Books make Excellent Gifts!

Just sayin’ – there’s some Great books out that would look Great in someone’s hands this season. And this winter season curled up and cozy-like. [and No worries about sizes!]

From cozy mysteries such as Emyl Jenkins latest “The Big Steal” - Where you can also impress your friends with your sudden knowledge of antiques. http://sterlingglassmysteries.com/

To Maggie Stiefvater’s several books, her run-away hit “Shiver” with the different take on werewolves and love, to her latest book with her homicidal faeries, “Ballad” [companion to her debut book last year “Lament”] - http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/

And look at fung shui and your love corner with Joni Davis’ fun book – “Feng Shui Love” [can check it out on Wednesday Dec. 16^th at Fountain Books. http://www.fountainbookstore.com/event/meet-joni-davis-author-feng-shui-love ]

And if you love, or even like horses, or for those that do, be sure to pick up Gigi Amateau’s “Chancey of the Maury River” for them http://www.gigiamateau.com/

These are all local – local-ish writers around Richmond, Virginia. To check out their signings and other great Richmond writers such as Dean King, David Robbins, and many Many others, check out James River Writers calendar. http://www.jamesriverwriters.org/river_city_lit/calendar.htm

And while you’re there join up and join us at one of the many events JRW has around. We’re a pretty friendly crew – even when our writing is going snarly as Christmas ribbon.

And DO Support your local independent bookstore this season. Richmond, Virginia has several still left in town, although this year has seen some give up and go out of business so do consider helping out your local indie. They have cool gifts and cool people – as witnessed by Fountain Bookstore owner Kelly Justice and her cool helpful staff.

Tis the season to buy Books!

Works as a great gift for all the writers and readers you know! Especially if you give them more than one. ;-D

Just sayin’

Come hear my Ballad

Well, not mine actually, since I don’t sing or play music. I’m thinking of a couple of things about Ballads recently.

One of the things that seems to be cropping up is the use of music to inspire writers in their writing. Do you use music to help you work? And how do you choose it?

Maggie Stiefvater talks about her playlists quite a bit on her blog – and how she uses music as she works at her writing. She even picks out her music beforehand. And seems to spend a bit of time and quite a bit of thought doing so, to find just the right feeling of music.

Amazing. I’m not sure what kind of mish-mash of music I’d come up with if I did that. I’m sure that when I get back to the book I have partially written that’s set in Ireland that I’ll be listening to a lot of Celtic music. And will probably be combing Maggie’s playlists to find ones that seem to fit with the mood I want to create.

But normally I don’t listen to a lot of music. Probably because the story I’ve been working on for so long was such a jumbled mess for so long. The music I tried to listen to – hey seems to work for Maggie and can’t argue with her success now can we! ---but the music I tried to listen to that would, you would think anyway, move the story along just really got on my nerves. And let me tell you that didn’t help me with the story writing all that much!

Course Maggie does Everything well! Not that I begrudge her, Lord a-mercy, she sure seems to work hard enough for it! She is a Very accomplished artist, as well as musician, and now accomplished New York Times bestselling author! With books from Two separate publishing companies out at same time for criminy sakes!

Her first book with Scholastic just came out August 1^st – Debuting at #9 on the NYTimes list!

Her second book with Flux Publishing – her third book published in less than a year!!! – called ‘Ballad’ has just been released October 1^st. And the publisher is already having to call for another printing to stock all the bookstores!

Her book ‘Ballad’ is having its launch here in Richmond this Thursday, October 8^th, at Fountain Books.

And if you pre-order/reserve a copy, Maggie’s sweetening the deal with some of her signed artwork – you can check it out here on her website – http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/129487.html

And while you’re there on her site, check out her trailer she did for ‘Ballad’ – it’s right there, just hit play! Yep, showing all her talents - drawing, music, writing. And yep, if she wasn’t so darn nice and generous with her advice she gives on her blog and website for All aspiring writers, she’d be a lot easier to grumble about. But I can’t. Cause she gives Very helpful advice. Check out her blog and see for yourself. And come back here and mention it to me – in case I’ve gotten swamped again with all the things trying to take over my life, and I missed it!!

And come tell me about your Ballad. Maggie’s ‘Ballad’ is terrific! I will warn you, once you start you won’t want to put it down! It’s not ‘Shiver’ so doesn’t have wolves in it, but I did find myself growling at my husband when he was interrupting my reading of ‘Ballad!’ [and luckily I don’t play bagpipes or instruments like James or Dee, since I probably would have been way too tempted to bash him with them. Only Slightly! Only slightly! He is my husband after all. :::love you sweetheart ;) :::]

So when you get your Ballads, come back here and tell me about them. Whether music you’ve discovered, or writing. And especially come back and tell me of any writing helps and hints. I Really want to get this book I’m working on done so I can go on/back to the other stories I have languishing in wait.

Okay so Talk! To me! ;) Tell me all about your Ballads, sung and unsung.

Everybody has them. Don’t they?

Maggie Maggie Maggie

Maybe this is why the music and lyrics keep popping up in my head? No, surely can't be, because they aren't the same as these. At all.

But the prolific and super-multi-talented Maggie Stiefvater has done it again. Writing, music - writing, composing And playing of course - and various art forms. And she just keeps on displaying them - check this one out for her book out in October called 'Ballad'

And no this is Different than the music and art and film she did for her phenomenal book out Now called 'Shiver.' So you Should check that out too.
But here's the one for 'Ballad.' Enjoy.

and if that doesn't work the way it's supposed to - try this. cause it would be a shame for you to miss Maggie's really great creativeness, just because I'm trying to focus on all things writing instead of all things blogging and how to really do it.

And here is the plain old link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooq9ioOgcmY