This is a picture of Samuel Hayes. He died last week, probably because he had too much to drink. He was sixteen-years-old, only a couple years older than me. I didn’t know Samuel. We don’t live in the same town, but his story hit me hard. He looks like a nice guy, and sixteen is too young to die.

Samuel drowned in a river, and when they did the autopsy on him, his blood alcohol level (BAC) was 0.27!!! Apparently someone bought him some whiskey and it would take about 10 drinks to make his blood alcohol level that high. That’s a lot of whiskey. All I know is after the graduation ceremony at his school, he was given a half-gallon of whiskey and wound up dead.

I think why this story hit me so hard is that it could have been me. Tim and I got lucky when we tried drinking. He took some of his dad’s rum and we nearly burned Mr. Pickford’s shed down. It could have been so much worse. We both lived, and the shed didn’t burn out of control. It was still scary though.

I think another reason why I really feel for Samuel is that he drowned in a river. And having nearly drowned after Harvey left me blindfolded, gagged, and bound in a river, I wonder if Samuel panicked like I did. Or whether he was too drunk to know that he was drowning. I hope in a way he didn’t know. Those moments in the river will stay with me forever. It was awful, and I don’t like to think of him going through the same thing.

Sixteen is too young to die. There was too much ahead for him that he now won’t do. Something for us all to think about.

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5.1.3 Digital Book Rejection. We are entitled to determine what content we accept and distribute through the Program in our sole discretion.

According to the information floating around the internet, Amazon chose not to pull the book because Amazon doesn’t condone censorship. I don’t condone censorship… but this is an issue BEYOND censorship. Amazon is not a governmental agency, they are a retailer who felt that keeping a book on their virtual shelves was more important than the outcry of their customers. In a way, I see the issue as a product recall issue. Over the years, products are released which have a problem and the products are then recalled due to public outcry over the harm they can cause. This is a product that SHOULD be recalled. So Amazon’s stance does not make sense to me. There is a lot of talk of boycotting Amazon, and although they have pulled the title now, in a kind of now you see it, now you don’t, way, I feel that their responsiveness in this particular situation was lacking. It is not the first time the mega-giant has moved slowly to rectify a situation. Nor do I expect it to be the last.

I’m caught in a bit of a quandry, because my books Misfit McCabe and Nowhere Feels Like Home are readily available through Amazon, and not found in your brick and mortar stores. So, I’ve decided to ask people to purchase the print versions through my website bookstore and the ebooks through either Barnes and Noble or through Smashwords.com

If you’d like to read two well thought out, but somewhat opposing viewpoints on the entire issue, stop by Kimberly Kinrade’s blog and Lori Reed’s blog.

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Isn’t that fantastic??? I always like to celebrate the successes. And of course, for all who have read the book, you KNOW who earned the bully category for the book. If you haven’t read it, don’t you want to find out?

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The Retreat is a thread started by R. G. Cordiner in the Kindle forum on Amazon.com. Discussions are not limited to books on Kindle, but are open to all YA books. Here’s a snippet of the opening posted by R. G. for The Retreat:

Welcome to The Retreat. This is a virtual coffee house and chocolate shop. A place for people to meet, read and chat about books aimed at kids and young adults. The unlimited coffee, relaxing music and delectable Lindt chocolate should ensure that this remains a positive place. Heated debates and drive by spamming have no place in The Retreat.

We are neither a bar nor a bookstore for adult focussed books (although I’m sure plenty of adults do read our books :)) – I can personally recommend Al’s Place and The Spinning Wheel as two fine establishments for those discussions. Unfortunately we do not serve alcohol as there can be quite a few kids around at times!

I welcome all readers and authors – I would love to invite all authors of work suitable for kids or young adults to come along and chat to your readers at one of our author readings – a great chance for authors and readers to get to know one another.

R. G. Cordiner is the author of Treasure Lost and Candy Wars: The Tooth Fairies vs. The Candy King which are both suitable for Middle Grade readers. He deserves a big thanks for putting together the retreat and being so hospitable to everyone who enters. One of the features of The Retreat, apart from discussion of some of the most awesome books around, is author readings

How does an author reading work? Well, Mr. Cordiner invites authors to select a day, and on that day, post a bio and a selection from their book, and then anyone visiting comments and interacts with the author. I love the concept because it provides one more avenue to talk about books, get feedback, gives us an opportunity to interact with other authors and readers, and best yet, it’s all about young adult books.

As I posted above, I will be conducting a reading of Misfit McCabe on Monday, September 6, 2010, so stop by The Retreat and have some chocolates and coffee and let’s talk books.

While the reading at The Retreat has concluded, you can still stop by, read the posts and ask any questions or make comments. Hope to see you there.

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Then, after having such a wonderful day brightener, it got even better. Denise’s 12-year-old daughter (pictured to the left – isn’t she a doll?), who also read Misfit McCabe posted a comment on the family blog, which she gave me permission to post below:

The best part of this for me was not that she loved the book, which is still fabulous, but how she expressed the connection she made to the words and the surprise that a book could cause that level of emotion. I think Jewelz and I must be much alike when I was her age, in that I could not cry in front of others about anything that had to do with me. My tears were private and emotion was buried as far as I could get it. Except when reading or watching a movie, which then allowed me to vicariously let go of the emotions I had been harboring inside. One of the comments I hear frequently about Misfit McCabe is you made me cry hurled like an accusation. I am delighted to hear it because it means I have effectively done my job and struck a chord within the reader. (Sorry guys, not going to say sorry for making anyone cry.)

I was recently challenged by another Twitter friend, Monica Pearce (@MonicaEPierce) and had to tell her why I feel my books are important because she called me out when I called them simple stories. Jewelz encapsulated it perfectly in the surprise that a book could cause that level of emotion. I write stories so readers like Jewelz can connect with my characters and know that they are not the only ones who feel that way and make mistakes and it’s okay to feel the emotions. In this complicated world, the task of growing up is filled with pitfalls and uncertainty and by reading about characters who experience similar issues to their own, it helps the path to feel a little firmer under foot. Or, at least, it did for me and this is what I hope to pass on to my readers and why I write.

Thanks to Jewelz for her comments – she has truly made my day & probably my week.

The post Review and Comments to Warm the Heart – Misfit McCabe appeared first on Be the Cat.

The interview posted today on Carol’s Prints and I was extremely pleased with how it turned out. Carol Valdez Miller is working hard on writing her second novel, and has a very encouraging and sparkling personality. I would recommend checking out her blog or following her on Twitter or both. So stop by and read Interview with a Misfit.

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The way it works is this: If you have a book you’d like to share with the troops and your book is available via Smashwords, you create a 100% off coupon and contact Ed. He sends a list of the troop contacts which have opted to participate in the program and you send emails off to the contacts with a description of your offerings and the coupon code. It couldn’t be simpler. For full details, visit the Smashwords blog.

Being the wife of a former military member, as soon as I learned about Operation eBook Drop I immediately wanted to participate, but wasn’t sure whether my young adult books would be of interest to the troops. I had this vision of a soldier sitting at his post, complete with war sounds of mortars and bullets flying, reading Misfit McCabe and couldn’t quite fathom it. Then I started thinking about the men and women who are overseas and serving our nation. Perhaps Misfit McCabe could give them an opportunity to escape their grim reality and take a mental trip back home. The soldiers might have a child at home, much like Katie McCabe, or they may be reminded in some way of themselves at a younger age. I’ve said for many years that young adult novels are not just for teens, so it was time to step up to the plate and put Misfit McCabe out there. Another reason I thought my young adult offering might spark some interest is it would be a good way for the troops to connect with those left behind. Maybe they do have a teen at home who is missing mom or dad, and they could email them the link and coupon to download the book. I really hope it will be used in this way as well.

When I mentioned my participation in Operation eBook Drop to my husband, Denny, he was skeptical at first, which irritated me until I realized I had the same skepticism initially. Imagine my delight when less than 24 hours after having sent the coupon code out in email to the troops I had my first download from a soldier. Thanks to Wayne Dunlap for making my weekend. Whether you believe we are involved in the war for the right reasons or not, the soldiers who are overseas serving our country are there because they are doing their job. Involvement in this project is a great way to say Thank You to all of the men and women who are daily putting their lives on the line for our freedom. If you don’t have your book available in ebook format through Smashwords, it is a relatively easy process and once available you can participate in Operation eBook Drop. Fellow author, Linda Welch, encouraged me to get involved. Well, what are you waiting for?

Posted on LL Book Review

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