Becoming Your Own Critique Partner


Book Description

Not everyone has access to a good critique group. If you're on your own and need someone to help polish your manuscript so it shines in the eyes of agents and editors, look no further. Using examples from their own work and a huge dash of humor, veteran authors Jane Toombs and Janet Lane Walters guide both the new writer and the experienced through the labyrinth of self-editing.







Words Perfect


Book Description

Previously published as: Becoming your own critique partner, 2003.




Blood Water Paint


Book Description

"Haunting ... teems with raw emotion, and McCullough deftly captures the experience of learning to behave in a male-driven society and then breaking outside of it."—The New Yorker "I will be haunted and empowered by Artemisia Gentileschi's story for the rest of my life."—Amanda Lovelace, bestselling author of the princess saves herself in this one A William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist 2018 National Book Award Longlist Her mother died when she was twelve, and suddenly Artemisia Gentileschi had a stark choice: a life as a nun in a convent or a life grinding pigment for her father's paint. She chose paint. By the time she was seventeen, Artemisia did more than grind pigment. She was one of Rome's most talented painters, even if no one knew her name. But Rome in 1610 was a city where men took what they wanted from women, and in the aftermath of rape Artemisia faced another terrible choice: a life of silence or a life of truth, no matter the cost. He will not consume my every thought. I am a painter. I will paint. Joy McCullough's bold novel in verse is a portrait of an artist as a young woman, filled with the soaring highs of creative inspiration and the devastating setbacks of a system built to break her. McCullough weaves Artemisia's heartbreaking story with the stories of the ancient heroines, Susanna and Judith, who become not only the subjects of two of Artemisia's most famous paintings but sources of strength as she battles to paint a woman's timeless truth in the face of unspeakable and all-too-familiar violence. I will show you what a woman can do. ★"A captivating and impressive."—Booklist, starred review ★"Belongs on every YA shelf."—SLJ, starred review ★"Haunting."—Publishers Weekly, starred review ★"Luminous."—Shelf Awareness, starred review




The Secret Things of God


Book Description

The phenomenal bestseller, The Secret, tapped into a spiritual hunger present in our society, revealing the Law of Attraction as a way to improve your life and find harmony with universal energies. Dr Cloud builds on these ideas by offering a positive Christian interpretation of the thinking found in that book. By comparing ideas and concepts in The Secretwith biblical scripture, he points readers to the Creator of the universe as the source of all power, offering twenty spiritual truths that hold within them the secrets of happiness, relationships and purpose. Yet even among those who claim a Christian faith, these truths often lie dormant and untapped within the soul. The Secret Things of Godwill help readers unlock the secret treasures God has for them, and gives guidance on how to activate these truths in our lives.




Beneath the Haunting Sea


Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Talia was born to a life of certainty and luxury,destined to become Empress of half the world. But when an ambitiousrival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a nowhereprovince on the far edge of the Northern Sea.On their terrifying journey, the sea seems to call to Talia in strangeways, and her mother-spiraling into madness-becomes obsessedwith ancient myths that talk of the sea-goddess Rahn who rules thewatery Hall of the Dead.Joanna Meyer is a wonderful new voice in the YA fantasy genre. Heroriginal, fresh story handles popular fantasy themes in surprisingways. Her lush, atmospheric prose masterfully brings to life her uniquemythology and vividly imagined, culturally diverse world.Beneath the Haunting Sea will appeal to fans of bestselling series suchas Throne of Glass, The Remnant Chronicles, The Winner's Trilogy,and The Grisha Trilogy, as well as recent debuts such as The Reader,The Star-Touched Queen, Sword and Verse, Fear the Drowning Deep,and Given to the Sea. It will also attract readers of adult fantasy, whoenjoy Earthsea, The Silmarillion, and Game of Thrones. Its slow-burnromance and gothic setting, inspired by Sense and Sensibility andJane Eyre, will appeal to a wider audience. Joanna describes Talia'slove interest as Willoughby-esque and Beneath the Haunting Sea asThe Silmarillion meets Jane Eyre, with kissing.




Dozens of Doughnuts


Book Description

A generous but increasingly put-upon bear makes batch after batch of doughnuts for her woodland friends without saving any for herself in this delightful debut picture book about counting, sharing, and being a good friend. LouAnn (a bear) is making a doughnut feast in preparation for her long winter's nap. But just before she takes the first bite, DING DONG! Her friend Woodrow (a woodchuck) drops by. LouAnn is happy to share her doughnuts, but as soon as she and Woodrow sit down to eat, DING DING! Clyde (a raccoon) is at the door. One by one, LouAnn's friends come over--Topsy (an opossum) and then Moufette (a skunk) and then Chip and Chomp (chipmunks)--until it's one big party. Louann welcomes her surprise guests and makes batch after batch of doughnuts, always dividing them equally among her friends. But she makes one BIG miscalculation. Soon LouAnn's kitchen is bare, winter is near, and she's had nothing to eat at all!




The Scout Mindset


Book Description

"...an engaging and enlightening account from which we all can benefit."—The Wall Street Journal A better way to combat knee-jerk biases and make smarter decisions, from Julia Galef, the acclaimed expert on rational decision-making. When it comes to what we believe, humans see what they want to see. In other words, we have what Julia Galef calls a "soldier" mindset. From tribalism and wishful thinking, to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, we are driven to defend the ideas we most want to believe—and shoot down those we don't. But if we want to get things right more often, argues Galef, we should train ourselves to have a "scout" mindset. Unlike the soldier, a scout's goal isn't to defend one side over the other. It's to go out, survey the territory, and come back with as accurate a map as possible. Regardless of what they hope to be the case, above all, the scout wants to know what's actually true. In The Scout Mindset, Galef shows that what makes scouts better at getting things right isn't that they're smarter or more knowledgeable than everyone else. It's a handful of emotional skills, habits, and ways of looking at the world—which anyone can learn. With fascinating examples ranging from how to survive being stranded in the middle of the ocean, to how Jeff Bezos avoids overconfidence, to how superforecasters outperform CIA operatives, to Reddit threads and modern partisan politics, Galef explores why our brains deceive us and what we can do to change the way we think.




How to Write a Novel


Book Description

Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford shares his secrets for creating killer plots, fleshing out your first ideas, crafting compelling characters, and staying sane in the process. Read the guide that New York Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs called "The best how-to-write-a-novel book I've read."




Lean In


Book Description

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A landmark manifesto" (The New York Times) that's a revelatory, inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth that will empower women around the world to achieve their full potential. In her famed TED talk, Sheryl Sandberg described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which has been viewed more than eleven million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto. Lean In continues that conversation, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can. Sandberg, COO of Meta (previously called Facebook) from 2008-2022, provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career. She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment, and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women both in the workplace and at home.