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"Water's Edge" surrounds me.

6/24/2012

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I am sitting on the front porch of a whimsical little cottage with bright, yellow siding and flower boxes overflowing with the most enormous, colorful (think every bright color in the crayon box) fake flowers adorning every window. If I crane my neck, I can see a tiny bit of Lake Erie.

What does this have to do with reading or writing? EVERYTHING!

My first full-length YA book, "Something Strange at Water's Edge," was inspired by my college summers spent at the Lake Erie resort of Lakeside, OH. My husband and I met and married in this quaint 1800s town located not far from Cedar Point, and I am here now spending quality time with my family ... playing shuffleboard, eating ice cream from the corner shop, cooking on the grill, swimming, boating, and, of course, doing a lot of reading and writing. Summer is the best time to catch up on reading. On the other hand, I have set some writing goals for my stay here. I can't wait to see what I can accomplish in this tranquil setting. Goofy, I know, but it "speaks to me.":)
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Graceling - lovin' it!

6/5/2012

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Started Kristin Cashore's young adult "Graceling" today. VERY, very good. I was in need of something to pass the time during an oil change and found myself wandering the aisles of Half-Price Books. Found "Graceling" and its follow-up book "Fire" in the sci-fi section of young adult. I'm about 50 pages in, and it feels like "Hunger Games" meets the "X-Men" (bizarre mix, I know). 

Katsa, the main character, was born in a world where those with an extreme skill ... or a Grace ... are feared. She has the Grace of killing, something she would gladly give up with her one blue eye and one green eye, the mark of a Graceling. Kat's Grace is exploited by her uncle, King Randa, to keep underlords in line and show his power to the other seven kingdoms of their world. Unbeknownst to her uncle, Kat is a member of a secret society that attempts to right the political injustices the people of the kingdoms must endure. During a rescue mission, Kat meets Prince Po, a Graceling with similar combat skills. Po changes her life in unexpected ways.

***I was so sucked into this just a few pages in. Wow. Problem - both my girls want to read it behind me without waiting for me to finish. Granted, we've shared books like this before, but there was an all out war when we only got one copy of the final Harry Potter book. Plus, trying to keep track of who has which bookmark can be a bit taxing:)


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I'm not a blogger, but ...

6/3/2012

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Okay. I'm not a blogger, but I'm going to give it a go. I will attempt to regularly update you on what I'm reading (both children's and adult) and any fun reading sites I stumble across. I will also, from time to time, comment on writing sites and how my writing is coming along. 

Just to get things started, take a look at one of my all time favorite resources: 
www.paperbackswap.com 

Here's the sich ... 1. You post books you don't want anymore. 2. Other swappers look at your "bookshelf" of available titles, and choose what they want to receive from you. 3. For every one of your books someone else requests, you receive a credit. 4. YOU may cash in the credit by choosing a book on someone else's bookshelf. 5. You pay for postage to send requested books to others (usually about $2.50), and other swappers must pay for postage to send books you request. 

LOOOOVE IT!

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    Writer

    Brenda Haas lived in the Pittsburgh, PA area for over 20 years and moved to Lake Erie with her husband in early 2018. She has two grown daughters and way too many pets.

    A columnist for Pittsburgh area's Penn Franklin News Publishing Company, her "A Little Bit of Life" essays provided a snapshot of being a parent, wife and independent woman who attracts the "quirky" in everyday living. She has also been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and My Outer Banks Home magazine.

    Brenda currently freelances for various businesses and non-profits and is well-versed in public relations and marketing.

    Works-in-Progress


    Adult:
    "Here or There on Beddington Bluff"
    "Sutton's Choice"
    "Sutton's Second Chance"

    Young Adult:
    "Something Strange at Water's Edge"
    "Hells of Southgate"
    "Forest for the Trees"

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