BookBoy, YALit 101 And Other Happenings (Nov./Dec. News)

It’s almost Thanksgiving! This is not good, because I’m actually still surprised that it’s 2018… It’ll take me at least until March next year, again, to get the year right on anything I fill out.

That said, I’ve had a pretty good 2018 so far. Lots of school and Skype visits and conference talks, and I got to talk to lots of kids, which is my favorite part of the job. I’ve also been writing a lot: a new MG mystery, a few short stories, and now I’m outlining a new, ambitious YA that’s close to my heart. More about that in 2019 (gasp! See how hard this is going to be?) 

Mystery TV

We like our TV here at the Bradley house, mostly from Netflix and Prime anymore, but there are still a few network shows we watch. Surprisingly good mystery this fall: The Rookie, with Nathan Fillion in it. I was expecting a show like Castle, but this one is more complex than that, with a few darker moments. I like it, and so does my better half, which doesn’t happen often.

            Along with the rest of America (and the world, it seems), we also watched The House on Haunted Hill—very cool and spooky, but with an ending that didn’t quite fit. Still, highly recommended.

Mystery Books

I’ve been reading up a storm—no surprise to you fellow writers, I’m sure. During my school visits, I often tell kids that I read about ten times more than I write, which is no exaggeration. 

Of note this fall (titles for adults this time): Fugitive Red by Jason Starr (juicy, like watching a very bad train wreck, but you can’t look away), and Elevation by Stephen King. I’ve been enamored by the novella lately, and Mr. King masters this length beautifully (despite his usual inclination to write those giant tombs).

Where You Can Find Me

The year is almost over, but I still have a few more events on the calendar:

Nov 25^th: BookBoy, Bookbar’s father-son book club. I'll be talking about Double Vision, of course. If you are a father or a son, come over to Denver’s Bookbar. Or if you’re not, come anyway: this store and the little pocket neighborhood around it is a must-visit. They have wine, and books. It’s brilliant marketing to people like me, plus the staff are really great at recommending books.

Dec. 10^th-24^th: YALit 101. If you’re like me and would rather stay away from the shops this December, join me for a YALit 101: Writing For Teens workshop over at Savvy Authors. It’s all online, which is pretty awesome if you ask me. You bring the hot beverage and wear your best comfortable clothing, I’ll tell you need to know about writing YA. It’ll be the perfect thing to do in December.

I hope you’re having a great last few weeks of 2018, and I hope to catch up with you again in 2019. Until then… Do you have any book or TV recommendations to share?

August Is For Reading

It’s August, and Summer is still kind of lingering for me. I’ve been reading lots, going on hikes, and I even tried fishing. I caught nothing, so don’t expect me to bring dinner…

August usually means back to school here in Colorado (kids start early in my neighborhood), but I’m resisting like a rebellious twelve-year-old. I’d rather be reading and taking naps.

Speaking of reading, here are some notables to share this month:

Books

In middle-grade, I’ve been reading lots of chapter books, and picked up the Greetings from Nowhere series by Harper Paris. 

Such a fun travel-focused chapter book series—recommended for your early reader.

A lucky find at ALA in Denver earlier this year, I finally got around to reading Copyboy by Vince Vawter. This might be one of the best books I've read this year, about a young man traveling to the Gulf Coast to spread his mentor’s ashes. A great coming-of-age story that defies age classification. Plus, it was a nice trip down memory lane, as we lived down south for a few years.

I ended up reading Paperboy first, which is another awesome read that precedes Copyboy. Go read both, you won’t regret it.

For adults, I read Paul Tremblay’s Cabin at the End of the World, which is super creepy and suspenseful horror. A great book, though I wonder if it would’ve been even better as a novella. 

Or maybe that’s the impatient reader in me talking…

I've been finding myself skipping past large passages in longer books lately, preferring shorter works, short stories and novellas. 

In any case: I recommend this book by Paul Tremblay. Horror at its best.

Where to Find Me

On the web, I wrote a post for Career Authors on the difference between MG and YA, in case you’re interested in learning more. 

And I’ll be hitting the road. going to BookBar on August 11th, for their mother-daughterbook club. If you’re in Denver, come join us!

To close, here’s a picture of Apollo, who really knows how to get the most out of a good nap... 

Hope to see you at Denver ComicCon!

I'm going to Denver ComicCon! This is my first ComicCon of any kind, so it'll will be extra fun. I'll have to keep my inner fangirl in check, because there will be two Doctor Whos there.

On a more professional note, I'll be speaking on these panels; come find me if you're there:

80s Resurgence in Books and Movies - Friday, 6/15, 11:00am, Keystone City Mile High Ballroom DCCP4

Creating Believable Monsters - Saturday, 6/16, 12:30pm, Room 405

Why You Should Have Villains of All Stripes - Saturday, 6/16, 4:30pm, Room 405

Not Just Novels - Saturday, 6/16, 5:30pm, Room 405

I promise to try to remember to take pictures...

Happy 2018!

Happy 2018, everyone! I hope it’s a great year for you…

I’m making plans for 2018 (I like plans better than resolutions, which always seem a little vague), with equal parts writing and reading in the comfort of my office, as well as getting out into the world. I try not to be a hermit.

Here are my goals; share yours if you’re willing in the comments…

Writing

I’m working on a MG mystery, very fun and super structured in a mystery way, if that makes sense. A true whodunit for kids. It’s fun so far; I plan to spend January and probably part of February on the first draft. Kind of like a NaNoWriMo, only in January, which makes more sense anyway. January is cold and dull otherwise. 

Reading

I made myself set a reading goal, fifty-two books, which is one a week. Totally doable, I say. I read from picture books to mysteries for adults; I’ll post more reviews here too, as I read.

Out in the Wild World

I'm traveling this year, mostly around Colorado, but here’s the breakdown for now:

Feb. 7-10, 2018: Colorado Council International Reading Association Conference, Author visits 101 presentation

​Feb. 10, 2018: ALA Midwinter 2018, Meet the Author at SinC booth 649, 9-11 a.m. 

​Mar. 3, 2018: Colorado Book Festival, Denver Public Library 

​Mar. 17, 2018: Denver Children's Festival of Stories, hosted by Second Star to the Right Bookstore, Denver, CO

Jun. 5, 2018: nErDcampKS, Heston, KS

Mystery TV

Okay, so it’s time for me to do more writing and reading, and less binge-watching. But I did get caught up on season two of The Travelers—love this science fiction series! It’s on Netflix… And of course, there’s Broadchurch. Still awesome as ever. 

That’s it for me. Oh, and I want to take more photographs and learn to play the banjo. I’m aiming high this year. 

How about you?

Linc's Bookstore Tour Stop #4: Tattered Cover

It's Linc again. I left Georgia, and now I'm in Denver, Colorado, heading to the fourth stop in my bookstore tour. Did you know this airport looks like a bunch of tipis? Pretty cool...

Anyway, here's the lowdown on my next stop:

Fourth Stop: Tattered Cover Book Store 
Place: Denver (metro), Colorado

Question: What makes Tattered Cover different from other bookstores?

Excellent question Linc! Of course the whole idea of independent bookstores is their “independence” – so every bookstore is unique. We at the Tattered Cover are particularly proud of our author event series. We love being able to connect authors with their readers, and because we have three stores, we're able to host over 500 author events every year!

Question: I have a day to spend in Denver. What should I do for fun?

Denver sure has a lot to offer for an adventurous person like yourself. The Tattered Cover staff loves to enjoy local music, eat at some of our fabulous local restaurants, and enjoy Denver's year-round (mostly) sunny weather. Right now you can explore “Pompeii” at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, learn all about Vincent Van Gogh's amazing career at the Denver Art Museum, and catch an indie flick at the Denver Film Center/Colfax, just a few feet away from our bookstore on Colfax avenue.

Question: If you could invent any spy gadget, what would it be and what would it do?

I think one of the coolest gadgets any spy could have would be a belt that generates an invisibility field – rendering the wearer invisible. While I can't imagine the science behind it, I'm sure there's a brilliant spy-gadget inventor somewhere just putting the finishing touches on this idea!

Question: Any cool events coming up for my kid friends who live in the area?

I don't know what kind of books your friends are interested in, but I can say that we have a calendar full of events for kids of all ages (and adults) this fall. From storytimes with crafts to paranormal mysteries for teens, we have something for everyone. All anyone needs to do is visit our website (tatteredcover.com) and check out our event calendar.

Sounds like Tattered Cover is the place to be, right?

Find Tattered Cover on Facebook, read the Tattered Cover blog, and follow on Twitter so you never miss an event.

I dropped a Kid Spy giveaway package with gadgets and a signed copy of Double Vision at Tattered cover, so head on over there to enter to win...