Memorial Day Blog Hop--Telling the Stories

At Euterpe, the Young Adult imprint of Musa, we publish books intended for children and teenagers--mostly middle school and high school aged, but a few for younger kids. Most people would say that it’s a characteristic of that age group to live for the now—for them, the past is irrelevant and the future is far away.  In general, that’s true, because in terms of brain development, that’s what they can do. They are not programmed at this stage in their lives to see their existence as part of the vast roll of history, past and future.

And yet, if you want commitment, passion, and sacrifice, you’ll never find a more reliable group of people. Any one of these young people would fight for a cause they believed in, sacrifice for a friend, or assume leadership and expend energy to right a wrong they see around them—not in the abstract, but right now.

Image courtesy of the Saturday Evening Post

As adults, it’s our job to teach these passionate young people that they didn’t get where they are on their own—they owe a lot of people who’ve come before (the past)—and that actions that seem right in the moment have consequences, sometimes far-reaching ones (the future). When they learn that, they become…like us, for better or worse. 

And as adults, we’re pretty inconsistent in our leadership. We tell them, “Don’t grow up so fast,” and then, “Quit being so immature.” We tell them, “Believe in your dreams and work to make them happen,” and then we say, “That job will never bring you stability, security, health insurance.” We say, “I’m really proud of you for being who you are,” and then suggest, “Here are a few things you should fix about yourself.”

What is the solution to all these mixed messages? In some ways, there isn’t one. They’re going to become adults, anyway, and we have to prepare them for that—even while we want them to savor their fleeting youth.

But there’s one element in guiding youth that ancient cultures understood better than we do. Stories. From the time our children are small, we should be telling them stories, and we can’t stop when they get too big to crawl in our lap and hear the old fairy tales.

So sometimes, instead of saying, “You should appreciate how hard others have worked to give you the life that you have now,” or “you should appreciate your family,” (and really, who responds well to any sentence that starts with “you should?”), try telling the story of their great-grandfather, who boarded a ship in another country when he was 19, and came here, never seeing his parents or brothers or sisters again.  

If you want your teens to appreciate their education and their opportunities, instead of bugging them about grades, tell them the story of the aunt who dropped out of school because she wanted to do things her way…and after she worked for a year at low-paying, menial jobs, decided that “her way” wasn’t getting her anywhere, took her GED and went to college, and is now a therapist working with troubled youth.

For that matter, tell them about King David and Queen Esther, Hercules and Confucius, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, Joan of Arc and Mulan, the teenagers who hid their Jewish schoolmates in the Nazi era, the 13-year-old slaves who escaped their plantations to fight for freedom for all their people…history, fiction, and imagination provide no end to stories of young men and women who will connect to and inspire our young men and women.

A story has more power in it than a direct order does. An order can be enforced, but a story can inspire. On this Memorial Day weekend, we tell the story of those we cannot and must not forget. Some of them are abstract—“those who have sacrificed to give us our freedoms”—but some of them are connected—“your Aunt Brenda’s first husband, who was killed in Vietnam when he was only 19.”

If we want our young people to remember the past and look to the future, we must tell them the stories. With that in mind, we at Euterpe would like to give away two of our most powerful stories on this Memorial Day weekend.

One is the story of a young boy who has heard the stories of heroes his whole life. In The Champion of Justice and Freedom, young Tate Terwilliger is inspired by these stories to right the wrongs he sees in his own life—sometimes with unexpected results! This is a humorous and touching story perfect for 3^rd through 6^th graders.

And then there’s Ripples: A Novel in Stories of 9-11. In this collection of interlocking short stories, we see the stories of several young people struggling to bring redemption from the horrific losses of 9-11-01. Each of their lives touches the others as they try to rebuild a world that was blown apart on one fateful day.




CONTEST

If you’d like to win one of these wonderful books, Follow us here, leave a comment here (don’t forget to mention which book you’d like!) and like us on Facebook at EuterpeYABooks. We’re also on Twitter under the same name.

Here at Euterpe, we give thanks for all those who have sacrificed for freedoms, and we promise to keep telling the stories.

Interview with Contest Winner Danielle de la Cruz

Euterpe Author Cordelia Dinsmore interviewd Danielle de la Cruz, the author of "The Honeysuckle Dress," the 6th place winner of Euterpe's Young Adult Writer contest. She's being interviewed by Cordelia Dinsmore, author of  Michaela's Gift, due for release on June 8.

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Good morning, everyone. I’m thrilled to be here today with Danielle Dela Cruz, one of the winners of Musa’s Young Adult Writing Contest. This is a quarterly contest that is open to writers between the ages of eleven and twenty-one. Danielle is fifteen, but she competed with writers from the upper age level.

So, let’s get on with this interview. Danielle, I’m very pleased to meet you, and would love to hear the details of how you discovered Musa’s Young Adult Writing Contest.

I received an email about it from Project Team Beta (it’s a volunteer group of knowledgeable beta proofreaders who provide technical and creative feedback to fan fiction authors).

I’m not familiar with that site, but I appreciate them for spreading the word about the contest. And it’s fortunate that you are on their mailing list, or we might not have had the pleasure of reading your entry, which I enjoyed, by the way.

So, how long have you been writing, Danielle, and what is your favorite genre to write in?

I started writing last May. I’d been practicing a few months before that, though. I don’t particularly have a favorite, although I often write romance stories. Any genre is fine with me except horror. 

Oh, I hear you. I could never write horror. Too scary. Your story, The Honeysuckle Dress, placed 6^th, which, considering you had to compete with the older set, is really very good. Now that you know you can do this, do you plan to enter more writing competitions?

It depends actually. Studying is my top priority at the moment. But, who knows?

I admire you for setting your priorities and sticking to them. That’s not an easy accomplishment. I read your entry, Danielle, and I enjoyed it.  Poor Jane! She sure had the worst luck. But I don’t understand exactly what a Honeysuckle dress is. Is it the style, the designer, or just the sweetness of the colors? I just wondered if there was a significance for the dress to be a honeysuckle dress. 

Thank you for reading and enjoying. Well, it’s a simple red-pink colored dress. Actually, a honeysuckle dress was the last thing in my mind when I decided to join and make an entry. In one of my accounts, I used the word honeysuckle as a name and searched for related pictures. Then, when I was writing, I thought I should give Jane a specific dress for the story to work out, and then I saw the honeysuckle dress, and that was it.

Well, it worked out just fine. That dress caused her a lot of problems, didn’t it? Aside from the dress, though, who, or what, was your inspiration for the story you submitted?

Honestly, I don’t know. I only thought about one-of-a-kind plots, and the mistaken hostage story entered my brain. I know. It’s lame.

It isn’t lame at all. You created believable characters. Your plot was solid, and you had a good story arc. Nothing lame about any of that. Can you share with us what your friends and family think of your writing, and whether or not this is something you plan to pursue further?

My family and friends know about this, and thankfully, they support me. Especially my mom. She encouraged me to go for it when I was hesitant to join the contest. If there’s an opportunity given to me, why not? But I have no plans of becoming an author in the future.

Well, I admire you for being so sure about it, but I hope you also realize that you do have a talent, so just keep that thought in the back of your mind somewhere. Someday you might change your mind.

Now I’d like to switch gears, and ask you to share with us the titles of your three all-time favorite books? What makes these your favorites?

They are the typical books: Twilight, Harry Potter, and Sherlock Holmes. I love Twilight because of the new vampire aspect and the romance; Harry Potter because it was well written; and Sherlock Holmes because mystery stories thrill and creep me at the same time, which is a good thing for me!

So, you like creepy, but not horror levels of creepiness. Good to know.

I understand you don’t want to pursue a writing career, but let’s pretend for a moment that you do. If you could choose anywhere in the world to write, where would that be? I want a clear visual picture of this place, so don’t just say, Jamaica, or Spain. I want to see the room, and what you are seeing when you look out the window – if there is a window.

I want to be at a high place. Like at the top of a mountain or a tower. I want to see the vast scenery and feel relaxed at the same time. The fog that envelops the air, the trees that look so tiny, the cold temperature, the strange sounds of the animals...

Oh, I can picture it. See? You’re a great writer already, whether you want to be one or not. Who do you feel has most influenced you with your writing? Has there been a special teacher, or perhaps one of your parents? Or maybe it’s a favorite author?

I guess, in my situation, it’s the authors. I think I can tell you that English is not my primary language. I have to observe American movies and how writers do their magic when I choose to write. I am still learning, though, and I think this contest is both a practice and an achievement for me.

You’re doing a great job so far. What made you decide to enter the Musa Young Adult Writing Contest? Was it the fabulous prizes?

I decided that maybe I could both learn and have fun here.

I hope you did both. But let’s get back to the prizes. I understand you won a gift card for your winning entry. If you haven’t already used it, what are your plans for it? If you already spent it, what did you use it for?

I am clueless. Like I said, I only joined for the experience, but then, the prize (that I wasn’t expecting) was something I hadn’t thought of.

So, I know you said you aren’t going to be a writer (even though you already are), but if you were going to be a writer, how would you celebrate the publication of your first novel?

Wow, publishing. Every author’s dream. Hmm, maybe if I could publish my first novel, the first thing I’d do is to thank everybody who helped me, and then, I would give them a nice treat. Like going to the movies or eating at a restaurant?

Those are wonderful ideas, Danielle. You strike me as a very thoughtful, generous, and self-assured young woman. I thank you again for granting me this opportunity to interview you, and I wish you much success in whatever career choices you decide to pursue.

Thank you, as well, for providing these questions. Thanks for all the praises that make me pink and I hope you’re not that dismayed with my pathetic answers.

Your answers were delightful, Danielle, as are you. Don’t forget this is a quarterly contest. I’m not sure of all the rules, but you might want to consider entering it again next time.

The Last Timekeepers--Today's New Release!

TIME TRAVEL 101

 

Legends. We love them. We can’t get enough of them. In fact we NEED them. Legends connect humanity in ways we can’t fathom. A legend, by definition is a story handed down for generations among a people and popularly believed to have a historical basis, although not verifiable. In book one of my time travel series, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Amanda Sault, her four classmates, and two tag-along adults are whisked through an arch they find buried in an overgrown garden, and transported to the mythical continent of Atlantis. They’ve been summoned to become Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force known only as Belial. Oh, BTW—they’re not just any Timekeepers—they’re the Last Timekeepers. No pressure, right? Well, maybe a smidgen.

The Timekeepers first mission involves going back to 1214 England, actually Nottingham to be precise. There, Amanda and her time traveling cohorts meet an adolescent Robin Hood, although he is known as Robyn Hodekin to the people of Nottingham. So here’s the rub—in The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, what’s myth and what’s made-up? That’s when it’s up to the reader to seek the truth and dispel the lies.

Here’s a little help:

Robin Hood—if he did exist—was known by many names. Robyn Hode, Robert Earl of Huntingdon, Robert Fitz Ooth, and Robert fitz Odo to name a few. The first written references to our hero are brief. The earliest comes in the poem Piers Plowman, written in 1377 by the London cleric William Langland. One of his characters, an idle priest, says in passing, “I know the rhymes of Robin Hood,” but that is all. The oldest surviving substantial account of Robin Hood in his wider setting was printed in 1510, and is called A Geste of Robin Hood, the word Geste probably meaning a tale of heroic exploits. BTW—“Robin Hood in Sherwood stood” was one verse found preserved in a scrap of manuscript from Lincoln Cathedral, and was dated around 1410.

Mortimer’s Hole—The Mortimer and his hole in my story is fictional. The real Mortimer’s Hole is a 98 metre long man-made tunnel that takes you from the foot of castle rock up to the Upper Bailey in the castle grounds. It is named after Roger Mortimer. On the night of 19th October 1330 one of the most dramatic events in the history of the castle took place when the supporters of 15 year old King Edward III entered the castle through a secret passage —now named Mortimer's Hole. They captured Queen Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who had usurped the young King and were ruling England in his place. Mortimer was taken to London where he was executed. Mortimer's Hole was probably used as a food chute in medieval times.

Nottingham caves—Totally factual! Beneath the houses, shops and offices of Nottingham lie hundreds of caves. Few people in Nottingham are aware of this labyrinth, which exists underneath the city streets, and fewer still have visited them. Nottingham has more man-made caves than anywhere else in Britain. People have worked and lived in them for over 1,000 years. None of these caves were formed naturally. They were all cut into the sandstone by the city’s inhabitants for use as houses, cellars and place of work. Each cave in unique and created for a specific purpose, some have elaborate carvings, pillars and staircases. Take a virtual tour if you dare: http://nottinghamcavessurvey.org.uk/

Knights Templar— The Knights Templar trace their origin back to shortly after the First Crusade. Around 1119, a French nobleman, Hughes de Payens, collected eight of his knight relatives, and began the Order, their stated mission to protect pilgrims on their journey to visit the Holy Places. Knights of the Order wore white mantles, assigned to the Templars in 1129 at the Council of Troyes and surcoats quartered by a red cross, a symbol of martyrdom, probably added at the start of the Second Crusade in 1147, and were heavily armored knights from the aristocracy with war horses. Knights had to wear their white mantles as all times, even when eating and drinking.

The Rockyard Inn—That name is fictional. Much of the history of the Inn is very poorly recorded. An archaeological dig in 1974 proved conclusively that the location of the original Brewhouse could only be that of the caves of Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, the Inn that exists there presently. This established that the Castle Brewhouse existed prior to 1189AD but the first dated reference is to be found is in the records of the City Council for the year 1618. The parochial rights to the area now known as the Brewhouse Yard did not in fact belong to the Castle but passed backwards and forward over time between the Priory of Lenton, The Knights Templar and the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem.

Here’s a little except from The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis:

Amanda Sault silently studied the words she just scrawled: May 1st, 1214—Games and songs and revelry, act as the cloak of devilry. So that an English legend may give to the poor, we must travel to Nottingham to even the score.

She frowned. She was the Scribe. Amanda knew that meant she was supposed to understand what this riddle meant. But she didn’t have a clue. All she knew was that she, her four annoying classmates, and two offbeat adults were standing in what was left of the lost continent of Atlantis and they were supposed to be the Timekeepers, the legendary time travelers handpicked by destiny to keep Earth’s history safe from evil. But no one had told them how they were supposed to do it.

Their problem: no matter what happened—good or bad—they weren’t supposed to mess with the past. Period. Dot. End of story. Amanda felt hot liquid build in her throat. Her thumb traced the words of the arcane riddle. Their first Timekeeper mission. Amanda knew this wasn’t the end of the story.

This was just the beginning.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, debuting through Musa Publishing this May 18, 2012. When not writing or digging up the past, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Sharon’s Blog: http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/

Sharon’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/seledwith

The Last Timekeepers Series Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Last-Timekeepers-Time-Travel-Series/373953795955372

Twitter: @sharonledwith

Musa Publishing Buy link: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=277

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13613004-the-last-timekeepers-and-the-arch-of-atlantis

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

New Release Today!!!!

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children, along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save the Earth from an uncertain future. The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of merry teens before history is turned upside-down.

Excerpt

Amanda Sault silently studied the words she just scrawled: May 1st, 1214—Games and songs and revelry, act as the cloak of devilry. So that an English legend may give to the poor, we must travel to Nottingham to even the score.

She frowned. She was the Scribe. Amanda knew that meant she was supposed to understand what this riddle meant. But she didn’t have a clue. All she knew was that she, her four annoying classmates, and two offbeat adults were standing in what was left of the lost continent of Atlantis and they were supposed to be the Timekeepers, the legendary time travelers handpicked by destiny to keep Earth’s history safe from evil. But no one had told them how they were supposed to do it.

Their problem: no matter what happened—good or bad—they weren’t supposed to mess with the past. Period. Dot. End of story. Amanda felt hot liquid build in her throat. Her thumb traced the words of the arcane riddle. Their first Timekeeper mission. Amanda knew this wasn’t the end of the story.

This was just the beginning.

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Great Reviews coming in for Euterpe

 Here are just a taste of the great reviews that are coming in for the YA books at Musa Publishing.

Dragon Night by Stephanie Campbell

"Ms. Campbell writes a busy story with lots of complex relationships between her families of characters and poor Ford. Ford is sixteen and what he’s going through resembles puberty but is much worse. You immediately empathize with him because he’s brought up loveless and has no idea how to help himself. The author adds evil dragons, and draconians who are slaves to the dragons and mixes Ford into the conflict between the two factions. The entire story held my attention and made me hungry to see what’s on the next page and how she would end the story. There's potential for a sequel here if the author chooses. I’d be happy to read more about Ford and how he puts his life back together.

This is an excellent read for a young person going through life changes who needs a distraction or for someone who enjoys fantasy or stories about dragons." Long and Short of It  Reviews 4 Stars





Lost in the Bayou by Cornell Deville

"Lost In The Bayou" by Cornell Deville was indeed a good YA thriller. I thought the story was very well written with lots of fast paste action. "Lost in the Bayou" was definitely a page turner in that I could not put it down until I was finished with it.... with each chapter leaving you wondering just what was happening next.

This author did a wonderful job with this YA action thriller."  Great Minds Read Aloud 4 Stars








The Girl Who Remembered Horses by Linda Benson 

"The Girl Who Remembered Horses by Linda Benson is the first book I have read by this author. I had to check this book out just from the title. I am a horse lover. I cannot get enough about reading horse stories. I did like this book. Enough to sit for long periods of time and read it on my computer. Sahara is such an intriguing character. I did not know what she would bring next to the story. My only complaint about this book was that it seemed a bit long. It could have been shorter and still been good. It seemed like Ms. Benson’s wanted to show her love for horses by making sure she captured every detail about them. Ms. Benson is a good story teller. Ms. Benson’s love for horses did help to make this story come alive. I would suggest any horse fans to check out this book." Manic Readers 4.5 stars




The Trouble with Nightingale by Amaleen Ison

"The Trouble with Nightingale is written for young adults, but this adult-reader really enjoyed it as well. No character is overdone. Millie acts like everyone else. The few powers she discovers actually help round out her character and give her the ability to fight back against demons. Why not join Millie in her quest to save her apartment house (and maybe the world) from demon danger? You’ll find yourself rooting for the familiar, even if he’s not what you’d call a dangerous animal. I know I did." Long and Short of It 4 Stars

The Blacksmiths Daughter by Arley Cole

"I very much recommend picking up this book, especially if you have a teenage son or daughter interested in fantasy. It’s good, clean fun." The Lost Entwife 5 Stars


"The author gives you ambushes, invigorated fights and near death on almost every page. You won’t be bored reading this story. I especially liked the fight between good and evil; magic was used for evil and foiled by good magic. It’s easy to pick out the good and bad characters in the story and it only took me a chapter to know that Enith and Acwellen are a good match for each other. The author takes you through an early romance that matures at the end of the story and it’s a sweet tale. Ms. Cole also weaves enough nuances in the story to let you know that the adventure is not quite over. The evil wizard is still alive, Nerian (Acwellen’s best friend) has not realized all his potential yet, and it wouldn’t be hard to develop another book to continue the story. I hope she does, I’d love to read more about this world and the characters that people it. If you like fantasy, I know you will too!" Long and Short of It 5 Stars