October News

It's October! If you're like me, you've probably already busted out all your fluffy sweaters and random orange décor, like these little pumpkins. I love fall, October especially because it's the it's-still-nice-out kind of weather.

What I've Been Up To

Although the blog has been kind of quiet, that doesn't mean that all I've been doing is lounge by the pool this summer. I've actually been hard at work, editing my top-secret middle-grade mystery. I've been dying to tell everyone about it, but for now I still need to zip it. More soon, I promise.

Otherwise, I'm enjoying reading all the Kidlit, including chapter books and picture books, with hopes of writing my own. It's harder than it looks, people...

What I'm Reading

I've never been a huge fan of spooky things (I don't like being scared), but I'm kind of coming around from that point of view. I'm enjoying horror movies and TV--much to the entertainment of my husband and kids, who laugh when I jump at the scary things), and am checking out spooky MG. I even found this website dedicated to spooky middle-grade.

We spent the night at the Colorado Hotel last month, which was old and very spooky. Check out these twin doors--made me think of The Shining...

And of course I had to read The Institute by horror master Stephen King. Not spooky all that much, but scary and good.

Where To Find Me

Other than school visits and Skype visits, I'm happy to say I'm spending my time by the fireplace. Starting Oct. 21st, I'm also teaching an online class on writing YA--it's short and fun, perfectly timed for NaNoWriMo...

Happy October, all!. Here's a picture of Luna, who is always ready for sweater weather (check out all that fluff)

MMGM Review: The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow

For Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (that's what the MMGM stands for, in case you're not familiar), I thought I would revisit The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson, because it's a favorite middle-grade book of mine. In a few weeks, the sequel is out, Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library--so lots to be excited about.

From the cover:

Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom.
    As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past.
   Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure.

My thoughts:

No one likes to move, and Fairday Morrow is no exception when her parents drag the family to Ashpot, Connecticut to renovate an old house. But this old house proves to be the best place for budding detective Fairday and her DMS (which stands for Detective Mystery Squad, of course), as she delves into the mysteries of Begonia House with its padlocked room and mysterious history…

I loved the characters, the setting—this book is the perfect classic spooky house mystery, but with a fresh new take. I felt like a kid again reading this mystery, and I have no doubt that it’ll be a big hit with kids everywhere. The mystery is strong, the family is fun and delightful; The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow is destined to be classic kids mystery.

Recommended, especially with spooky October in mind.

For more MMGM middle-grade book reviews, check out the marvelous Shannon Messenger's blog...!