THE MAGIC IS IN YOU

FIND YOUR MAGIC.

That is the theme I've used to promote THE ROCK OF IVANORE since its release in 2012. It's how I connect with the students at all the schools I visit, encouraging them to live their dreams and to never give up.

Now that book 2, THE LAST ENCHANTER, is coming out in October I need a new theme, something that not only captures the spirit of the book's protagonist, Marcus, who has discovered some amazing things about himself, but also will continue to inspire young readers to reach for the stars.

So I'm christening my new theme:

THE MAGIC IS IN YOU

When I do my school assemblies, I talk about how I always dreamed of being a writer, but the reason why it took so long for me to get around to doing it is that I didn't believe I could. I didn't think I had it in me to be a an author, and maybe I didn't at first. But I worked hard at developing my talents and overcame many obstacles to finally achieve my goals. I bring with me a big tote bag and then I ask the kids what tools magicians need to do magic. I always get the same answers, and I'm prepared for them.

"A magic book!"
"A cape!"
"A wand!"
"A magic hat!"

And I pull each item out my bag. Then I explain that in my book, Marcus doesn't use any of these things to do magic. Instead, he uses a gift given to him by his teacher: a key. Just an ordinary key. But then I tell the kids that they don't need any of those tools either, and they don't even need a key. Everything they need to do magic is inside of them. Once they find that special something, which is nothing more than believing in themselves and the willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed and never quit, then they can do anything.  That is magic.

Several months ago I presented this to the 5th grade at Sunland Elementary in California, which just happens to be the school I attended as a child. A few weeks letter I received a stack of thank you notes in the mail from the students. One in particular really touched my heart. It was from a girl who had played in her school's basketball game later that day. She missed shot after shot and started to get discouraged. But then she remembered what I had told her, to never give up. She tried once more, made the shot, and won the game. That is one child I know will live her dreams.

So, when things get difficult for you as they will for all of from time to time, remember that the magic is in you, and keep on going.

FINALLY - PICS FROM VACATION!

Earlier this month I spent a week with my family in Carlsbad, California. We have a timeshare at Tamarack Beach Resort, a nice little hotel right on the beach. My parents bought a timeshare there when it was first built nearly 30 years ago, so I've been going every year since then. My husband and I even spent our honeymoon there 20 years ago. We got our own timeshare about 8 years ago. So you could say Tamarack is a family tradition.
 

The view from our balcony - beach, palm trees & dolphins

Carlsbad is close to San Diego. There are so many things to do there: Seaworld, Legoland, Scripps Oceanography museum, Reuben H. Fleet Space Museum, the San Diego Mission, the zoo, the wild animal park, the Mormon Battalion museum, the shopping, the restaurants, the pool, the beach. We never get tired of going. And it is one of the prettiest spots on the Southern California coast.

Jarett petting the rays at Sea World

This year we did Seaworld. It's the third time we've gone this year. And we did the science museum, which the kids just loved. We spent some time on the beach, watching dolphins swim by. But as usual, the kids mostly hung out at the pool and I read books.

The community bookshelf in Carlsbad, CA

Carissa and I discovered something we'd never noticed before - an outdoor community bookshelf. It's just some shelves tacked onto the side of a building. Residents drop books off there and trade them for books they want to borrow. No one attends it. It's on the honor system. I suggested we create something like that in Santa Clarita, and Carissa said, "They'd all get stolen," which is probably true.

The Reyes kids outside the Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum

My girls and I went shopping, but were very sad to learn that our favorite spot, Harry & David's is now closed. That just sucked the joy out of the trip. Though we did get our traditional Godiva chocolate fix. We all saw Despicable Me 2 at the theater and then ate ice cream at Sub Zero. All in all, it was one of the best years ever. Even Gonzalo said so, which really means something coming from him.

Me on that thing that goes way too high over the ocean at Sea World.

BOOK REVIEW: THE FREEDOM WRITERS DIARY by Erin Gruwell

THE FREEDOM WRITERS DIARY
Erin Gruwell
Crown Publishing
320 pp.
Non-Fiction
Publication Date: 2006

Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students. 

As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”

With funds raised by a “Read-a-thon for Tolerance,” they arranged for Miep Gies, the courageous Dutch woman who sheltered the Frank family, to visit them in California, where she declared that Erin Gruwell’s students were “the real heroes.” Their efforts have paid off spectacularly, both in terms of recognition—appearances on “Prime Time Live” and “All Things Considered,” coverage in People magazine, a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley—and educationally. All 150 Freedom Writers have graduated from high school and are now attending college.

With powerful entries from the students’ own diaries and a narrative text by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers Diary is an uplifting, unforgettable example of how hard work, courage, and the spirit of determination changed the lives of a teacher and her students.

MY REVIEW:

The Freedom Writers Diary was made into a movie a few years ago starring Hillary Swank as Erin Gruwell. I have never seen it. I picked up this book on the recommendation of my mom, and finally read it because it is assigned for my summer school class. This is a powerful book with the potential to change lives for the better. A compilation of about 140 anonymous diary entries written by students from Wilson High in Long Beach, CA this book chronicles the amazing transformation of a group of low-achieving teens from gang-infested neighborhoods to high school grads and kids that took it upon themselves to change their own lives and the lives of others.

I loved every single page of this book and strongly encourage everyone to read it. It is often hard-hitting and even heart-breaking, but it also one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.

CONTENT RATING:

Profanity:  High
Violence:  High
Sexuality:  Moderate

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER BLOG HOP

 Welcome to the LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER GIVEAWAY HOP hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Colorimetry!!! If you're new to blog hopping, here's what to do. Hop from blog to blog (there are 100+ participating blogs listed below) and fill out their entry forms. Each blog has a different book or book-related item to giveaway! The more blogs you visit, the more chances you have to win!

What am I giving away?

 The Ocean at the End of the Lane
signed by the author
Neil Gaiman

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Enter to win via the rafflecopter form below. 

Just follow this blog, and earn extra entries by 

liking my Facebook page, following me on Twitter, 

or adding my books to your Goodreads! 

Check out all the other blogs at the host website HERE!

This giveaway will end on August 4th. 

 U.S. only, please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A COPY OF THE ROCK OF IVANORE

Anne Elizabeth Stengl, author of THE GOLDSTONE WOODS series, posted an interview with me on her blog yesterday. She is hosting a giveaway of my book THE ROCK OF IVANORE. The giveaway ends on Monday, so hurry!  http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com/2013/07/interview-feature-laurisa-reyes.html

BOOK REVIEW: UNWHOLLY by Neal Shusterman

UNWHOLLY
Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
416 pp.
Ages 12-17
Publication Date: 8/28/2012

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.

Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.

 

MY REVIEW:

Unwholly is book 2 in Shusterman's Unwind Dystology Series. I absolutely loved Unwind, which was gripping and creepy in all the right ways. So I had high expectations for its sequel. Unwholly fully met and exceeded those expectations. It was a bit dizzying trying to keep track of the 8+ points of view -- yes, 8! (Possibly more. I lost count.) But once I became familiar with each distinct character,  I got sucked into the story and quite literally could not put the book down.

My favorite character was Cam, a living composite of a hundred unwound kids. A modern-day Frankenstein's monster, only Cam is no monster, which is part of the problem. Is he just an expression of the many brain and body parts that have been used to create him, or is he his own unique individual?

The Unwind books explore the value of life in all its forms without apology. Unwinding became legal as a compromise between pro-choicers (abortion) and pro-lifers during the Heartland War. It also was a way for society to "deal" with rebellious teenagers. Unwind and Unwholly reveal the humanity of every individual and the price we pay as a society when we undervalue any person for any reason. There is even a brief mention of a boy who is the son of an illegal immigrant, a reference to the current immigration debates so prevalent in the southwestern states where Unwholly takes place.

Fans of dystopian fiction will love this series, but so will anyone who enjoys books with plenty of action and the struggle to discover what it means to simply be human.

I'm thrilled to announce that book 3 in the series, Unsouled is now available! Whoo hoo!

Read my review of Unwind HERE.

CONTENT REVIEW:

Profanity:  None

Violence:  Moderate

Sexuality:  None

MY NEW ADVENTURE - HAMILTON SPRINGS PUBLISHING

As if I didn't have enough to keep me busy, my latest adventure promises to keep me up nights for months, maybe years to come. Yup, as Hamilton Springs Publishing's newest editor, I'll be developing the kinds of books I love - fantasy, science fiction, paranormal! I'm giddy with glee!

Hamilton Springs Publishing began two years ago as Xchyler Press (pronounced Skyler). Now, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Penny Freeman and Business Manager Heidi Birch, Xchlyer Press is now the paranormal/steampunk imprint. More imprints are planned for the near future.

So how did I get involved? Simple. My sister-in-law spotted a call for editors from Penny Freeman and forwarded it to me. I was intrigued. About seven years ago I worked as an editor for Mapletree Press, an independent homeschool publisher. While I enjoyed working with the authors, non-fiction really wasn't my cup of tea. I always wished, in the back of my mind, that I could edit fiction. So when I saw the email from Dorine I got excited. But I had one problem. Well, lots of problems. I essence, I just so busy! Not only do I have 5 kids, but I'm also in grad school, promoting my own novels, and getting ready to teach a creative writing class in the fall. And I wanted to edit on top of all that?

Yeah!!!

So I sent in my resume and some sample edits and now it's official! I just received my first assignments, two fantasy novels and a science fiction. I'll be doing content/developmental edits on some projects, line edits on others. In the meantime, I've started reading some of the books recently released by Hamilton Springs, including VIVATERA by Candace J. Thomas and VANGUARD LEGACY: FORETOLD by Joanne Kershaw.

Life is going to busier than ever for me, but I seem to function best that way. And I'm loving everything I'm doing.  When I do have a "day off," I never know what to do with myself.

If you'd like to know more about Hamilton Springs and Xchyler Press, visit HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: THE 5TH WAVE by Rick Yancey

THE 5TH WAVE
Rick Yancey
Penguin Young Readers Group
480 pp.
Ages 12-17

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Review:

I know THE 5TH WAVE got rave reviews, but I can't help but wonder if those reviews would have been equally radiant had the author been an unknown instead of the very popular Yancey.  I absolutely loved, loved his book THE MONSTROMOLOGIST and really expected great things from this science fiction tale about  a couple of kids who are remnants of the last surviving humans after an alien race wipes them all out. But what I found was a re-mix of Stephanie Meyer's THE HOST and a juvenile version of G.I. Joe.

The story is told primarily from two perspectives, Cassie and Ben. Now, I will admit that Cassie's story was pretty compelling. I enjoyed her narrative immensely, as well as her romantic interest in Evan, the maybe-he's-an-alien-maybe-he-isn't hero. I think if the entire story had been written from her point of view I would have enjoyed it much more. Ben's story was a little too military-heavy for me to get into it completely. Many of his chapters were just a tad boring.

The overall premise of the novel is not an uncommon one. Aliens want Earth for themselves and go about killing all the humans. The main thrust of the plot is that Cassie gets separated from her little brother and spends the entire novel searching for him. Some positive aspects of the book, and what kept me reading, were some nice little plot twists which were, while a tad predictable, interesting and engaging. The best part of the novel was the last scene where the good guys try to escape from the bad guys. Can't say more for fear of spoiling it, but it is a pretty darn good action scene.

Sorry I didn't have more enthusiastic things to say about THE 5TH WAVE. But I do highly recommend his Monstromologist series. And if you really want some good sci-fi, read THE HOST and ENDER'S GAME.

Content Rating:

Profanity:   High

Violence:    High

Sexuality:   Mild

THE NEXT BIG THING - A GLOBAL BLOG TOUR!

The Next Big Thing blog tour began in Australia and has wound it's way all around the world to Southern California. It's a great way to discover authors and illustrators that you might not be familiar with and what their latest book is about. Each author or illustrator answers ten questions and tags two more authors who will continue the tour. So this week it's my turn to talk about my next big thing, THE LAST ENCHANTER.

Thank you Janet Squires for tagging me!

Here are the questions:

What is the working title of your next book?

THE LAST ENCHANTER

Where did the idea come from for the book?

After I finished writing my first novel, THE ROCK OF IVANORE, I wanted to know what happened next to Marcus, Bryn and all the characters in the book. They demanded that their story continue. The seed of the sequel was a question: What would happen if Marcus gave up something of himself when he saved Kelvin in book I?

What genre does your book fall under?

Both THE ROCK OF IVANORE and THE LAST ENCHANTER are middle grade high fantasy adventure stories.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I'm not sure really. I think Marcus could be that cute boy who plays Henry in the TV series "Once Upon A Time." I love that show! Marcus is unassuming but also courageous and fiercely loyal, just like Henry. I also love Lana Parilla who plays the evil queen Regina on the show, but I don't have any evil female characters in my books - yet. Maybe I'll have to create one for book 3.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

While Marcus and Zyll protect the new king of Dokur from being assassinated, Marcus discovers that he is more than just an enchanter's apprentice, much more.

Who is publishing your book?

Tanglewood Press, a small children's book publisher located in Indiana.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I actually don't remember. I wrote the first draft right after finishing book I, about five years ago. It took a year to write THE ROCK OF IVANORE, but not quite that long for THE LAST ENCHANTER. Maybe six or seven months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Fans of "The Ranger's Apprentice" series, "The Bartimeaus Trilogy" and "The Lord of the Rings" will love my books. One reviewer called it "Lord of the Rings for kids." Basically, if you like magic, dragons, and sword fighting, then this book is for you.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I mentioned that book I began as bedtime stories for  my son. At the time I was reading some fantasy books out loud to him every night. One night he told me he wanted me to make up a story instead. So I did. That story grew over several nights into what eventually became THE ROCK OF IVANORE. That story grew even bigger into what I hope will be an ongoing series.

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

THE LAST ENCHANTER is more than just a fantasy adventure for kids. It's a story about family, and doing whatever it takes to protect those you love the most.  It also has plenty of humor to make you smile.

Next up for THE  NEXT BIG THING is Lisa Gail Green, author of THE BINDING STONE. She will post next Thursday, July 18th. Then on July 25th Dorine White, author of THE EMERALD RING will post!  Don't miss reading about their exciting books!

The Binding Stone 

LisaGailGreen.com

@LisaGailGreen

Lisa Gail Green lives with her husband the rocket scientist and their three junior mad scientists in Southern California. She writes books so she can have an excuse to live in the fantasy world in her head. She likes to share these with readers, and you can find her hanging out on her blog (Paranormal Point of View), Facebook, and Twitter. She has a parrot but would most definitely get a werewolf for a pet if she weren't allergic.

The Emerald Ring

DorineWhite.com

@DorineWhite

Dorine White's first book in The Cleopatra's Legacy series, The Emerald Ring, was published by Cedar Fort Books on May 14, 2013. It is a middle grade fantasy novel. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and the PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Assoc.). I highly recommend joining either if you want to become a children's author or illustrator.