Marcy Collier

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First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz and
Marcy Collier

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One year of First Friday reviews is now in the books. A great big thank you to all of the fabulous debut authors who have agreed to participate. Marcy and I are looking for many more reviews to follow.

Welcome to January’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.
This month we’re pleased to highlight debut YA novelist, Mindy McGinnis and her novel, Not a Drop to Drink.  I couldn’t put this one down, and when I was called away, the story stayed with me until I was able to once again stick my nose back in the book. We hope you enjoy our answers and encourage you to buy the book.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?

 Dave

– In order to be able to better grasp of the feelings and emotions of Lynn, the main character, who lives in a time when water is scarce and humans must take extreme measures to protect what is theirs, I chose to highlight two particular sections of the novel, one in the beginning and one in the end.

Lynn pulled her own rifle into her lap, the cold metal bringing more comfort to her than Mother’s touch ever could. Her finger curled around the trigger, hugging it tight in the life-taking embrace that she’d learned so long ago. She slipped onto her belly beside Mother, watching the sunlight bounce off the twin barrels of their rifles. Waiting was always the worst part, the crack of the rifle a relief.

(This next section came from later on in the novel and shows a contrast in Lynn’s thinking… The fact that she would even remotely consider assisting a stranger.)

Self-reliance had been Mother’s mantra. Nothing was more important than themselves and their belongings. Allowing Lucy into their home had gone against everything she’d learned, but leaving the little girl to die beside the stream went against something that was simply known and had never been taught. She’d shared the thought with Stebbs after they worked on Lucy’s feet. He told her it was her conscience, guiding her to the right decision.

Marcy – Lynn has been taught by her Mother that survival is the most important part of their life. Survival skills have been a part of Lynn’s life for as long as she can remember. If someone comes on her and Mother’s property to take their water, they would shoot to kill. Now Lynn is rethinking how she reacts to trespassers. In this paragraph, Lynn reflects on a boy that she killed because he walked on her property and compares this to another man who came on the property, but she decides to spare his life. This demonstrates how her character is growing and evolving.

She could see what Mother had meant about the dead boy whose boots she’d taken. Even starving, Eli had a sparkle of youth about him, though he lacked the paunchy cheeks of the boy she’d shot. Lynn balanced the two faces in her mind, trying to tack down what exactly made them so different. In the end, she decided Eli was just easier to look at. For the first time since her death, Lynn dreamt of a face other than Mothers.

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?

Dave – For me, this was easy. Lynn had resisted for so long getting close to someone. She’d resisted dropping her guard for fear someone would take over what was rightly hers. And now, when she finally allows that to happen, one of her worst fears results.

Her heart was beating so hard, she almost didn’t hear the footsteps on the roof. Lynn instinctively dropped down, hand clutched protectively around the thermometer. For a moment there was nothing, only the sound of her own blood pumping through her veins. Then she heard it again.

Someone was on her roof.

Marcy – You know I usually go for the chapter ending that is the cliffhanger – like Dave’s above, but this time, I’m picking a chapter ending that captures the innocence of a child. Young Lucy, a child Lynn has taken in, talks Lynn out of shooting a man because he has come on to the property. Lynn has a conversation with the man and ends up helping him. This last line fosters hope.

Lucy tilted her head against the window to watch the stranger go, her breath making a fog against the cold glass, until they could see him no more.

“Good luck, mister,” she said, her words filled with the hope of a child.”

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?

Dave – Stebbs is my favorite secondary character. He possesses the knowledge of what life was like before hard times hit. Because of that, I believe he’s able to convey to Lynn a sense of humanity that was needed, is needed, to survive.

Stebbs gave Lynn a hard look. “I know you’re just saying what you think your mother would’ve wanted. Seems to me you’re starting to grow a heart on your own, but every now and then you think of her and it kills it dead like the frost to a seedling. You weren’t taught any different, but it used to be that people helped each other.”

“Used to be a lot of things different.”

“But people are still the same,” Stebbs said, and edge on his voice that usually wasn’t there. “And all everyone is trying to do is survive.”

Marcy –  Stebbs is my favorite character. His quiet, gentle soul helps guide Lynn with choices. Besides helping her survive, he teaches her a great deal about life and people.

Dave and I think so much alike. I had also picked the paragraph above, but will choose two different ones instead.

“So I guess I’ll go ahead and tell you – don’t be making the same mistakes she did. Or hell, the ones I did either. Don’t be afraid to care for that little one, and don’t be too proud to let that boy know what you feel. Otherwise you might end up with neither of ‘em.”

“I’m asking you to be more than she was. Be strong, and be good. Be loved, and be thankful for it. No regrets.”

4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description? 

Dave – I chose this particular section from early on in the novel. I think it gives such insight into how Lynn thought, how she was taught to think by her mother, how she felt she needed to think in order to survive.

Twilight had fallen by the time Lynn had made a binding for her ankle out of Mother’s shirt. She felt like a vulture as she stripped Mother’s body of anything useful – knife, matches, even the hair tie she been using. Nothing should be wasted. Scavenging from bodies was nothing new to Lynn, but taking Mother’s shirt from her as a cold sleet began brought her to her knees. She cried in long, gasping breaths that ripped through her body. Her knees slipped in the blood-soaked mud, and she fell face forward into the muck, where she saw her rifle. 

She crawled toward it, wiping it as clean as she could on her shirt…

Marcy – This paragraph gives the reader a deep look inside the main character’s head in the beginning of the story. And for me this line really shows the stark contrast of Lynn’s mindset in the beginning of the novel and then how her character grows and develops as we get deeper into the novel. And now as I’m reading through the post, I see Dave picked this same paragraph for his answer above.

Lynn pulled her own rifle into her lap, the cold metal bringing more comfort to her than Mother’s touch ever could. Her finger curled around the trigger, hugging it tight in the life-taking embrace that she’d learned so long ago. She slipped onto her belly beside Mother, watching the sunlight bounce off the twin barrels of their rifles. Waiting was always the worst part, the crack of the rifle a relief.

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue? 

Dave –  I picked this line because it comes at a time when Lynn, who is just learning how to trust people, tries to teach a basic lesson of how to survive living in the country to someone she has just met.

“It’s not like the city out here,” Lynn said. “You’re better off to distrust everyone at first and make them earn it.”

“Then it’s exactly like the city.”

Marcy–  I thought this line was so sweet. Eli is so patient with Lynn. She hasn’t been around people and doesn’t really quite understand how human nature works. Eli asks permission for a kiss. Lynn leans forward and pecks him on the cheek, which was her Mother’s ultimate show of affection. Here is Eli’s response.

“I’m not going to kiss you like your mother. C’mere.”

To read more about Mindy McGinnis’ debut YA novel Not a Drop to Drink please go to:

Dave Amaditz January 3, 2014 Leave A Comment Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz and

Marcy Collier

Welcome to December’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.


This month we’re pleased to highlight debut YA novelist, Margaux Froley and her novel, Escape Theory.  This page turner will keep you up at night. We hope you enjoy our answers and encourage you to buy the book.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?


Dave – In this particular section, we’re at the point of the story where Devon, the main character, begins to feel comfortable with what she is doing as a student-counselor. In turn, some of the students begin to respect her, which ultimately leads to her beginning to respect herself.


I think he respects me.


Could that be right? The thought was unfamiliar, like trying a new language. Devon was used to being out of the loop, on the fringe of everything. It was almost comforting to know that her place would always be as an observer, not be observed. But now something had shifted. Matt wasn’t looking for her to simply reflect his personality back to him. He cared what she thought. For the first time, she mattered.


Marcy – For me, this is the point where Devon has finally admitted to herself what she needs to do. Her roommate finds some stuff in her drawer and turns her in out of concern. Devon finally admits to herself that she will prove the truth to everyone at Keaton and responds this way to her friend:  


Devon shifted her weight on her plastic cleats. “Yeah, well, I care, too. Still do.” She ran off toward the field. Maybe she was a nightmare to deal with right now. But she had her reasons. And she would prove them to Keaton.

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?


Dave – I cannot say that Marcy’s pick didn’t have me turning the page quickly to see what happened next, but I chose this cliffhanger from earlier in the story.


“He confirmed it was Oxy in Hutch’s system. A lot of it. But he said the weird thing was, usually with overdoses you find a few pills undigested in the stomach. Not with Hutch. The Oxy must have been crushed up before he took it. The only reason someone does that is if they plan on never waking up.”


Raven sniffed and stopped crying. She glanced up at her brother.


“Or, if they don’t know they were taking it,” Devon said.


Marcy – I can’t say why this is an awesome cliffhanger without giving away the story. All I’ll say is that an unexpected girl is getting out of Hutch’s brother’s car and Devon witnesses it.


She locked eyes with Eric Hutchins.


3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?


Dave – Hutch, is definitely my favorite secondary character. His relationship with Devon is open and honest. I believe this quote will give some insight into that attitude.


“… Would have liked a choice in the matter,” he finished for her. “I get it. The freaky thing is that our parents were easier than this place. Every minute here is accounted for, regimented. It’s like the creepy ooze that just gets in everywhere, and eventually takes over your life. I hate it. I’d take public school, or even just being a day student any day. When you live here you can’t escape it.”


Marcy –  Even though Devon’s the main character, the story revolves around Hutch. I enjoyed the depth of many of the secondary characters, but his wit and humor outshined the others. In this paragraph, we get deep inside Hutch’s head as he talks about his older brother, Eric.


Hutch chuckled. “That’s my brother, Eric. Everything fazes him. He got the burden of being older and worried about what everyone thinks of him, especially our dad. That’s just not me. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I refuse to bend over backward for everyone else until I’m broken like he is. I’m broken in my own way, I guess.”


Then there’s another line when Hutch talks to Devon from his heart:


“I have a feeling you’re the only good thing about this whole place.”


Devon laughed off the compliment. “We just got here.”


“But what if I’m right? What if tonight is the best it will get around here for the next four years and everything is just downhill.”


“If getting locked in the kitchen together is the best it gets, that doesn’t bode well for the next four years.”


4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?


Dave – There were quite a few I wanted to choose, all of which gave great insight into a particular character or a great visual image, but this particular section let me in on the mindset of the characters, the whole town, the setting in which the novel was placed.


The Town of Monte Vista was full of secrets that only Keaton students found valuable. The Monte Vista Deli would sell cigarettes without carding for one. The grocery store always carded, but the gas station would sell liquor to the fakest of IDs. Presley had once used her gym membership card from home to buy vodka, and the clerk never questioned it. They knew that as long as the cameras caught them showing something to the clerk, no one would get in trouble. Devon figured it was because Keaton students lived by so many rules on campus, rules in real life were just another set of boundaries to be pushed and worked around. Working around rules was the true cornerstone of the Keaton education, the one no one ever discussed.


Marcy – Can you tell by now that my favorite secondary character really is Hutch? It seems like all of my top picks are his lines. He’s definitely stealing the show for me in this novel during this conversation with Devon.


“Do you ever have those moments where you feel like you’re in the middle of making a really good memory? One that you’re going to remember when you get old? I think we just lived one of those moments.”


You really think when you’re like fifty and have a wife and two kids and the house and fancy career, you’ll really remember this one little night?”


He didn’t so much as blink. “I’m going to remember this night until I die. Maybe even after that.”


5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?


Dave –  This novel contained so many great lines of dialogue. All of the conversations flow quite naturally. This particular line comes from Devon’s friend, Presley, who is always telling it like it is.


“Devon, I’m saying this because I love you, because you’re my best friend, and you don’t talk to a ton of other people. So someone has to say it. You have got to get over this Hutch thing. No, I never slept with Hutch. Never even kissed the guy. Thought about it, yes. Did anything about it, no. But you? You’re obsessing. It’s annoying. But more than that, it’s disturbing. Go find Grant. Go make out with that hot boy and forget about the dead one. You hear me? This is for your own good.”


Marcy–  Hutch doesn’t hold back his thoughts. Hutch and Devon are in the unlocked school kitchen after hours. He makes this astute comment to Devon.


“A place that bases everything on an honor system leaves a lot of room for stupidity,” Hutch said.


Dave Amaditz December 6, 2013 3 Comments Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day




by Dave Amaditz and 

Marcy Collier

Welcome to November’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.



This month we’re pleased to highlight debut YA novelist, Geoffrey Girard and his novel, Project Cain.  This fantastic read will pull you in from beginning until end. We hope you enjoy our answers and encourage you to buy the book.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?


Dave – There were quite a few passages to choose from, but in the end I chose this because it gave insight into how Jeff, the main character, was able to rationally process information so that he could cope with everything that had gone wrong in his life (since he was created).


One thing I’ve learned from all of this is that there aren’t answers for everything.



Science and logic and facts can’t cover all of it.


Sometimes stuff just can’t be explained.


Marcy – I really enjoyed this passage in the novel. It provoked thought and gave me great insight into the main character, Jeff. It ended up being his mantra throughout the remainder of the novel. 



EXTREME LIFE would have been simple enough for any skate park. Extreme sports and lifestyle and all that stuff. It meant “to stay radical and colorful and dangerous and loud and outrageous.” And I’m sure that’s how most of the skaters here took it. But the “FOR,” I think, added something else entirely. Something that whoever’d spray painted this message however many weeks, months, or years before had meant for the whole world to see. Or maybe just for himself or herself. It meant, I think, to fight FOR life. Not taking it for granted. Call it carpe diem or YOLO or whatever. This person embraced life, was made for it. It meant don’t take one minute of life for granted. It meant DON’T EVER BE AFRAID OF THE DARK. A challenge. And a promise, too.


2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?


Dave – To me, there were so many parts throughout the book where the tension was so high, so riveting, that I could’ve found a cliffhanger to write about on nearly every page.  As insight, the “dark men” were created by the government to seek out and find people like Jeff. Chilling.


All that whole day, Castillo and Ox and the other guys prepared.

A lot of it involved explosives. Mines and stuff.

Consequently I was asked to stay in my room.

A room surrounded by concrete that was a hundred feet below the ground.

They took turns guarding my door.

I tried to sleep. To heal.

All that whole day, I could feel the dark men in my head.

Listening for me. For my blood.

All that whole day, I could feel them getting even closer.

I closed my eyes.

Come and get me, I said to the dark.


Marcy – I won’t go into detail as not to spoil this scene, but Jeff is quite intuitive. The deeper I got into the book, the more dark secrets I learned about Jeff’s dad. This chapter ending kept me reading late into the night. And I have to say, I had some very bizarre dreams while reading this novel!



He’d wanted me to have it. Just another one of his little experiments for me. Left it precisely where I’d find it. Wanted me to see all that he’d been up to.


So I guess he got exactly what he wanted.


Because when I opened the door, the very first thing I saw was the dead guy.


3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?


Dave – Castillo. Not to be repetitive, but ditto Marcy’s comments found below.


Marcy –  First, Jeff is scared of Castillo. He feels like he’s being held captive against his will. But the more I get to know the strong, silent Castillo, the more I like him. His true personality is uncovered, and he becomes this gentle, protective giant.


It was a paperback. The Pillars of the Earth. Something about building a Gothic cathedral in England. What’s this for? I wondered out loud.


Castillo said: You said you were a reader. He positioned his new lawn chair at the back window. Unless you wanted a romantic thrill, he said. That’s all the store had.


I flipped through the book. It was, like, eighty thousand pages long and weighed fourteen pounds. I had the feeling Castillo had bought it only because it was the biggest one they’d had. Guess he thought we were gonna be in an empty house awhile.


Castillo watched me, looked like he wanted to say something, and then turned to look out the window again.


4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?


Dave – As Marcy has said below, there were so many interesting descriptions to choose from. I took the liberty of picking two.


First, can you imagine knowing your father thinks of you like this:



The night my father left, he’d told me I was part of the special 5%.



That when living conditions become too crowded in any environment, 5% of the population will resort to violence to achieve its goals.


They’ve done studies with rats. Perfectly calm and nonviolent animals until they’re introduced into an environment with limited resources. Limited food, mates, and space. Then 5% of the previously nonviolent rats get medieval. They murder other rats. Rape other rats. Eat other rats. Even though they’d never done any of these things when in small groups or appropriate space. It was just part of their nature to adapt. To survive and thrive in a more challenging environment.


These are the dominant ones, my father said. The ones meant to rule their world.


That’s, I guess, who I was with now.


Second, I think this explains a lot of what the main character has to deal with throughout the novel on a very personal level as to why he is always having visions of some sort.


Online I found all sorts of information about other people who claimed to see faces. Mostly right when they were falling asleep. But most of what I found talked about weird stuff like astral projection and passed lives and something called the Akashic Records, which is like a universal storeroom for all human knowledge that can be assessed during deep meditation. None of this was too helpful, so I basically just went around for years weirded out by it all.


The mystery was solved only when my father handed me that folder. Inside, remember, were pictures of all of Jeffrey Dahmer’s known victims. Pictures with names.


I’d looked only at the top sheet. Hadn’t known any of the names.


Their faces, however…


I’d recognized everyone.


Marcy – This perceptive line rang so true to the book and everyday life. Totally relatable to most everyone. There were so many “ah ha” statements made by the main character that it was extremely hard to choose a favorite.


It was funny to think about the whole world just going on. I mean, when shitty things are going on in your life, everyone else just kinda carries on. Business as usual. All those people passing had no idea what was going on in the motel room below me.

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?


Dave –  This line comes from Castillo. It made me wonder. Do we all become our parents? Also, Jeff’s thoughts following the response are worrisome, but I’ll let you read for yourself to find out what he’s thinking.

Castillo suddenly said his own dad had taken off when he was nine.

Yeah? I prompted.

Yeah, Castillo said. I hated the son of a bitch for close to twenty years. And the more I tried hating him, the more I became just like him. The way he moved, talked. Things he said. Christ… I don’t know. In a couple of years I’ll probably be him.


Marcy– Again – another way that the reader can identify with Jeff. Even though his circumstances are way over the top extreme of normal people, he tells it like it is and makes the reader think deeply about everyday life.

If everyone told the truth, even half the time, we’d probably all jump off a bridge.


To read more about Geoffrey Girard’s debut YA novel Project Cain or his adult techno thriller, Cain’s Blood, please go to:

Dave Amaditz November 1, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz &

Marcy Collier

Permanent Record (release date March 5, 2013, from Amazon Children's Publishing
Welcome to September’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.

This month we’re pleased to highlight debut YA novelist, Leslie Stella, and her novel, Permanent Record. There’s so much good to say about this novel. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the excerpts we’ve chosen below, follow the links we’ve included to read what others are saying, and ultimately, check out the book for yourself.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?


Dave – In this scene Badi, a.k.a. Bud (you need to read for yourself why the names are different) has given up trying to fit in, trying to be normal. This passage gives you a little insight as to the reason why, but you will need to read the book for yourself to see what is the result of the decision.



The real reason I can’t talk to Nikki is because I’ve moved off the path to sanity and fitting in – even with the misfits – and where I’m headed now, she can’t follow. I love her and that hurts. Even Reggie, the type of guy I’ve always admired – cool-geek, comfortable with himself, smart, antiauthority – I can’t be friends with him anymore because I’m giving up on trying to get better. There are all those people who stand in my way, who haunt me, dog my heels, from Leighton to Magnificat. The shit just never ends. I’m giving in to being who I am now.

Marcy – The main character, Badi (also known as Bud) has never had any real friends. He goes to this new school and faces one disaster after another. But through all of the disasters, he makes a few friends along the way. But then he questions if these people really are his friends. He doesn’t feel he deserves to have friends. This is the point in the story for me that was pivotal. One of his good friends Nikki tells him exactly how she feels, and he finally starts to realize that he does have people who care about him.



 I cross my arms. I knew it would come to this. “You’re against me,” I say.



“Against you? Dude, I am against you back-to-back, surrounded by infidels,” she says. “I am for you. I want you to succeed and be happy, even though being happy seems completely unrealistic for people like you and me. I’m getting concerned here. Scared. I’m afraid something bad is going to happen to you. It’s making me not see things clearly, and I’m sorry.”



The meeting is due to start, so I go in and leave her behind. I hate to do it.


2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?

Dave – There were a few chapter endings that I really liked, the end of chapter 1, chapter 15 and 16, as they all really made me think, really brought me closer to the main character, made me want to read more. In the end though, I chose this one. To help you understand the scene, you need to know that King Sargon is his cat and that “Car Wash of Death” is a song his brother made up about wasting away working at a car wash.


King Sargon sits on my desk and looks out my bedroom window. I close the door and play “Car Wash of Death” ten million times on Dariush’s turntable, lying on my bed, staring up at the darkening ceiling and picking at my mole. I don’t fall asleep though I’m beyond tired, and I can’t eat – not that anyone calls me for dinner and I can smell that it’s orange chicken koresh again, my favorite – but my stomach is blocked by a trapdoor that closes whenever the depression hits. And it is hitting hard. The only thing that gets me through is the thought of what I will do to that school on Saturday night.

Marcy – This happens toward the end of the story. I don’t want to spoil the novel so I won’t give specific details. Bud struggles with mental illness. Throughout the story, he tends to bottle up his feelings and thoughts, but toward the end, he finally makes a big transformation and begins to see life differently. He makes a tough decision and a plea for help:


God help me out of this don’t leave me alone abandon me alienate me hate me destroy me – floor rushes up to me – my little brother and sister are crying, everyone’s crying but me. I can’t cry because I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe because everything inside me shuts down.


3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?

Dave – Dariush, Badi’s (Bud’s) brother, is my favorite secondary character. He so confident and comfortable with himself, even though he, like Badi (Bud) is a total disappointment in the eyes of his parents. Also, he’s not opposed to telling it like it is. Following, is an example.


He stretches and gets up. “The thing you have to understand about people,” he says, “is that most of them suck, and you don’t want to be like them anyway. Just get through high school. I won’t lie: people suck after high school, too. But you’ll be older then and will have given up, so it won’t be as devastating.”

Marcy –  I was honestly torn between Dariush, Bud’s brother and Nikki. I ended up choosing Nikki, but was happy to see that Dave chose Dariush.


Nikki is one of the few characters that not only accepts Bud for himself, but also accepts others regardless of their problems. She’s not scared off by Bud’s crazy stories or his problems like most people. She is the one person (other than his brother) that he feels comfortable enough to allow inside his world.


Nikki’s bus is coming. She says, “I want to know it all. One day. When you want to tell me everything.”


4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?

Dave – I had a list of about fifteen passages to choose from after I read through the book, but in the end decided this passage was my favorite because it showed Badi’s (Bud’s) humanity (and I almost used this section for my favorite character growth) and the fact that he is not, as he says himself, a total monster. I also picked it because the scene is so visual, yet still evokes so much emotion.


I see the douche bag Trevor. He came with this girl from the newspaper staff, and he pulls her chair out for her and then gets her a cup of lemonade, and she takes it without looking at him and sets it on the table, and then takes out her phone and plays around with it. And he sits there with this miserable expression on his face, and he fixes his tie and leans in to say stuff to her every so often, and she is not into him, and it’s the kind of thing that happens a million times a day, but when you see it happening to someone in front of you, even someone as revolting as Trevor, you would have to be an absolute monster not to feel some vestige of sympathy.


Dylan and his buddies and their dates pass by, and with them is Dylan’s little sister, the freshman he pointed out to me on my first day. She has very bad skin and is not pretty – I’m sorry to say it and I’m not judging, but there it is; and she’s apparently dateless and tagging along with them – probably their mother made her go because Dylan is Mr. Popularity – and he has his hand lightly on her shoulder when she says something to him, and her whole face is a study in misery, and he replies and pats her back, like, human, and his sister’s posture, hunched and defeated, embodies the last fourteen months of my life, when things begin to misfire in my brain and the whole universe decided it was out to get me.


(The scene goes on with more astute observations, but I ended it early in an effort not to give away too much of the plot. So please, read for yourself to see what happens).

Marcy – I love the descriptions in this paragraph! I have a crystal clear snapshot of the images that Bud describes – so vivid. And this scene also gives us a look through Bud’s eyes about Nikki.  


Being that I ride public transportation every day, I see my fair share of crazy, and sometimes it’s not pretty. Like the lady who brings the baby carriage on the Western Avenue bus, but it’s holding Duraflame logs and bottles of orange pop, not a baby. And there’s always a guy peeing on himself. Always. It’s like a rule. Homeless people who yell at the bus driver; homeless people who are trying really hard not to seem like homeless people, but they are dragging kids with them and taking suitcases onto the bus and their money is always carried in some complicated contraption tied to their belts. That’s how I know Nikki is a decent human and not just a rich girl who lives in a nice house in the city: she takes crazy in stride. You could just get up and move away from the crazy people, but she stays put.


5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?

Dave – This quote comes from Nikki, Badi’s (Bud’s) friend. She’s supposed to be a misfit, too. I love how this line makes you think, or rethink what, and whom, are normal.



“Look, I told them I was covering the bonfire for the paper, Bud. I didn’t know it was going to be this big thing with you. They like to take the twins out for wholesome family fun on Saturday nights. I think they’re at the shooting range.”

Marcy– Another laugh-out-loud line!



You know your family’s got problems when the hippies with the stoned dog are worried about you.


You can find Leslie at:


Twitter: @leslie_stella

Permanent Record is available in hardcover or for Kindle at:

Dave Amaditz September 6, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz &

Marcy Collier

The Flame in the Mist
Welcome to August’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.


This month we’re pleased to highlight debut novelist, Kit Grindstaff, and her novel, The Flame in the Mist. I had the privilege to meet Kit at 2009 Rutgers One-On-One Plus Conference, where she was busy working on her novel. Fortunately, I ran across her again this past June at the New Jersey SCBWI conference where she was able to share good news of publication, and more importantly, where she agreed to participate in this month’s Five Favorites.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?

Dave – There were so many to choose from, but in the end, without revealing some of the plots inner secrets, I chose this paragraph because it shows the perils that Jemma, the main character, must face, as well as illustrates one snippet of the fantastic writing found throughout the novel.


Jemma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The Prophecy. Despite everything, it still burned inside her, driving her. She’d been drawn inexorably to this destiny from the moment she first started having doubts about the Agromonds, and had set it in motion with their first step toward escape. How she would ever bring back the sun, she had no idea, but rescuing the triplets was vital. They couldn’t wait.

Marcy – Jemma has lived her entire life in the castle with the Agromond family. She always knew that she was different – not like them. She finally finds the courage to escape from them with the help of Drudge. In this scene, her brave behavior and change of heart for Drudge is the beginning of how her character greatly changes throughout the novel.

“A big cave. Then another tunnel, which will lead away from the castle, where there’s no alarm. I understand.” Jemma squeezed his hands. “I wish I wasn’t leaving you here! But—”

“Go!” Drudge pulled his hands away. “Mussst, now! G’bye, Jmmmaaah.”

“Goodbye. And please say goodbye to Digby for me, will you? Tell him…tell him I’ll look for him in Hazebury, when I get there.”

Drudge nodded, wiping one eye with the back of his sleeve. “Trussst,” he said again, softly.

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?

Dave – Again, without giving too much away, I picked this chapter ending because I didn’t see it coming and needed to immediately turn the page to find out what came next. To set the scene a little, Jemma is feeling pretty good about herself because she has gotten away from the castle, and the likes of Nox Agromond… only to see… well, you read for yourself.

Every face, every tree, and every building in the square was still crystal clear. As crystal clear as the electric sense of someone approaching from behind her. Crystal clear as she turned around. And crystal clear as she saw the unmistakable dark hair and determined stride of Nox Agromond, exiting the inn and heading straight toward her.

Marcy – This chapter ending gave me chills. In the last 24 hours, Jemma has discovered that her entire life has been a lie. Jemma is reading the back of a newspaper clipping and recognizes the picture of her mother.

She turned the picture over. 

Tiny writing was scrawled with obvious effort across the back.

My darling child. We are waiting.

Jemma felt her destination sharpen in her mind as clearly as etching on glass. For somehow, something in her knew that her mother, at least, was still in Oakstead – and alive.

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?

Dave – Nocturna is my favorite secondary character. She is the epitome of evil, one hundred percent committed to her cause and only willing to waver with feelings or actions that resemble kindness if, and only if, the end result will benefit her. Who else would say the following to their daughter?

“Yes, you will, Mord take you,” Nocturna said, gripping her harder, “if I have to kill you to get it.”

Marcy – My favorite secondary character was hard to choose because there were so many characters I adored. Jemma meets a young girl named Talon during her travels to escape. The reader expects Talon to turn Jemma in to the Chief Inquisitor who is also happens to be Talon’s father. But boy, does Talon surprise Jemma and the reader.

Talon frowned, then broke into a grin. “I know – come to my house! It’s the last place anyone’ll think of lookin’. Pa’s never home, an’ it’d never occur to ‘im you’d be hidin’ under our roof. Don’t worry, Ma can’t stand ‘im any more’n I can. We both felt ‘is fist a bit too often. ‘Sides, she’d be dead chuffed to meet yer. So come on, let’s be off!”

4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?

Dave –  This was not easy! So I picked two in order to give you a sense of the fantastic writing as well as of the evil Jemma faces in her quest.

First - Everyone dozed. Only Grandmama Mallentent seemed to be awake, her crazed paint-cracked eyes staring from her portrait as if they saw into Jemma’s duplicity. Jemma fixed her gaze on the fire, and on the family motto glaring at her from the mantelpiece: Mordus Aderit. She tried re-ordering the letters to make pleasant words, but it only yielded ones that seemed to taunt her: Ruse. Dare. Dread. Dread. The word slithered into Jemma’s head, then wormed into her bones, where it curled up and tightened like a noose.

Jemma mopped her mouth with a napkin, her stomach in revolt. The stew had been vile. The silkiness of the pancreas made her retch, and how could she have ever liked the bitter taste of spleen, with its crumbly texture? Even the crunch of the bees-in-syrupwater dessert was disgusting to her now.

Second - What met her eyes was more horrific than she could have imagined. Countless small human skeletons were grouped together in twos and threes, some whose arm bones embraced another; others with finger bones entwined. Several behind the door looked as though they’d been trying to claw their way out.

Marcy – Jemma has never guided a horse before – this is her first time trying to ride Pepper under strained circumstances. I felt like I was right in the scene with the fantastic imagery and action.

“Easy, girl – easy!’ Terrified, Jemma gripped with her legs as she lay over Pepper’s withers, her arms wrapped around the mare’s outstretched neck. The ground rushed by. She could feel her cloak streaming behind her like wings. Wings that had saved her, breaking her fall from Mordwin’s Crag…She began to feel as though she was flying, and melted into Pepper’s thundering gallop, remembering the thrill of speed she’d felt earlier with Digby’s arm around her. All fear vanished. Her mind merged with the mare’s, envisioning where to go: Over there, to the right – Yes! That’s it…

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?

Dave – Even with all the scary scenes I’ve picked for my favorites, I think this line proves, that in the darkest hours, there can be hope.

“Nobody is evil through and through, Jemma,” said Lumo, “or good, for that matter. Each of us has the capacity for both, and for most of us, one wicked act, or even several, does not make us a wicked person. That depends on how we choose to commit our lives. Yet even good people have the capacity for cruelty, just as evil ones have the capacity for kindness.”

Marcy – Digby made Jemma die her flaming red hair with a muck of berries and mud, then sheared her hair off like a boy’s so people wouldn’t recognize her. Jemma is not happy about this transformation until Digby gives her a compliment – sort of.

“’S’alright, Jem. I understand. Your hair is kind of your crownin’ glory. But you still look pretty good without it.”

Jemma smiled, her stomach flipping.

“Does stink a bit, though,” he added.

You can find Kit at:

                       

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kitgrindstaff (@kitgrindstaff)

Dave Amaditz August 2, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz &
Marcy Collier

Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie

Welcome to May’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to ourFive Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.


This month we’re pleased to highlight debut author E. M. Kokie’s novel, Personal Effects.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?

Dave – To me, this passage catches Matt at one of his lowest points. He thinks he’s finally worked out a way to reconnect with parts of his brother’s life he never knew, but… well, let Matt describe what happened, as he’ll do a better job than I.


I thought I was coming here on a mission, one last thing I could do for T.J., maybe the most important thing anyone could do for him. And I planned and plotted and drove and skulked and it all worked… except for the part where I got everything totally 100 percent wrong.

Marcy – On the road trip back home from delivering a special letter, Matt makes a stop at McConnells Mill State Park (which is actually one of my favorite places to take a day trip from Pittsburgh). He replays the last camping trip he and his brother T.J. took and realizes that he had everything all wrong when his brother tried to have a heart-to-heart talk with him in front of the campfire. This realization shows how his character has grown.


But maybe he was trying to figure out if he could tell me or if he should tell me, or how. Maybe he was already getting ready to leave for good, leave me behind, and didn’t know how to tell me that. Whatever it was, I didn’t ask because I figured, ultimately, whatever was in his head was about death. It never occurred to me it could be about life.

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?

Dave – Matt has been reading through stacks of letters and searching through tons of pictures that were part of his brother’s “personal effects.” They’re helping him to reconnect with the part of his brother’s life that he didn’t know. He’s borrowed his friend’s car and drove hundreds of miles to meet the girl, Celia, who has written most of the letters and is in many of the pictures, the girl who he thinks might be his brother’s wife.


The front door opens, and a tall guy in a suit shuffles through, juggling some kind of briefcase, two cloth bags, and some other stuff.


“Hi,” he says when he looks up and sees me standing there. “You must be Matt, right?”


Oh. Celia’s brother. A little older than in the pictures, and with the start of a scruffy beard, and glasses, but definitely him.


“Oh, uh, hi,” I carefully put the picture back where it was, adjusting it until it’s exactly like I found it. “I was just looking at the pictures.”


I think she has some albums set aside to look through with you,” he says, staring at the pictures on the table. “Some pictures of your brother.”


I want to say something, but nothing seems right, with the twisting sick feeling in my stomach and the itching desire to see the pictures she’s put aside right now.


“So, you’re Celia’s brother, right?” I take a large sip of my soda and push my hand out to shake hello.


“Uh, no. I’m Will. Celia’s husband.”

Marcy – I’m usually a pretty perceptive reader. I always seem to see the next surprise coming at me. I. Did. Not. See. This. Coming. Oh my gosh, this cliffhanger ending blew me away and forced me to stay up way past my bedtime to see what happened next. I will not ruin this for those readers who have not read the book yet. Go get a copy of the book!


“So, you’re Celia’s brother, right?” I take a large sip of my soda and push my hand out to shake hello.


“Uh, no. I’m Will. Celia’s husband.”

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?

Dave – Shauna is my favorite secondary character. She’s known Matt for years and knows everything he’s been through, yet chooses to stand by him despite all of his problems and how others think of him. She’s risking so much of herself to help Matt make connections with his brother’s friends, by lending him her car. The following example will give you an idea of how much she cares for him.


She shakes free and wraps her arms around her middle. “Look, whatever happens, or… whatever you decide to do, just call me, OK? Every day? Because I’m going to worry, and probably be grounded, and it’s going to suck and…” Her hard eyes scare me. “Just promise, OK?”

Marcy – Oh, Shauna – a girl after my own heart. She’s sweet and adorable but can be oh-so-tough and forceful when she gets upset. She’s been Matt’s best buddy since they were kids. Matt wants to become more than friends but would never jeopardize their friendship. She wants to join Matt on his road trip, but he won’t allow her to come. She’s so mad at him, but doesn’t break her promise of allowing him to use her car. Then, she throws him an envelope with cash in it.


“It’s only what I had on hand from my birthday and babysitting, so not that much, but there’s no way you’d make it back with what you have.”

4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?

Dave – So much of the story is tension-packed because of the relationship between Matt and Dad. I chose this passage because it shows that even with all the turmoil in his life, Matt is still on many levels able to function like a normal teenage kid.


I trade her one of the sodas for a steaming plate. Before digging in, I wait for her to sit. But she puts her soda down so she can pull her sweatshirt from around her waist and tug ittarget over her head. COUGAR SOCCER blazes across her chest in brand-spanking-new gold letters. I remind myself not to stare. It’s new – the sweatshirt, not her chest. Her chest has been tormenting me for years. Last week, all the rising-senior soccer players got their “senior sweatshirts” in one of those very-important-to-them ceremony things. She’s been wearing it whenever it’s the least bit cool enough and being very careful not to get it dirty. Shauna already has senior fever: excited and going through all the rituals of junior year to be ready. The way things are going, I may never be as senior. Her teammates think I’m a loser. They’re not the only ones.

Marcy - The reader doesn’t have a clear picture of Mom’s story until near the end. One of my favorite paragraphs relates to Matt coming to terms with his mother’s leaving him at such a young age.


How do you grieve for someone who kissed you good-bye one morning when you were five years old and then left while you were at preschool, so that you came home to an empty house and never saw her again? Do you even grieve when you spend the next year and a half confused and scared and sometimes worried that she might come back?

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?

Dave – This line comes from Matt , and I think it could’ve been used as my favorite scene relating to character growth, as he is finally able to stand up to his father and say what he thinks.


“Dad… I’m not T. J. And I’m not you.” I don’t know who I am yet. “can’t you see that? And just let me… let me have a couple years to… figure it out? Figure out…”

Marcy–Matt has just discovered that he has no idea who his brother really was and can either face the truth or live in denial.


“If you want to hear about who your brother really was, come on back, or call. But if you ever take a swing at me again, I’ll break your arm.”

You can find Emily at:

Dave Amaditz May 3, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz 
& Marcy Collier
Goblin Secrets
Welcome to April version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.

This month we’re pleased to highlight debut author and National Book Award Winner, William Alexander’s novel, Goblin Secrets.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?

Dave- I picked this passage because the main character, Rownie, has just had his narrow view of the world grow larger. Not only has he met a troupe of goblin actors, but he realizes that they know of his missing brother, Rowan.

The circle of goblins all stared at Rownie with their large, bright-flecked eyes. Rownie tried not to cough again. The world had just changed shape, and he didn’t recognize the new shape it was in.

Marcy – This development comes early in the story, but this brief snapshot gives the reader a better understanding for Rownie, the main character’s motivations and actions throughout the novel.

Rownie had a brother older than any of the siblings who shared Graba’s shack, an actual birth-brother. They looked alike, both of them dark with dark eyes – eyes you couldn’t easily see the bottom of. Everyone called the brothers Rowan and Little Rowan. After a while “Little Rowan” shortened into “Rownie.” Rownie had never had a name of his own. Their mother drowned before she’d had a chance to name him.

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?

Dave- In Zombay, the tunnels are the worst place to go, yet Rownie goes there in search of his brother. He is confronted in the darkness by Graba, an evil spell caster, who is after both Rownie and his brother.

Rownie remained in the dark, with Graba. He tried to remember how to breathe.

Marcy – ***Spoiler Alert*** Poor Rownie has been searching high and low for his long lost brother the entire novel. The reader peers around every corner with Rownie, hoping and praying the two brothers will once again be reunited. I won’t give away the dramatic details, but check out this cliffhanger:

The railcar shook and slid to a halt. The lights inside sputtered and went out. “Rowan?” Rownie asked in the dark.

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?

Dave- Essa, a goblin, is my favorite secondary character. In the midst of chaos and danger she maintains her easy-going personality. What’s not to like about lines like these?

The first example comes when she sees Patch, a goblin whom they feared dead.

“Shut it, scowly trousers!” Essa came sprinting from the other end of the tower and knocked both Patch and Nonny to the ground with a tackling hug. Patch held his leg and winced. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” said Essa. “Are you hurt? Is it bad? Are you actually drowned and you just came back to haunt us? I hope not. I would hate it if you said even less than you usually do.”

The second example is her explaining to Rownie what a halberd is.

“If an ax and a spear had babies, they would be halberds,” Essa told him. “It’s a pokey-pokey weapon for convincing things that are taller than you to stay back, please. Here’s one.” She handed it to Rownie and grabbed another.

Marcy – Even though Rowan doesn’t appear until the end of the novel, I get such a clear picture of his vibrant and vivacious character through Rownie’s eyes that I keep hoping that I’ll get to meet the real Rowan, not simply hear about Rownie’s memories of him. Throughout the novel, little snippets of big brother’s character shine through like the paragraph below.

Sometimes Rowan had enough to buy an extra fish pastry, and they would split the third one. He always gave his younger brother the larger piece.

4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?

Dave- There were so many fantastic images throughout, but in the end I decided to pick one that gave a little insight into Rownie’s personality as well as his kid-like voice.

Rownie understood very little of the conversation, though he listened carefully. He sifted words through his head like fine dust through his hands, and he caught what he could. As the youngest he was used to piecing together his understanding from snatches of overheard conversations, and the rest he set carefully aside on the shelf in the back of his mind.

Marcy – Like Dave said above, there were so many great lines of description that I had a hard time choosing as well, but I decided on one simple sentence. Twelve words. What an image it paints for the reader – well done!

The gravestones were all worn and crooked, like teeth badly cared for.

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?

Dave- This comes from Essa, a goblin, and is extremely short. But I loved it. What else would a goblin actor say to their fellow actor before going on stage?

“Break your face, everybody!” said Essa. She said it with so much hope and cheer that Rownie was sure he must’ve heard her wrong.

Marcy – There is a scene in the novel where Thomas, one of the Goblins goes on a tirade and is going to curse Cob, the owner of the alehouse, for not paying the goblins for their performance. His young daughter comes out to make amends and shows true honor and bravery toward the goblins. Her sincerity comes through in these lines:

“I’m just sorry he tossed you out,” the girl said. You should have some payment for the show, so I brought you some bread.” She lifted the basket she held. “It’s fresh. It doesn’t have maggots in it, not unless your curses work very fast.” She gave him the basket.

You can find William at:

Dave Amaditz April 5, 2013 3 Comments Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
by Dave Amaditz and Marcy Collier
Welcome to March’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.

This month we’re pleased to highlight debut author, Meredith Zeitlin’s novel, Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters.

1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?

Dave- I picked this passage from the beginning the book, as I believe it sets the stage for all the problems the main character is going to face throughout the novel.

 “That’s another thing. Guys. How did it happen that I’m the only one of my friends – including Em, the shy one! – who has never hooked up with anyone? Not that I haven’t had any chances, mind you. A certain Keith Mayhew has been frantically pursuing me since sixth grade. (He’s totally nice, but… I don’t like himthat way.) I just want my first real kissing experience to be this utterly awesome thing, with the right guy and the right situation. And I know fourteen isn’t that old… but it feels like I’ve totally missed the boat. I mean, I am seriously the only one now. And what if my friends start having sex or something before I even get to first base, and I’m still wandering around, unkissed, unnoticed? I’ll just die of humiliation. Not that I can imagine anyone (especially myself) having sex with any of the guys I know – or anything leading up to sex, really. It all seems so awkward and sort of gross… and yet it’s what I think about ALL THE TIME.”

Marcy – The main character, Kelsey thinks that her mom wants to re-enact her own teenage years vicariously through her daughter. Kelsey never gives in and tries to keep her away from her friends and the latest gossip, until one day Kelsey has a breakdown. This scene is pivotal in the development of Kelsey’s relationship with her mom.

And then the weirdest thing happens. Maybe it’s her shrill, endlessly irritating voice or just the fact that my life is a mess, but I burst into tears. Even as it’s happening I’m surprised, though I guess after the last couple of months this is sort of becoming routine. Thanks, hormones. Anyway, Mom is really surprised. And somehow I find myself telling her all about Cass and Jordan and Em (I do not mention Keith for fear she’ll overreact and drag me to a gynecologist or something) and she actually really listens. Puts down the newspaper and everything.

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?

Dave- This cliffhanger stood out to me, as I lived the tension right along with Kelsey. Who wouldn’t want to die seeing their best friend kissing their crush?

I laugh, looking back up at the balcony. Then the stage lights do a sweep over the audience, and for a moment, the girl’s face is illuminated.

It’s Cassidy. My Cassidy.

And she’s kissing…

Jordan Rothman.

My stomach drops to my knees.

Marcy – Kelsey has a major crush on Jordan Rothman. She believes that freshman year will be different, and she and Jordan will start dating even though they’ve barely ever talked.

*** Spoiler alert ***

Then Kelsey sees one of her best friends making out with Jordan. You have to read on to the next chapter to find out what’s happening. Terrific cliffhanger!

It’s Cassidy. MyCassidy. And she’s kissing… Jordan Rothman. My stomach drops to my knees.

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?

Dave- I switched back and forth between Travis, Kelsey’s younger sister, and Mom as my favorite secondary character. Mom won out in the end. She has parenting down pat and deals with the ups and down of teen life with humor. She knows when to back off and give her daughter room to grow, but also knows when to step in, to put her foot down, to say enough is enough.

Following is a response from Mom to Kelsey after Kelsey has just finished confiding in her about boyfriend/girlfriend problems.

Then she says, “I’ll tell you this much, honey: Even if Cassidy is experimenting sexually” – GAG! – “she is probably one of the few. Everyone always thinks the whole freshman class is getting it on” – vomit, seriously -“but then senior year you find out it was three people and a lot of imagination. Otherwise 20/20 would be doing a show about it.”

Marcy – JoJo beats to her own drum. She is this spunky, outgoing character who is full of life. She is a free-spirit who is always up for an adventure and makes every scene where she appears exciting. You never know what this character will say or do, but she is honest and true to her friends. Her laid back personality balances Kelsey, who is often high strung.

4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?

Dave- I picked this passage because it shows how desperate Kelsey feels to fit in. She describes Lexi, a new girl in school, as being beautiful, yet she has yet to realize her own beauty.

“It only takes a single day for me to realize that Lexi is way too busy being admired to even notice me shooting her death-ray looks across every hallway and classroom. She has a lot on her plate, after all, what with crossing and uncrossing her endless legs in their $250 jeans, giggling, and flipping her perfect, evil, cascading blond locks.

Not that I’m spending all my time watching Lexi. Most of the time I watch Jordan Rothman watching her. Day by day, my meticulously imagined future with him slips away from me like a helium balloon on a windy day.”

Marcy - This line made me laugh out loud, and I’m quite sure this is how teenagers feel.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I take it out to see a lovely text from my mother about dishes in the sink and how she’s not my maid. Thanks, Verizon, I think, for making your phones so user-friendly that even the elderly can send text messages.

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?

Dave- This is spoken by Keith after a quite awkward kiss with Kelsey, her first. (Boy am I glad I’m no longer a teen.)

Keith glares at me and shouts over the band, “Well, it’s more like you’re not doing it right. Have you ever even made out before? My brother is in college, y’know, and he told me everything there is to know about Frenching when we were in seventh grade, so I think I know what I’m doing, Kelsey. But don’t worry – I’m happy to practice with you till you feel more confident about your skills. “

Marcy – I did not see this accident coming. JoJo and Kelsey are at JoJo’s house drinking. After way too much alcohol, Kelsey brings the bottle of vodka to her lips and smashes the lip of the bottle against her mouth. She doesn’t know she has cracked off her front tooth until she looks in the mirror.

I yelp, “Oh my God, JoJo, I think I just broke my face!” 



You can find Meredith at:

Dave Amaditz March 1, 2013 1 Comment Permalink

First Friday-Five Favorite Things: Freakling, Lana Krumwiede


This past Friday, February 1, 2013, Marcy and I posted our answers to Lana’s debut novel, Freakling. Today, you get to read Lana’s favorite’s. First though, I wanted to mention that the idea for doing this series came to me while I was reading Lana’s book. She had such great insight into her characters, and there were so many moments throughout when I found myself really intrigued by lines of dialogue or paragraphs of description as it related to her main character’s growth. After running the idea by Marcy, she and I came up with the questions for the series. Marcy and I both hoped that by doing this, both we and our readers would gain a little insight into the thought process of the authors we were highlighting, as well as a sneak peek at their debut novels.


What I didn’t realize is the effect that this would have on the authors. Here’s what Lana had to say about the exercise.


“This is actually very thought-provoking. I started wondering if I should start thinking about things like this in the early or middle stages of the writing process. I think a really interesting pre-writing exercise would be to journal about what is my favorite thing about this character’s personality. Or, what is her character growth going to be all about and how can it be shown to maximum effect? I do think about things like that, but I don’t often write it down or perhaps explore it fully.”


“Of course, sometimes the writing takes on an energy of its own, and an author can’t afford to ignore that. Even so, I find that if I can plant some solid ideas in my subconscious beforehand, then more or less forget about that as I write and let my subconscious work things out on its own, things come together nicely as I write. Not sure this is making any sense… the point is that I think these questions are really thoughtful and not the run-of-the-mill author questions, so good job!”


Thank you, Lana, for the compliment! Marcy and I really enjoyed reading the book and picking out our five favorites.


Now, let’s hear Lana’s five favorites.


1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?


Taemon is a bit tricky to write as a main character, because his personality is reserved. He doesn’t like the limelight, and he would rather someone else take the lead. But he does have a strong sense of integrity, and when it was clear that people were relying on him to lead, he steps up to take that role. In my mind, this happens for the first time when Taemon and Amma get captured, and Taemon has to come up with a plan to escape. At that point, everyone looks to him for direction, and he doesn’t shy away from it. That’s my boy!


Here’s a quote from Taemon in which we finally see him taking a stand:


“It’s not right for people with psi to use it for violence. Isn’t that why the powerless colony was established in the first place? Because being powerless makes you vulnerable?”

2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?


All the chapter endings in Freakling have a bit of the cliffhanger, though some are stronger than others. I think one of my favorites is the end of chapter eleven. The scene where Taemon and Amma ride in the back of Jad’s hauler is light and fun, then things get tense quickly when Taemon realizes where Jad is headed. Oh, and my other favorite is in chapter thirteen when he discovers the mysterious psi door at the colony.


Taemon faked outrage. “All right, that’s it.” He picked up another piece of hay. “All or nothing. If I win this one, you have to tell me. And if you win . . .”



“What?” Amma asked with a smile. “What do I win?”



Taemon looked at the scenery. He wasn’t thinking about the hay-spitting game anymore. A deep anxiety worked its way from his stomach to his scalp.



Earth and Sky! Was that the city wall he saw in the distance? They must be way past the drop-off station. He should have been paying attention. He never should have trusted Jad.



Taemon turned and banged on the roof of the driving compartment. “Stop!”

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?



Challis! She was really fun to write because she seems clueless, but she knows more than anyone can guess.



Here’s a fun line or two from Challis:


“Ah, you’ve come to see your Auntie Challis. It was always good to see you, Thayer.”



“Um, you too,” Taemon said.


Hannova looked confused. “What did she call you?”


Taemon whispered to Hannova, “I think she’s got me mixed up with her nephew.”


“Thayer’s my father, not my nephew. And another thing, the pickles next year were excellent. Sour, just the way I like them.”


“Next year?” Taemon asked.


“It’s all in the eyebrows, Thayer.”

4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?


This is tough because description is my least favorite thing to write; I have to make myself do it. I’m the same way as a reader—I tend to skim over description. I think the hardest thing was trying to describe psi as I introduced it in the first chapter. I rewrote that opening chapter countless times, trying to get the right tone and to inform the reader enough without getting off to a slow start. That feeling when the scene finally feels right is so satisfying.


Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter:


One day when he was about three years old, Taemon realized dishes didn’t wash themselves. Someone nearby was using psi to tell the dishes and the doors and the quadriders what to do. You couldn’t see it, you couldn’t hear it, but when an object moved, someone nearby was doing it with psi. Da said even the Earth had her psi. She used it to fetch rain from the clouds and rouse the seeds in spring.

5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?


I think my favorite dialogue in Freakling is the kind where Taemon gets confused about how powerless things work. For example, when Amma wants him to paddle the boat around the lake and she has to explain to him how to use an oar. That “fish-out-of-water” stuff is really fun to write because it adds humor, of course, but also because it shows how strange the powerless lifestyle is to a city dweller. The psi wielders have become so dependent on their power that they no longer have the basic notions of how to do things by hand.


“Me? Captain?” Taemon asked. “How can I move a boat without psi?”


Amma rolled her eyes. “Ever heard of an oar?”


“Or? Or what?”


Vangie and Amma laughed, but Taemon shrugged. How under Blue Skies was he supposed to know these things?

Congratulations Lana on your debut novel Freakling! Be sure to check out the sequel to Freakling. Archoncomes out in October, 2013.


Thank you again, Lana!

You can find Lana at:


Twitter:  @LanaKrumwiede

Amazon:  Freakling


Dave Amaditz February 4, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day

by Dave Amaditz & Marcy Collier


Welcome to February’s version of – First Friday – Five Favorite Things – Debut Novel Day. In this monthly series, we ask five simple questions about a debut novel that will hopefully entice anyone reading this post to pick up the novel and read it themselves, and/or give them at a glance some insight into the author’s writing style and voice as well as how some of the characters might think or act. We do this by presenting, first, answers to our Five Favorite Things, followed by the author’s answers in a follow-up post.


This month we’re pleased to highlight debut author, Lana Krumwiede’s novel, Freakling.


1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel as it relates to the main character’s development and/or growth?


Dave – This passage comes from near the end of the book Without giving away what happens in the story, Taemon, the main character, has to confront the dilemma facing him… how to solve the problem facing him without killing his brother.


 “Moke’s death flashed in Taemon’s mind. He tried to shove his sadness away until he realized that it was part of the solution. Moke died because Taemon’s knowledge was useless without power and Amma’s power was useless without knowledge. If you could separate Yen’s knowledge from the power…”


Marcy – Taemon, the main character of the story is a rule follower. The special ability (psi) that he and everyone around him possess is a gift that should not be taken for granted or used recklessly. He feels sorry for anyone without psi until he finds himself living in their community and realizes they may truly be the lucky ones.


The tune was simple, not nearly as complex as the psi music he knew, but he had to admit this music had more emotion, more feeling. The musicians swayed and bounced when they played, their faces showing something that Taemon was sure he’d never experienced.


2) What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?


Dave – There were many great chapter endings, but I chose this one from early in the novel. It occurs during a confrontation when Taemon’s brother, Yens, has Taemon dangling over the edge of a cliff with sharp rocks and the raging ocean below.


“Forget all this stuff about danger increasing power. You’re asking for disaster.”

Yens grinned. “That’s the whole point.” And he let go.

Taemon fell into the water, and the sea hauled him out again.


Marcy – My favorite chapter ending is when Taemon finds himself alone with his brother out to sea. The brother is this insidious, awful person who is selfish and only cares about having power. He threatens Taemon’s life until Taemon relinquishes and tells him the information his brother seeks. As the reader, you think great, now Taemon will be okay. But instead of being saved, his brother releases him out to the choppy sea to die.

3) Who is your favorite secondary character and why?


Dave – Elder Naseph, the high priest, is my favorite secondary character. He’s the perfect antagonist – – cunningly evil with a diabolical plan to achieve ultimate power.


Marcy – Moke is a great sidekick to Taemon. He is this quirky, bizarre, lovable kid, who is honest and forthright. Taemon isn’t sure if he can trust this boy or become his friend. Moke responds with the following line: 

“You don’t know what to make of me.” Moke nodded. “That’s okay: you’re a quake after all. Quakes are supposed to question. Here’s what you need to know before you decide: My parents run the crematorium. I study weasel droppings. I create sculptures from cat hair. And I stink at psiball.”


What’s not to love about this secondary character?


4) What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?

Dave – There were so many to choose from, but in the end, I picked this passage, as it accurately describes the main character’s emotions. It shows how difficult it is for him to understand what it is like for him to live in a different culture, and that believe it or not, different might be better. I think it is a lesson of acceptance we can all learn from.


“A sharp rapping sound made him wince. He turned and saw someone hanging a sign over one of the booths. Even the sounds were different here. Banging, grinding, creaking, pounding. He’d never realized how noisy primitive life was.


But primitive life had its advantages, too. He could tell who was doing what. Everything felt relaxed and friendly and open. Of course, that relaxed feeling probably had something to do with the fact that he was not required to lie, cheat, or pretend to be anything other than what he was.”


Marcy – This line captures a clear picture of Taemon’s passion in two short sentences.


Taemon’s head was filled with the sketches he’d seen on the tinker’s slate. Already he’d thought of three different changes he’d make to those plans.


5) What is your favorite line of dialogue?


Dave – This is spoken by Amma. She lives with the non-gifted, but has the power of psi (the ability to move things with her mind) which she is forced to keep hidden. It is a line I believe all of us can learn from.


“Exactly,” Amma said. “What is the desire of your heart? It doesn’t matter if you have psi or if you don’t. You still have to know what you want; you have to picture it in your head before you can make it happen.”


Marcy- “This is stupid to the power of stupid,” Taemon said.


Such a fun line that brings out Taemon’s voice and personality as his character becomes more confident and daring.


You can find Lana at:


Twitter:  @LanaKrumwiede

Amazon:  Freakling



Dave Amaditz February 1, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

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