Monday, May 31, 2010

Sunday Synopsis is Back!!!

After discontinuing my Sunday Synopsis a couple of months ago, I have been doing some thinking and have decided to bring it back!  Why?  Because it not only helps me stay organized, but I also like to share some news and links that I discover on a regular basis.  I'm changing it up a bit . . . some of my old categories will stay, but I'm also adding a few new ones!  I will also be including at the end of every month a quick challenge update.  So, bare with me as I summarize the last couple of months to catch all of you (and myself!) up.  And, most importantly, enjoy!


Fairy Tale Friday Features:
The Stand Read-A-Long Check-Ins:
Armchair BEA Specials:
Other Writings:
Giveaways:  3 Years, 3 Giveways (closing tonight at midnight CST)

Around the Blogosphere:
Coming This Week:
  • Literary Locals:  June 2010
  • Prize Box Updated & Giveaway Winners Announced!
  • Armchair BEA:  Wrap-Up Post & Personal Highlights
  • The Stand Read-A-Long:  The True Wrap-Up
  • Review:  The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
  • Fairy Tale Fridays:  Strega Nona
  • Sunday Synopsis:  June 6, 2010

Monthly Challenge Check-In
Posted by at 11:22 PM 3 comments
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Friday, May 28, 2010

Fairy Tale Fridays: The Twelve Brothers

Special Thanks to my Personal Faery Friend for the Button Art: Ye Olde Faery Shoppe

Wow!!  I am really late at posting Fairy Tale Fridays this week!  I am so sorry!!  I have been so excited and involved in Armchair BEA this week combined with a crazy morning, that I am just now getting the chance to get this piece written and published!  Let's get to this . . . 

This week's selection was The Twelve Brothers by The Brothers Grimm. In a nutshell, the story features twelve royal brothers.  Their mother becomes pregnant yet again and the King indicates that if the baby is a girl, he will have all twelve executed, even going so far as to have twelve coffins built and prepared for their bodies.  They escape, the daughter arrives, and their lives are spared for the time being.  When the beautiful princess is older, her mother shares the details of the brothers' story and she sets out to find the rest of her family.  They are re-united, live happily ever after for a while . . . well, until she picks some flowers and the brothers are turned into ravens.  In order to save her brothers, she must not speak or laugh for seven years.  Does she save them?  Of course, but the tale would not be complete without the usual Grimm ending . . . 
"The wicked step-mother was taken before the judge, and put into a barrel filled with boiling oil and venomous snakes, and died an evil death."
Not a really surprising ending, considering the writers' other works we have read thus far!  I'm beginning to wonder if "grim" came from "Grimm"!!

To be honest, I was not a fan of this tale.  It seemed to be pieces of other tales pieced together and very choppy with all the different twists and turns.  What father is willing to execute his twelve sons, princes, and heirs to his throne?  Why must there always be a "wicked witch" that appears out of nowhere?  And, once again, the somewhat happy ending was ruined with the hot oil and snakes!  It's almost formulaic!

Thankfully, next week's tale will bring a bit of refreshed reading!  I could use a break from not only Andersen, but now Grimm!  And, as noted below in the upcoming tales, I have not announced the titles for late June.  I am looking for your suggestions, and will post my decision next week! 

Any additional thoughts on your mind after this tale?  Any tales you would like seen on this list?

UPCOMING TALES:
Friday, June 4th:  Strega Nona by Tomie dePaolo
Friday, June 11th:  The Boy Who Cried Wolf  by Aesop
Friday, June 18th:  Peach Boy or Momotaro (A Japanese Folktale)  
Friday, June 25th:  To Be Announced*
*I am working on diversifying the tales a bit, looking for those that are lesser known and more culturally diverse; therefore, I have not yet decided on this date.  If you have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to pass them along to me! 

Posted by at 2:44 PM 6 comments
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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Armchair BEA: Take Notes!!

Sadly, today is the last day of my official Armchair BEA posts.  It has been a fabulous week and I have come across a multitude of amazing, funny, educational, and simply, amazing posts!  I am so thankful that I have had this opportunity and feel so lucky to be one of the organizers behind the event.  When the group of us started talking, I don't think that we ever expected it to grow as fast and as large as it did.  BUT, it has been worth every minute and I would do it again in an instant.  I still have a lot of posts to read from all of the participants, but when I wrap that up, I will wrap up Armchair BEA here at Tif Talks Books as well.  I do need to thank some key individuals and want to share some of my personal highlights from the event.

Until then, I am going to go with one of the topics related to the book blogger convention . . . developing and writing content!  In Maw Books Bloggiesta this last January, Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves wrote about one technique on generating ideas for future posts.  I thought it was a great idea and it really got me to thinking about how my discussion questions have come about, how I have gotten them from my head, and then actually got them posted on my site.

My idea is a bit simpler . . . maybe too simple, but it works for me!  My secret . . . I take notes!  That's right!  I keep a notebook filled with ideas that pop into my head.  Where do these ideas come from?  They come from my random thoughts that are jumping around in my mind on my commute to and from work.  They come from my reactions to other bloggers' posts . . . those reactions that I just can't seem to respond without writing a novel in the comments section.  They also come from social media sites . . . Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.  I talk books with everyone I meet because it is just part of who I am.  Reading defines me.  And, I begin to define reading by talking all things literary . . . with my kids, with the students that I work with, with my book club members, with my friends, with my fellow bookworms, with my family . . . anywhere and everywhere!  From these conversations, ideas start brewing and you never know what can result.  I write these ideas down in my little blog journal.  If writing is not possible at that time, I send myself an email or text using my phone.  It all gets in there and I have a long list of things that are options for those writing block days.

Aaaaaahhhhh . . . then those writing blocks . . . how to get rid of those . . . I have no cure!  Sorry!  However, I do have a task that I use . . . the dreaded free writing!!  I just start to write!  I write anything and everything that comes to my mind.  Sometimes it takes a direction I had hoped.  Sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes it is better than I had expected.  And, sometimes, it is just crap!  In those latter cases, I just hit the delete button or turn my physical page.  Moving on . . . we all can't be perfect!!  My free writing sessions have produced a variety of results.  I know many don't like this activity, but it works for me!

What do you do to generate content (beyond reviews) for your site?


Photo Courtesy:  Free Writing

Posted by at 10:21 PM 17 comments
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My Book-ish Treasures!


In honor of Armchair BEA, I have decided to share some of my book-ish treasures with you!  What I am about to share with you are some of my most prized possessions, those items that I hold very close to my heart . . . . of course, right after my family!!  I have included a little story with each picture, so read on and enjoy!

Back in 2003, I attended my first ever author event and signing.  It was with James Patterson for his release of Jester that he co-wrote with Andrew Gross.  When my friend and I heard that he was going to be at a local indie, we could not pass up the opportunity!  We showed up early, got seats towards the front, and were poised to listen with interest.  It was a packed affair, but one completely worth it!  Patterson was surprisingly funny and a wonderful public speaker.  He got me hooked on author readings and signings from that day forward!

Later that year, I was lucky enough to get a part-time job working at the same indie bookstore!  And, I got in on the action of many author events!  One of my favorite was Gregory Maguire during his release of Mirror, Mirror.  I love, love, love his first adult novel, Wicked:  The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.  It was a fabulous event and I have to say, he is one of the kindest authors that I have ever met!  He was generally interested in every person he spoke with and was willing to sign a whole stack of books for me!

I wanted to include this book, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card because this was one of my surprise signings.  The author just happened to be in town for a community reading event and he agreed to stop by and sign some stock inventory.  I was lucky enough to be working the day he walked through the store doors and I helped bring him armful of books to sign, chatting briefly with him while he did so.  How could I not get a book after that?!?!  I actually read this book after meeting him, and still wonder to this day why I waited to long to crack that book!

Last, but not least, is probably my all-time favorite signing event with Khaled Hosseini!  Thankfully, I was blogging at the time I attended this one, so you can check out my thoughts and details of this reading (including a picture of the author signing) at A Conversation with Khaled Hosseini.

Other authors that I have been lucky to enjoy . . . Ivan Doig (interesting), Patrick McManus (hilarious), Pete Fromm (awesome), Elie Wiesel (inspiring!) . . . and a few that I've overheard just from working in the bookstore include Jan Brett, Chuck Palahniuk, Sherman Alexie.  I really wish that I had actually seen these ones instead of just heard!

Despite the many author events I have been to, I still cannot get enough time with them!!  I was recently looking at some events that will be offered in my area and I'm really, really hoping that I can go to many of them.  As I do, I will be posting them here at Tif Talks Books!

Who would be my dream authors to meet?  My faves that I wrote some fan mail to just the other day . . . J.K. Rowling and Stephen King . . . but, there are others I would also add to this list including Suzanne Collins, Shannon & Dean Hale, Janet Halfmann, Sandra Boyton, and so many more!!!  Maybe some day . . .

Who do you dream about meeting?

Posted by at 8:44 AM 9 comments
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Introducing The Reading Countess!

Today for Armchair BEA, we are exploring the blogosphere and meeting new bloggers! This is by far the day that I have been the most excited about for one simple reason . . . I LOVE discovering new blogs and getting to know the author behind them! For this week's event, the interview process was designed as a round robin style . . . I interview someone, but someone completely different interviews me! I have loved this idea because I get to be in direct contact with two new bloggers!

The first completely new-to-me blogger is Carina from Reading Through Life. I have definitely added her to my Reader and look forward to reading all about her book-ish thoughts in the future. And, her design is simply adorable, especially for any and all Scrabble fans out there!! She was the blogger that interviewed me, so feel free to click on over and check it out here.

The second blogger is Tess from The Reading Countess.   I actually stumbled upon Tess a couple of months ago during Share a Story, Shape a Future and I was so excited when I saw that I was going to be interviewing her for Armchair BEA!  I have enjoyed following her via Twitter (@ReadCountess) and now I even get to feature her here at Tif Talks Books!  So, without further ado, read on . . .

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Please share a little about yourself.

I was an Army “brat.” This unique experience allowed me to view the world through a different lense than most children, since we moved quite often and we lived in some really interesting places. I was fortunate to live in Germany for three years growing up, and we travelled extensively throughout Europe. In fact, I was able to stay with my grandmother and greatmother for two summers in a row in their home in Ireland.


I am a mom, a wife and a teacher. Being the proud mother to three boys keeps my husband of nearly 17 years and me really busy! Our boys are into music, drama, football, basketball, and golf. Their after school activities keep us on the run.

When you are not reading to or with your students, what are you reading?

I tend to read only MG or YA books during the school year so I can book talk them to my kids throughout the year. However, when I don’t read books for my students, I am either reading books for my youngest and middle son, historical fiction adult literature, or books on the craft of teaching.


What was your favorite book to read with your own children?

There have been so many favorites over the years. When they were little, they all loved Goodnight Moon. I think I can recite that one by heart! Any book by Sandra Boynton was also a winner with all of them. Currently, my youngest son is just putting together sounds to begin reading and we are trying out the early readers together. As they have become older, Charlotte’s Web and my personal favorite Where the Red Fern Grows have replaced the simpler books. I really treasure our time spent together reading and make it a priority in our home.


Do you have any recommendations of summer must-reads (for children and/or adults)?

I am a member of Goodreads, and I literally have almost 400 books to read. 400 books? How can I pick just a few?!


If you could spend a day with any author, either dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Hands down, it would have to be Wilson Rawls. My fourth grade teacher read Where the Red Fern Grows to our class, and that was my cornerstone book (the book that made me a reader). I understand that he received a tremendous amount of help from his wife when he wrote it. I would have so many questions to ask him, but I would also love to just thank him for writing such a timeless treasure. My own sons and students adore it just as much as I do. It truly stands the test of time.


When you are not teaching or reading, what are you doing?

We are crazy busy with our kids. When we aren’t at an after school sport or activity like Band, piano or drama, we like to watch movies together. We also enjoy camping.


What book are you looking most forward to this summer?

There are too many to list! I am going to try to read a book a day…

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We are also HUGE fans of Sandra Boynton in our household!!  You cannot beat her rhyme, rhythm, and just plain silliness!!  And sadly, I have never read Where the Red Fern Grows.  Maybe I need to get myself a copy of that one and read it with my oldest?!?!

Thank you again Tess for such a great interview!!

Don't forget to click on over to The Reading Countess and read more about Tess in and out of the classroom!  And, meet a multitude of other bloggers by visiting the other interview links at Armchair BEA!

Posted by at 9:53 AM 4 comments
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Armchair BEA: Inspiring Authors!

In honor of Armchair BEA this week, I have decided to take a bit of a spin on the author highlight suggestion . . . well, at least, it is my attempt at being creative!  I have had two different authors that have had an impact on me, each with a little different effect.  I am going to go into fangirl mode here and write each of them a personal letter.  Bear with me, humor me, and enjoy!!
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Dear Mr. King, 

Many, many years ago, I was going through some dark times . . . it was one of those dark teen years that you are actually pretty darn good at writing about!  I'm talking about those years where the menial things will bring the end of the world . . . everyone, particularly your parents, are out to get you . . . blah, blah, blah!  To you, it is probably just another one of your characters . . . been there, done that!

To me, it was dark times!  I submerged myself in all things dark . . . and that included me picking up one of your very books.  In fact, it was the one that I still consider to be your best work today . . . The Stand!  You wrote characters that I could completely relate to, ones that I fell in love with, and ones that I have had such strong feelings of disgust and even hate towards.  It was this very book that began my reading adventures in the more adult world . . . . and I have not turned back yet!

You may be wondering what the point of this very letter is all about.  You may not even read it with all your many, many pieces of fan mail.  BUT, whatever the case may be, I want to say thank you!  Thank you for exploring the dark side, for making me feel more human because of it, and being my reliable one that I can turn to when those times tend to recur again and again.  I appreciate your morbidity!  I appreciate your willingness to go where others may not or dare not!  And, as scary as some of your literary moments may be, I can say that it all has helped me stay grounded.  And, those little things that used to be menial . . . yep, I tend to be a little more grateful for them!  Afterall, I do not have visions of little red eyes, hear the words "redrum, redrum, redrum" repeated in my mind or in my dreams.  Heck, after the life of those like Trashcan Man or Georgie, I've got a lot to be thankful for!!

Until we meet again in the folds of another book, 




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Dear Ms. Rowling, 

Almost ten years ago, I picked up a paperback that featured a boy with a lightening scar on the front cover, thanks to a recommendation from one of my good friends, K.  In fact, she was one of my bridesmaids that year!  That's right!  It was the year I got married!

Why am I writing to you about the year of my marriage?  Well, it is very simple . . . One of my favorite memories from my honeymoon was reading your very first book and the start of a world-wide phenomena, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!  When you wrote this book, your target audience was for children. Who knew that this brilliance would cause the words . . . "Are you going to talk to me on our honeymoon or are you just going to have that nose stuck in your book?"  That's right!!  I fell for that book the minute I opened it, and not even my honeymoon on the gorgeous Oregon coast was going to deter me from putting it down!  Thankfully, my husband already knew the kind of woman he was marrying!

That year was not just the year that I was wedded to my best friend.  It was also the year that I discovered my ultimate comfort read.  It was the beloved Harry, Ron, and Hermoine that opened my eyes to the world of fantasy and young adult books once again!  The wonderful world of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Platform Nine and Three Quarters not only got kids excited about reading again, but it also revived this "grown-up."  And since that warm summer in 2000, I have locked on to my man and my multiple sets of your fantasy land! It was a summer to remember!!

Though your famous series has come to an end, the story will live on . . . and I cannot wait to share it with my own children!  Who knew that Y2K would bring so much into my life?!?!  I think I owe you a butterbeer!

Awaiting my next magical read, 



Photo Courtesy:  J.K. Rowling & Stephen King
Posted by at 8:18 AM 9 comments
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Monday, May 24, 2010

Kickin' It at Armchair BEA


The time has come. Sit down in your favorite reading chair, kick up those feet, and open up your laptop.  It is the start of the First Annual Armchair BEA!!!  While many have traveled to the Big Apple to network, commiserate, and enjoy all things books, there are still many of us in the comfort of our own homes, sitting in our favorite armchairs.  Just because we are not among the big city lights, it does not mean that we cannot join in on the literary love by our own lamp light!

I've got a few posts coming up this week to showcase just a few of the many topics recommended over at the Armchair BEA official website.  If you have not yet visited, check out this fun schedule . . .

I've linked each of the ideas to the original posts, including suggested topics and ideas.  Feel free to join in, add your own thoughts and creativity to the mold, and have fun with a great community, both at home and in NYC with a special on-site correspondent!.  Afterall, it's going to 

B.E. A. PARTY!!!!

Posted by at 10:12 PM 2 comments
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Fairy Tale Fridays: The Philosopher's Stone

Special Thanks to my Personal Faery Friend for the Button Art: Ye Olde Faery Shoppe

I chose this week's selection because I had recently re-read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or what is better known across the way, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.  Harry Potter is one of my all time favorite books and I thought it would be fun to read some of the inspiration behind Rowling's work.

According to Wikipedia, the Philosopher's Stone or a more accurate translation, the Philosophers' Stone, is . . .
a legendary alchemical substance, supposedly capable of turning base metals, especially lead into gold; it was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality.
Now, we all know (or really just the Harry Potter fans out there) that Nicholas Flamel had developed the stone and Albus Dumbledore was a good friend of his.  The stone was being hidden by the latter so that the evil Lord Voldemort did not get his filthy hands on it to use it in his evil plan of becoming immortal.  BUT, what does Andersen's tale tell us of the stone?

I'm going to be honest here . . . . I simply don't think that I fully understand Andersen's version!!  Five siblings with five different enhanced senses, going out into the world in the hopes of bringing truth, goodness, and beauty.  The four brothers fail and either lose their sense or get disrupted by it . . . a couple with the help of the Devil himself.  Then, the one daughter, blind nonetheless, takes on the journey, discovers the stone, and brings each of her brothers back home.  Once the stone was in hand, The Book of Truth reveals the meaning behind life after death with one word, "Faith!"

I truly went into this story hoping for a bit of adventure!  I was thinking it could go one of two ways . . . one that brings a feeling of enjoyment, to imagine an immortal life . . . OR the idea of bringing forth a great discussion of right and wrong, what to do with such power, and maybe even the ultimate debate of good versus evil, maybe in the sense of religion.  What I got was complete and utter confusion!!  What was the point?  Was I meant to be a bit depressed while reading Andersen's tale?  Did Andersen have a bit of his subconscious coming out in his stories and he really had a negative view of the world himself?  In the end, a "happy ending" was a bit of the result, but to me it was simply too forced!

Don't get me wrong . . . I am all for truth, goodness, and beauty!!!  BUT, I am going to have to say that I like the lesson expressed by Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the moral on this one . . .
"You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing.  As much money and life as you could want!  The two things most human beings would choose above all -- the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."
The stone simply leads to greed, hate, and distrust . . . the complete opposite of what it represents!

There are many books on shelves today that deal with this concept of the Philosophers' Stone.  I have many in my personal collection myself.  I think I may try to read one for our next modern day version of a classic tale in a future month.  As for Andersen's version, I think I will pass!  In fact, we will be taking a break from him for a while.  He's simply too depressing for me!!

And, to end with a happy note . . . I read over at The Leaky Cauldron that J.K. Rowling is to receive the FIRST EVER Hans Christian Andersen Award this coming October 2010!  I had no idea about this when I chose this story and was inspired by her very first book in this choice!  You know what they say about brilliant minds . . . :)

What did you think of this week's selection?

UPCOMING TALES:
Friday, May 28th:  The Twelve Brothers by The Brothers Grimm
Friday, June 4th:  Strega Nona by Tomie dePaolo
Friday, June 11th:  The Boy Who Cried Wolf  by Aesop
Friday, June 18th:  Peach Boy or Momotaro (A Japanese Folktale)  



Posted by at 11:04 PM 6 comments
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Stand Read-A-Long: Wrap-Up Postponed

The final date of The Stand Read-A-Long was supposed to be yesterday!  Sadly, I (the host) have not finished the book and after chatting on Twitter with fellow participants, I have decided to postpone the wrap-up post until May 31st.  If you are participating, still reading, or want to attempt to start and finish this chunkster now, then you still have time!!!!

Check back in a couple of weeks for the wrap-up questions and final post for the read-a-long!  And, thanks for your understanding and support!

Posted by at 10:36 PM 4 comments
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Monday, May 17, 2010

The Book Chook Cook Book & Cooking With Kids!!

I am so excited to announce the The Book Chook Cook Book!!!  Susan over at one of my favorite kidlit blogs started a conversation about "eating our way to literacy" and next thing you know, this project was born!  Susan is heading up the main recipe portion . . . those recipes that are quick and easy and make your life easier, particularly with our crazy busy schedules!  I'm working on a special subsection, Cooking with Kids . . . those recipes that you use when cooking with kids!  And, of course, Susan will be using her mad design skills (as evidenced by her beautiful Literacy Lava e-zines). 

I encourage you to read on, start digging through those recipes, and send them on to us!  For more information, read Susan's original post below or click on over to The Book Chook and see the original for yourself!

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Are you in? After my post about eating our way to literacy, and the dummy cook book cover I made, Eva M from Eva's Book Addiction commented, "Great idea! And with a cool rhyming title like 'Book Chook Cook Book' I absolutely think you should get a cookbook published!" Thus a challenge was born. I have always been one for a challenge. And before I got cold feet, Tif from TifTalksBooks jumped in, full of enthusiasm, and even said she would help! How about you? Like to be a part of the Book Chook Cook Book?

Here is what I would love you to do: sometime in the next two weeks, send me one recipe that is quick and easy to make, so it gives you more time to spend reading, writing or creating. Let's try for some conformity and start with ingredients, then go on to method. Along with that recipe, I want your favourite quote about literacy or creativity, your name (can be just a christian name or screen name if you prefer), your blog name and url if you want me to link to you.

It would make life easier if you emailed the recipe and details requested above as an attachment in Word or Rtf, and put Book Chook Cook Book in the subject line of your email. You can email me via the Contact Me tab up near my blog banner.

Tif had a great idea. She suggested the recipes be ones we use when we cook with our kids: "I was thinking it would be great to even include recipes that are fun to make with your kids ... ones with few ingredients and easy directions. I've got some great recipes I've collected through the years from very, very simple to those a little more complex that I've done with my kids!! This could be really fun and a big hit!!" Since not all of us have young kids, I thought I might make that a special section in the Book Chook Cook Book - Cooking with Kids. If you'd like to contribute to this section, email Tif : tiftalksbooks at gmail dot com

The book will be a digital one, a pdf a bit like Literacy Lava. Be aware that your submission may need to be edited by Tif or I due to the constraints of publishing.  

So, what do you say? Are you in? 


(Cartoon made by Book Chook at ToonDoo)

Posted by at 9:43 AM 10 comments
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Friday, May 14, 2010

Fairy Tale Fridays: The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Special Thanks to my Personal Faery Friend for the Button Art: Ye Olde Faery Shoppe

I am once again posting Fairy Tale Fridays late!  I just got so excited about posting other things (and actually having the time to do so!) this past week, that Fairy Tale Fridays slipped my mind!  I am not even sure how I could do that!  I am the host afterall!!  :(  Bad, bad, bad!!

Anyways, I am here now and ready to chat up our latest weekly selection, The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  I grew up with this book being one of my favorites.  It was one of those true Little Golden Books, perfect to fit in little hands.  It can be such a fun read-aloud book, as a child or as a parent reading to a child . . . using a wee little voice for the first and youngest billy goat, a medium size voice for the second, and of course, a deep booming voice for the third.  Even doing the same for the "Trip, trap, trip, trap" across the bridge!  The Three Billy Goats Gruff just begs to be brought to life!

As I was doing a little research on the story, I discovered this great site that includes three different versions of this very tale . . . (1) The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Norway); (2) The Three Goats (Poland/Germany); and (3) How the Goats Came to Hessen.  All three have the same theme . . . The point is that the troll (or wolf in the alternate versions) wants to eat the biggest.  He does not stop to think that the biggest goat may just kick some butt!!

The most interesting of the three tales that I found is How the Goats Came to Hessen.  The goats are actually a family of goats . . . the child, the mother, and the father.  The child urges the wolf to wait for his mother, and the mother "filled with fear -- said, 'My husband is coming too.'"  Does anyone else find it disturbing that they are so willing to give each other up to be eaten????  But, then again, maybe they ultimately were not worried.  Check out this ending . . . 
Finally the ram goat approached. The wolf's heart laughed inside his body when he saw the stately fellow. He was about to spring on him and grab him by the throat when two things caught his attention: the ram's spikes and his bag.

"Tell me, ram," what are those big spikes on your head, and what is that bag for between your legs?"

"Oh," replied the ram, "the spikes are a pair of pistols, and the bag is where I carry my powder and lead."
Who wants to mess with a loaded weapon?!?!?  Reading this puts a whole new spin on the story I grew up with in the Little Golden Books!  Hmmmm . . .

What version of the story did you read this week?

UPCOMING TALES:

Friday, May 21st:  The Philosopher's Stone by Hans Christian Andersen
Friday, May 28th:  The Twelve Brothers by The Brothers Grimm
Friday, June 4th:  Strega Nona by Tomie dePaolo
Friday, June 11th:  The Boy Who Cried Wolf  by Aesop



Posted by at 1:25 PM 3 comments
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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Armchair BEA

Talk amongst book lovers, and in particular book bloggers, is all about one of the biggest annual events in the book world these days. . . Book Expo of America or BEA.  However, there are many of us that are not able to make it.  We all have our reasons, but thankfully, we do not have to completely miss out!  Some wonderful bloggers began tweeting and then next thing you know, Armchair BEA was born!  Those of us that are stuck at home can now participate along the way, including blogger interviews, round table discussions, and even some fabulous giveaways.  If you wish to participate, fill out the form below ASAP!!  Some of the events have deadlines approaching very quickly!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, don't forget to mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 26th thru Friday, May 28th.  That's when all the excitement will be taking place, including right here at Tif Talks Books!!  And, in the meantime, stay tuned . . . more details will be coming along very soon!

Will you be joining in the fun?



Posted by at 9:32 PM 9 comments
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Guest Post: The Evolution of an Author by Anna L. Walls

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Anna L. Walls, author of King by Right of Blood and Might.  She gave me the opportunity to read her book a while back, and being the slacker that I am these days, I have not yet reviewed it!  I plan to post a complete review in the near future, but in the meantime, I would like to share this special post that Anna wrote specifically to share with the readers of Tif Talks Books.  Enjoy!!

EVOLUTION OF AN AUTHOR

If someone had come up to me twenty years ago and told me that I would
be a published author in twenty years, I would have laughed in their
face. I never planned to be a writer, let alone a published author.
Twenty years ago, I was busy raising my kids and helping my husband
carve our life out of the wilderness here. Sure, I played with
writing a story a time or two over the years, forever ago; I still
have the typewriters – three of them, as a matter of fact – but mostly
it was more to see if I remembered how to type. They got put away
when I couldn’t find replacement ribbons for them but I was loath to
throw them away.

One day, roughly twelve years ago, we learned of a place in town
called Job Corp, the place offered free room and board, and our boys
could learn a trade. They could also learn to drive a vehicle. It’s
kind of hard to teach your kids how to drive if you don’t own a car.
At any rate, there were a whole lot of plusses involved in out boys
going. My oldest discovered the delights of computers and, being the
wheeler and dealer that he was, he did some trading and ended up with
a desktop computer and an old laptop. I have no idea what he traded;
in fact, I knew little of it until he came home and handed me this
little computer – my very first. Wow! Now, what do you do with a
computer? Did I remember how to type? It had a keyboard. I really
didn’t know what else to do with it. It was just a really cool,
glorified typewriter. Boy was I wrong.

I have always loved to read, but I prefer to read lying in bed. I’d
read lying on a couch but we don’t have one – our place isn’t big
enough for a recliner, let alone a couch. Anyway, my husband doesn’t
like me to disappear for endless hours to read some book. He wants me
to stay at the table and watch TV while he plays whatever game he’s
playing at the time. At first it was Nintendo, then it was Nintendo
II, then there was Nintendo 64, then Playstation and Playstation II,
all of which were played on the TV. He didn’t care if I read why he
played, he just wanted me to stay at the table with him. Someone had
to get coffee, you know. And sometimes he’d ask me to watch his life
bar or figure out some puzzle. Blah. But now I had this nifty new
toy. I could play too. Let me tell you, my spelling and grammar was
horrendous at first, but with auto correct to fix my habits, there
were less and less red lines on my story and since the grammar checker
had this ‘explain’ button, I learned some things about that too. I’d
go back and read through a few pages and the ease of adding or
changing text was SWEET!!!

Being a bit of a stickler about some things, I was curious about how
to judge how long a book was when typed on my sheet of computer paper.
I wanted to know what to aim for that I could call a ‘book’. I went
back to my room and picked up the last book I’d read. I don’t
remember rightly any more, but I think it was a little over 300 pages
long. Using my typing class lessons, I counted the ‘words’ across an
average page (five characters, including spaces, per word) and then I
counted the lines down. Back at my computer I adjusted the margins
until I got as close as I could, ending up with one inch margins all
around – close enough for me. Now I could aim for 300 some odd pages
and I’d have written a real book. Keep in mind I have never mentioned
publishing yet – it was a far away and unattainable concept.

During the course of writing KING BY RIGHT OF BLOOD AND MIGHT, I
learned many delightful things about writing and about my little
computer. I spend hours, days even, drawing maps and other pictures,
most of which did not make it into the final book because they looked
really bad in shades of gray. Because of all of that ‘playing’ and
‘learning’, my first book took two years to finish. After that, I
generated a story or two every winter, and every summer, I would read
through all that I had written, giving it all a loving tweak here and
there. Through it all, never still did I believe I would ever
publish; it was just the greatest pastime of all.

KING BY RIGHT OF BLOOD AND MIGHT became a real book two and a half
years ago now and I am thrilled at every sale, not because I’ll make a
dollar or two, but because someone I don’t know is reading something I
wrote, something I poured all my imagination into. It’s doubly
thrilling because few people that I know have read my book – maybe
more have than I know, but they haven’t told me.

Since last April, I’ve had an internet connection for the first time.
Now I have my own blog and my own website, I’m on Facebook and
Twitter, and I have made tons of virtual friends. I belong to several
great writing groups and writing sites, I follow dozens of blogs that
are chocked full of writing tips and publishing how-to information. I
even have some of my writing in a writing contest and my writing has
improved because of it all. I may not be writing as much because of
all that, but I think I’ll be publishing more. My really cool hobby
has evolved to a bit of an obsession and then on to somewhat of a
passion and I couldn’t be happier. Maybe someday I’ll be able to
retire from my day job, but until then, I hope you all enjoy my books.
--
Anna L. Walls
If you are interested in learning more about Anna, be sure to check out one of her sites:

Posted by at 9:08 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

3 Years, 3 Giveaways


I have never celebrated my blogiversary before, but I've decided to do so this year!  Why?  Oh who knows!!!  I just figure 3 years of blogging at Tif Talks Books deserves a little celebration!!!

In honor of 3 years, I've decided to have 3 giveaways!!!  In fact, I'm going to go all-out this time and I am even offering a giveaway for my international readers!!  However, before we get the goods, let's review a few highlights from the past three years . . . .
  • It all began on Thursday, May 10, 2007 with a post on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling!  I like to think that my writing has improved since then!!  :)
  • Funny thing is . . . In the spring of 2007, I actually had the opportunity to teach a fun class on the sixth Harry Potter book at the university where I worked!  How cool is that?  This original post and the class that I taught brought about another blog called Talking Potterese, a blog completely devoted to Harry Potter!  At this time, I have made it unavailable, but I've thought about making it public again for giggles!
  • When I first started this blog, I was working full-time; however, the majority of time that I have been writing here at Tif Talks Books, I was a stay-at-home mom.  It has only been since last July that I returned back to work full-time . . . hence, the spastic posts!!
  • Today I launched Tif Talks Books on Facebook!!!!  Here's to hoping for more fabulous years of writing and expanding!!
Finally, keep checking back all month for more celebratory events in honor of three years of blogging in the book world!!  And, now without further ado . . . the goods!!  :)

Giveaway #1:  I like to support locals (as evidenced by my monthly feature Literary Locals!), so this first giveaway will be to my personal favorite local, independent bookstore, Powell's Books!  Of course, I'm not actually local to Powell's, but it's still my favorite bookstore of all time!!  Giveaway #1 will be a $25 giftcard to this book beauty.  And, did you know that you get free shipping with an order of $25 or more?

Giveaway #2:  In order to include my international readers, I will also be giving away a $15 giftcard to Amazon, emailed upon confirmation from the winner!

Giveaway #3:  Last, but not least, I will give the final winner a chance to choose ONE book from my *NEW PRIZE BOX*!!!!  This prize box includes books that I pick up from used book sales that I have loved and simply want to pass on to fellow book lovers!  Because I am very picky, I only buy books that are still in very good condition and only slightly loved and worn!

To enter, you will need to complete the following form.  (If you cannot see the form, you can also access it here.)  Comments will NOT count as entries.  Only ONE entry per giveaway!  If you wish to enter all giveaways, you will need to complete the form three different times, selecting the different giveaway choice each time.  Entries will close at the end of the month (May 31, 2010) and a winner drawn and announced the first week of June 2010.

Good luck, and thank you for 3 fabulous years!!



Posted by at 9:50 PM 5 comments
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