I have no reason to write anything about Halloween other than to say the holiday does play an important role in the most recent novel I wrote... and that the next time I dress up in costume for a party, I'm going to wear exactly what the main character in that book wears.It's a great Boy Book, too, perfect to read during BoNoBloMo.
So many times I have been tempted to put portions of my novels on this blog, especially some of the Halloween stuff from this latest work, but I think that blogs are for blogging, and not for writing... and that serious writers should never post their work-to-be-published on line.
Ever.
Just my opinion.
So, it is fitting that BoNoBloMo ends on Halloween, and this day marks the 68th consecutive day I've written a blog post. I'm not going away, either, but I know I'll be laying off the blog for a week or so when I leave the country next week. I'll post about that, too.
Tomorrow, November begins, and as all writers know, November is NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. I am not competing in the event, but I am writing a novel at the moment... and I have no intent to finish it in the coming month because I have enough other stuff that's still out there, and this one is requiring much research (which is all I'm doing on it right now).
Another fitting recent event for BoNoBloMo is yet another flattering review of Ghost Medicine from School Library Journal. My editor notified me this morning that on the SLJ website, there was an article called "On the Hunt" that stated:
The most recent survey report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicated that in 2006, 12.5 million people aged 16 and older enjoyed hunting a variety of animals within the United States. While many hunt for sport, others do it to supplement commercial food sources. The National Rifle Association offers a variety of hunter education programs for youth, as do many state wildlife agencies and the Boy Scouts of America. If hunting is a popular activity in your region, think about featuring magazines such as Field & Stream, Hunting Illustrated, and Petersen’s Hunting to pique reluctant reader interest.
...and then went on to list what, apparently, were the best books for boys who liked to hunt. And right there on that short list of five titles, just next to Wilson Rawls' Where the Red Fern Grows was this one:
SMITH, Andrew. Ghost Medicine. Feiwel & Friends. 2008. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-312-37557-7.
Gr 7 Up–Seventeen-year-old Troy is working through some issues—his mom just died, and his father doesn’t seem to be able to be part of his life. When given the chance to work on a local ranch, he jumps at the opportunity—he’ll be close to his friends and beloved animals. Befriending an eccentric old woman creates unexpected results for Troy and his friend Tom, giving them hope for the future. But when the local bully and sheriff’s son, Chase Rutledge, kicks up his game a notch, the friends become prey for human hunters. Heart-stopping suspense on horseback.
Woo hoo! Thank you, School Library Journal, again, for another very nice review of my book.
By the way, as I've said in older posts, I have nothing at all against hunting. It was the primary way my father put food on the table when I was a kid. Unfortunately, the opportunities for boys to experience such things in this day and age have declined with the shrinking of America's wilderness.
So... I'm not dressing up for Halloween this year. I fully plan on getting that special costume for Halloween 2009, though, for the end of the second official BoNoBloMo.
BoNoBloMo
