Showing posts with label Scarlet Voyage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scarlet Voyage. Show all posts

September 08, 2014

Library Media Connection review of Spirit of a Mountain Wolf

In its August/September 2014 issue, Library Media Connection reviewed Spirit of a Mountain Wolf, a book in Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint. Here is an excerpt of the review:

"The story maintains a pace that reluctant readers can easily follow. Readers will gain new insight of slavery and prostitution through the eyes of a child...Novice readers will enjoy the exploration of how social and religious practices shape Pakistan's way of life."

This title is available from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. This title is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook formats.

September 04, 2014

Review of Paint Me a Monster

Library Media Connection reviewed Paint Me a Monster in its August/September 2014 issue. Here is an excerpt:

"This book is a tremendous coming-of-age story...The book is written in very short chapters that illustrate particular incidents in Rinny's life; it makes for a quick and compelling read. Baskin has a unique voice."

This title, part of Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint, is available from your preferred vendor, local bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

September 03, 2014

Interview with Paint Me a Monster author Janie Baskin


Janie Baskin's acclaimed YA novel, Paint Me a Monster has just been released in softcover!  To commemorate the event, we have a Goodreads Giveaway going on right now (see the bottom of the post), and we interviewed Ms. Baskin about the writing of Paint Me a Monster and about being an author.  Check it out!

Scarlet Voyage: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Janie Baskin: Mrs. Burkham, my third grade teacher, had a class project—to make an anthology about the seasons. Each student needed to submit at least one poem; I submitted a dozen!  I loved poetry and Mother Goose nursery rhymes, and this was my chance to create my own.  After that, writing and drawing were some of my favorite playmates, though I didn’t formally write stories until high school.  Each letter I wrote home from summer camp (and I wrote every day) or a thank you note for a gift, turned out to be a little story. 
               Writing eventually took a back seat to illustrating and making art until my first illustrated book was published. Because I was interested in writing picture books, it seemed a natural progression to learn to write so I could both write and illustrate.

SV:  How did you begin your writing career?

JB: As I mentioned, I was a fine artist and illustrator who loved to write. Both fields require similar characteristics to succeed:  imagination, curiosity, attention to detail, and the willingness to work hard and be patient. After publishing as an illustrator, the challenge to become a skilled writer and author became the next rung to reach. I involved myself in a number of writing organizations, including a community writing program called Off Campus Writer’s  Workshop ( OCWW) and an independent critique group. The workshop introduced us to published authors who shared their expertise, and encouraged participants to write and submit their work for critique. Joining The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators offered an array of opportunities to learn more about writing and the book world.  At one of the OCWW meetings I heard that Vermont College offered an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. It was the only school in the country that offered such a specific degree. I sent in samples of my writing, got accepted and worked like crazy cakes to learn as much as my brain could hold.

SV: What inspired you to write Paint Me A Monster?

JB: Good question. What I had learned about writing is that you just have to write- you have to start somewhere even if that start later takes a turn in a totally different direction. My advisor told me to “write what you know, dig deep and don’t be afraid to get messy.”  I knew how fun and how hard it sometimes was to grow up in my family. I knew about life with a sister and brother, and I knew about going to an all girls’ school where completing homework assignments was like scaling Mt. Everest.

These kernels and my advisor’s push to “ keep digging deeper” inspired “Paint Me A Monster.”

SV: What is the one message you want readers to take away from Paint Me A Monster?

JB: It’s my hope that readers will turn the last page of Paint Me A Monster” with more compassion and understanding than they had when they turned the first page. If I could give my readers anything it would be the message that “you are not alone”, that life isn’t about “doing it yourself “.  It’s a collaborative effort; and because it is, what we think may be unworthy, or unable to change, can transform if we’re not afraid to ask for help.

SV: How did you go about researching and planning for writing Paint Me A Monster?

JB: Much of the book is based on reality and then fictionalized so the need for research was limited. When I came to something that needed to be researched, for example, what it is a high school counselor does, and how he might do it, I’d make a note that this information needed refining. This allowed me to continue writing without worrying about details. It’s easy to procrastinate during the writing process and not always so easy to return to the emotional and mental place a scene may require.

For smaller items like the kind of car that might have been driven in a specific year, research would have been immediate.
  
Sources for research included: reading the books my protagonist and her peers might have read, consulting with Chambers of Commerce for a variety of cities, speaking with professionals in health related fields, consulting books about issues such as eating disorders, and child abuse, reviewing my teaching and child development text books, and of course from thinking  a lot about personal experiences and sometimes reenacting them.

SV: Where there any particular obstacles you encountered while writing this book?

JB: There were no particular writing obstacles; however, getting the time line accurate was a challenge.  I did think about what effect the story might have on family members. I was concerned that people who know my family might erroneously assign truth to parts of the story.

SV: What is your typical day of writing like?

JB: Before I describe my routine, it’s important to say that much writing is done while I amble about. Perhaps I am taking a walk, driving, or reading for pleasure. I call this purposeful ambling. It’s the time ideas are generated, re-worked, and produce other ideas.
               I have two basic work scenarios. In the first, I wake up early, workout, return home, clean up (sometimes), eat something and write for about three hours. Then I break for lunch, look at e-mail, make calls that can’t wait, then go back to writing for three more hours.

The second scenario occurs when a brainstorm happens while I’m sleeping. I get up, write it down, and because I am so excited, often go into my studio and flesh out the concept. I write until there is no more to say at the time. Then I get up and start the day.

SV: What is your favorite YA book?

JB: The Once and Future King by T.H. White.  I first read this book when I was a freshman in high school and can still visualize Merlin, Wart (Arthur), Guenivere and the other unique characters in their full glory. This couldn’t happen if the writing and tale had not been so enchanting. The idea of growing younger and turning into a fish or bird in order to learn a lesson still astounds me. I still wish I could have Arthur’s experiences and a Merlin-like mentor.




Goodreads Book Giveaway

Paint Me a Monster by Janie Baskin

Paint Me a Monster

by Janie Baskin

Giveaway ends September 21, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

August 19, 2014

School Library Journal review of new Scarlet Voyage title

The August 2014 issue of School Library Journal includes a review of Lost Republic. Here is an excerpt from that review:

"This work provides vast opportunities to discuss and compare the ethical issues of a tech-dependent world vs. one dependent on natural resources. Readers will enjoy this epic time travel adventure."

This title (and all titles in Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint,) are available through your preferred vendor, enslow.com, independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

August 06, 2014

New YA novels available soon as paperbacks

On September 1, Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint will release six of its hardcover titles in paperback.

Paint Me a MonsterSpirit of a Mountain Wolf, and What We Did for Love were reviewed by Kirkus, with Paint Me a Monster receiving a starred review. Code Name Komiko was included as a Junior Library Guild Selection. Freak City and In the River Darkness were both reviewed by Library Media Connection.

All of these titles are currently available as hardcover editions, as well as eBooks. They can be purchased through your preferred vendor, independent bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

July 25, 2014

New YA science fiction novel available soon

Lost Republic, part of Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint and written by Paul B. Thompson, is available for pre-order and will be arriving in Enslow's warehouse soon.

In 2055, the future has arrived and the past is departing as the last steamship in the world prepares to cross the Atlantic on its final voyage. Alongside, a great glittering solar-powered vessel sails, too—a beautiful ship filled with beautiful people. On board the steamer are eight teens—some dreamers, some desperate—for whom the last voyage of the S.S. Sir Guy Carleton is only a step on a longer journey.

Soon the ship is far out to sea, and every layer of modern technology fails. Each teen must rely on their own special skills to survive—but where? What is the strange island in the Atlantic, where no island exists? Who are the men who speak an ancient tongue who capture the survivors of the stricken ship? With every breath a new mystery appears, and the desperate dreamers of the Carleton must find a way to live, or escape, the Lost Republic.

This science fiction/fantasy novel for YA readers will be available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

April 29, 2014

New review of In the River Darkness

In the River Darkness was reviewed in Library Media Connection's May/June 2014 issue. This title, part of
Enslow's new imprint, Scarlet Voyage, tells the story from the alternating perspectives of Mia, Alex, and Jay. Mia has just moved to town and has befriended brothers Alex and Jay. As the three teens spend more and more time together, strange things start to happen.

An excerpt from the review:

 "Young readers will enjoy Röder's analogical writing style, and will enjoy the brief moments of suspense and mystery."

Other titles in this new imprint include: Code Name Komiko, Freak City, Paint Me a Monster, Spirit of a Mountain Wolf, and What We Did for Love. They can be viewed on www.scarletvoyage.com.

This title, and the others in this imprint, are available from your preferred vendor, local bookstores, scarletvoyage.com, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. 

February 24, 2014

Paint Me a Monster, title from new Enslow imprint, reviewed in 2 publications

Paint Me a Monster, one of several new titles in Scarlet Voyage, Enslow's newest imprint, was reviewed by both Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal.

Here is an excerpt from the November 1, 2013 issue of Kirkus Reviews:

"Readers will fall in love with Rinnie; Baskin has crafted a beautiful story about the complexities of family, self-respect and human connection."

Here is an excerpt from the February 2014 issue of School Library Journal:

"Baskin takes readers through a tug of war of emotion, punctuated by short, lyrical chapters that include poems, letters, and lists. Teens will follow the protagonist's tumultuous journey from innocent little girl to heartbroken teen and eventually a brave young adult. By helping others, Rinnie discovers a kindness only she knows how to give."

Available in both a hardcover edition and as an eBook, this title will also be available as a paperback in several months. This title can be purchased through your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

January 16, 2014

Freak City, title from new Enslow imprint, reviewed in the January 2014 issue of School Library Journal

School Library Journal reviewed Freak City it its January 2014 issue. Freak City is the story of a teenage couple's relationship as they learn to communicate using sign language.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

"Readers are left knowing that the strains of understanding between two cultures are complicated but not insurmountable."

This title is part of a new imprint, Scarlet Voyage. You can order it from enslow.com, your preferred vendor, local bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. It is available in hardcover and e-Book formats.

January 14, 2014

School LIbrary Journal review of title from new imprint

In the River Darkness, part of Enslow's new imprint Scarlet Voyage, was reviewed in the January 2014 issue of School Library Journal. Here is an excerpt of the review:

"Fans of both realistic fiction and paranormal romance are likely to find the story to be a fantastic blend of the two genres. The writing is beautiful, the cover is eye-catching, and the story within does not disappoint."

July 24, 2013

Scarlet Voyage: Advance Review Copies Have Arrived!

Advance Review Copies (ARCs) have arrived for our new YA fiction imprint, Scarlet Voyage! We're mailing the ARCs out to reviewers now, and the final books will be available for sale on 1/1/2014.

We'll be posting more information about all of the Scarlet Voyage books on the Enslow Blog in the coming weeks, so keep checking back for the latest!