Harmony Book Reviews

Title: Sleepless
Author: Terri Clark
Rating: 9.5
Summary: (Taken from AMazon)
The swaying Palms Hotel late-night room-service menu

Tuck-Me-In Tuna Salad on Rye
$7.50

Catch-Some-ZZZs Cheeseburger and Fries
$10.00

Up-All-Night Chocolate-Chip Cookies with Milk
$5.50

Bedtime Banana Split
$7.00

I can’t go to sleep!!! And not because of the cute boy lying next to me. There’s a killer stalking me in my dreams. And if it’s up to him . . . I’ll never wake up. I have to find a way to get him, before he gets me.

My Thoughts: When I picked up Sleepless for the first time, I had no clue what to expect but I also had very high expectations. I’d heard so  many good things about it and Terri Clark was already my AOM. Needless to say, I was not let down.

Sleepless is full of characterization, each of the characters becoming more alive and relatable with each passing chapter. The plot is original and enticing which combined with Clark’s haunting and sophisticated prose leaves you wanting more even after the story ends.

Sleepless is full of action, adventure, romance, and a little supernatural twist. The end result? A book that I recommend that everyone reads as soon as possible.

We’re joined today by C. Leigh Purtill, author of Love, Meg and All About Vee. My review for All About Vee can be found here. Enjoy!

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Hollywood plays a big role in both of my books, LOVE, MEG and ALL ABOUT VEE and it’s not because I’m obsessed with the entertainment industry, although at times it certainly feels like I am. Actually, I’m just following the common advice given to writers: write what you know. And I happen to know film and television.

I’ve held several positions on film sets, including assistant director and director, but the one in which I have the most experience is script supervisor. Lots of people call this person the continuity clerk (and in the bad old days of male-dominated movie sets, it was called script girl – blecch!!) because much of the job involves maintaining continuity within a scene, from scene-to-scene, and from beginning to end.

Most people think of continuity in terms of props because that’s the easiest error to spot. For instance, in the movie “Pretty Woman,” Julia Roberts is eating a pancake in one shot and then when they cut to another angle, she’s eating a croissant. That’s a continuity error and one that is usually corrected by a script supervisor on set. It all begins with the “master shot,” which is usually the widest shot of the scene. If the action in the master shot had established that Miss Roberts picked up a croissant, then every other time we see her from all the various angles and close-ups (which together are called “coverage”), she needs to do just that.

If I had been on that set, I would have told the director, Garry Marshall, that in a close-up, Miss Roberts picked up a pancake instead of the established croissant. I also would have reminded Miss Roberts to pick up the croissant before her close-up was shot. However, several factors come into play that I have no control over:

1. Mr. Marshall (like many directors I worked with) could decide he doesn’t care about continuity within the scene, that an actor’s performance is more important than which prop is used and when.

2. Miss Roberts (like many actors I worked with) could disregard my reminder or simply not wish to listen to me at all. And the reasons for that are also many and varied: some actors don’t want to be bothered by crew between shots because it throws off their focus, some insist they know better than someone who was watching them, and some just don’t like to listen to script supervisors. I have also had the converse be true: many actors relied on me to tell them what they were doing in a scene – some even tested me!

So the coverage is shot and everyone rejoices and Mr. Marshall is especially pleased at how charming and sweet the lovely Miss Roberts is and he turns to me and says, “I want that one” which is my cue to make a note for the editor and the assistant director is about to yell, “Moving on!” but I have the disheartening news for our director that the coverage doesn’t match the master shot.

I have to tell him. It’s my job. So I take a deep breath and say, “Garry (because we would probably be friendly and he wouldn’t make me call him Mr. Marshall), the coverage doesn’t match the wide. Julia (because she would probably let me call her that since she seems to be really nice) picked up the pancake.”

All eyes would be on Mr. Marshall and some would probably glare at me for making them stop what they’re doing and we would all wait. And Mr. Marshall would say, most likely, “I’ll deal with that in post,” meaning he will handle it in post-production when the editor has assembled all the footage from the chosen takes. When this sort of thing happens, the editor and director work together to minimize the continuity error as much as possible. But you see, sometimes these things simply cannot be helped.

Aside from the continuity of props, there is also continuity of wardrobe and hair and special effects, as well as action within the scene with all of these things (such as, when did Miss Roberts pick up the pancake? On what word did she take a bite?) and that’s just the stuff you can see. Much of my job as a script supervisor regarded the script itself: ensuring what was on the page actually was shot. It’s very important that the director has all the footage he needs to make a scene work, to be edited together properly, because when you’re in the editing room and you realize you didn’t get a close-up of the pancake in Miss Roberts’ hand, it’s super expensive to recreate that set and get everyone back to do it again.

Working as a script supervisor is one of the best ways to get to know all the jobs on a set. You have to interact with so many different departments: art, hair and makeup, wardrobe, camera, etc. Plus you have to work closely with the director, the actors, and the assistant director who runs the whole set. I highly recommend this position to anyone who is interested in becoming a director. It’s a tough job – and a lonely one because there’s only one of you on any set – but it’s an influential one. A good script supervisor is a director’s best asset.

In television, I worked as a broadcast standards editor for The WB and The CW Television Networks. Maybe I’ll post about that someday. If anyone has any questions about the jobs I’ve had, or about specifics of a movie set, or just wants to know more, please feel free to email me!

Thanks for letting me post on your blog, Harmony!

Cheers~

Leigh

Well, I realize I didn’t post one last week but here’s one for you now. Today, I’ve been joined by Chelsie of Read, Read, Read (also known as bookloverreviews), who you can tell really loves what she does, not only by the work she puts into her blog but also by the thought you know she put into these answers. So keep reading to learn more about the girl behind the blog!

———–

How long have you been reviewing? What made you decide to become a teen book reviewer?

Technically, I’ve been reviewing since I was in 8th grade, so 14. But that was only Amazon reviews. I’ve had a blog since March, so for five months. Before that, I had an actual website for about 2 months, but that didn’t work too well.

And initially when I started reviewing, it was just for fun, but then I just loved the idea of being a part of such a fun group of people. Plus to be honest the free books don’t hurt either =P

Deborah Reber is the author of Chill, a book about teens and stress, which I reviewed here. If you’ve ever had to deal with any type of stress, then I definitely recommend reading Chill.  

—

What gave you the idea for Chill? Why did you decide to write a book on stress for teens?
I had just finished writing my book for teen girls, In Their Shoes, and was talking with my amazing editor at Simon Pulse about what we could do together next. She mentioned to me that they were interested in publishing a book dealing with the stressed out lives of teens, and wanted to know if I’d be interested in taking it on—I jumped at the opportunity. My passion is helping girls live their best lives and understand how to take charge of one’s life to ultimately have more peace and balance (which means less stress). I knew writing a book on stress reduction would give me the opportunity to present the exact kind of information I desperately wanted to share with girls everywhere. I’d also noticed in the past several years a huge jump in the stress levels of teens, and so I knew the timing of this book was important and could have a seriously big impact.

Growing up, did you face a lot of stress? Do you think reading Chill would have helped you deal with it better?
Yes, and yes! Honestly, I think that everything I write I do in part because I want to share information that I desperately needed and wanted as a teen, but didn’t have access to. When I was a teen, most of my stress revolved around social issues…I don’t think the academic pressure back then was as intense as it is for teens today. But I was a very emotional person and definitely struggled to keep my out-of-control and irrational emotions from getting the best of me. Chill would have helped me immensely.

Chill is filled with tons of stress-management tips. If you could only pick one, which do you think is the most important to remember? Why?
Tough question. There’s a chapter in the book called Getting Perspective, and it’s all about keeping the problems and stresses in our lives in perspective so they don’t take over our lives. It involves little things, like realizing that we’ve overcome challenges in the past and come through them okay, putting our personal problems in perspective with global issues, and focusing on the things in our lives that we are thankful for (we’ve all got them!).

Describe your ideal writing location. Where is it? Why does it work best?
I move around a lot when I write, but I would say that I do my best work while sitting in my living room with laptop, legs propped up on the coffee table, sunlight pouring in through my windows, the front door open to let the breeze in, my white German Shepherd by my side, and the sound of peace and quiet all around me.

What are you working on now? What can we expect from you next?
I’m actually working on a cool new publishing projectI I’m creating and editing a series of nonfiction, memoir-type books that will be written exclusively by teens for teens. You can find out more on my blog Smart Girls Know (www. smartgirlsknow. com).

Do you listen to music while you write? What are some of your favorite bands?
I’m one of those people who needs absolute quiet to write, although sometimes I use music to get me “in the mood” or shift my frame of mind to a time that connects with the material before I sit down to write. Favorite bands? I’m all over the place musically. Here are a few: Indigo Girls, Imogen Heap, Badly Drawn Boy, Swell Season, Frou Frou, Moby, just to name a few!

What are three movies that you can watch over and over and not get tired of?
Great question! Broadcast News, When Harry Met Sally, and A Room with a View.

What advice do you have for your teen readers?
You will survive teenhood, no matter how unlikely that seems today. Believe in yourself and trust that you are capable of reaching your goals and becoming the person you want to be!

And finally, as yourself a question and answer it!
Okay…here’s my question for myself: What is your favorite sugary treat? My answer: Peeps! I have a thing for those marshmallow bunnies and chicks, and every year around Easter, friends from all over the country send me packages of Peeps to let me know they’re thinking of me (and my sugar addiction).

Thanks Deborah!

Title: Talent
Author: Zoey Dean
Rating: 6/10
Summary:(Taken from publisher’s site)

It’s all about talent in LA: who has it, who doesn’t, who wants it, and who can find it first!

When thirteen-year-old Mac Armstrong witnesses newcomer Emily Mungler’s stellar lying-to-gain-entry performance during a movie premiere party at the Roosevelt in Hollywood, it dawns on her that her own talent is to discover it in others! So Mac and her BFFs set out to prove it by turning fresh-from- Cedartown-Iowa Emily into a box office bombshell. They’ll make deals, throw parties, crush on boys, all on the way to discovering that no matter how famous or important you are, friendship always comes first. Well, almost always.

 
My Thoughts:

WHY THE HELL IS THIS BOOK SET IN MIDDLE SCHOOL!?!

Every problem I could possible have with this book is stemmed from that one thing. You see, the characters in this book act like high schoolers, they dress like high schoolers, and they talk like high schoolers. The problem? They’re in MIDDLE SCHOOL. This might be a problem, had the plan the whole novel revolved around not taken place. It did though, which made everything seem a little off in the novel because of their age. I can’t really say I know what the publisher or author were thinking when they made them that young. Maybe they thought it would help sale. Gossip Girl for tweens or something. Okay, but if you’re going to do that, you need to make sure the plot fits their age or it just doesn’t work. What’s even sadder is that this book would have been nearly wonderful if the girls had just been two or three years older.

Now, you’re probably thinking that I hated this book but that’s not really true. I did, obviously, have some problems with it, but in the end, it was a good book. The characters, despite the above problem, were actually quite well-developed and the plot was enjoyable, though slightly predictable. More importantly, however, was the fact that everything came together in the end to make a novel clean enough for younger readers and enjoyable enough that even the older readers will quite enjoy it. I do plan on reading and reviewing the upcoming sequels, in hope that they may get better as they go on.

Want to read it? I suggest getting either a cheap, used copy or finding someone to borrow it from.

(BTW, what do you think of the new review style? Let me know what you think!)

So it’s that time of month for me to host the AOM contest and this month, Terri Clark, author of Sleepless, will be providing a signed copy of SLEEPLESS, as well as a Dream Catcher necklace. Now is that awesome or what?

So to enter, leave a comment on this post by 12:01 AM on October 1st. Also, if you post about it on your blog or a myspace bulletin and either send me the link or leave it in a comment, you will get TWO extra entries.

There ya have it 🙂 Good luck!

Well, I’ve finally decided to end the anticipation and announce the winners of ALL the contests I had been holding on my site! If you didn’t win, don’t worry! I’ll be having a bunch more contests later this month!

Now, for the winners…

Tami (blackroze37) won a package of bookmarks and other promo items from authors by commenting on The Page Flipper’s Guest Blog.

Rowan won The Debs In Training package.

Amber G. won the Team Jake pin.

Sena won the Violet in Private contest

The Book Girl won the Monthly Surprise Pack

Congrats to all five winners! I will be emailing you all in a few minutes. Please make sure to respond before next Friday or your prize will go to someone else!

Well, I realize I’m supposed to post these on Fridays but that is NOT working. So I’m going to try posting them on Saturdays now. I have a few more of these but reviewers: if you haven’t been interviewed or written a guest blog and would like to, please let me know!

Now, The Story Siren is here to give you tips on being a book blogger!

It seems that book blogging is becoming more popular every day. And I often get contacted by new bloggers that just want to know what exactly it is they’ve gotten themselves into! Although I must admit that I am not a professional and really I don’t know what I’m doing either, but hopefully these tips will help you out!
1. So where do I get books?

There is a ton of places to get books. Believe it or not, I don’t get all of my books from authors or publishers, I go to the library and my local Borders more often than not. Here are some web sites that you might want to start out at.

 Teens@Random ( http://www.randombuzzers.com/ )
This website is sponsored by Random House. You can obtain points by participating in various activities, polls, quizzes and surveys that pertain to books. Then you can use those points to get free books. Most of the time you can get Advance Readers Copies (ARCs).
Book Divas ( http://www.bookdivas.com/ )
Book Divas is a non affiliate site. They have various author visits, message boards, reviews and author interviews. They also periodically give out free copies of upcoming books. I mostly use Book Divas for its message board!
HarperTeen ( http://www.harperteen.com/firstlook/ )                                                                             Harper First Look is affiliated obviously with HarperCollins Publishers. Every month in the First Look program the offer a wide range of books that are upcoming releases. All you have to do is write a brief explanation on why you would like the book to review. There is a random drawing that decided on who receives the novels, you do however have to submit a review for the First Look site as well.
The In Group ( http://us.macmillan.com/Content.aspx?publisher=holtbyr&id=377 )
Affiliated with Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. You have to be between the ages of 13-19 for this one, and you must also have your parents’ permission. I’m not sure how this one works because I’m too old to be a member, but I do know that you have to submit your reviews for The In Group as well.
Pulse It ( http://www.simonsays.com/content/feature.cfm?tab=23&feature_id=5712 )
Affiliated with Simon & Schuster. You have to be between the ages of 14-18 and you must also have your parents’ permission. I’m not sure how this one works either, but I do know that you have to submit your reviews to Pulse It as well.
Book Swim ( http://www.bookswim.com/ )
Book Swim in an online book rental site a lot like netflix, but for books. If you’re like me and come from a small town that has a limited selection at the library, Book Swim can be very useful. I know I use it when I have a sequel to review and my library doesn’t have the prequels. That way I don’t necessarily have to buy the whole series of books!
The Library is also a really good place to get books to review. Also, lots of bloggers have contests for free books! You can also ask authors or publishers for their books, although I have only done that a couple times. I’m not very comfortable asking an author to send me something for free, I just don’t want them to think I’m here for handouts, but that is a personal choice, so you’ll have to decide what you are comfortable with.
And don’t worry about how old or new the books are either. If you want to read and review a book that’s been out for twenty years go ahead and do it!
2. Where can I blog?
There are a lot of different blogging sites out there. I’m just going to mention a few free ones.
Blogger ( http://www.blogger.com )
Freewebs ( http://fw.members.freewebs.com/index.jsp )
WordPress ( http://www.wordpress.com )
MySpace ( http://www.myspace.com )
3. How do I get visitors?
Networking is a very important part of getting your blog out there. If no one knows it exists, you aren’t going to have a lot of people stopping by. So you just need to get your name out there! But don’t be annoying about it….please! That only turns people away.
When I got started, I didn’t have any visitors either, so this is what I did. I made a MySpace page. There are a lot of authors that have their own pages, and people that like to read are on MySpace too! This is a great way to “advertise” your blog! Visit other people’s blogs and leave a comment. I know when someone leaves a comment on my blog I almost always go to their site too! Go to a book related message board. I utilized message boards a lot when I first started my blog! Just don’t be overly perplexing and leave the same message on every topic, that’s overkill and it turns people off. Tell your friends and family!! Or if you’re insecure about that, just tell some of your friends!
Another important aspect is design of your site. Pick a color scheme that fits your voice! Make sure that your color scheme is easy to read and easy on the eyes. Don’t make your font to small either. People won’t bother reading your reviews if they can’t see them! Try to make a header that portrays your site. It doesn’t have to be fancy.
Music or not to music. I know there are a lot of bloggers out there that have music on their site and if you want it I’m all for it. I know that personally I get distracted by music when I try to read so I end up finding the music player right away and turning it off.
Get ideas from your neighbors. I know that I was one of the first if not the first blogger to have the “What I’m Reading Now” element with a picture of the book I’m currently reading, and also the “In My Reading Pile” slideshow. And personally I think it’s cool that other bloggers started doing it! When I started having my theme element icons in my reviews, I had another fellow blogger ask me if she could use the idea as well, needless to say I was flattered that she liked the idea that much. So, why not ask your blogger neighbor if you can use their cool idea, what have you got to lose!
Try to make your blog stand out! Offer something that no one else has. My stand out element is my weekly Author Tales. Yes, it is a lot of working sometimes tracking down authors, asking if they would be willing and then of course actually getting the author post, but it is also a very critical component to my site!
Having a contest is always a sure way to draw visitors. Most of the time I supply the prizes in my contest, but every once in a while if you are lucky you can get an author to donate a book for a prize!
4. How should I write my reviews?

There isn’t a wrong or right way to write a review. You can try to be professional if you want or you can be more laid back. You just need to find the style that is right for you and not necessarily worry about what other people think. Write something that you would want to read, most of the time that’s what your readers would want to read too. You don’t have to write an essay to get your point across either, unless of course it takes you an adequate length to get your point across. Write the length that you are comfortable writing. Maybe you’ll start out writing short reviews and then once you are more comfortable with your writing, your reviews can grow.
5. How did you get your layout?
I’ve been getting this question a lot lately since I switched my background and header. I’m glad that everyone likes it so much! I actually did it myself. I’ve been helping some other bloggers change their layouts as well. If you would like some help please feel free to email me at thestorysiren (at) hotmail (dot) com.
 
 
Okay, that was kinda long, okay really long, but I think I’ve covered enough, so I’m going to wrap it up. If there are any other questions or suggestions please feel free to drop me a line. I would love to know if anyone else has any blogging tips, because in all seriousness I am really just going with the flow. These are just some things I’ve picked up in the short time I’ve been reviewing. You don’t have to use any of my advice and you don’t have to agree, I’m not a blogging specialist! But hopefully I helped out someone! Thanks again to Harmony for asking me to stop by and I’m really really really sorry it took me so long! 
 

The Story Siren
http://thestorysiren.com
 
Happy Reading!!

Well….This is kinda late. But I figured if I was going to post it late, I might as well post it on the Eve of my birthday. (Actually, I didn’t think that. It just sounded good. Sorta.)

Anyway, I’ve yet to pick winners for any of the contests last month but they’ll be coming in a few days. I did want to announce that September’s fabulous author of the month is…..

TERRI CLARK

Terri wrote Sleepless, which is pretty much a work of pure genius, and will be featured all throughout the month. We will be hosting another contests, an interview, and of course, my review of Sleepless. Stay tuned!