Plantain for Bee Stings. Bower Boys Survival Tips!

The Bowers are brothers from The Unmoving Sky. Jackson is seventeen and his younger brother Artie is fifteen. Jackson knows much about survival in the elements. Here I'll share some of that under "Bower Boys Survival Tips."
This will be a regular feature in preparation for my book release on May 16, 2016.    
 
Some of these tips could save your life ...

"White Man's Foot"

You've no doubt have seen this "weed" growing everywhere, especially in disturbed soil, heavily trampled on, or in cracks of the city sidewalks. Plantain or Plantago major has many health benefits and potential to save a life in an emergency situation.

This common weed can be chewed and swallowed after a bee sting if you're suffering a severe allergic reaction to prevent anaphylaxis shock. If you find yourself alone in the woods, or with a friend, who this happens to it may buy you time on your rush to the nearest hospital. Chew about a mouthful and swallow it.

Anaphylactic Shock: "Tissues in different parts of the body release histamine and other substances. This causes the airways to tighten and leads to other symptoms." PubMed Health 
 Most severely, throat swelling and inability to breathe.

Alternatively, if you're stung and not allergic, make a paste by chewing a pinch (of course, never where pesticide spraying is suspected) and lay it over the sting. It will soothe and reduce swelling.

Handy right?  And people want to get rid of them.  

Disclaimer: I have a certificate in Herbal Medicine from Peeka Trenkle. Much of what Jackson "knows" will derive from my notes. ;)  But always check with your doctor first. 

Free-day Friday Update. All That's Changed by K.L.Hallam

Hello out there!

I've been busy working on a website using WIX and so far it's been good. Can't wait to show everyone, along with The Unmoving Sky's cover reveal on Jan 25! 

In my creative torture process of building a website,
I came across this song I wrote, (Oh, about five years ago) All That's Changed, about a relationship being pulled apart, with growing families, and life's distractions; trying to remember what each person meant... now that time has clouded the romance. 

Phil Carroll of Recording Artists Development mixed the music. 
Lyrics, melody, voice, by K.L. Hallam  (me!)

I should mention it's my first attempt at iMovie. Most of the images are from my portfolio. 

Now back to the Website. Apparently, I have two sets of revisions ready to land in my lap--any minute.   Not to lose a moment... Enjoy the music!  

5 Stars for COUNTING THYME by Melanie Conklin

Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story was very special, heart-rending, realistic, and beautifully written.

Twelve-year-old Thyme has moved to New York City, leaving her friends and Grandmother behind in San Diego. She longs to return. She saves her slips of time to return and plans to get back to her best friend and grandmother no matter what. She has a plan.

Except, she’d have to leave her father, mother, teenage sister, and her five-year-old brother, who’s undergoing cancer treatment for neuroblastoma behind. She struggles with this. Thyme loves her brother, and he needs her, she’s the one he talks to.

At least, they won’t be in New York City much longer, thank goodness. The apartment is terribly small, not like her house in San Diego. There are grouchy neighbors, stinky subways, and her parents never seem to hear her anymore. Then there’s public school. It does offer a few distractions, with the new friends she’s met and the approaching talent show. She doesn’t want to tell anyone about her brother and risk having them feel sorry for her. Thyme is one tough and loveable kid. She bares much through the trials her brother goes through.

Such a tough subject, written clearly and deftly; explaining much about the type of cancer and the experience Thyme’s brother goes through. It will rip your heart out.

But there’s hope and a lot of love. I wanted to underline over half the book. There's so much to relate to, so many emotions. One of my favorite Middle-Grade reads this year, a classic in the making.


View all my reviews

2016 is a Leap Year...

Cue my publisher Leap Books. 

THE UNMOVING SKY is under their Shine imprint. I just found out 2016 is a leap year! Highly auspicious ( for me) debuting my YA novella this year with Leap. I live for synchronicity. You can add it to your Goodreads TBR for 2016!

It's going to be AMAZING! I'll share the book cover here on Jan 25th. Also on Kidliterati, Pat Esden's blog, and Arc of a Writer, along with twenty other blogs. Stay tuned!

It'll be the first viewing of the book trailer, music compliments of Bruce Edwards from Dark Tone Music. Editing and creative genius of Judith Graves. 
Bruce is crazy talented, and my friend, but I can share him. Listen to the music on his website. He's a gifted guitarist and you'll be floored by what he has to offer for your musical needs. 

Awesome! #FF Another reason to follow Leap Books. #YA & #MG titles....My #Thriller The Unmoving Sky included. <3 https://t.co/dlLUr9FTyf

— K. L. Hallam (@love8rockets) January 8, 2016

2016 is a leap year. We're pretty excited about it. pic.twitter.com/LdtAVw87wt

— Leap Books (@Leapbks) January 8, 2016

Brenda Drake's THIEF OF LIES (Library Jumpers #1) Release Day!

I'm thrilled to be taking part in Brenda Drake's Release Day Launch (hosted by Jen Halligan PR) for THIEF OF LIES (Library Jumpers #1)! Check out the book and excerpt below, and be sure to enter the amazing giveaways!

Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake Publisher: Entangled Teen Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather-clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound. Jumping into some of the world’s most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik’s world and her own, before both are destroyed. Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt from THIEF OF LIES

We stepped into the Children’s Library and stopped in the center of the room. A massive light fixture designed to resemble the solar system dominated the ceiling. The hushed rumble of two male voices came from one of the reading nooks. I crossed the room, paused at the built-in aquarium, and inspected the fish. Afton halted beside me. “This is great,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb whoever was in there with us. “Fish and books. What’s not to love?” Spotting a sign referencing classic books, I searched the shelves for my all-time favorite novel. The male voices stopped and there was movement on the other side of the bookcase. I paused to listen, and when the voices started up again, I continued my hunt. Warmth rushed over me when I found The Secret Garden. With its aged green cover, it was the same edition I remembered reading as a young girl. The illustrations inside were beautiful, and I just had to show them to Afton. Coming around the corner of the case, a little too fast for being in a library, I bumped into a guy dressed in leather biker gear. My book and notebook fell and slapped against the floor. “Oh, I’m so sorry—” I lost all train of thought at the sight of him. He was gorgeous with tousled brown hair and dark eyes. Tall. He flashed me a crooked smile, a hint of dimples forming in his cheeks, before bending over and picking up my forgotten book. He held the book out to me. “Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” He’d quoted a verse from The Secret Garden with a sexy accent that tickled my ears. I stood there like an idiot, my heart pounding hard against my chest, unable to think of a response. The fact that he had read the book and could recite a line from it stunned me. And impressed me. Say something. Anything. “Good read there,” he said when it was obvious I wasn’t going to speak. He winked and nodded to a guy behind him before ambling off. When he reached the end of the row, he paused and glanced back at me, flashing me another killer smile, and then he disappeared around the bookcase. Tingles rose in my stomach. He looked back at me. The guy following his Royal Hotness gave me a final appraisal before departing. His stringy blond hair hung over his large forehead. It looked like he hadn’t washed it in weeks, and there was probably an acne breeding ground under it. He grinned, and I broke eye contact with him, making for the nearest window. Oh God, you’re so lame, Gia. You could have finished the quote or anything less tragic than not speaking at all. The response I would have said played in my head. With silver bells, and cockleshells, and marigolds all in a row. Why? Why hadn’t I said that?

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Brenda Drake grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up are of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

Giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Entangled Teen's THIEF OF LIES Blog Tour for more chances to win the prizes below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Have a Book Deal!

I wanted to quickly tell you about my middle-grade book deal!!

I’m over the moon with excitement about this story being released into the world. Where do I begin? There are many stories on the Internet about book deals, and how authors land an agent, so here’s mine.  

Almost two years ago, my writing group MGbetareaders, aka Kidliterati wrangled me in, reluctantly for the NaNoWriMo Camp, one July. I think it was in July? And I wrote like a firestorm, scratching down every crazy idea I had into the composition book where my little Sci-Fi, Fantasy, CTRL+ALT+DELETE began to grow.

Then it was chopped, and chopped again, up and down, and zigzag, by the eagle eyes of the beta-readers from my group of Kidlit authors. I could NOT have written this book without them, seriously. We need our readers! I had three beta-readers for each pass through the manuscript and found another reader outside the group. Collect your beta-readers now, reading for as many writers in your genre as you can. I love critiquing others’ work as it really helps hone my craft.

I put the July Nano project aside and wrote another story. Meanwhile, The Unmoving Sky, a contemporary, thriller, was sold to Leap Books last March (YAY!). I pulled out CTRL+ALT+DELETE to use my fresh eyes after tucking it away for a spell. In the meantime, I searched for agents for my MG, SFF and what I found were few agents who represented this genre. And fewer still that I might be a good fit for me and this project—plus, my future projects, which may run the gamut of genres, and audiences. I might have sent out ten agent queries for CTRL+ALT+DELETE, all R’s except for the Pitch on Twitter picked up by a super amazing agent, who held that manuscript until my very last decision—which was to go with GMMG. Plus I had another agent, who didn't respond to his full request. Even after two nudges inquiring if he’d read, or had any interest—just send a damn form rejection if you request a full. I have to say, this might have been my last straw. But sometimes things happen in a round about way. Right? Mysteriously, right?

Because when I read: A line of books for readers ages 7+, our titles are full of adventure, fantasy, and whimsy. Many of our titles will interest boys and reluctant readers in particular, about Tantrum books. (I have a reluctant reader at home.)

I shot off a query fast, and just under the window for agentless submissions. I think it was just under four weeks later, in early June I received a personal email from Georgia McBride, saying she thinks C.A.D. would make a great addition to the Tantrum line. I made some ungodly sound, enough my coworker jumped up to see if I was all right. Surprised to learn it was my “happy” sound. I was SO THRILLED! 

But then I had to wait. I contacted agents who still had the ms, one agent loved the story and asked for a revision. She gave such amazing feedback, but because Tantrum also wanted a revision I decided to go with the Tantrum revision. It was a significant revision. I still had to wait before announcing anything and continued to revise/edit in stealth.

All I wanted to do was announce the deal, scream it from the roof. The hard work I put into this story, the work I put into forgotten stories, I wanted an emotional release. Still I had to be a big girl and wait. Edits were sent to my amazing editor at Tantrum, Tara Creel, and it was now time for the announcement. Almost. 

Seven moths later, GLITCH is announced in Publishers Weekly.

Every process is as different as each writer. We’re a creative bunch. Create your book goals and try something different, and perhaps a less beaten path. Do I want an agent? You bet I do. Maybe I’ll find one for my Swing Era thriller, but that manuscript still needs much revision. Thank goodness for my beta-readers! Thank goodness, for the inventive creativity that is GMMG, and Month9books, and Tantrum books. I see amazing projects and growth ahead. I’m honored to be among such a talented group authors and editors.  

Thank you!  Happy 2016 ~ here’s to dreams and to following your heart. 

Book Donations for At-Risk Kids

Looking to  share the book ARCS I've collected over the last year, instead of holding a raffle, I went with Melanie Conklin's suggestion to DONATE the books to at-risk kids. She always has the best ideas and gave me the Never Counted Out. web link. 

MISSION STATEMENT

Never Counted Out is a non-profit that bridges the gap between at-risk youth and artists by generating access to creative mentorship. Our model focuses on empowering this underserved population in America via the arts. We believe that arts such as writing, music, painting, photography, film and spoken word educate, invigorate and instill the ability to harness one’s voice. By meeting artists and creating art, youth on the fringe have the ability to be heard and seen not only now but for the rest of their lives.

It was easy-peasy. Sent book rate. Now these great books will be in the hands of teens and kids who actually need the books. And that feels good!  

Happy Holidays!