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shanachie_quillSo Ransom and I were emailing back and forth today as I tried to write up the welcome for her stop at my blog. I had seen that everyone else wrote how they knew her or how they met her...and I realized I can't remember. *face palm* But then I decided this wasn't as bad as it sounds. Since part of the reason I can't remember is because I feel like I've known Ransom forever. We both belong to a little group on-line called WDC and I know we met through that.
She believes that we met because one or the other of us did a review for the other (I think she did one for me) sometime after she joined the site in January of 2007. After that we began emailing back and forth and a friendship began to build from there.
Since then, Ransom has become a mentor to me and we have supported each other as we strive towards publication. I couldn't be prouder or happier for her that she reached that goal. So I was pleased when she asked me to be part of her blog tour and introduce her book to y'all.
(Personally I wanted to make up a really cool meeting for us and was all set to rack my brain--or actually put my brain on the rack, but apparently I'm not allowed to do that.)
(I never said you weren’t allowed to do that. How about we met in London on a Jack the Ripper tour? What, too hard to believe?
I mean if we're going to decide where we met...how about Ireland back in the days of the Celts...more believable for most people who know me. ;-))
Thanks, Shanachie. You’d also asked me, when we were discussing the tour, about ideas. I thought that was one thing that brought us together – was how much we’d talk about our projects and bounce ideas off one another. Sometimes talking (typing) it out with someone can really focus the brain to figure out what’s next.
(We could say we met at a coffee shop when you asked someone to figure out the tip for you? It’s more believable, since I’m someone who loves math and you’re much more grounded in English and literature.
Yes, most people who know me will believe that one...*sigh* math and I do not get along!)
About those ideas, I always found them to be an individual thing. So many writers follow a muse and have ideas that come from somewhere, not sure anyone really knows where. However, you can take the same idea and sit down any number of people and each will take that idea and twist it in a different way. I tell you to write about a pair of shoes, for example, and you pick a pair of strappy sandals while I had in mind a pair of army boots. Each of us uses that idea in a story, and we’re talking about very different things. I think that’s what makes us individual writers. I know it’s what makes my stories unique. I hope that answered your question!
It does and I agree...sometimes I look at a prompt or I give a prompt for my contest and I'm amazed at the different ideas that people come up with, even people that I think have minds that follow along the way mine do...so every writer has their own ideas and their own way of viewing the world.
Ransom has a pretty good grasp of the way a tween has to deal with the stress of trying to balance school, family, and the pressures of growing up. Please check out her book and make sure to leave a comment, remember you could win a free copy!
And now a brief look at the book. You can order it at: The Art of Science
Quick Facts for The Art of Science
Title: The Art of Science
Author: Ransom Noble
Illustrator: Stephen Macquignon
Category: Young Adult
Pub Date: April 2009
Price: $12.99
Pages: 87
Publisher: 4RV Publishing, LLC
Find Ransom Noble at http://ransomnoble.wordpress.com
Find Stephen Macquignon at http://scketch2color.multiply.com
Visit 4RV Publishing at http://4rvpublishingllc.com
Media Contact:
Ransom Noble
noble.ransom@gmail.com
Back Cover Blurb:
Janie Hunter's plans for seventh grade (including weekly jam sessions, Art Club, volleyball, and maybe Pom Squad) change when she qualifies for a special science program. Even when her grades drop, her mom doesn't allow Janie to drop the special program.
Life becomes complicated with trying to find a balance between her popular friends and the bright kids in her classes, her academic classes and her love of art, and friends and classmates who won't get along. The biggest surprise comes when she discovers she may be able to combine science and art.
Excerpt:
Sophia met Janie outside the school. "Mom says we're to be home right away, Janie."
“I'm on my way."
“I'm driving us. Get in the car."
Janie grimaced. "I'll walk."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Don't be difficult."
“I'm not difficult." Janie got in the car with her sister. "You don't have to rub it in all the time. You got your license last month."
“I don't mean it that way, Janie. I'm just wondering why Mom wanted us home so fast."
“Wait ..." Janie paused, completely shocked for a moment.
“Doesn't Mom have to work?"
Sophia shook her head. "I guess not. She just called the school to tell me to pick you up. We're supposed to go directly home. I don't know what's going on either."
Janie's fingers traced the raised patterns on the cover of the book sitting in her lap. What could this be about? She and Sophia didn't speak again on the drive. When Sophia pulled the car in the driveway, Janie realized she was missing the first Art Club meeting. Too late now; she hoped the teacher would allow her to join next time.
Sophia and Janie walked in the house, dropping their book bags by the door. "Mom? Dad?" Sophia called.
“We're in the dining room," her mother called back. "Please join us, girls."
Four wineglasses sat on the table, filled with white grape juice, Mom's favorite family celebration drink. Janie and Sophia sat in their usual seats. "What's the big deal, Mom? Did you get a promotion?"asked Janie.
“No, guess again." Mom's smile was bursting with happiness.
Janie didn't remember the last time she smiled like that.
“What?"
“You."
Janie's heart pounded. "What did I do?" It had to be something good, or Mom wouldn't be smiling, right?
“You got into Argonauts at school." Mom's smile grew larger.
“I'm so proud of you, honey."
“What?" Janie hadn't heard of such a thing before.
Mom explained, "It's a special program at school. On Wednesdays, you'll stay after school for two hours with some other very smart children, and you get to do exciting science stuff. Doesn't that sound like fun? Let me remember: They said you'll be studying chemistry, physics, electronics and robotics. It will prepare you for the future."
Janie didn't say anything. Why did everything have to be working toward the future? At thirteen, college seemed far away to Janie.
“Wow. Congratulations, Janie," Sophia said quietly.
“Yes, congratulations, Janie," her dad added.
“You'll get all the information about it tomorrow."
“But volleyball meets on Wednesdays!"
Her mother continued like she never heard her. Most likely, she didn't. "And Dad will be able to pick you up afterwards. Isn't this wonderful?" Mom smiled down at Janie.
“But what if I don't want to quit volleyball?"
“This is going to help you get into college, Janie. This is important. You can play volleyball on the weekends or next summer."
Janie gulped down some grape juice.
“And we're going out to dinner to celebrate."
Janie sat quietly the rest of the evening. The decision had been made. She thought her dad must not have mentioned Art Club yet, since her mother didn't add that to the lecture.
She believes that we met because one or the other of us did a review for the other (I think she did one for me) sometime after she joined the site in January of 2007. After that we began emailing back and forth and a friendship began to build from there.
Since then, Ransom has become a mentor to me and we have supported each other as we strive towards publication. I couldn't be prouder or happier for her that she reached that goal. So I was pleased when she asked me to be part of her blog tour and introduce her book to y'all.
(Personally I wanted to make up a really cool meeting for us and was all set to rack my brain--or actually put my brain on the rack, but apparently I'm not allowed to do that.)
(I never said you weren’t allowed to do that. How about we met in London on a Jack the Ripper tour? What, too hard to believe?
I mean if we're going to decide where we met...how about Ireland back in the days of the Celts...more believable for most people who know me. ;-))
Thanks, Shanachie. You’d also asked me, when we were discussing the tour, about ideas. I thought that was one thing that brought us together – was how much we’d talk about our projects and bounce ideas off one another. Sometimes talking (typing) it out with someone can really focus the brain to figure out what’s next.
(We could say we met at a coffee shop when you asked someone to figure out the tip for you? It’s more believable, since I’m someone who loves math and you’re much more grounded in English and literature.
Yes, most people who know me will believe that one...*sigh* math and I do not get along!)
About those ideas, I always found them to be an individual thing. So many writers follow a muse and have ideas that come from somewhere, not sure anyone really knows where. However, you can take the same idea and sit down any number of people and each will take that idea and twist it in a different way. I tell you to write about a pair of shoes, for example, and you pick a pair of strappy sandals while I had in mind a pair of army boots. Each of us uses that idea in a story, and we’re talking about very different things. I think that’s what makes us individual writers. I know it’s what makes my stories unique. I hope that answered your question!
It does and I agree...sometimes I look at a prompt or I give a prompt for my contest and I'm amazed at the different ideas that people come up with, even people that I think have minds that follow along the way mine do...so every writer has their own ideas and their own way of viewing the world.
Ransom has a pretty good grasp of the way a tween has to deal with the stress of trying to balance school, family, and the pressures of growing up. Please check out her book and make sure to leave a comment, remember you could win a free copy!
And now a brief look at the book. You can order it at: The Art of Science
Title: The Art of Science
Author: Ransom Noble
Illustrator: Stephen Macquignon
Category: Young Adult
Pub Date: April 2009
Price: $12.99
Pages: 87
Publisher: 4RV Publishing, LLC
Find Ransom Noble at http://ransomnoble.wordpress.com
Find Stephen Macquignon at http://scketch2color.multiply.com
Visit 4RV Publishing at http://4rvpublishingllc.com
Media Contact:
Ransom Noble
noble.ransom@gmail.com
Back Cover Blurb:
Janie Hunter's plans for seventh grade (including weekly jam sessions, Art Club, volleyball, and maybe Pom Squad) change when she qualifies for a special science program. Even when her grades drop, her mom doesn't allow Janie to drop the special program.
Life becomes complicated with trying to find a balance between her popular friends and the bright kids in her classes, her academic classes and her love of art, and friends and classmates who won't get along. The biggest surprise comes when she discovers she may be able to combine science and art.
Excerpt:
Sophia met Janie outside the school. "Mom says we're to be home right away, Janie."
“I'm on my way."
“I'm driving us. Get in the car."
Janie grimaced. "I'll walk."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Don't be difficult."
“I'm not difficult." Janie got in the car with her sister. "You don't have to rub it in all the time. You got your license last month."
“I don't mean it that way, Janie. I'm just wondering why Mom wanted us home so fast."
“Wait ..." Janie paused, completely shocked for a moment.
“Doesn't Mom have to work?"
Sophia shook her head. "I guess not. She just called the school to tell me to pick you up. We're supposed to go directly home. I don't know what's going on either."
Janie's fingers traced the raised patterns on the cover of the book sitting in her lap. What could this be about? She and Sophia didn't speak again on the drive. When Sophia pulled the car in the driveway, Janie realized she was missing the first Art Club meeting. Too late now; she hoped the teacher would allow her to join next time.
Sophia and Janie walked in the house, dropping their book bags by the door. "Mom? Dad?" Sophia called.
“We're in the dining room," her mother called back. "Please join us, girls."
Four wineglasses sat on the table, filled with white grape juice, Mom's favorite family celebration drink. Janie and Sophia sat in their usual seats. "What's the big deal, Mom? Did you get a promotion?"asked Janie.
“No, guess again." Mom's smile was bursting with happiness.
Janie didn't remember the last time she smiled like that.
“What?"
“You."
Janie's heart pounded. "What did I do?" It had to be something good, or Mom wouldn't be smiling, right?
“You got into Argonauts at school." Mom's smile grew larger.
“I'm so proud of you, honey."
“What?" Janie hadn't heard of such a thing before.
Mom explained, "It's a special program at school. On Wednesdays, you'll stay after school for two hours with some other very smart children, and you get to do exciting science stuff. Doesn't that sound like fun? Let me remember: They said you'll be studying chemistry, physics, electronics and robotics. It will prepare you for the future."
Janie didn't say anything. Why did everything have to be working toward the future? At thirteen, college seemed far away to Janie.
“Wow. Congratulations, Janie," Sophia said quietly.
“Yes, congratulations, Janie," her dad added.
“You'll get all the information about it tomorrow."
“But volleyball meets on Wednesdays!"
Her mother continued like she never heard her. Most likely, she didn't. "And Dad will be able to pick you up afterwards. Isn't this wonderful?" Mom smiled down at Janie.
“But what if I don't want to quit volleyball?"
“This is going to help you get into college, Janie. This is important. You can play volleyball on the weekends or next summer."
Janie gulped down some grape juice.
“And we're going out to dinner to celebrate."
Janie sat quietly the rest of the evening. The decision had been made. She thought her dad must not have mentioned Art Club yet, since her mother didn't add that to the lecture.
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