Is This Book Perilous? Yes it is.

          Today I am finally getting around to reviewing one of the books that was included on my 2010 Christmas Holiday Reading List.  Author Tamara Hart Heiner from the blog Chasing Dreams is the author of the YA book Perilous.

          As far as I know I don't think I've ever read anything that is considered young adult or teenage literature unless the Tom Swift and Hardy Boys series would fall into this genre.  I wasn't totally sure what to expect from a genre labeled as "Young Adult", but Heiner's first published novel is pretty much what I thought I would find.

          Since I guess I am a good ways past the "young adult" phase I decided that I would have to try to read Perilous through the eyes of a younger reader and imagine how they might see this novel.   My impression that most teens, male and female alike, would enjoy the story and the way Tamara presents it.  And for that matter so did I as an older reader.

               This is an exciting action thriller that moves with intensity.  Four teen-age girls witness a jewel heist at a shopping mall and are abducted by the burglary gang.  They are taken from Idaho to the headquarters of the gang's ringleader, a notorious criminal known as "The Hand", who hides out in Quebec, Canada.  The stakes are raised after the girls escape from the gang's hideout and attempt to make their way home on foot, not knowing whom to trust since The Hand is intent on finding them.

             The story relies on some rather extreme coincidence and some illogical behavior from the characters, but that's what helps make the story more intriguing.   Some readers may need to add an extra dose of willing suspension of disbelief to keep from rolling their eyes at some things in the story, but I think most younger readers will be fine with it.  I was certainly willing to go along with all of it in order to enjoy the story.  Tamara has skillfully presented the story so that everything happens with a natural flow and the readers are kept on the edge of their seats to see what happens next.

            Perilous is mostly a road story--a journey home.  Tamara does an exceptional job of depicting that journey.   In fact, I pulled out my North American highway atlas to see if the places she mentions and the route her characters take were accurate.  The author did her research well.  I was able to follow the teens' journey and felt like I was right there with them.  I was very impressed by sense of place and the descriptions of settings in the novel.

          This book deals with some mature and serious themes including violence and rape.  It raises some questions of moral ambiguity related to stealing, divorce, and corruption.  However, all of these issues are presented discreetly and in good taste.  The issues allow for some good topics of discussion and thought.  Perilous is a wholesomely presented story of real life problems and is suitable for all teens. 

            Tamara Hart Heiner's Perilous is a book that parents should feel comfortable in allowing their teenagers to read.  It's also a book that I would recommend to adult readers who like a well told story that avoids bad language and scenes that one might deem offensive.  This is a fun reading diversion that deals with relevant topics. 

            One of the bigger issues that some may find with this book it that it leaves a lot of loose ends.  Those who want their endings neat and resolved may be disappointed.   This book demands a sequel or perhaps even a series.  I was sad to see the book end where it did and was left wanting more.  Now I'll have to wait for the next book.  Don't leave us waiting too long, Tamara.

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Check this out!

Karen Gowen is posting something today (2/22/11) about how to use the A to Z Challenge to gain more followers.  Be sure to check her blog, Coming Down the Mountain, to learn from a blogger who has successfully helped many increase their numbers of followers.

And this!

Tizzy at Impossible Dreams is looking for some more participants in her NIFTY FIFTY Blogfest to celebrate her first 50 followers.  It happens this Saturday February 26th.   If you're looking for a bit of diversionary fun with a chance at a cool prize, why don't you check it out.

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Let's Get Real!

That's a Lotta Blogs!

          As the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge roster nears 300 sign-ups, some of you may be looking at the list and thinking, "How am I going to visit that many blogs each day?"

          The answer?  Truthfully?  You won't!   Not unless you have some super fast computer and have nothing to do all day but visit blogs.  Very few of you have that luxury and even if you did, would you be actually spending much time on each blog and leaving decent comments?



Spending Quality Time

         We have often seen it in the other blogfests, challenges, and other events.  In one day or two we feel obligated to whiz through a list of blog participants and leave abbreviated stock messages on the level of "that's nice".  Of course, I do see many fine and fun comments, but I'm just saying and I think you know what I'm saying. 

          The beauty of a month long blog event is that you can face the reality that a daily grind of trying to visit every single blog in the challenge and leave your rote response can be a grueling ordeal that would be difficult to sustain for too many days.  Diffusing the networking over a month long period allows you to settle into more of a blogging as normal mode except with more choices involved. 


Getting to Know You

           Since we still have a few weeks ahead of us we can start visiting the blogs on the list and see who's going to be doing this.  Get out there and mingle a bit and see what others do.  You'll still have your favorites, but now is a great time to get to know some bloggers whom we have heretofore missed--some of these may be the types of blogs that you have been looking for.

           Check out a few new bloggers each day and don't forget to follow them.  And if someone new stops to visit and follow your blog, be fair and visit and follow them back.  It's not like you've made any major commitment.  If you find out later that you absolutely can't stand a blog that you have followed, you can always unfollow later, but that's a post for another day.

Try a Blog Workout

           Think of the April Challenge as a marathon.  You don't want to just wait until April 1st and just dive in.  I highly recommend that you start warming up with stretches and calisthenics.  Run through the A to Z sign up list and see how many blogs you can realistically visit each day. 

           One weekly event that I've tried just to see how fast I can go through a number of blogs and leave short reasonably inventive comments is a weekly feature on MizB's Should Be Reading called Teaser Tuesday.  Some of you already participate in this one.  Participants leave a two line teaser from a book they are reading.  If I have absolutely nothing to say about the teaser I just move on, otherwise I try to come up with something clever or unique to say.  If the blog looks interesting enough I may linger  and I may even follow it. 

          You can find many of these blog events and probably have your own favorites.   Many of you are currently honing your networking chops with Rachael Harrie's Crusade.  This is a excellent opportunity to get a blog workout. 

          Another event coming next Monday February 28th is DiscConnected Super 8 Debut Albums Blog Hop.  In fact, I'll let you sign up below.  Come on music lovers --how about jumping in on this one!
Here's the list:



          
You Can Handle the Truth!

           The truth is that the April Challenge is going to involve some creative thinking on your behalf.  It looks like it may be an impossibility to post six days a week and visit all of the other blogs.  And what if there are 300, 500, 1000, or more blogs?  How can you possibly do that?  Well, that's why it's called a challenge.  You can do it if you set your mind to it.  Don't let this intimidate you.  Meet the challenge head on, and if you start preparing now it will probably be much easier that you thought.

            Today Alex J Cavanaugh will be featuring fellow A to Z Team member Jeffrey Beesler with some ideas and encouragement that should be useful to you in the Challenge.

           In the coming weeks, the A to Z Team members will be offering posts to help you blog better, write better, and to get you revved up for the April marathon.  We want to help you get into shape.

            We also want your input on what you recommend.   What are you doing ahead of time to prepare?  Do you have any favorite types of blog events?  Do you feel intimidated by the April Challenge?  If so why?  Is there anything special you would like help with?



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...A Little Help From Our Friends: Helpful Bloggers to the Rescue

          As I have been teasing all week, today I have a special announcement.  And I guess it would be of little surprise to anyone that this announcement has something to do with the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  If this is your guess, then you are correct.

          The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is climbing toward 300 participants with a probability that we may go over this amount before the arrival of the start date.  Last year I was nearly overwhelmed by the almost 100 bloggers who participated in A to Z.  I knew that this year would be even bigger since we had a much earlier start to get the word out to the blogging community.

            Fortunately, popular bloggers Alex J Cavanaugh, Jennifer Daiker, and Talli Roland came to my rescue to make the Challenge easier to administer and be a greater success.  However we came to the conclusion that even we might not be able to satisfactorily pull this off to a point that would make the Challenge as great as it could be.  For this reason we are expanding the A to Z Team.

Here are the four added members of the A to Z Team:

Jeffrey Beesler from World of the Scribe....

Candace Ganger from The Misadventures in Candyland

Karen Jones Gowen from Coming Down the Mountain: From Reclusive Writer to Published Author....

Stephen Tremp from Breakthrough Blogs..

           Some of you may already be familiar with all or some of these bloggers.  I'll let you visit each of their blogs so you can say hello and get to know them better.  They each have their own unique strengths and talents which should help make the challenge more fun and more rewarding for all of us. 

           In the weeks to come, we will be offering our special Challenge posts to make your April a more successful race to the finish line.  Be sure to watch the posts of the A to Z Team as we present tips from our experiences in blogging, writing, and life in general.  It won't always be A to Z of course, but we hope the special posts we give you will be something you will find useful and enjoyable. 

          The A to Z Team will be here to answer your questions as best we can and provide support to your blogging efforts.  Let us know if you feel like you need some attention or any suggestions.  Don't forget though, we are also participating in the Challenge and even with the added members our capabilities are limited.  That's why there is one more team member who is the most important one of all.

           Who is that most important team member?   It's YOU!  Without the participation, interaction, and mutual support that only each one of you can give to the Challenge community as a whole, this run through the alphabet is going to be less than the best we can make it.  We're counting on you--every one of you--to see us to the end of April with a grand sense of accomplishment.

            I'll have more to say about all of this in the next few weeks.  I'm sure that our A to Z Team members will likewise have their own words of encouragement.  We're all friends here and never underestimate the power of friends.  We can do this challenge together--so let's do it! 

            There is one more request.  Over the next few days if there are any other bloggers that you think would benefit from this Challenge or who are still on the fence trying to decide if they should do it, please try to get them to sign up this weekend.  We can make it to our goal of 300 by Monday if we try.  Please do what you can.

            Now enough from me.  Head on over to the above links and visit the blogs of our A to Z Team members, say hello, and if you're not following them yet, do so now.  And don't forget to continue going through the Linky list and visit, comment, and follow.  In other words:  network, network, network. April will be here soon. 



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