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    • Lost and Found

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    March 17, 2009: I lost a library book. I chronicled my initial realization and the hunt for said book here. I further continued to post twitter updates about my continued search for the book. This lead to the discovery that the Pikes Peak Library District is following me on twitter and left me a message suggesting I check at the library in case it was accidentally reshelved without being checked back in.

    Imagine my worry and concern that I’m being followed by the PPLD. But that wasn’t my biggest problem.

    I’d offered Encyclopedia Brown 25 cents for the safe return of my book, but he didn’t take me up on my offer, so I was willing to make the same offer to anyone else. Still no book. I called the gym thinking I might have left it there. They said they didn’t have it. Days and weeks passed with no sign of it.

    April 1, 2009: My book was due back to the library, and I couldn’t renew it any more. It was time to bite the bullet and pay for the book. $17 for a book I wasn’t really enjoying. I had a pleasant conversation with the very helpful librarian Holly (only the third to suggest I check under the seats in my car), and she told me books always show up right after people pay for them.

    I didn’t believe her.

    After all, I’d searched high and low, torn my life apart looking for that book. It was gone. I was sure of it.

    April 2, 2009: I finally got to go to the gym after a week of snow and travel keeping me from going. On a whim, I decided to ask if my book was in their lost and found.

    AND IT WAS!!!!!

    I don’t know what the people at the desk were thinking when I called the three times before, but I promptly took the book back to the library and was refunded $15 by Holly, the very same librarian.

    Book returned. I’m only out $2. Let this be a lesson to me. I’m not sure what that lesson is yet … but I’ll think on it. If you can come up with one, let me know. I don’t want to spend too much time thinking about it.

    Reading FREE books once again until next time. -LJ

    Teaser Tuesday – Twice Loved

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    teaser_tuesdays1MizB of Should Be Reading hosts the Teaser Tuesdays weekly event

    Here are the rules:
    * Grab your current read
    * Let the book fall open to a random page
    * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12
    *You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
    * Please avoid spoilers!

    This week’s teaser is:

    “Well, love and devotion didn’t happen overnight, and in time she would learn to love this kind, gentle man. She needed to be patient.”
    – From Twice Loved by Lori Copeland, page 171

    So I haven’t actually started reading this book, but it’s on the loan from the library. (Don’t worry, I’ve added a low jack to it so it won’t disappear along with various socks and my other recent library debacle.) I’m really looking forward to reading this one.

    twice_loved

    Friday Favorite – The Witch of Blackbird Pond

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    Since my Teaser Tuesday this week featured this years Newbery Medal winner, I thought I’d continue the trend with my favorite of the week. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare was the1959 winner of the Newbery Medal and is without a doubt my favorite book of all time.

    I was probably 8 when I read this book for the first time. My mom assigned it to me for a school project, and I fell in witch-of-blackbird-pond1love with the story of Kit Tyler, a young woman forced to move from Barbados to a Puritan colony in Connecticut when her grandfather dies and she must live with her aunt and uncle in New England.

    Kit, with her silk gowns and awkward ways, can’t figure out how she fits in with her cousins Judith and Mercy. Instead she befriends Hannah, a lonely Quaker widow, who lives on the shores of Blackbird Pond. Kit also befriends a young girl, teaching her to read despite the wishes of her parents.

    Through a failed courtship and ultimately a trial as a witch, Kit’s mind goes back to Nat Eaton, a seaman on the ship that took Kit to New England. Nat appears and rescues her at his own risk at every turn.

    Next to Gilbert Blythe, Nat was one of my first literary crushes, and so I’ve read this book over and over again. In fact I borrowed–of course, I mean that I stole, as I have no intention of giving it back–my mom’s copy of the book. It has this orange cover, and pages are bent and wrinkled and it’s seen many years of love on my shelf.

    Then, a couple years ago, my mom bought a new copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond. She tried to trade me for my–obviously, I mean her–old copy, but I just couldn’t part with it. How could I ever get used to a new book? I’d have to memorize the pages of favorite passages all over again. I’d have to find the scene where Nat and Kit thatch Hannah’s roof and the one where Nat sails down the river and appears out of the mist to rescue Hannah and the one … Well, you get the point.

    If you haven’t read it yet, don’t wait. It’s a quick read and worth every minute. Remembering why she loves Nat until next time. -LJ

    The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn Cover!

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    How exactly does one celebrate her first official cover of her first novel? I don’t know, but let’s start by posting it for the world to see! 🙂

    kenzie-cover3 

    I’m just so thrilled and thankful to everyone at Steeple Hill for taking a chance on me. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the cover.

    Confession: Sometimes when I’m having a really hard day, I open up the file of my cover art and look at it, and it makes me smile. 🙂 Hope you enjoy as much as I do. -LJ

    Quality time with Brandon Heath

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    So I heard that Brandon was interviewed last week for CBS Evening News, and I was looking forward to watching the segment. But when I watched it, it was so not what I was expecting. The segment is on how Americans are losing their religion. A pastor of a “non-demoninational” church is interviewed almost as if attendees of a non-denom don’t consider themselves traditional Christians.

    Anyway, as a whole, it just made me sad. I could go on and on, but I’ll just let you watch the video and offer your thoughts if you like.


    Watch CBS Videos Online

    Teaser Tuesdays – The Graveyard Book

    Posted on by lizjohnson
    3 Comments

    teaser_tuesdays1MizB of Should Be Reading hosts the Teaser Tuesdays weekly event

    Here are the rules:
    * Grab your current read
    * Let the book fall open to a random page
    * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12
    *You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
    * Please avoid spoilers!

    This week’s teaser is:

    “Bod thought, then he smiled, momentarily, and it lit his face like the flash of a lightbulb. He pulled a crumpled sheet of newspaper from a packing case, flattened it out as best he could, then pushed it underneath the door, leaving only a corner on his side of the doorway.”
    – From The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, page 136

    This is the winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal Award for excellence in children’s literature. I love children’s lit and am generally a fan of Newberry winners. However, I’m finding that this book starts darkly and has yet to lighten up after nearly 70 pages. I’m curious how it will move forward.

    graveyard-book

    Monday Movie – Vantage Point

    Posted on by lizjohnson
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    Last week I went to the library to pick up a couple books I had on hold (hoping not to lose any of those), and I happened by the spinner for rapid view movie rentals. I love this part of the library. Free movie rental for 3 nights, and they have some newer releases. I chose Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox of Lost (and who could forget Party of Five?) fame.

    vantage-point-movie

    Anyway, I’d heard about this movie and wanted to see it in the theater, but I never made it. And then I forgot about it.

    Does that happen to you? It happens to me all the time. So imagine my surprise when I stumble across a movie and suddenly remember that I couldn’t wait to see this movie. Such was my visit to the library last week.

    Anyway, I sat down to watch Vantage Point last week and was wonderfully delighted. This thriller starts with the a news crew covering the President’s address on a peace summit in Spain. And then suddenly the President is shot and an explosion rocks the public square, leaving the news reporter dead. Then it promptly rewinds back to noon that day, and we see the same events unfolding through the eyes of a different character.

    It retells the situation multiple times through the eyes of Thomas Barnes (Quaid), a secret service agent first returning after being shot in the line of duty; Kent Taylor (Fox), a fellow secret service agent; Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker), a father missing his children and trying to recover from a seperation from his wife; President Ashton; Enrique, a Spanish police officer; Veronica, the woman that Enrique loves; and more characters.

    And with each new view of the events, we learn a little more. We discover the reasons why and how these seemingly unrelated characters are all interconnected. The alinear story telling is done pretty well. Except at the end, where I felt like because there were so many characters, some of the reasons were lost .

    Overall, I did enjoy the movie. There was a bit of harsh language and violence, but it definitely kept my attention. Hoping that you’re enjoying an unexpected surprise movie until next time too. -LJ

    I’m for sale on more sites!

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    Hey all, just wanted to let you know that The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn (available July 14) is now available for preorder on even more websites. BarnesandNoble.com and GoHastings.com has my book available. Visit Liz’s Books page for direct links. The suggested price is only $5.50, so start saving your pennies and nickels now. 🙂

    And just an heads up about cover art. I should be getting the final in a couple weeks, and I’ll be sure to post it here first.

    Can’t believe people can actually buy my book! -LJ

    Friday Favorite: New Ring Tones

    Posted on by lizjohnson
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    It was 11:40p.m. on Monday night of this week. I had turned off my light, closed my book, and pulled my quilt up to my chin just ten minutes earlier. My eyes were closed, and I was in that wonderful state between sleep and wake.

    And then my cell phone let out a horridly pathetic beep, telling me that it was dying and desperately needed a charge. I knew it would keep going all night if I didn’t get up and plug it in, but I still grumbled to myself as I turned my light back on and scavanged for my glasses. I had barely jammed them on my face , when my phone beeped again. But this one was stronger. An alert to the text message I had just received.

    Who was sending me a text message at 11:40 at night?

    My sister-in-law Beth. That’s who. I was irked for second, then I thought maybe it was a cute picture of my niece or nephew. It was not. But then I remembered that Arizona does’nt observe daylight savings time, so she probably forgot that Colorado is now an hour a head of them. No problem. I’d get back to her in the morning, but I decided to check the messages to make sure it wasn’t really important. But the moment I opened it up the instense organ strains of The Pantom of the Opera pelted out of my little pink phone.

    A Phantom ring tone, just for me! Is my family cool, or what?

    The next day came more funny ring tones, and I had to call Beth, at which point, she told me that she’s set her phone so that when I call, it plays Phantom. Awesome! Then she told me about this very cool website where you can create and text ring tones from any song. Feel free to check out here. And the cool thing, is it’s all free. (Don’t be fooled by the ads on the site that ask you pay.) For example:


    Create free ringtones at Phonezoo

    As for me, I’m just stoked with Phantom. I’m sure there’ll need to be a Brandon Heath ring tone soon. Probably even a Third Day and Chris Tomlin too. But it’s all thanks to my coolest sister-in-law, who is he only girl in the world I’d want to share a name with! A big shout out to Beth (and Micah too, just by proximity). Miss you guys! See you in April.

    Now, if only someone would call me. 🙂 -LJ

    Happy Birthday, Amy!

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    Just wanted to offer a big birthday wish to Amy! Hope your day is great! In honor of the big 2…. never mind about the age. Let’s just focus on the honor:

    Paula’s earrings ROCK! I tried to find a pair for Amy for her birthday, but they were not to be found. Sorry. She’s stuck with the other gift I got her.

    Be sure to check out her blog about the gummy, green ice cream that she experienced earlier this week. 🙂