The Book Stops Here: Perfectly Ridiculous by Kristin Billerbeck

Call me fun-loving, young-at-heart or just plain immature, but I love to read YA. When I was asked to review Kristin Billerbeck's latest novel, Perfectly Ridiculous, I jumped at the chance. I read the first two books in this series (Perfectly Dateless and Perfectly Invisible) and loved them both. So I had high hopes for this one.

About the book:

Daisy Crispin is at a crossroads. In one direction lies the promised land—life at college, away from her embarrassing and overprotective parents. In the other direction is reality—her strapped bank account, an ailing father, and family priorities. Daisy knows the “perfect” daughter wouldn’t have to think twice. But maybe Daisy was never really perfect on any level, because she does not want her life to look the way her parents think it should. She won’t let that stop her, though. Now that she has been given an exciting free trip to Argentina before going to college, she’s thrilled—until her parents decide to go along with her.

My thoughts:

I adored the first two books in the Daisy Crispin series, but Perfectly Ridiculous stood out above the others. It included the usual quick wit found in all of Kristin's books, but this one made me chuckle a little more often. The storyline was fresh and fun, and offered a couple of twists I didn't see coming, which is always a plus. But I think the main reason I enjoyed it even more than the first two is because of the growth Daisy experiences. Despite Daisy's perfectly ridiculous drama (a perfectly perfect title for this book, by the way), she manages to grow up. Of course, this may be due to the fact that she's now out of high school. 

I will be submitting a full review of Perfectly Ridiculous to FaithfulReader.com next month. As soon as it's posted, I will share the link with you. But for now, I'll just say that if you are a fan of light, fun, chick-lit type reads, or if you have a teenager who is, I highly recommend this book. In the meantime, check out my reviews of the first two Daisy Crispin books:

Perfectly Dateless

Perfectly Invisible

*Perfectly Ridiculous available July 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

**Thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of this book to review. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.**

The Book Stops Here: Double Take by Melody Carlson

It's spring break of her senior year and Madison Van Buren is fed up. Stressed over Ivy League pressure, her parents' marital problems, and her boyfriend's neglect, Madison gets in her car and drives west. Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Anna Fisher wants to escape the so-called simple life--which for her consists of caring for younger siblings, sewing, cooking, and gardening--and she's well aware that her future will simply be more of the same with a man she doesn't love. Suddenly, worlds collide when Madison and Anna meet in a small town, realize they look uncannily similar, and decide the grass is definitely greener on the other side.

MY THOUGHTS:

Remember the movie The Parent Trap? Loved that movie. Watching it as a girl, I remember wishing I had a twin somewhere so I could trade places. Not forever, just for a while. I've watched a few copycat movies over the years (It Takes Two with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen comes to mind) and have always been intrigued at the possibility of two look-alike people (not necessarily twins) trading identities. There is something exciting about the thought of it. Could be just the author in me.

Along comes Double Take, a young adult novel by Melody Carlson. Only this story comes with a twist. Madison VanBuren, a rich city girl, and Anna Fisher, a simple Amish girl, do the switching, each having her own personal reasons for wanting to experience another way of life.

I can definitely see this book as a movie. With the rage of Amish books right now, it would be the perfect time to do it. I'm not offering my a lengthy review here. A full review will be posted on www.faithfulreader.com in mid-July, which I'll be sure to remind you of. But I will say Double Take was a light and fun read and held my interest just as much as The Parent Trap did all those years ago. By book's end, both Madison and Anna have grown up and take away a nice lesson from their experience.

As always, Melody Carlson has written a poignant book for teens. Nothing heavy, just a nice light read with a good message.

If you love switching-places stories, you won't be disappointed with Double Take.

Looking forward to sharing my full review in a few weeks!



*Double Take is available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.*


Thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of this book to review. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.
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Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, THE CHRISTMAS BUS. She also writes many teen books, including JUST ANOTHER GIRL, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody's website at www.melodycarlson.com.

The Book Stops Here: Review of His Princess - Girl Talk with God by Sheri Rose Shepherd

Through 40 devotions, author Sheri Rose Shepherd brings biblical insights to some of the greatest hardships teen girls face. Honestly addressing tough topics like perfectionism, gossip, depression, eating disorders and dating, Shepherd helps readers understand these dilemmas on a spiritual level. She strips away the lies surrounding each issue to expose God’s encouraging truth about how he sees each of us and what he desires from each of us.

Each devotion reading includes a story from Shepherd’s own life that shares how God has transformed her life and brought her through painful struggles. Shepherd also couples the readings with specific Scripture as well as a love letter from God, a biblically-based note filled with the kind of encouragement that God might say if he were to write a letter to the reader.

My thoughts:

My first thought as I started reading: "Wow. I wish this book was around when I was a teenager."

This devotional book is the most recent in The Princess series by author Sheri Shepherd. I have not read the others, but what an important message this author is conveying. Women have always struggled with self-esteem and knowing who they are in Christ. This teen edition, His Princess: Girl Talk with God, contains 40 devotionals that deal with specific topics teenagers and young women face today (body image, friendship, dating, sex, sharing their faith, gossip, etc.), while driving home the point that God sees them as royalty.

The devotions are very short, which is perfect for girls who want to dig into God's Word but only have maybe 5 or 10 minutes to do so before school in the morning. The topics are real and relevant and give girls something to chew on all day. Each devotional ends with a brief "love letter from God" that opens with To my beautiful daughter and ends with Your Daddy in heaven. The letters are tender, straight-forward, and completely backed up with scripture. The corresponding Bible verse is also included.

While my first thought was that I wished this book was around when I was younger, my last thought was: "I'm so glad this book is around now for my teenage daughter."

I can't wait to share it with her and use it as a launching pad for deep and meaningful discussion.

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Sheri Rose is a woman who can relate to almost any woman’s battle. This former Mrs. United States grew up in a dysfunctional home and was severely overweight as a teen. As a young woman, she battled depression and an eating disorder. She understands the pain that comes from a broken home and she knows what it means to fight for freedom from your past.

In spite of an English teacher telling her she was “born to lose” and a learning disorder—Dyslexia—Sheri Rose has (in God’s strength) become a Best Selling Author, with more than One Million books sold, and her latest book, won the 2010 Retailers Choice Non-Fiction Book of the Year. Her Teaching was named the #1 Show of the Year on the Focus on the Family Broadcast and her life story has been featured on Lifetime Television and the Notional Billy Graham Telecast

Sheri Rose has been speaking at churches and women’s retreats for 15 years; she has a very refreshing way of bringing the Word of God to life. She knows how to renew the Eternal Hope in our hearts. Her speaking style is humorous, heartwarming and inspires every one to make their life count for eternity. She loves speaking at women’s retreats of any size and currently is on theExtraordinary Women’s Tour with: Chonda Pierce, Angela Thomas, Karen Kingsbury, Mercy Me, Matthew West and Jeremy Camp.

Her Joy for the Lord, humorous heart-warming stories mixed with truth and transparency renews our Faith by reminding us how much we are truly loved and adored by our Father in heaven. Once you heard Sheri Rose speak you will never again doubt that you are…“God’s Chosen Princess”… here for a divine purpose!

*Available July 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.*

Thanks to Revell for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review - the thoughts and opinions expressed were my own.

While I'm Away...Guest Blogger Max Elliott Anderson

Thanks to today's Guest Blogger, Max Elliott Anderson! Max is also represented by Terry Burns, of Hartline, and has several books for young boys published. Max has generously provided this recent interview with the illustrator for his latest book, so you can see how things work in another area of publishing. Pretty cool stuff!

Max says:

So much attention is given to the author, when a new book is released. However, many times it's the cover that draws in potential readers, or turns them away.

Following is an interview with Holly Heisey, the artist and illustrator for my (Max's) new book, Lost Island Smugglers, which will be released on August 1st.


MAX: It’s often said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” However, in this case, I hope people will be drawn to the cover of my new book. Explain your initial thoughts as you approached this project.

HOLLY: I've always been drawn to vibrant covers that seem to come alive with the story. That's what I wanted to do for Lost Island Smugglers--give the readers a slice of the action so they'd have to know more.

MAX: writer sees images and words in his head. When you approach an art project for the first time, what are some of the elements that you see, before you begin painting or drawing?

HOLLY: This depends on if the drawing is from my imagination, or based on a story I've written or read. If it's from imagination, I'll often sit down and either start randomly doodling with a pen or painting bold colors until shapes start to emerge and I have an idea of what the drawing could be. Art from stories is a little different. When I'm reading, a concrete image in the words will jump out at me, and I'll scribble down a very loose sketch. I rarely deviate far from my original "flash image." If it's strong enough for me to see in living color, it's strong enough to paint.


MAX: Explain the different steps you took in producing the cover art for Lost Island Smugglers.

HOLLY: I knew the cover for Lost Island Smugglers should be centered around the storm, which was the most exciting and action-packed part of the story, so when I read the manuscript, I paid close attention to the details to find just the right image to start with. Once I got my image and scribbled it down, I went on the web and found dozens of pictures of catamarans, storms, wavy seas, stormy skies--anything and everything that would help me make the painting as realistic as possible. Then, with my reference in hand, I scanned my original tiny sketch into the computer, blew it up to the size of a cover in Photoshop, and started to digitally paint over it with shapes and forms in shades of gray. It helps to start with gray so I can get the lighting right without having to worry about the color. Once I had a good idea of what it would look like in gray, I started painting over it in color. Like a writer has first, second, and third drafts and so on, every time I went over the painting again, I tightened the shapes, put in more details, made everything more accurate. Finally, I adjusted all the colors in Photoshop and put the finished painting into the design for the book cover.

MAX: Authors talk about facing writer’s block, where it seems impossible to go forward with a writing project at times. Does an artist ever experience this sort of creative block? And if so, how do they get past it?


HOLLY: A lot of artists are very much like writers in that they are visual storytellers. If I can't find the right story to tell with my art, I will get blocked. A lot of times I get past this by looking at paintings by artists I love. It's so inspiring and freeing just to appreciate art at its best that it often gives me the idea I need to keep going. Good books and movies will do that, too. It's all a big creative melting pot!

MAX: What would you say was your biggest challenge in creating the artwork for this book cover?


HOLLY: My biggest challenge for this cover was painting the waves. I've never been out on the sea and certainly not in a storm, so I had to pour over many paintings and photos of waves in storms until I got my painting to just where I liked it.


MAX: You also did some pen-in-ink illustrations for the interior of the book. Could you talk about those, how you approached each subject, and any other details that readers might find interesting?

HOLLY: I don't know if there's any I'd say I'm most proud of. I learn so much with each painting that they're all special to me in some way. I can look at my paintings and say, "Here's where I lerned how to handle textures," or "Here's where I learned how to paint with colored pencils." In that sense, every piece of work is a badge of accomplishment to me. I can say about the Lost Island Smugglers painting, "Here's where I learned how to paint the sea!"

MAX: What are your hopes and dreams for your art in the future?

HOLLY: I really love telling stories with my art. I hope to hone my skills enough to do illustrations for the top science fiction and fantasy books and magazines. I'd also love to do concept art for movies--that would be just amazing.

MAX: Many people what to know how they can break into the writing and publishing field. How would you advise young people who are interested in a career in art?

HOLLY: The first step in anything creative is just lots of practice. Lots of doing it and finding things out as you go. Look all over the internet--sites like deviantart.com and conceptart.org are a great place to start--and find what kind of art you really like, and then study the paintings to find out how the artists did it. Study the lives of artists and how their lives influenced their work. Take art courses online and buy art books and look at everything, study everything, and draw. You will never regret honing your drawing skills, and they will always serve you, again and again. And while you're at all this, plug into groups of area artists and online forums like deviantart.com, conceptart.org, cghub.com, and cgsociety.org where you can get and give feedback from other artists and gain contacts in the industry while you go. You don't have to go to an expensive art school to succeed in the art industry, you just need a passion to grow in your art and a constantly improving portfolio.

MAX: Please list the links where people can learn more about you.

HOLLY: My personal website is: http://hollyheisey.com

My portfolio is at: http://hollyheisey.carbonmade.com

And you can follow updates on my art on my Facebook fan page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/#!/pages/Holly-Heisey-Artist/119051711443606

MAX: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

HOLLY: Thanks, Max, for having me on your blog. I had a blast and learned a lot while doing the illustrations for Lost Island Smugglers, and I hope they enrich the book and make it as much fun to read as I had fun doing it!

Port Younder Press on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvQHzgpmKBY


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Mr. Anderson was a producer of the nationally televised PBS special, Gospel at the Symphony that was nominated for an Emmy, and won a Grammy for the double album soundtrack. He won a best cinematographer award for the film, Pilgrim's Progress, which was the first feature film in which Liam Neeson had a staring role. He has produced, directed, or shot over 500 national television commercials for True Value Hardware Stores. Mr. Anderson owns The Market Place, a client-based video production company for medical and industrial clients. His productions have taken him all over the world including India, New Guinea, Europe, Canada, and across the United States.

Using his extensive experience in the production of motion pictures, videos, and television commercials, Mr. Anderson brings the same visual excitement and heart-pounding action to his stories. Each book has completely different characters, setting, and plot.

Seven books are published, with an additional twenty-eight manuscripts completed. Young readers have reported that reading one of Mr. Anderson's books is like being in an exciting or scary movie.

Author Web Site: www.maxbooks.9k.com

Books for Boys Blog: booksandboys.blogspot.com

Mr. Anderson is listed in WHO'S WHO in Finance and Industry, Entertainment, Advertising, The Midwest, Emerging Leaders in America, The World, and WHO'S WHO In America (1999 - present)

The Book Stops Here: Review of Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck

From the back cover:

The prom countdown has begun.

Daisy Crispin has 196 days to find the right date for the prom. There's only one problem--her parents won't let her date or even talk to a guy on the phone. Oh, and she's totally invisible at school, wears lame homemade clothes, and possesses no social skills. Okay, so maybe there's more than one problem.

Can she talk her parents into letting her go to the prom? Or will they succeed at their obvious attempts to completely ruin her life?

Perfectly Dateless is hilarious, shocking, and totally real. You'll fall in love with Daisy's sharp wit and resourcefulness as she navigates the world of boys, fashion, family, and friendship.

My thoughts:

I first fell in love with Kristin Billerbeck's writing several years ago when I read What a Girl Wants. Because I enjoy this author and I love teen fiction (maybe because I still am one at heart), I had high expectations with this novel. And I am happy to say, I was not disappointed. I'll even go one step further and say I totally loved this book!

As mentioned in the blurb, Daisy Crispin's #1 goal her senior year is to find a prom date. She even keeps a Prom Journal to track her progress. But there are a few obstacles along the way, such as her practically invisible status at school and, of course, her eccentric and borderline fundamentalist parents who believe in courtship and won't permit her to date.

Daisy is easy to like. She is basically a good Christian girl who knows right from wrong but is frustrated with her parents inability to see her for who she is instead of trying to mold her into who they think she should be. This causes not only frustration, but some poor choices on Daisy's part. But, these choices come with consequences, which Daisy ultimately has to face.

The writing is wonderfully crisp and witty. Each character is so well crafted, from Daisy to her parents, to Daisy's best friend Claire, to all of the other minor supporting characters we meet along the way (Daisy's boss, fellow students, and "love interests"). The storyline was fast-paced and clever, and never did I feel a "lull."

A few themes and messages are woven throughout, pertaining to perfectionism, priorities, consequences of choices, and the importance of a healthy parent/child relationship. Every aspect and loose end was wrapped up nicely, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this book, possibly from best friend Claire's point of view.

Definitely saving this one for my daughter to read in another year or two (she's now 13), but it's a great read for both teens and parents, alike.

*“Available July 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

**Thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of this book to review. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.**
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Kristin Billerbeck is the author of more than 30 novels, including "What a Girl Wants" and the Ashley Stockingdale and Spa Girls Series. She is a fourth-generation Californian, who loves her state and the writing fodder it provides. Learn more at www.KristinBillerbeck.com

The Book Stops Here: Anything but Normal by Melody Carlson

Sophie is your normal, average high-school girl who attends church and gets good grades. The summer is wrapping up and while she should be counting down the days to the start of her senior year, she’s anything but excited. What Sophie’s in need of right now is a fresh start.

While her best friends are worried about what to wear and the cutest guy in school, Sophie’s got bigger concerns—like the secret she’s keeping about what happened this summer. She’s about to find out that she won't be able to keep things under wraps much longer.

My thoughts:

I'll admit, it's been a while since I've read a YA. And, it's been even longer since I've actually been a young adult. But from the first page of Anything but Normal, I was drawn into Sophie's story. Not only was the storyline interesting, the emotions were ones I clearly remember experiencing myself twenty-five years ago. The author does a wonderful job of getting inside the mind of a teenager and, although there were a few places I thought the words seemed a little out-of-date or old-fashioned for today's teen, it still felt relevant.

One thing is clear: Sophie has a heart to do what's right. She is a Christian who loves God and, along with her friends, has made a vow to remain pure until marriage. But then, like so many teenagers today, Sophie finds herself in a situation where she allows her emotions and hormones to take over, causing her to make a decision she later regrets. She naively assumes you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex. It soon becomes apparent how wrong this assumption is.

Besides feeling like a failure for breaking her vow of purity, it kills her to think about how disappointed her parents will be when they find out. In addition, Sophie's got a bright future ahead of her in journalism. It's no surprise that she goes through periods of denial, guilt, shame, and desperation. With absolutely no one she feels she can confide in, Sophie ends up hiding the truth until she doesn't have a choice anymore.

Secondary issues dealt with in this novel include judgment - from some of her friends, but mostly (sadly) from the parents of those friends. The author does a nice job showing the hurtfulness of judgment and hypocrisy and the benefits of Christ-like love. I was also happy to see addressed the pressure that guys often put on girls and the importance for boys to take control of their own passions and treat girls with the respect they deserve.

Overall, I found Anything but Normal to include everything normal that teens face today. This story deals with the issue of teen pregnancy with sensitivity and truth. The consequences of Sophie's actions are not sugar-coated. However, the overpowering message of God's grace and forgiveness shines through.

Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of this book to review.
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Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Learn more about Melody on her website: www.melodycarlson.com

Let's Talk about Tweens and Teens

Got girls? More specifically, tweens or teens? Then I have a great resource for you.

Nicole O'Dell is one of my critique buddies. Nicole is my hero, not only because she is a mother of 6 (including 1-year-old TRIPLETS!) but because she is a published author who took the bull by the horns and acquired a multi-book publishing contract - without an agent! Now, I don't think I'd be brave enough to sign a contract without an agent, but I really admire Nicole for it. It's been working wonderfully for her and I'm proud to say I'm her crit buddy.

So anyway, Nicole has this series out for girls. And it's becoming more and more popular and gaining tons of attention. With good reason. First, the series is about real girls making real choices. Yes, the books are fiction. But the characters are faced with tough decisions that Christian girls encounter every day.

Second, the series is interactive. Which means that each story has two endings. The reader can then choose which choice they would make and see the consequences of it played out. There is even a "contract" at the end of each book for the girls to sign.

As I said, the whole concept is so cool!

This series is published by Barbour and so far, there are two books available: Truth or Dare and All that Glitters. The third and fourth books in the series, Magna and Making Waves, will be released in April, 2010.

Nicole has just launched her website (Nicoledoell.com) and blog (which already has 94 followers - Go, Nicole!). Visit her website to learn more about her, as well as the books she's writing. Her blog is titled Girl Talk and offers devotionals, advice, reviews, and giveaways. Here is her current blogging schedule:

Monday: Post to Parents
Tuesday: Girl Talk
Wednesday: Writer's Corner
Thursday: Thoughtful Thursday
Friday: Friday Fun

So if you have tween or teen girls, you'll want to alert them to Nicole's website and blog and, of course, her books!

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Nicole O’Dell lives in Illinois with her husband and six children, three of whom are triplets. With a heart for young girls and a special passion for the relationship between mothers and daughters as they approach the teen years, Nicole created the Scenarios: Interactive Fiction for Girls series to help girls develop sound decision making skills. Her writing also includes devotionals and Bible studies for women of all ages.

The 12 Books of Christmas - Shelley Adina

This week's 12 Books of Christmas author is YA author, Shelley Adina. She is giving away a copy of her book, Tidings of Great Boys (is that a great title, or what?) This book is part of the All About Us series. Another book in this series, The Fruit of my Lipstick, was a Christy award finalist. If you have a teenage girl, or know one, you'll definitely want to enter to win this book. After reading the synopsis and the customer reviews, I intend on buying a copy for my own daughter this Christmas.

Here is a synopsis:

Finals week is approaching, and Mac is still undecided on where to spend the holidays. Normally she’d go home to Scotland, but spending two weeks alone in the castle with her dad isn’t as appealing as it used to be. So she invites Carly, Lissa, Gillian, and Shani to join her for the holidays! Mac is determined to make this the best Christmas ever. She even decides to organize the traditional Hogmanay dance for New Year’s Eve. If she can get her mother involved, maybe her parents will finally get back together. But when Mac and the girls arrive in Scotland, they are faced with bad news: The castle is falling apart and Mac’s parents are struggling financially. Not only that, but Shani is in big trouble with Prince Rashid’s royal family. Can the girls find a way to celebrate the holidays, get Mac’s parents back together, save the castle, and rescue Shani ... and will Mac believe it's all part of God's plan? There’s only one way to find out!

Read the first three chapters of Tidings of Great Boys.

Leave a comment on this blog post to be automatically entered to win. A name will be randomly selected and the winner will be announced on Saturday, November 21st.
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Here's one of Shelley's favorite holiday recipes:

SHELLEY'S GRANDMA'S WHIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES


1 pound butter
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla


Beat all ingredients together until fluffy (about 20 minutes). Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (or foil covered, ungreased). Bake 15 minutes at 350F or until golden brown. Makes 8 dozen cookies.
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Award-winning author Shelley Adina wrote her first teen novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages.

Shelley is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She writes books about fun and faith--with a side of glamour. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, playing the piano and Celtic harp, watching movies, and making period costumes.

Learn more about Shelley and her books at http://www.shelleyadina.com/.

**Contest disclaimer: Void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents. Odds of winning depend on number of entrants. Only one book allowed per person throughout the duration of the event.