One of the Big Ones

lgood67334Leave a comment

blg

The San Jose Mercury News is one of the big regional newspapers in California. I remember reading it when I was a little girl, before the term Silicon Valley was coined, back in the day when we had one TV with no remote, in a console, in the family room. The Mercury-News has endured, and I hope that TALENT, which was reviewed there last week, will also endure.

This review, by Joanna Kraus, appeared in a column entitled “Summer Reading is Fun for All.” Here is what she said:

“Talent” by B. Lynn Goodwin (Danville) (Eternal Press, $12.50, ages 13-16.) Sandee’s brother has been missing in Afghanistan for seven months. Yet she hears Bri’s voice encouraging her when she auditions for the school musical, advising her when she selects a possible boyfriend, and supporting her when she must disobey the law to rescue a friend. She discovers “real life doesn’t have a script” in this moving novel, set in the East Bay. Sandee shows initiative, responsibility and finally the will to live her own life.

I liked her accuracy, her originality, and her choices of what will appeal to teens. But this is not a book for teens only. Many adults (including my book club) have read and liked the book.

There are 46 other reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Talent-B-Lynn-Goodwin/dp/1629293350/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450916910&sr=8-1&keywords=9781629293356. Sandee Mason and I hope you will add yours soon. 

This summer is a perfect time to read TALENT. If you are a teen, encourage your teacher to have the whole class read it. If you are a parent, share it with your kids. Read it together. Discussion questions in the back will help you get conversations going… in case that has ever been a problem in your life.

Please write back and tell me what you think of the book. I can’t wait to hear from you.

10 People/Groups to Share TALENT With

lgood67334Leave a comment

Goodwin

TALENT on Amazon

Have you read TALENT? Well, why not? It’s only a click away. Go to the Talent on Amazon link above.

Want to know what to do with it after you read it? I should tell you to buy a copy for everyone you know, but between you and me, you can pass yours along if you want to.

  • Give a copy to a teacher. What kind of teacher? A drama teacher, an English teacher, a teacher who loves kids. Give it to an art teacher, or a photography teacher. Any teacher.
  • Give it to a librarian. School and youth librarians are looking for teen-centered books. Some of them get tired of vampires, shape shifters, and those who live in a dystopian society. You’ll be giving the gift of contemporary fiction.
  • Give it to your favorite student—especially one grades 6-11. It’s really suitable for anyone above a fourth grade reading level. Some of its themes are universal while its scenes are immediate and real. Although the heroine is a girl, there are two strong male characters, Rob and Diego.
  • Give it to the parents of any teen or tween. It will help them to see themselves through teen eyes.
  • Give it to a bookseller. It’s the perfect non-dystopian addition to the YA shelves.
  • Give it to a church’s youth group leader. It’s worth reading and sharing. There are discussion questions in the back.
  • Give it to a Girl Scout leader. Sandee is a role model for girls who empower themselves.
  • Give it to the thespians and former thespians in your life. It will bring back memories.
  • Give it to sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and grandkids when they are in a show—whether it’s musical comedy, a concert, or even a Power Point presentation. Show them you understand what they’re going through and so does Sandee.
  • Give a copy to the juvenile hall library in your county. They need books that include positive role models.

Who have I forgotten? Write back and tell me who else needs a copy. There should be a contact button at the top.

Caliburn Press Blog Hop

lgood673342 Comments

Talent Paperback – November 1, 2015 by B. Lynn Goodwin (Author) 4.7 out of 5 stars 43 customer reviews

Talent

TALENT Celebrates With Others

tumblr_lkyllvIjRZ1qhnqczToday I have the privilege of being on the Caliburn Press Blog Hop, coordinated by The Vampire Queen, http://www.thevampirequeen1.blogspot.com.

Caliburn Press, https://sites.google.com/site/caliburnpressllc/, deals mostly with horror, the supernatural, and the paranormal, and there may be a bit of paranormal or supernatural phenomenon in TALENT.

There is, but Sandee isn’t sure about whether the supernatural is real or a trick—maybe done with mirrors or an imaginative medium. In her mind, maybe it’s real and maybe it’s not. I know the psychic she consults is real and knows her stuff.

Caliburn Press also publishes young adult romance. Fifteen-and-a-half-year-old Sandee Mason qualifies as a young adult. She’s mature one minute and child-like the next. She’s discovering romance, or maybe it’s finding her while she’s busy trying to find her talents.

Sandee is going to put up a post quoting from some of the reviews for her story, but first, Continue reading →

Permission Slips

lgood67334Leave a comment

What would you add?

SCN Blogger's avatarTelling HerStories: The Broad View

by Jude Walsh Whelley

permissionJude

Every Sunday I meet with my tribe of four women writers for a morning of what Eric Maisel calls Deep Writing. It is a lovely, centering time where we sit side-by-side and write. During occasional breaks we share information on craft, submission, and building platform. The shared writing energy keeps us focused and productive. On my drive home, as I process what I wrote and what we shared, I am frequently inspired. At those moments, I use the voice memo function on my phone to record my thoughts. I may listen to that voice memo and tranfer it to written form immediately or, if life grabs me when I get home, the memo may sit for a while.

In a recent burst of decluttering energy, I decided to review those waiting memos. I found this gem and want to share. I was looking for ways to…

View original post 179 more words

Who’s That Indie Author? B. Lynn Goodwin

lgood67334Leave a comment

Author name:  B. Lynn Goodwin Genres:  Fiction, Self-Help, Memoir Books:  Talent ; You Want Me to Do WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers ; Her memoir, a work-in-progress, has a working title: Never Too…

Source: Who’s That Indie Author? B. Lynn Goodwin

Blog Tour Begins

lgood673344 Comments

blg     B. Lynn Goodwin

TALENT

Here’s my exciting news made short and sweet. I started a blog tour for TALENT today. This is a great chance to get the word out about my book. You can help. Post this on your own page—WordPress, Facebook, Twitter.

Here’s the schedule, courtesy of http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/, where my first interview was posted today.

 

Blog Tour Dates

Monday, February 29 @ The Muffin

Stop by for an interview with B. Lynn Goodwin and a chance to win Talent!

http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

 

Wednesday, March 2 @ Building Bookshelves

Read a review of B. Lynn Goodwin’s YA novel Talent about all the drama in high school and enter to win a copy.

http://blogs.republicanherald.com/bookshelves

 

Friday, March 4 @ All Things Audry

Author B. Lynn Goodwin shares tips for discovering your hidden talents.

http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday, March 8 @ Just Commonly

  1. Lynn Goodwin, author of the YA novel Talent, shares five ways to cope with loss and the opportunity to win a copy of Talent!

http://justcommonly.blogspot.com

 

Thursday, March 10 @ Lisa’s Reviews and Interviews

Wonder what makes writers tick? Learn more about author B. Lynn Goodwin in today’s interview.

http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com

 

Friday, March 11 @ Books & Such

Author B. Lynn Goodwin will be sharing ways to make your writing shine — and we all want shiny writing! Enter to win a copy of her latest book: the YA novel Talent.

http://teripolen.com/

 

Tuesday, March 15 @ Adan Ramie

  1. Lynn Goodwin, author of the YA novel Talent, stops by today with a guest post. Don’t miss it!

http://adanramie.com/blog/

 

Wednesday, March 16 @ Finished Pages

Author B. Lynn Goodwin, author of the YA novel Talent, shares some acting techniques to help you create three dimensional characters. Action!

http://www.finishedpages.com/

 

Friday, March 18 @ The New Book Review

Don’t miss today’s review of B. Lynn Goodwin’s debut YA novel, Talent.

 

Wednesday, March 23 @ Deal Sharing Aunt

Learn more about author B. Lynn Goodwin in today’s interview and read a review of her YA novel Talent.

http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/

 

Friday, March 25 @ The Things You Can Read

  1. Lynn Goodwin’s tour for her debut YA novel, Talent, is coming to a close. Don’t miss today’s review.

http://thethingsyoucanread.blogspot.com/

 

Sunday, March 27 @ Writer Unboxed

  1. Lynn Goodwin, author of the Young Adult novel Talent shares “5 Ways to Tap into Universal Truths about Young Adults”.

http://writerunboxed.com/

I’ll be announcing each post on Facebook, Twitter, and here. Please feel free to share. You never can tell where networking will lead.

Thanks!

 

Valentine’s Day

lgood673341 Comment

Talent_200x300_dpi72

TALENT

Happy Valentine’s Day.

They have this tradition at San Ramos High that people can sign up and send carnations. The money goes to Student Government I think, and last year there was a big deal about who got the most flowers.

You got to write a message for your carnation, and each one cost $2.00. I did one for Diego that said, “Friends forever,” even though I want us to be more than friends—most of the time. I did one for Tessa and I wound up writing the same thing, which is weird, because Diego and Tessa are very different, except they both are good listeners. I really like having someone around who listens and pays attention.

I thought about doing one for Jenn, but I didn’t know what to say. I mean she twists everything around. I thought about doing one for Rob, because we’re working together, but when I tried to write on the card, I felt weird.

The girl from Student Council who was taking the money said I could send it anonymously. Something inside my stomach clenched when she said that. I don’t know why, but I didn’t send him anything. So on Friday, Student Council people came in at the end of second period and gave them out.

Rob sent me one that said, “You’re a hottie and it’s fun working with you.” I know he was trying to be nice, at least I think he was, but it made me all squirmy inside. Diego said, “Glad we are still friends. You’re the coolest girl I know.” I smiled when I read it. Tessa said, “I’m glad we’re friends.” The fourth one said, “Anonymously yours, Your Secret Admirer.” Seriously! It’s a little creepy, I know. I’ve been looking around since I got it, trying to figure out who this Secret Dude is.

When the Student Council kids came in with the flowers, I thought about Bri. He was one of them last year. Only a year ago… I hope he is okay, wherever he is.