Sunday, December 13, 2020

Book Review: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane (MG) by Julia Nobel

 Emmeline "Emmy" Willick is happy kicking balls and scoring goals on the soccer field in Connecticut until her mother sends her away to Wellsworth--a boarding school in England. 

'making friends had never been [Emmy's] strength. That would involve talking to people.' (p. 4)

How will a timid introvert like Emmy survive living with her peers?

Emmy's life is one big question mark. Why did her mother choose to send her to Wellsworth? Does it have anything to do with her father? Emmy's father left when she was three-years-old. One of the only things she knows about him is that he meet Emmy's mom in England. She doesn't know if he's alive or dead. So if he's alive, she wonders where he is? If he's dead, how did he die? 

The mystery is like a frayed thread the more she pulls on it the longer it gets. 




Buy this book

Published by Sourcebooks Young Readers

Published in 2020

Won the Silver Birch Fiction Award



I choose to read The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane because I'm currently writing a novel for readers of middle grade fiction and wanted to learn more about the genre. I was rewarded with not only an intriguing mystery but also with an enduring, relatable character--Emmy--who grew through the course of the novel.


Next Sunday...
December 20
at approximately 5...um...er...4:30ish PM PT


Ice Angel
Leanne Dyck

...Something floated over the ice. She sparkled. Was she an angel?...
 


photo by Terrill Welch

Wednesday, December 9
Virtual Author Reading
by Leanne Dyck

This short story was inspired by the Christmas--several years ago--when I forced to throw all my seasonal traditions out the window--much like this year. Ah, but, I learned... Well, to say more would spoil it. I'll just read it, shall I...?

photo by bdyck


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photo by ldyck

Sharing my author journey...


word count:  19,221 words
goal:  40,000+ words

Sometimes when the words lie lifeless on the page and the story has 

stopped flowing the best--or only--way forward is to go backward. That's what I did this week. I read the entire manuscript. I looked for problem areas--rewrote and strengthened. Studying the manuscript in this way helps me see the story more clearly and motivates me to continue the journey.

We all know how helpful the internet can be. Here is yet another example...

I put the last period in place on the above author share, did a little searching, and found this helpful article...