Let's see . . . what's new in the O'Dell household?
Wil had a daddy weekend with babies while I went away to write. He did an AWESOME job! He played with them, kept them busy AND cleaned the house up. Plus he did a few jobs like sanding and painting a couple of things. SO PROUD!!!
Erik (19) is waiting. He's working his two jobs, but life is kind of on hold for him while he waits for Uncle Sam to get it together. He's handling it very well, though. :)
Natalie (13) had a blast being at her State volleyball championships. She's going through withdrawals now--not sure if it's the game or the team she misses more. WTG PBL 7th grade volleyball for a stellar season and for being such a great group of girls!
Emily (10) is currently the top reader in the house. She is becoming more and more like her mom by devouring books as fast as she can. She reports to me every day about her newest page count conquest. So proud! :)
Logan (2.5) has ear aches again. That poor little guy. They still won't do tubes because he's always just on the outside of the time boundary for how long it's been since the last infection. Even though his ears are bothering him, his vocabulary has been growing exponentially.
Megan (2.5) is soooo smart. Their bedroom has sliding pocket doors that we have to latch on the outside with one of those hooks. It's up high enough that they can't reach it from the outside, but I never thought of one of them trying ot reach it from the inside! So the other day, Megan was supposed to be sleeping, but she pulled a little chair over and used the leg of a Barbie to stick between the doors and try to pop the lock. She wasn't successful, but it's only a matter of time.
Ryleigh (2.5) is an accessory queen. She constantly wants to dress up as a princess and put on shoes, jewelry, glasses--whatever she can get her hands on. Then she takes it all off and starts over--always with different shoes. That's my girl!
Shop Around The Corner
There are two specials going on in the nicoleodell.com store.
1. All original single-title Scenarios books are 5.00 each. Enter FIVE500 at checkout. This is only while supplies last.
2. You can also use the coupon code "SIGNED15" to receive 15% off any purchase from the online STORE--including pre-released books. With that coupon code, I will also sign and personalize any purchase.
**Anything purchased through the store can be signed if you request it in your order.
I am available for events & speaking engagements. An audio file of a recent event is available upon request.
Available at online retailers and bookstores all over!
"The Scenarios series follows a character up to the point where she has to make an important, life-changing decision—then it’s the reader’s turn to choose. This smart series both teaches and entertains—a sure winner for kids and parents!"
SCENARIOS 1 & 2—DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
In Truth or Dare, Lindsay Martin and her friends begin playing a game at sleepovers, and it all starts as harmless fun. . .until the dares become more and more risky. In All That Glitters, high school fresh- man Drew Daniels wants to be as different from her twin sister as possible—new haircut, new clothes, new friends. . .and a boyfriend. What happens when Lindsay and Drew are faced with making difficult choices? Will they dare to be different? Readers help Lindsay and Drew make the difficult decisions and see how their choices create consequences with life-altering results.
SCENARIOS 3 & 4—RISKY BUSINESS
In Magna, Molly Jacobs gets hired at the ultimate girls’ clothing store and her friends—even the popu- lar girls in school—are envious. In Making Waves, sophomore Kate Walker has decided to try some- thing new this year. She secures a spot on her school’s swim team but soon becomes obsessed—with practice and making it through the championships with flying colors. What happens when Molly and Kate are faced with making difficult choices? How will they handle the risky business? Readers help Molly and Kate make the difficult decisions and see how their choices create consequences with life- altering results.
SCENARIOS 5 & 6—SWEPT AWAY
In High Stakes, seniors and best friends, Amber and Brittany, are neck and neck in a good-natured com- petition for a car being given away by a local business. In Essence of Lilly, sophomore Lilly Armstrong is always looking for ways to escape the confines of her unhappy home. She “invents” youth group activi- ties just so she can hang out with her boyfriend, Jason—the only one in Lilly’s life who makes her feel special. What happens when Amber and Lilly are faced with making difficult choices? How will they handle the risky business? Readers help Amber and Lilly make the difficult decisions and see how their choices create consequences with life-altering results.
The books are targeted at a 10-15 age range, except for Swept Away which I would say is more like 11-16 because of the coverage of the issues of purity and pre-marital sex.
I hope you enjoy them!
Reviews & Giveaways!
Find out what people are saying about the new Scenarios books by visiting this post. Bookmark it and re-visit it over the next few weeks. I'll keep it updated as I learn of new places where reviews are posted. Many of them will include giveaways, so be sure to check them out and enter to win!
Speaking of Giveaways, I'm feeling a bit like celebrating, so I'm going to choose one random subscriber to this newsletter to win a set of all three of the new Scenarios 2-in-1s!
Christian Life College's 26th annual Ascension Convention youth conference is preparing to descend on the Chicagoland area. Youth pastor, Jonathan Jensen, and teens Nic and Destiny, join Nicole O'Dell to talk about the event.
After losing her husband and four youngest children in a car accident and learning about the true sufficiency of God's grace, Dori seeks to lead others down a path of healing and peace
You can find ALL Teen Talk Radio episodesHEREor oniTunes.
Upcoming shows:
March 31s: Susanne Lakin (C.S. Lakin, A Map Across Time) and Jim Ware (Stone of Destiny)
April 7: Why your parents do what they do, with Milan and Kay...then Kimberly Stuart, Operation Amish
April 14: Guests Steven and Maryann Abbate lost their son Luke in a tragic, but senseless, car accident. Andie McDowell and Aidan Quinn starred in 5th Quarter, based on the Abbate's story.
Spread the YA love:
For someone who’s not a big reader of fantasy, it seems that I really do like to review it! The more I do, the more I wonder why I don’t read more of it. Susanne Lakin’s The Map Across Time is my newest fantasy love. Here’s what Publisher’s Weekly had to say about it:
In this second book in the Gates of Heaven series, Lakin (Someone to Blame) spins a tale of twins, a prince and a princess, who must travel through time to undo the curse that threatens their father’s kingdom. On its surface a Christian work, using Old Testament quotes and Hebrew words spontaneously uttered in dialogue and exploring themes of healing, sacred places, and the struggle between good and evil, the novel owes more to classic fairy tales than to religious allegory. As in many fairy tales, the characters are flat, existing mostly as types—the beautiful princess, the wise nursemaid, the friendly talking animal—rather than complex human beings. The writing similarly lacks nuance at times; though Lakin is an effective storyteller, her prose often veers into cliché when tackling the story’s ambitious themes. Despite flaws, the novel is fast-paced and tightly plotted, which means that the reader will quickly be drawn into the complex twists and turns of the story and, in fairy tale tradition, led toward a surprising yet satisfying conclusion. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
So, The Map Across is described by C.S. Lakin as a collection of fairy tales for adult readers–it’s not classified as YA. But I thought it was a perfect book to share with teens. You guys like an eclectic conglomeration of books–you pride themselves on being smart and open-minded. I’ve shared some YA fantasy, some romance, some general fiction, some dark tales–why not some fairy tales, too?
This is a perfect fairy tale. Readers will be transported into a world where evil somehow prevailed over the Gates of HEaven–at least for a time. Scripture truths and quotes are sprinkled and woven through the prose in an authentic way that manages to convey Biblical words without sounding preachy or driven by agenda.
Susanne Lakin was my guest on Teen Talk Radio last night. You can access the show at www.choicesradio.com.
