There is a magical feel to this book… from opening the cover to the first page I felt almost like holding my breath as the words whisked me inside! ~ Sheila
Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind — until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him.
Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete.
Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past…before it is too late.
Can a book feel like magic? I think it can. Actually – as I think about how the idea of Bran Hambric came to be… that’s a bit of magic in itself, and you will read more about that in my author interview with Kaleb Nation today! When this book arrived in my home I was itching to get into it… I felt it was something special before I ever opened it and that scared me a bit… what if I was wrong? Did I seriously just judge a book by its cover? I think I did a little, and along with the small buzz through the internet that I was hearing about the book, I could not wait tog et started.
The first part of Bran Hambric felt very Rowling like… there were a lot of similarities to Harry Potter and while I adore the Harry Potter series I was a little saddened that this may be a book that followed a bit too closely to that outline. A couple more chapters in, Bran Hambric felt as though it found its own path and off we flew together – book and reader, into an adventure I will safely describe as magical.
This was a book that I could not put down, and for the two days I was reading it (over Labor day weekend) I had my nose stuck in it every chance I could get. I think it is a wonderful YA read and fans of YA fantasy should definitely invest the time time into reading this book. For a first book, that was started when Kaleb Nation was 14, it has a lot of potential I think his follow up books will become even better.
I look forward to what comes next not only for Kaleb, but also for Bran. Be sure to read my interview with author Kaleb Nation here.
I am pleased to welcome to One Persons Journey Through a World of Books, Kaleb Nation. Kaleb is the author of Bran Hambric, the wonderful book that was just released on 9/9/09.
Welcome Kaleb! Please make yourself comfortable. When I first started hearing about Bran Hambric I had also heard how the story came to you on March 3rd, 2003, 3/3/03. You were 14 at the time. That amazes me. Would youplease tell us a little about what that was like?
I remember jumping out of bed, scrambling down the ladder of the bunk bed I shared with my brother, and dashing to my desk to write the idea down. For some reason, on that night, I knew that the date would be important, and that’s why I made sure to write it down in my notebook. I don’t know if I just had a feeling that the book would eventually be published, or if it was just part of my interest in strange and unusual calendar dates, but I’m really happy I made sure to write it down!
I can visualize that! How amazing! Did the idea for the book come to you as whole or were there parts you really had to think on and add to make it flow?
The main story came to me at once: I knew that Bran was being hunted by a creature, I knew that he lived in a modern city that banned magic, and I knew a lot of specific parts about his past. Most of the details of the story, however, had to be developed over the following years of writing.
I picture you as this young boy writing this book and have to wonder what did your parents think at the time and/or your siblings? Did they think you were on to something or just using your time productively?
Luckily, I was home schooled, so my parents actually made my writing a part of my school schedule! They were very supportive, even when I would spend hours on end writing (it got so bad they had to set time limits on my writing time!). My brother Jaden and sister Maddi were my main readers for years, and know about all the deleted scenes and characters that got cut over the years. I’d always know if something was good if they liked it, or what had to be taken out when they started to get bored.
Any friends, extended family, etc… were they supportive of what you were writing? Involved in any way?
I had a cousin who had published technical writing and fiction for magazines before, and she was a huge help in the beginning! She would read my early drafts and make long-distance calls to me on the weekends to discuss it. I was a bit starstruck that my cousin was a real writer and was actually helping me with editing. I also had a lot of great friends who read the drafts and made comments on things they liked or didn’t like.
At the age of 14, what book was your favorite?
It’s hard to remember. I know back then that I liked The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien.
When you completed the book, did you have a publisher ready or did you have to go and market it?. Share a bit about that experience.
After I finished the book, I first had to find an agent. I had been researching the publishing business for years and knew a lot of the process already, thankfully. I sent out a bunch of email queries and had a few agents who were interested, but after a while of nobody taking it on, I had to rewrite my query. After the rewrite, suddenly nine agents were interested (never doubt the power of editing your query letter!). I signed with my agent, and worked with him to get the book ready for a publisher.
Is there plans for another book?
Yes! I am writing the sequel to Bran Hambric now.
Thank you Kaleb so much for your time! I imagine your life is quite busy now and with the release of the book, probably only getting busier! Readers, you can find Bran Hambric on sale now! Be sure to see my review of Bran Hambric here.
This is the weekly meme where I encourage anyone who wishes to play along to take those crazy word verifications they have had over the past week and create a fake definition for them (much like how you play the board game Balderdash). This is all in fun and makes commenting on blogs a bit more interesting when the verification may just give you the best definition of the week! See original post here.
Not a huge offering this week – I have been busy and found that yesterday I had hardly captured a thing! Here is what I have:
crudt: that residue found at the bottom of the cup (coffee,tea) afte you have finished drinking it.
exend: a false ending to a not so good book. You think well.. its over. Then you turn the page and are shocked to see there is more.
BELT: Not what you think… BELT is the new and improved BLT, but this one is Bacon, EGG, lettuce and tomato!
lefeet: A much politer french version of saying you have two left feet. Rather than, “Dude! You got two left feet! Har Har!” It is much nicer in french as they say, “Oh, Madame…. lefeet?”
Want to play?
I would love to see what you come up with! To do your own, simply grab the picture meme and add it to your own post. Link back to this post and leave a comment here letting my know you have and I will add your blog post to this one so people may see other participants. Let the fun begin!
A read that I enjoyed with a cup of hot cocoa during the cool September evenings with just a touch of magic… that seems to me, to always be found in Minnesota! ~ Sheila
The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be
Blog Tour
mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snow globe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home — even if means wrestling another shopper for it!
The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange — “flurrious”, as Cassie deems it — moment happens with the remarkable snow globe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.
I found Stray Affections to be an easy read set in my home state – which for some reason I still get a kick out of reading books centered in Minnesota. Within the first few pages of this book you are introduced to the strain in the relationship between our main character Cassandra (daycare provider and mother of four) and her mother Betty. IE. Bad Betty.
Stray Affections deals with betrayal (Cassandra has memories of when she felt she had let down her family pet, Toby, as a child). This book is centered around a snow globe – and unresolved memories that bubble to the surface as Cassandra learns the power of forgiveness all wrapped into a book that is a bit quirky and fun – ending with an event that not only includes the whole community but with a volunteer effort that made my heart leap!
I read this book while at our cabin in Finland, Minnesota. I found that an appropriate place to sit back over Labor day weekend and sink into this book. I found the book a quick, lite read and loved the “Burt’s Durve’s Recipes in the back of the book. I will be trying these out at the October Bookies Book Club potluck at my home!
Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.
Ashley has generously offered me an additional copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader! Here’s how to enter:
1 Entry – leave a comment here on something you do in your own community as a volunteer or to better our world
BONUS Entry (ahhh… the coveted bonus entry!) Tweet about this giveaway or blog on it for an extra entry
Remember US entrys only – no po box numbers. Giveaway will close on September 30
I received this book, and an additional copy to give away from Ashley Boyer of Multnomah Books
In July I went to Duluth with a few of my girl friends and while walking in the gardens we found a hole in the shrubs and they asked me to get in there for a picture. Of course… I did.
The picture is actually kind of funny and looks like I am a garden fairy or something… for giggles (as I really like giggles) I put it as my Facebook profile. This afternoon while doing my customary blog hopping I found a book on Brooke Reviews that the cover reminded me of my Facebook profile – minus the pointy ears.
I am excited to bring you a new book club today! I have been hanging out at this blog for a while now chatting with Maryrose and today I am pleased to be able to share with you about her online book club, My Book Buddies.
Welcome Maryrose! Sit! Have some coffee! It is so wonderful to have you here today! Share with us the name of your book club.
Maryrose: My Book Buddies
How long have you been meeting?
Maryrose: We are an online community, first created in July 2001. We started off exchanging e-mails between girlfriends (we were discussing Jane Eyre). We found it much easier to discuss books in an online forum.
Oh that sounds fun! I have not been a part of an online book club yet. How often do you meet?
Local Author Event
We meet daily! Our online forum discusses books every day. We do, however, have a monthly selection for the group to read and share their thoughts on. Every effort is made to read a book within the selected month. The beauty of the online forum is that every discussion is saved. Book discussions are revived at anytime!5. Do you have someone who leads the discussion (same person each month or different)? Our discussions are very open in nature. If available, we use Reading Group Guides to help facilitate conversations. But it’s treated more like a guideline than a rule. We don’t want reading to start feeling like homework. Most of our discussions are driven by emotion, rather than dissection and analysis.
Where do you meet online?
Face to face Meeting in Atlanta
Online at www.mybookbuds.com. Click on the forum link to get to the discussions.
How many members do you have?
Our group is made up primarily of women. We have 50 members who drop in from time to time, and a core group of half a dozen regulars.
50! That’s wonderful! What age groups are represented in your book club?
Our age demographic ranges between the mid-20s to early 40s.
What genres of books do you read?
Because we’re on the world wide web, we have great diversity in our book selection. The monthly
Meeting first time face to face
selections range from the classics, historical fiction, romance, “chick lit”, biographies, literary fiction and fantasy.
How do you choose what you will read?
To promote the diversity of the group, we alternate who chooses the monthly selection. I like to select my books from my “to read list”.
What was one of the best discussions and/or a favorite book that you read as a group?
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon is a particular favorite of the group. In fact, we’ve seen a revival of those discussions in recent months. Members, new and old, love to discuss (and re-read) the series.
How do you keep things fun?
We’re a great group that has stuck together for a long time. The forum has become an online home for us. So, we like to discuss things outside of books. We’ll discuss movies, television, gossip, home, garden, cooking – whatever tickles our fancy. We don’t have a strict regiment that we must adhere to. Everything is for your enjoyment. In more recent years, we’ve started traveling out to meet one another. That’s been a very special treat
I really like that! What have you done as a group other than the online book discussions?
One of my absolute favorite things about the online book club is that I now have friends across the nation. We’ve traveled to Atlanta to visit Gone with the Wind country. I’ve had members visit me in the San Francisco Bay Area. Right now, we’re trying to find a way to see Diana Gabaldon in Georgia this coming Labor Day. The activities outside of books have solidified friendships in our community.
What advice would you give to other book clubs?
With busy schedules and the cost of books on the rise, it can be difficult to keep a book club going. Have an easy going attitude about your book club. Members will come and go – but they tend to come back. My Book Buddies has had lulls, but we know that things will bounce back.
Thank you Maryrose so much for sharing about your online book club! You have really inspired me as this is something I have tossed around the idea of for some time but still am wondering if it is something I want to do! Since I interviewed you a couple weeks ago I am curious – did you make it to Diane’s for Labor Day?
If you are interested in having your book club featured here please email me at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com
Seriously…. do you see this? I bike 150 miles this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I really hope it clears up! On the bright side… this is good reading weather! 😉
Tonight was our September Book Club meeting. It was Laura’s pick for location and she chose a potluck camp fire at her home. I love how each Book Club member gets a month to pick where to meet and the different places we get to try!
Tonight’s review was on Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. I had read this book prior to it being chosen for Book Club and I was anxious to see what the Bookies thought of it as well. We had a good discussion about women who lived in the time of Pope Joan and how different it is from where we are today as women – it is almost hard to fathom a time when women were considered good for nothing other than making babies and keeping a home. Yet, we know this is a part of our history.
“A woman’s long hair is the net wherein satan catches a man’s soul.” ~ Pope Joan page 11
Over all this book rated an above average read for us. Most of the group enjoyed the historical value of the book and while a few counted the book as having a slow beginning, all agreed that once it got going it was hard to put down until the very end.
The weather had cleared from a rainy afternoon to a cool but not cold evening. The review around the camp fire was a real treat!
Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind — until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him.
came to be… that’s a bit of magic in itself, and you will read more about that in my author interview with Kaleb Nation today! When this book arrived in my home I was itching to get into it… I felt it was something special before I ever opened it and that scared me a bit… what if I was wrong? Did I seriously just judge a book by its cover? I think I did a little, and along with the small buzz through the internet that I was hearing about the book, I could not wait tog et started.
Welcome Kaleb! Please make yourself comfortable. When I first started hearing about Bran Hambric I had also heard how the story came to you on March 3rd, 2003, 3/3/03. You were 14 at the time. That amazes me. Would youplease tell us a little about what that was like?
they have had over the past week and create a fake definition for them (much like how you play the board game Balderdash). This is all in fun and makes commenting on blogs a bit more interesting when the verification may just give you the best definition of the week! See original post here.
Congratulations!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be
Welcome Maryrose! Sit! Have some coffee! It is so wonderful to have you here today! Share with us the name of your book club.
potluck camp fire at her home. I love how each Book Club member gets a month to pick where to meet and the different places we get to try!
Book Journey 