-into-a-beast-with-smoldering-eyes. This story picks up two years after book 1 in the series (AWAKE: A FAIRYTALE). I'd recommend reading AWAKE first but you can read this one on its own. Grey has an amazing way with words and connecting the reader to emotions of the characters. Watching Becca and Nicholas fall in love but resisting it is heartbreaking but also SO great. ("The path of true love never did run smoothly" - Shakespeare) I love that Becca learns more about her magical fae abilities and seeks to use her abilities for good. There are also laugh out loud lines in the book. I really enjoy books that have that mix of fun with seriousness.

If you enjoy fairy tales set in our contemporary world, check out ATONE!

Author Jessica Grey

ATONE on Amazon

ATONE on B&N

ATONE on Kobo

LA Times Festival of Books!

Hey book friends!

I'll be at the LA Times Festival of Books on Saturday, April 20th!

I'll be at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore booth #368 

from 2:30-3:00 p.m.

Come on by and experience the awesomeness of the LATFoB! (It's on the USC campus which is REALLY big. The walk from the parking lot to the festival might take you ten minutes so arrive accordingly.) :)
Admission to the festival is free. I think parking was $10 last year to park in the campus parking structure. Wear walking shoes and bring water, a hat, and sunscreen.

There will be lots of authors, publishers, bookstores, and events happening at the festival. For a list, go to the LATFoB site. Attendee FAQs.

Some confirmed authors that I would love to meet:
Orson Scott Card
Sarah Dessen
Cornelia Funke
Lauren Oliver
Veronica Roth

Book Haul: Feb 24, 2013

Book Haul: February 24, 2013

Books Received for Review (this week from Netgalley)

THE RUNAWAY KING by Jennifer A. Nielsen
POISON by Bridget Zinn
A TOUCH OF SCARLET by Eve Marie Mont


From the library

ARTEMIS FOWL: THE LAST GUARDIAN by Eoin Colfer

THE GIRL WITH THE MERMAID HAIR by Delia Ephron

FIRE by Kristin Cashore

BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore

Received as a gift for my birthday

BOUNDLESS (Book 3 in the Unearthly series) by Cynthia Hand

I've read 4 of these books this week already. (I read BOUNDLESS in one day because I love the story and needed to know What Happens Next?!) Most of my reviews are over at Goodreads, if you care to know what I think about books. (Though I feel it's a slippery-slope where authors rate books. But...I read a lot and want to keep track of what I read and be able to recommend books to other. Le sigh...)

Giveaway at Goodreads

Goodreads is hosting a giveaway for two paperback copies of THE HIDDEN BLESSING! You can enter to win a copy by going to the link: Goodreads Giveaway.

Books?! Happy dance time!

Book Signing at Mysterious Galaxy in Pics!

Last Saturday was the signing at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore down in San Diego. The hubs, my boys, and I drove down there and had a great time! There were many authors there:

Diverse Energies contributors Cindy Pon and Greg Van Eekhout – a young adult speculative fiction anthology benefiting the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund

Karl Alexander – Time-Crossed Lovers – a new time-travel adventure from the author of Time After Time

Melissa Buell – The Hidden Blessing – young adult high fantasy princess quest

Dan Hanlon – Fraternity of Thieves – crime and family conflict in Southern CA

Donna Keeley – Having a Whaley of a Time – first in the Paranormal Mystery series

Gini Koch – Alien vs. Alien – the new installment in the highly entertaining Alien Collective saga

Nathan Long – Swords of Waar – the continuing adventures of biker chick Jane Carver in space

James Morris – Sky Bound: Book One of the Three Kingdoms Trilogy – debut fantasy from local teen author

Justin Robinson – Mr. Blank – who is the mysterious Mr. Blank?

Hope Tarr – Operation Cinderella – Kobo ebook comtemporary romance

I was able to share a signing table with Donna Keeley and Hope Tarr. Both ladies are SO sweet! Each author was able to share a bit about their books and then we signed outside near the food table. (The food!!) Near the end, James Morris (a teen author and musician) brought out his guitar and sang some songs that he wrote.

We loved being at Mysterious Galaxy! The staff there are SO wonderful and attentive. Many thanks to Maryelizabeth, Bunny, David, Jen, and the rest of the staff that helped out.

Hope Tarr and me

James Morris

Book Signing for Book 2!

Hi friends!

THE HIDDEN BLESSING releases this week!!!!!

And I have ALL OF THE FEELINGS!!!

I'm happy to announce that I'll be signing THE HIDDEN BLESSING, book 2 in my YA fantasy series, on Saturday, December 1st at the "Holiday Party" down in San Diego at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. Several other authors will be there, too. Come on down, pick up some great books and gifts, and talk about books with us! :-)  (I'll also have copies of book 1 to sign!)

Love! And hugs! And confetti! And twirly dresses! And glitter! And cupcakes!

Setting up a blog tour

Hello friends!

I'm currently setting up a blog tour for THE HIDDEN BLESSING, which releases November 1, 2012. If you are a blogger/reviewer and would like to be included, please let me know in the comment section below. :-) The tour will run from the end of October to the beginning of December.

Let me know if you would like to host an interview (with me OR with a character from my book), ask random questions in a "this-or-that" fashion (my favorite!), host a guest post from me about writing, reading, or whatever else you'd like me to write about (I have LOTS of stuff to choose from - baking, crafting, sewing, photography, I like to do lots of stuff...). If you have something special on your blog that you'd like me to talk about (if you always host a music day, for example, and want me to give the soundtrack for my book), let's do that.

SO many options!

And remember that you can still request an ebook ARC (advance review copy) of THE HIDDEN BLESSING for review here.

<3

Publishing Takes Time

Hello readers!



I've been thinking about this topic for a while now and I went to the SCBWI Editor's Day at Cal State Fullerton this last weekend.

Check out this line-up!

Our fabulous guest Editors are:

Alexandra Penfold, Editor at Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster

Yolanda LeRoy Scott , Editorial Director at Charlesbridge

Frances Gilbert, Editorial Director of Doubleday Children's Books, a
division of Random House

Kira Lynn, Publisher at Kane/Miller Book Publishers

Jeffrey Salane, Senior Editor at Cartwheel Books and Scholastic Press

Our Agent Panelists are:

Sara Sciuto, Literary Agent from Full Circle Literary

Taylor Martindale, Literary Agent from Full Circle Literary

Our Guest Authors are:

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro – Horror Author and Living Legend – International
Horror Guild (2006)

Marilyn Donahue – Middle Grade Author

Dr. Mike Mahin – Picture Book Author/Professor and Pitch Guru

Candace Ryan – Picture Book Author

Several editors and authors talked about how long it takes to publish a book. In short, a very long time. It can be expected to take 1-2 years AT MINIMUM to publish a book. And now you're staring at the screen thinking, "This girl is crazy!" No, really. It does take that long. Let's check this out.

-You write your book. (And rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, etc.)

-You submit it to publishers/agents.

-Agent accepts your work. Sells it to a publisher. (This can take years to do.)
OR
Publisher/editor accepts your work directly (without an agent involved).

-Sign a contract after discussions. (This can take a few days to a few weeks...possibly months??)

-Editor reads your book and edits it. (Takes weeks/months.)

-You revise it based on editor's comments and return it. (Takes weeks/months, depending on extent of edits.)

-Editor reads it again. Sends it to copy editor for proofreading.

-Copy editor sends it back to author for more edits.

-Author sends back *final* copy to copy editor.

-Copy editor and editor both read over it ONE MORE TIME.

-Meanwhile, cover art is being done by illustrator. Needs to approved by head of illustration department. (Author often has no say in cover art.)

-Book gets sent to initial print run for Advance Review Copies (if it's a big name publishing house with lots of $$). Did you know that it costs more to print ARCs than it does to print the finished copy of the book?? That's why not every company prints ARCs. More will offer e-copies of books for review.

-Sales and marketing team work on...sales and marketing. ;)  Getting bookstores to stock the book, setting up other author appearances, printing posters, etc. Review copies are sent to reviewers/book bloggers/journalists. This often takes the longest time. The publishing company wants to build up a buzz for the book.

And then...the book comes out. UNLESS there are other factors that delay it. There could be a delay at the print shop. There could be many other books coming out at the same time and your book gets moved to a new slot in a different quarter for the publishing company. A major edit may be discovered and need to be fixed before the final print run. Stuff happens and books get delayed.

And sometimes, we freak out about it.

   

 One of the authors who spoke on Saturday was asked what was the longest she's waited for a book to get published. "21 years." Gasps around the room. "I'm still waiting for that book to get published. But you know  what? I just kept writing other things."

One of the editors said she had to wait five years for a children's book to get published. They couldn't find the right illustrator for years. The author was patient and hung in there and when the book finally came out, it was fantastic. But it took a long time and a lot of faith.

So, if you're getting discouraged about the amount of time it's taking for YOUR book to be published, relax. Just keep writing another story. Eventually, your book will come out. And then you can throw confetti and eat cupcakes and twirl around the room.

Happy waiting! ;)

SOMETIMES MY BROTHER BUGS ME

My children's book SOMETIMES MY BROTHER BUGS ME, published by MeeGenius! Books is now available for download! 

MeeGenius! works with the iPad/iPhone, Android, Google TV, and website. I hope you enjoy it! :)  

(Now I will go back to eating sour gummy worms.)

Book Cover Reveal!

Hello friends!

I am SO excited to share the cover of my children's book SOMETIMES MY BROTHER BUGS ME. Ready? Here it is!

Isn't that AWESOME?! 

It will be published on Wednesday, September 19th through MeeGenius Books!

 Go to MeeGenius.com for the ebook or if you already have the ebook app on your computer, iPad, iPhone or Android phone, you can get it there.  (MeeGenius is the #1 app bookstore for children's books.)

You can also find MeeGenius! educational ebooks on Youtube!

Please excuse while I go twirl around my house in happiness. :)

About MeeGenius

MeeGenius is the world’s largest virtual store for enhanced children’s books. Available as a website and an application, MeeGenius works across all platforms offering the largest selection of classic children’s stories anywhere. Both old and new titles are available with and enhancements such as read-along word highlighting, audio playback and personalization. MeeGenius creates premium educational content faster and cheaper with a wider distribution channel than anyone on the planet.

Book and Writing Updates!

Book and writing updates!

ARC Giveaway Time!

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll have seen that I'm giving away some ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of books I received at Book Expo America (BEA) and American Library Association (ALA). These are books that I've already read and I'd like to pass on to others to read and review them.

**If you're not going to read them, please don't enter to win. If you're not going to review them, please don't enter to win.**

Reviewing a book is as easy as posting up why you liked it on your Goodreads review, write about it on Facebook, tweet about it. If you start reading the book and you know you're not into it, please pass it on to someone else!! Pay it forward! :)

Check out my giveaways on Twitter: @Melissa_Buell  (You don't need to follow me or do extra posts or anything like that. Just @ me with your name, etc.)

I'll be giving away at least one ARC per day until they run out. :) (This could last for quite a few days!) Most of the ARCs are YA novels. Several are signed by the author.

H is for Happy!

A to Z  Blogging Challenge

H is for Happy!

I'm SUPER happy because my first book THE SEVENTH BLESSING  is now available as an eBook for your Kindle! Don't have a Kindle? You can download the "Kindle for PC" app for free from amazon.com. And then you can buy my book!! :) :) Isn't that happymaking? Yeah, I thought so. ;)

THE SEVENTH BLESSING on Kindle

Free Kindle reading apps from amazon.com

"Where Can I Buy Your Book?"

I've had people ask me this in person. I can imagine that people might want to know where to buy my book out on the interwebs, too! :)

It's available on Amazon.com in paperback AND for your Kindle!!

On Barnes and Noble.com  AND you can go into a B&N store and ask them to order it for you. You can then pick it up in the store a few days later and not pay for shipping.

At independent bookstores. Again, you can ask them to order it and then pick it up from them.

If you're in the Los Angeles area, you can visit Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena for a copy.

If you're in the Orange County area, you can visit Book Carnival bookstore in Orange for a copy.

(If you're going to the above bookstores, please be sure to call first to make sure they still have a copy in stock!) :)

Thanks for being awesome readers!