Time Out

Today is a joyous occasion. The United States has slain the dragon that destroyed our land and people nearly a decade ago. As a woman with a husband & son that are currently serving in the US Navy I need to say two things:

I am so proud. Thank you my boys (and all the boys & girls) that give of themselves so we can be free.

and

GO SEALS! HOORAH.

Time to celebrate.(I can think of no better way than a book review and a big announcement, can you?)

1. How do you treat the flag? I have an interesting book from author, Stacy Juba

Since this story deals with the very delicate topic of proper etiquette of flag handling, I thought today would be a good day to post this unannounced review.

My blog is misbehaving, so I apologize for not being able to move the cover to the left which is my aesthetic choice. I'm spontaneously reviewing The Flag Keeper for two reasons: 

The first is the obvious joy over snagging one of the world's most horrific terrorists. The second is I enjoyed this book. Having a military family most likely jades me a bit...so please keep that in mind. Here is the Smashwords synopsis:

Elizabeth may be a little bear, but she treats the American flag with big respect. After Dad leaves for a trip, Elizabeth pledges to raise the flag all by herself and create her own Independence Day. This illustrated picture book teaches children about U.S. flag etiquette through a fiction story, flag facts, activity idea, and discussion questions. 

My take:

Cover: No grade.

What???? Hear me out on this. I read this book on my Kindle. Lets just say that I now have found a flaw in my beloved device...children's books. Created with full color illustrations, children's books are difficult to enjoy on a black and white screen. If I'd read it on a color nook, or an iPad, or had a hard copy of the story, there would be a grade, believe me. I just think it would be very unfair to grade something that relies so heavily on the readers ability to *see* it.

Story: Solid B

The story is a little dry, but it is supposed to be used as an instructional How to when teaching young kids about the American flag. That's a tough topic to make interesting to a six year old. I think Ms. Juba did a nice job creating something that will hold the audience's interest and at the same time provide an education. 

Overall Grade: B

If you are part of a military family, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Indian Princesses, or any other group that works with children on an educational level, this book provides a valuable lesson in an easy to teach format. This is my first experience with a book that tackles a patriotic issue for young'uns. I'm glad to see a writer take it head on.

The book can be yours from Smashwords for a mere $0.99. just make sure you view it from a color device!




2. Finally, a giveaway! Runs from today until June 24th

A big thanks to all the wonderful people out there that took the time to find and follow my rambling blog. I hit my first meager goal of fifty followers, so as promised, I will now host a giveaway.
Hmmm, what shall I part with?
How about a love story straight from the grassy knolls and thatched roofs of Scotland? It's a love story too. And, as an added bonus, I will be interviewing the author this coming Sunday.

The book is: A Scottish Ferry Tale, by Nancy Volkers (print edition)

 
Here is the blurb:
Once upon a time, a young woman had her heart broken. She was cynical enough to close the door on love, but idealistic enough not to lock it. Instead, she escaped to an island off Scotland's west coast, where she met someone who might change her life, if she would only allow it. Does she? And who is this life-changing person, anyway? Are there any dragons? Fairy godmothers? Chocolate cake? And is there a happily ever after? Hey....is this a *kissing* book?!

Sounds good right? I'm also throwing in a mystery book of my choosing! The Rules are as follows:
1.follow my blog
2. Go to my website: www.elsielove.com and click on the FB 'Like' button
3. Go to my other website: www.ebloan.com and click on the FB 'like' button
4. Leave me a note in the comments section of this post
The winner will be chosen at random and notified via email to make arrangements for shipping. It is open to US residents only (I'm a writer. I can't afford overseas shipping, sorry)
Not too bad, eh? 
Better get clicking!

Cheers!

I do care, really I do(and you should too)

Good morning fellow reader, writer, snarky bloggers. Welcome back. This week I find myself in the unusual position of writing not one, but two posts for your reading enjoyment. Why? Because it's Monday & I already have three things to post, plus another book review that will be ready later this week. Instead of cramming four things into one post, I decided to break them up. I want to give each story the attention it deserves (especially this one). Without further blathering, I'd like to get started here...

1. Please Say You Care.
In my reading repertoire, I have started to add short stories. Actually, I added one.  
Michele L. Montgomery, a writer from some great mountainous region of the United States, has written a YA short story that tackles the very dark issue of bullying of GLBT teens. I know that bullying exists across all stretches of adolescence; so I don't want comments back suggesting that this was written to exclude all the hetero kids that get bullied. This story deals with homosexuality and should be respected for its representation. In other words: read it for what it is, not what it isn't.
It isn't pretty. The story is raw. Filled with pain, sadness, and demoralizing behavior that exists in the pack mentality that humans are capable, but not proud, of. It has a message and a sliver of hope as well.

As a test I gave this to my seventeen year old son to read before I cracked the cover. He brought it back with tears in his eyes. I asked him what he thought of it. His comment was this: "It got me worried. I hope that I would be strong enough to fight off people that want to hurt someone like that."
I thought that was a pretty powerful statement. It also acted as a door opener to a conversation on what to do if you witness bullying. So, I say, kudos to you Ms. Montgomery. You have hit a nerve.

You Never Cared  is available now on Smashwords. It's FREE people! Be the change you want to see in the world. Get on it.


2. Submission Time
Yep. We're almost into May. Can you believe it? Waking up to a frost covered lawn sure does make it difficult. Regardless of the weather, May is just a few measly weeks away. You know what that means? 
I NEED YOUR STORY!

Truthfully, I have one submission ready to go; but I need one more. Remember, if you submit you get an entire page on the ELSIE LOVE website for one month. I will post your story, your bio, and any other pertinent links. I also include a contact box so your devoted fans can send you a congratulatory email.
You have nothing to lose. Do it. You won't regret it, I swear.


3. A Resume To Remember
During one of the countless hours I spend on the web, I stumbled across an writing opportunity for a publishing house in the UK. Of course I believe myself to be a simply fabulous writer--but truth be told my credentials are a bit on the thin side. Not one to give up easily, I typed up a nice little letter & sent it out.
 It seemed like a good idea at the time. However...well...take a look for yourself.

Greetings!

I recently stumbled across an interview about XXXX at YYYYYY. After reading through, I found the section on inquiring on a voluntary writing position.

Let's just say, I'm very interested.

This would be the part where you would ask, "Well, where's your resume, darling?" And I would be forced to pad a very thin writing resume or just tell the truth (which really doesn't need a word template. It comes across much better in story format).

I am a writer. I didn't graduate with honors from anywhere, but feel an honorary degree for successfully raising five productive members of society while maintaining my sanity might be in order. I've contacted Harvard. So far, they remain mum (as do Stanford, Berkley, & Wesleyan); but I've never been one to give up easily. I'm considering a road trip in the fall to untangle the paperwork snafu.

I have two novels in print and a third to be released in May. After much stewing over a minimum wage job that brought me little to no joy, I decided to take the plunge, stay home and devote more time to my first love: writing. I'm three weeks into this new adventure and itching for doors to open. 

I have been blogging on the Skirt! national site for close to a year and had one of my pieces picked up for publication in the Jacksonville Times newspaper last summer. To date, that is the only thing I can claim as an actual unsolicited request for my work. I also have a book review blog that gets little to no attention by the reading world--but it's new so, like a fine wine-- I'm giving it room to breathe. I've written countless short stories that have come home bruised, battered, and rejected. My current publisher has decided to give them a peek and see if they might work as a collection. My fourth (current) novel, Sixty pounds of Sh*t & Counting, is 30,000 words of smashing good fun that I hope to turn into 60,000 words by summer.

The best way to get a feel for me, my style, and what type of fun I might bring to XXXX, is to look at what I've already sent into the world. I'm including links to my work in the hopes that you might consider giving me a chance.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Loan
aka E.B. Loan, Elsie Love

P.S. I'm also an insomniac, which helps when you are a writer. I never miss a deadline.


What do you think? Nailed it, didn't I?


Cheers!