Beyond the Skyline is Alex Lane’s diary of his life after leaving Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Center in Syracuse, New York. At the main gate an immaculately dressed man driving a black expensive foreign car meets him. The bearded stranger reveals himself to be Alex’s estranged brother Brandon. Thus begins Brody Lane Gregg’s YA novel, Beyond…
Jan Domagala, the author of Col Sec Series, offers writers a few tips on writing and marketing. Welcome to my blog, Jan. Thank you, Michael, it’s nice to be here. I often think what advice would I give to other writers should they ask, so here, in no particular order of preference are my top…
It’s understandable why teens read young adult (YA) novels. The books are geared toward them. Rarely do you find teenagers interested in middle age and old age issues found in mainstream literature. So why is it that middle-aged and older adults read YA books? In a June 5, 2014 Slate.com article, Ruth Graham wrote, “Read…
Ennara lives in Estlan, a land of magic and mystery. She was born a caul, a baby with a mask foreshadowing great magical ability. So her parents had to have her hand tattooed with a fire-breathing dragon to warn others of her great powers. One night, during her eleventh year, Ennara is attacked by a…
What really fascinates me as a writer is the question why some stories enter tradition and others don’t. There is plenty of good stuff out there that nobody reads anymore. Material that is totally forgotten but once was really en vogue, like the stories about Phantomas. Then there are stories that somehow made it into…
Growing up during the 1950s and 1960s I was an avid reader, especially of YA books. During the early 1970s, while studying education to become a teacher, I read many more YA books for my children’s literature courses. Professionally, as a reading specialist I tried to keep up with the most intriguing books published that…
Have problems motivating your teen to read? Turn to the numerous book series published by many different publishers, big and small, that focus on middle school and high school students. The Harry Potter series or the more recent Hunger Games books quickly come to mind. Authors like to write series books around the adventures of…
Looking for an inexpensive book? Here are a few suggestions where you can purchase or even find a book for free. 1. Thrift Shops. Places like Goodwill, the American Cancer Society Discover Shops, and the Salvation Army are just a few examples of thrift shops that sell books for under a $1.00. For example, when…
Sunday, February 22, 2015 Encino Charter Elementary School will be opening its doors to over 35 authors of children’s and YA books. Some of the authors that will be present are: Elise Allen, a NY Times Bestselling Author and TV writer, Enchanted Sisters David Gutterman, author of Fiddler in the Darkness Erin Fry, author of…
The rise in popularity of e-books is rising. Back in 2012 24% of the adult population read an e-book. Today that has risen to 28%. It gets better. About 42% of the adult population owns a tablet computer. According to the Pew Research Center more than 42% of adults own a tablet computer. E-book reading…