Graphic from Gliffy.com

Webbing Keturah.
I suspect there is a better way to link this but haven’t found it yet. I used Gliffy because it looked easy and indeed, it was- drag and drop. I think this type of organizer would be great for kids to use. It could be the typical book report in a different format with a look at characters, themes, setting, etc. They do need (as usual) an e-mail address and password. I know there are other sites to examine, but I am spending this week in sunny Ontario with my children and three grandchildren. So when it comes to a toss-up between holding my 6 week old Joseph or doing a web assignment in depth, you can guess what I choose every time. I also spend a lot of time reading stories to my 3 year old Grace and my 5 year-old Nathan. Born to be a grandma!!!

Video on Keturah’s meeting with Lord Death

movie.wmv

My slide show

Images of Keturah’s grandmother, village, the spectre of Death and the forest which haunts this story.

The Bonemender- Holly Bennett

If you love Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, meet Holly Bennett. It is very seldom that I make that kind of comparison, but I loved The Bonemender and her newest, The Warrior’s Daughter. I have yet to read the Bonemender sequels but am very much looking forward to them.

The Bonemender is the story of Gabrielle who is a healer and works for the royal family. Life is pretty much routine until two unusual strangers come into their midst, one dreadfully hurt by a boar. It soon becomes apparent that the strangers are Elves, whom Gabrielle’s people have not seen in many years. In spite of all the problems that might ensue, Gabrielle is drawn to one of the Elves. On top of that is news of a coming invasion where Gabrielle’s healing skills are going to be in high demand.

This is a challenging read but one I would recommend for young adults and adults alike.

Take 42

It’s taking a long time to get the initial meeting between Keturah and Lord Death right. Each has to be presented as a strong character but with their own unique vulnerability. This meeting sets the stage for the rest of the story and developing relationship. These are the key points that need to be incorporated into this scene.

“He laughed then, and I saw that he was perilously beautiful, at once terrifying and irresistible.”

“I see you have given me a part in the story,” said Lord Death, and if I could trust myself, I might have thought that he might have said it with a hint of sadness. 

No wonder this crucial scene is so difficult to perfect!

Read All About It!!

Keturah’s Village

  I could not at this point link directly to Flickr so here it is- such as it is.

You Oughta Be In Pictures

Okay- I understand the visual appeal in promoting our books, but this is just not anywhere in my comfort zone. I have never joined so many on-line sites or had so many usernames and passwords in my life. Unfortunately, the book I chose to work on, Keturah and Lord Death, does not lend itself well to finding appropriate pictures. Flickr is a compilation of users’ photos and I didn’t think I could hope for photos of Death, the plague, early village life and the Grim Reaper. So with some help from Donna and Carlene, I accessed some other copyright-free sites to obtain what I could. I then registered with BigHugeLabs to design a poster. Since I didn’t edit, I’m not overly pleased with the results, but I don’t think I can spend more time on this one. I also made a postcard that is currently housed on Flickr and I have not yet been able to find it. So hats off to those of you with strong creative and technological ability, because it sure ain’t me!

By the way, the line under the title says- “A chance meeting in the forest-a battle of wills and wits.”

I like words!!

Ok- I redid the poster and realized I could import it in a bigger size so hopefully this will look a little better!

I went back to the small size as it was messing up my page- wish there was an intermediate size to upload.

What do cartoons have to do with books?

Bugs never knew what he was missing! Chasing Roadrunner (or whomever) can’t hold a candle to reading a good book!