Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 8, 2012, 12:00 am
Sheryl Steines, author of The Day of First Sun, is stopping by the blog today to talk about her writing space and how the heart of her home became to best place for her to complete a novel that has vampires, zombies, and magical wizards. Her novel (according to the Amazon synopsis): In this Young ...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 7, 2012, 12:00 am
Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton (check out her writing space guest post) is a modern re-telling of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, but in this rendition, Darcy is not only proud, but he has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).  He’s not the only one with control issues, though, with Bin...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 6, 2012, 12:00 am
Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is the Metro Reader. Kristi of The Story Siren continues to sponsor her In My Mailbox meme. Both of these memes allow bl...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 5, 2012, 12:00 am
National Poetry Month 2012 is in April and I’m looking for guest posts from poetry readers and tour hosts for these guest posts. I want to fill out all of April early and be able to direct readers across the blogosphere for some great poetry discussion and celebration. Not only will you be part o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 4, 2012, 12:00 am
Welcome to the 135th Virtual Poetry Circle! Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful. Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 3, 2012, 12:00 am
Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton was released on Feb. 1 from Sourcebooks Landmark. In this modern re-telling, Dr. Elizabeth Bennet tries to overcome her own intimacy issues, while Mr. Darcy is looking for a woman to love him and all his obsessive compulsive tendencies. Through a serious of co...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 2, 2012, 12:00 am
Graveminder by Melissa Marr is creepy and mysterious.  Claysville is a town in which its residents are protected, and there is a peculiar bond between the undertakers and the graveminders.  Not sure what a graveminder is? Readers quickly get an inkling of what they do and how they take care of the...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Feb 1, 2012, 12:00 am
My City, My New York by Jeryl Brunner (my interview) is the perfect companion for a trip to the Big Apple — New York City — because it is a collection of hidden treasures from the celebrities, icons, foodies, and authors who live there.  Broken into seven sections — Secret Gardens & Hidden Sp...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 31, 2012, 12:00 am
I’ve read a number of posts over the years from fellow bloggers about their love/lust of authors from the Book Lady‘s Panty Throwing to bloggers like Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin?‘s spotlights on the books she’s drooling over.  I know that we all drool over actors and various book series and mo...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 30, 2012, 9:00 am
The Confession by Charles Todd is the 14th book in the Ian Rutledge mystery series, which usually pertain to The Great War or WWI.  In this book, Rutledge hears the confession of an aging and dying man in 1920 about a murder he committed during the war.  When the body of the man who confesses to m...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 30, 2012, 12:00 am
Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is the At Home With Books. Kristi of The Story Siren continues to sponsor her In My Mailbox meme. Both of these memes a...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 28, 2012, 12:00 am
Welcome to the 134th Virtual Poetry Circle! Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful. Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 27, 2012, 12:00 am
As part of Hachette Books’ Book Club Booster Giveaway, I’m offering a book club up to 10 copies of The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Description from GoodReads: At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league s...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 26, 2012, 12:00 am
... a teenage girl in post-WWII Japan.  Check out my review here. ... Press. Kawakami is immensely popular in Japan, and The Briefcase was a ... been incompatible. Dazai is one of Japan’s most beloved writers and ... but I’ve also translated biography, art & architecture books, craft books,...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 25, 2012, 12:00 am
Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller is a collection of knitting patterns from a diehard Twilight series fan, who was so inspired that she created a collection of patters for other fans of the series and vampires in general.  However, some of these patterns could just be knitted and worn by everyday, ...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 24, 2012, 12:00 am
Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory brings back the parable, the allegory, and the fable in an absurdist manner — think Animal Farm meets the Myth of Sisyphus and Paul (particularly with its comedic attributes and alien encounters). Each story is about 20 pages long, but is utt...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 23, 2012, 2:00 pm
Anna and I have had bad luck with book clubs over the last several years, as we continue to seek like-minded individuals who are willing to give anything a try in their reading and not quit a book club simply because they hate one of the books they’ve read. This past Saturday, we met with our new...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 23, 2012, 12:00 am
Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is the At Home With Books. Kristi of The Story Siren continues to sponsor her In My Mailbox meme. Both of these memes al...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 22, 2012, 12:00 am
Lu, Kelly, and Eva have talked about reading more poetry in 2012, and they want us all to join in.  Stuck for a list of enjoyable poetry books, check out the Indie Lit Awards 2011 list and Lu’s list. This challenge is open to everyone — from those who love poetry already to those just starting...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 21, 2012, 12:00 am
Welcome to the 133rd Virtual Poetry Circle! Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful. Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 20, 2012, 12:00 am
While I often talk a lot about books, poetry, writing, and author and publishing events, I rarely talk about music here, even though it is one of my passions.  I could go on and on about the reasons I love certain bands and certain genres of music, and why I dislike other bands and other genres of ...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 19, 2012, 12:00 am
Tracks by Eric D. Goodman is a expressive and reflective novel told in stories or what some would call a short story collection published by Maryland-based publisher Atticus Books, and unlike other short story collections, there are very few weak stories, if any.  Each protagonist in the story is o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 18, 2012, 12:00 am
Irish Lady by Jeanette Baker is about Meghann McCarthy who had left Belfast behind until Michael Devlin re-emerges and needs her help.  He’s charged with murder, but as she attempts to uncover the truth, a history reveals itself through a series of linked histories back to the time of Queen Eliza...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 17, 2012, 12:00 am
Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai is a short book of less than 100 pages from One Peace Books and is translated from the Japanese by Allison Markin Powell.  The novella, which reads more like a narrative poem, has readers spend the day with a teenage girl who is adjusting to life after the death of her fat...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 16, 2012, 12:00 am
Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is the At Home With Books. Kristi of The Story Siren continues to sponsor her In My Mailbox meme. Both of these memes al...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 14, 2012, 12:00 am
Welcome to the 132nd Virtual Poetry Circle! Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful. Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 13, 2012, 12:00 am
As part of my 2012 efforts to generate money from this blog, I’ve decided to use it to publicize and offer editing services.  Since I’m an editor full time for an electronic newsletter company and have worked on PR materials and other items over the years, why not offer my services to my reader...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 12, 2012, 12:00 am
I recently read and reviewed and loved Dreaming of Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly, which is the second book in her trilogy for Jane Austen addicts — just like me.  If you’re looking for drama on and off the movie set in Lyme Regis as an adaptation of Persuasion is filmed, this book fits the bil...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 11, 2012, 12:00 am
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo is a coming-of-age novel (grades 7 and older) that sets readers up for the dreary and devastating life of a young boy, Tommy Peaceful, whose father dies unexpectedly at work as a forester.  Tommy and his brother Charlie are inseparable, and their other brother B...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 10, 2012, 12:00 am
Dreaming of Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly is the second book in her Austen Addicts trilogy, and is a must have in any Austen fan’s collection for its unique set of characters and the clear references to Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth, and more.  Starring Kay Ashton, who works in a dead end and tha...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 9, 2012, 12:00 am
Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is the At Home With Books. Kristi of The Story Siren continues to sponsor her In My Mailbox meme. Both of these memes al...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Jan 8, 2012, 12:00 am
After all the prodding and poking my team and I did on Facebook, Twitter, and our blogs, the nominations for poetry rolled in with over 200 nominations coming in for a variety of poetry. But there were some clear favorites in the voting, with one short listed nominee collecting more than 70 votes a...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Nov 1, 2011, 12:00 am
Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems by Emma Eden Ramos, published by Heavy Hands Ink this year (it is eligible for the Indie Lit Awards), is primarily a series of poems about British-American psychotherapist Annette, her daughter Julia, and a Croatian immigrant, Milena.  Ramos uses th...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 31, 2011, 12:00 pm
Anna and I are co-hosting the Stephen King IT Read-a-Long.  We are having discussions once per month through the end of the year about the parts we’ve read. For the first discussion of part 1, plus the following interlude, go here. For part 2′s discussion, please visit Diary of an Eccentric. ...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 31, 2011, 12:00 am
First, I would like to congratulate (Dianne) on winning Lost Edens by Jamie Patterson from the last Mailbox Monday giveaway. Stay tuned for the next giveaway later on in the post, but for now, let’s get to this week’s post. ***Also, stay tuned at Noon for the Stephen King’s IT Read-a-Long d...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 30, 2011, 12:00 am
Earlier this week I reviewed Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose fame.  This collection provides readers with a wide breath of Jane Austen inspired short stories that range from love and romance to witty humor and mystery. Today, Laurel has graced us with her pre...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 29, 2011, 12:00 am
Welcome to the 121st Virtual Poetry Circle! Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful. Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review o...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 28, 2011, 12:00 am
Laurel Ann Nattress, the woman behind Austenprose.com, is now the editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It, a collection of Jane Austen-inspired short stories (check out the tour).  Authors not considered Austenites per se, like Frank Delaney writes with Diane Meier and Adriana Trigiani join those known...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 27, 2011, 12:00 am
My Soul to Take by Tananarive Due is the fourth book in her immortals series and is set in the year 2016 when governments are striving to keep terrorists at bay and plagues secret to reduce the threat of panic.  Glow, a type of blood that is warm to the touch, is being touted as the solution to the...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 26, 2011, 12:00 am
Mr. Darcy’s Undoing by Abigail Reynolds is the latest in her “What If?” series of Pride & Prejudice variations that seeks to uncover how far Darcy will go to woo Lizzy if after his disastrous proposal she accepts one from another man.  Darcy has made his arrogant speech about loving Lizzy aga...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 25, 2011, 12:00 am
Earlier this month I not only reviewed Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington, but I also participated in her experiment Where’s Alice Bliss?  While my copy of her book has been picked up from where I left it, it has not resurfaced on Book Crossing yet.  I’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meant...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 24, 2011, 12:00 am
First, I would like to congratulate (Vicki) on winning Waking by Ron Rash from the last Mailbox Monday giveaway. Stay tuned for the next giveaway later on in the post, but for now, let’s get to this week’s post. Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since ...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 23, 2011, 8:10 am
This weekend was Dewey’s 24-hour read-a-thon. I read on and off yesterday in between traveling to Anna’s house to celebrate her husband’s birthday. It was a great time and Wiggles was a very happy camper most of the time, but with three teeth coming in at once, she did have her cranky moment...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 22, 2011, 12:00 am
Today’s poem is from Elizabeth Alexander’s American Sublime (page 32): Autumn Passage On suffering, which is real. On the mouth that never closes, the air that dries the mouth. On the miraculous dying body, its greens and purples. On the beauty of hair itself. On the dazzling toddler: “Lik...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 21, 2011, 12:00 am
If you are anything like me, then when you really love a book you want everyone to check it out.  You might be on Taker overload, but I’m going to hit you one more time this week. What I loved most about The Taker is the darkness that is explored, how easy it is to be led astray when you think y...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 20, 2011, 12:00 am
Her Sister’s Shadow by Katharine Britton is aptly titled given that Lilli Niles has always felt like she is living in the shadow of her “perfect” sister Bea.  Bea takes on a guardianship role when Lilli is about 15 after their father dies and their mother loses touch with reality.  Lilli res...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 19, 2011, 12:00 am
Abigail Reynolds is a master at answering the What If? question when it comes to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet’s romance in her re-tellings.  Whether Mr. Darcy decides to hold his tongue at the Meryton Assembly or doesn’t botch his proposal to her in Kent, Reynolds finds new ways to keep this ...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 18, 2011, 12:00 am
Alma Katsu’s The Taker has received a number of rave reviews and some unfavorable reviews, and it was recently listed in BookList’s Top 10 Debut books. Lanore, “Lanny,” shows up in her northern Maine hometown covered in blood, and the police say that she has confessed to killing a man and l...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 17, 2011, 12:00 am
First, I would like to congratulate (Bibliophile by the Sea) on winning Where Am I Going by Michelle Cromer from the last Mailbox Monday giveaway. Stay tuned for the next giveaway later on in the post, but for now, let’s get to this week’s post. Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the...
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Serena M. A. posted an article on Savvy Verse & Wit - Oct 16, 2011, 1:48 pm
I’ve talked about my first visit to Novel Places before, but this time, I’m going to regale you with my first event adventure at the new bookstore in my area. I knew Alma Katsu was going to be at the bookstore for more than a month, since I chatted with her online via email, and Patrick (the ow...
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