Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

My Book News & Advocate for the Writing Community ©

Bibliophile Collective Tuesday – YA Fiction – Clickety Click

October 11, 2022
mandyevebarnett


In honour of spooky month, I am sharing a little about my YA fiction novella, Clickety Click. The protagonist is a young orphaned girl called Alice. Her guardians live in a remote cottage and are mysterious in nature. They assure Alice everything is fine, but certain areas of their large property have been off limits. Not until she begins to have a recurring nightmare of a purple monster, does the truth come out. It is so fantastical, Alice has trouble accepting what she is and where she came from.

This is the opening paragraph.

It’s eyes widened as it grew closer and closer to her face. Alice was paralyzed with fear, clutching her bed covers with white knuckled fingers. The creature’s mauve skin glistened with slime and drops fell onto its spindly pointed claws. Alice opened and closed her mouth willing her voice to sound in the dark bedroom. The claws clicked together as the monster’s jaw opened. Click. Click. Clickety-click.

You can find Clickety Click online on the usual purchase sites – Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Amazon, Smashwords and in Shelf Life Bookstore, Calgary. You can also request it at any library!

Is Your Reader Engrossed – Are You..?

April 27, 2013
mandyevebarnett


Engross – definition : to take up the whole interest or attention of; absorb

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Image  : superladysarah.deviantart.com  – pop over and take a look.

I openly admit, that given the opportunity, I would be engrossed with writing 24/7. As some of you know I came to this art later in life and am now trying my hardest to make up for ‘lost’ time. At times I feel real panic that all the stories I want to write will not come to fruition. I’m not overly worried about all of them being published just simply written as a legacy. The notion of my words being shared after I leave this mortal coil appeals to me and I would hazard a guess to many writers.

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To glance someone engrossed in reading our story is a true gift and a  thrill. We have immersed them into a world of our creation. A friend of my daughter’s is currently reading, The Rython Kingdom and said she was gripped from the beginning – what more could an author want? It will be interesting to hear her review. Have your reviewers described your ‘world and characters’ as you see them or differently?

Rumble's First Scare
Obviously it is different when your story is a children’s picture book.  With the help of an artist you have to make your mental images come to life on paper. I have experienced this with my monster story – Rumble’s First Scare. I received my most precious review for this book. See here: https://mandyevebarnett.com/2012/03/24/book-review-of-distinction-4/

Have any of your readers commented on a scene or character of yours and had either a similar or vastly different image to you and how you thought your readers would perceive them?

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