Get Your Short Story In Front of Major Literary Agents

Win a literary agent or acclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers.  This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation.  See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details.

You could win a manuscript critique from:

• Laura Langlie, literary agent for Meg Cabot

• Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau

• Brenda Bowen, literary agent and editor of Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust

• Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe

• Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

• Cynthia Voigt, winner of the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song and the Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue

All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What You Wish For.  Essays are due Feb. 1, 2012 and winners will be announced around Mar. 1, 2012.  If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or started, your manuscript).  You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques.
        Building libraries and supporting literacy in Darfuri refugee camps.

If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss.  To enter, follow the instructions athttp://bookwish.org/contest.

Good luck and best wishes,

Logan Kleinwaks
President, Book Wish Foundation

About Book Wish

Book Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity providing high-impact reading aid for people in crisis, with a current focus on refugees from Darfur and AIDS orphans in Ghana. We give some of the world's neediest readers the books they wish for, taking requests for specific titles and subjects. This helps ensure the books will be matched to the needs of the readers, and appropriate for their reading level and culture. We typically do not accept generic book donations from the public because they do not match the requests we receive. We do not hold book drives. The books that are most useful in a refugee camp might not be best-sellers in New York.

The populations we aid have very limited resources and are facing immense challenges for the foreseeable future. For them, books can play an especially large role in education, mental health, and job training. We search for the readers who will get the most out of our books because they have so little to begin with.

Maximizing the impact of books also means maximizing the number of readers, so we will provide reading glasses, vision screenings, support for literacy programs, solar-rechargeable lighting where there is no electricity, or any other aid that can effectively increase the audience for our books.

Kindle Started The Fire!!!

In a press event that was reminiscent of some of the best Apple launches from Steve Jobs...comes the KINDLE FIRE!!!


Today - Media Mogul, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon launched the much talked about Kindle Fire!!!  ...and may I say that from my point of view...the buzz didn't come close!!!  THIS THING ROCKS!!!


Expected to give the iPad some competition (I know I will own a Kindle Fire before I would buy an iPad!!!) it seems the only thing this tablet doesn't do is centered around the camera - it doesn't have one.  But I never understood the need for a camera...my phone has a great one!  I will certainly trade a camera for Amazon's vast Media Resources...and Cloud Storage!


So - this is what it DOES have:

Stunning Color Touchscreen

Movies, magazines and children's books come alive on a 7" vibrant color touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution. Kindle Fire uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology - similar technology to that used on the iPad - for an extra-wide viewing angle, perfect for sharing your screen with others.

Magazines in Rich Color

Enjoy your favorite magazines with glossy, full-color layouts, photographs and illustrations. Choose from hundreds of titles, such as Bon Appetit, Elle, and Oprah. Special editions of titles likeVanity Fair, Wired, and GQ come with built-in video, audio and other interactive features.

100,000 Movies and TV Shows

Over 100,000 movies and TV shows, including thousands of new releases and your favorite TV shows, are available to stream or download, purchase or rent - all just one tap away. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows.

Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk

Amazon Silk is a revolutionary, cloud-accelerated browser that uses a "split browser" architecture to leverage the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud. Supports Adobe® Flash® Player.

Free Cloud Storage

Forget about memory - Kindle Fire gives you free storage for all your Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Your books, movies, music and apps are available instantly to stream or download for free, at a touch of your finger.

Millions of Books

Read bestsellers, children's books, comic books, and cookbooks in vibrant color. The Kindle Store offers over 1 million books, including 800,000 titles at $9.99 or less. In addition, over 2 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available such asPride and Prejudice.

...and so much more...see the video, get the full story and reserve your copy for holiday gift giving!!!   Santa are you listening?   ...just follow this link and reserve mine now!

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

...and are you ready for the clincher?  the Amazon Kindle Fire retails for $199

Teaser Tuesday - "Damned"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Tuesday Teaser Today is from...

Damned  (Crusade #2)

by Nancy Holder 

and Debbie Viguie'

"Jamie leaped into the room, and suddenly saw everything in ultrasharp focus.  A white-haired vampire in jeans and a black sweater sat at a computer terminal.  A man in white cammies and a gas mask was standing in front of him."

Yep - those girls who gave you Wicked are at it again!  This quote is from the ARC which I got from Simon & Schuster.  It drops August 2011 - so you have time to read book one Crusade first !

Book Trailer Thursday! Possess by Gretchen McNeil!

Welcome to Book Trailer Thursdays!

(Book Blog Meme from Quill Cafe!)

Every Thursday we welcome everyone to join us in celebrating the awesomeness of book trailers.

To participate, on a Thursday you post an entry in your blog with an embedded book trailer of your choice (note: the trailer can be fan made but please no movie trailers of book adaptations) with your thoughts and comments underneath. It can be a book you have read, want to read or have never even come across before.

This week we have... Possess by Gretchen McNeil





If you are in the Southern California Area you can catch Gretchen McNeil LIVE on the Teen & YA Stage at the Orange County Children's Book Festival!  This is the largest Children's Book Event in the Country and will take place Sunday, October 2nd at Orange Coast College!

Prisoners In The Palace:  

How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter and a Scoundrel

By Michaela MacColl

My Review from Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Summer Read...historical intrigue for teens!

This review is from: Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel (Hardcover)

This book was right up my alley...I love Historical Fiction and the Teen/Young Adult genre, but it is few and far between that you find historical fiction written for teens!

Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel is almost guaranteed to get your teen interested in history. Just the right amount of the politics of the time, blended with society and the daily lives of children in the pre-Victorian era.

Yes it's a coming of age story but with friendships that transcend station and a young girl's search for the strength it will take to become the woman she is destined to be...even though that woman is the Queen of England! It is a quick read filled with intrigue and that constant "fear of getting caught" tightness that teenagers seem to live for!

Teachers - grab this one it is a great introduction to Pre-Victorian England... 


Product Description - from Amazon:

London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Meticulously based on newly discovered information, this riveting novel is as rich in historical detail as Catherine, Called Birdy, and as sizzling with intrigue as The Luxe.

About the Author - from Amazon:

Michaela MacColl studied multi-disciplinary history at Vassar College and Yale University, which turns out to be the perfect degree for writing historical fiction. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and three extremely large cats in Connecticut. This is her first book.

Teaser Tuesday - "I'll Be There" and Meeting Holly Goldberg Sloan!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser is from Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut YA Novel "I'll Be There":

"He could see that Emily's brow furrowed. And he wondered if he sounded like a real tool. It felt like he was sounding like a real tool. And now her brow was furrowing. Why was that?  She seemed to have some kind of lie detector planted in her forehead."

Meeting with the Author!

A couple weeks ago, Terry (Managing General Partner) of one of my favorite bookstore's, Mysterious Galaxy  sent out a notice for a pet project of hers "Ladies, Lunch & Literacy".  Basically it is a lite lunch with a fabulous author in an intimate setting (20-30 ppl). Now I have been receiving these notices for quite awhile but since most were in the San Diego area in the neighborhood of their flagship store, I usually couldn't make it. 

This announcement was different - first Mysterious Galaxy recently announced they are opening a store in Redondo Beach (much closer for this Orange County Gal).  The second deciding factor?  Holly Goldberg Sloan...a Debut Young Adult whose career I have been following and whom I had recently booked for the Orange County Children's Book Festival!

So - I headed for the Johnny Rockets in Redondo Beach for a little LLL - the YA version!

I don't want to tell a lot of Holly's stories - and she has a lot - because I want it to be a surprise when you meet her at the Festival...but - this I can divulge:

1.  Holly is best known as a Writer, Director, Producer of several popular, family-oriented, films and TV series - including  "Made In America", Steve Irwin's Crocodile Hunter, and "Angels in the Outfield".

2. The book title?  yep - it is the title of a popular song that Holly uses throughout the book...you'll have to come to the Festival to find out how she got permission to use it!  BRILLIANT!

I really hope that Terry and LLL have plans for another YA author - because "I'll Be There"!!!  

Photos Courtesy of Terry at Mysterious Galaxy

Review: Curse of the Wolf Girl by Martin Millar

Curse of the Wolf Girl
by Martin Millar

4.0 out of 5 stars This review is from: Curse of the Wolf Girl (Paperback)

If you aren't familiar with this series, I suggest that you start at the beginning...Lonely Werewolf Girl was a much publicized first book for Martin Millar and even garnered praise from Neil Gaiman who encouraged his readers to pick it up. I have to say I loved it and eagerly awaited the follow-up.

Millar's writing is brilliant and his ability to find the voice of a troubled teen (a troubled teen GIRL) is amazing to me. Quirky dialogue, close to crazy at times...Millar excels at those moments when a character is up against the wall, confronting their fears...but he also will make you laugh out loud! You will grow to love these people/creatures...

So, how do I tell you about book two without spoiling the first book for you?

Kalix MacRinnalch is a teenage girl - filled with all of the sadness, angst and self loathing that comes along with that...oh and did I mention that she is also a werewolf?

Curse of the Wolf Girl starts with Kalix in a relatively safe place - in London, living with a human couple and a teenage Fire Elemental who in my opinion steals the show!

I would have given this book a hands down 5 star review but - some of the characters seem stuck. I would have liked to see more growth, especially in Kalix...but do not let this stop you from checking out this book! Millar is a one of a kind author - I think I would read his rendition of the Yellow Pages ;-p

Disclaimer:  I received this book through the Amazon "Vine Program" 

Book Description from Amazon

Kallix, a morose, laudanum-addicted, unschooled, slightly anorexic werewolf is still on the run. The youngest daughter of the Thane of the MacRinnalch Clan of werewolves, held responsible unfairly for the death of the Thane, and justifiably responsible for the deaths of a great many other werewolves, remains prohibited from returning to Scotland in order to maintain the uneasy peace that temporarily prevails in court, despite the endemic debauchery and degeneracy always threatening to again spiral out of control. Frankly, things aren’t much better for her in London than in Scotland. The love of her life is in hiding and her enemies increase in number by the day. Strong as she is when enraged, it’s becoming ever more dangerous to be her. Daniel and Moonglow, her two human friends, do what they can to keep her hidden in plain sight (who would look for a werewolf in a remedial program for high school dropouts?) and keep her fed. Millar is a true world-creator, populating Curse of the Wolf Girl with a universe of characters: fashion-designing werewolves, cross-dressing werewolves, and neurotic, psychotic, and erotic werewolves, as well as fairies, Fire Elementals, and good ole humans — whipping them in faster and faster revolutions with his thrilling, vertiginous rollercoaster narrative.

Teaser Tuesday - The Black!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
           • Grab your current read  
           • Open to a random page  
           • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page  
           • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
            (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!
             You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)  
           • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book
              to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser is from The Black by D.J. MacHale:

"Some things I did while I was alive I'm not proud of and I wish I knew what I could do here to make up for 'em. Who knows? Maybe it ain't possible and I'll be living in this illusion for the rest of time."

...this is Book Two of the Morpheus Road Trilogy!

A LESSON IN SECRETS: A Maisie Dobbs Novel By Jacqueline Winspear

A LESSON 
IN SECRETS


A Maisie Dobbs Novel


By Jacqueline Winspear

 Intelligent, Resourceful, Courageous & Organized

By 

Reading It All "Reading It All"
   

A Maisie Dobbs novel is always an easy read, mainly because the author has developed a character that is intelligent, resourceful, courageous and organized...it's like sitting down with an old friend.

In this latest work, Maisie is enlisted by the British Secret Service to go to Cambridge as a junior professor to find out if post-war unrest is being fomented by communist interests in the university world of teachers and students.

In her usual descriptive way, Winspear draws you in to the college atmosphere of Cambridge with its unique architecture, student hangouts, hideouts, and activities.

Maisie is employed at the College of St. Francis, where students from Europe and England are studying ways to better understand each other and find a way to make peace work. She discovers that it is not only communism that is trying to make inroads into the English way of life. More importantly, she feels that the threat of the National Socialism Party of Adolph Hitler is a more serious problem.

In the middle of all this, there is a murder that revolves around a children's book!

Maisie's careful untangling of this complex story takes the reader along with her to an exciting finish.


Description from Amazon:

Maisie Dobbs' first assignment for the British Secret Service takes her undercover to Cambridge as a professor—and leads to the investigation of a web of activities being conducted by the emerging Nazi Party.
In the summer of 1932, Maisie Dobbs' career takes an exciting new turn when she accepts an undercover assignment directed by Scotland Yard's Special Branch and the Secret Service. Posing as a junior lecturer, she is sent to a private college in Cambridge to monitor any activities "not in the inter-ests of His Majesty's government."
When the college's controversial pacifist founder and principal, Greville Liddicote, is murdered, Maisie is directed to stand back as Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane and Detective Chief Inspector Richard Stratton spearhead the investigation. She soon discovers, however, that the circumstances of Liddicote's death appear inextricably linked to the suspicious comings and goings of faculty and students under her surveillance.
To unravel this web, Maisie must overcome a reluctant Secret Service, discover shameful hidden truths about Britain's conduct during the Great War, and face off against the rising powers of theNationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei—the Nazi Party—in Britain.
As the storm clouds of World War II gather on the horizon, this pivotal chapter in the life of Maisie Dobbs foreshadows new challenges and powerful enemies facing the psychologist and investigator—and will engage new readers and loyal fans of this "outstanding" series (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review).

Tomorrow's Guardian By Richard Denning

Tomorrow's Guardian

By Richard Denning

 Diving in and out of times and realities..., March 13, 2011

By Reading It All "Reading It All - Robyn" (Orange County, CA USA) - See all my reviews

   

This review is from: Tomorrow's Guardian (Paperback)

Tom Oakley is an ordinary 12 year old English schoolboy, except he is plagued with too-real dreams of historical characters where he becomes that person. Then he begins to have day-dreams just as vivid and his behavior become questionable to his teachers and earns the ridicule of the school bully. 

Tom learns from a raffish Welshman that time is not just the hands moving on the clock or the sun in the sky. Time is multi-dimensional; moving in parallel time streams including his own timeline with all of the history that makes up the world he know.  He also learns that he is a Walker, capable of transporting himself through time. Learning to control his gift takes him on adventures that are wilder than his wildest dreams. It also introduces him to people and ideas about doing what is right. 

Denning has handled the confusion, frustration, impetuousness, and anger of a young boy faced with the impossible very well. Working with different timelines and realities takes real imagination and organization, and the book reflects that.

Product Description from Amazon:

Tom Oakley experiences disturbing episodes of déjà-vu and believes he is going mad. Then, he discovers that he's a "Walker" - someone who can transport himself to other times and places. Tom dreams about other "Walkers" in moments of mortal danger: Edward Dyson killed in a battle in 1879; Mary Brown who perished in the Great Fire of London; and Charlie Hawker, a sailor who drowned on a U-boat in 1943. Agreeing to travel back in time and rescue them, Tom has three dangerous adventures, before returning to the present day. But Tom's troubles have only just begun. He finds that he's drawn the attention of evil individuals who seek to bend history to their will. Soon, Tom's family are obliterated from existence and Tom must make a choice between saving them and saving his entire world. Tomorrow's Guardian is a Young Adult Fantasy Novel.

The Cowgirl Way - Women in the Wild West....

Middle Grade & Young Teens will love The Cowgirl Way: Hats Off to America's Women of the West...it is a wonderful use of old photos and illustration to bring life to stories of women on horseback!

Kids will love this book and will not even realize that they are learning. That is due to author Holly George-Warren's brilliant mix of story telling and visuals.

What I loved was that the author didn't present these women as "also rans". You know, where their story is more about how they worked with their more popular male partner.

This brief telling of the stories and in some cases legends of women who were riders, wranglers, ranchers, showgirls, rebels and even outlaws are just enough information to send students to their libraries and computers to learn more.

...and at this age isn't that the goal - little snip its of story that tantalize and incite curiosity?


BTW - take a minute to check out the fabulous photos posted by the author of famous cowgirls!


Product Description from Amazon:

The 1840s ushered in the beginning of the largest migration in US history. People in crowded Eastern cities and Missouri River towns were feeling the pull of the Western frontier. It was the dawn of a new era of expansion, and over the next few decades, the making of a new kind of pioneer. It was the birth of the cowgirl!

Welcome to the world of nimble equestriennes, hawkeyed sharpshooters, sly outlaws, eloquent legislators, expert wranglers and talented performers who made eyes pop and jaws drop with their skills, savvy and bravery. In this fascinating account of an ever-evolving American icon, Holly George-Warren invites readers to saddle up with a host of these trailblazers who helped settle the West and define the cowgirl spirit.

Interesting Reader Society - There Should Be One At Every Library!!!

A Colorado Library System with a great idea to keep teens involved in reading...

The Interesting Reader Society (IRS) is a group of teenage volunteers representing many of Larimer County’s junior and senior high schools. They hold meetings once a month to review books for their newsletter and to plan special teen activities. They also help the librarians in the Teen section at the Main and Harmony libraries.

You may qualify if you are:

• In 6th grade through 12th grade
• Male or female
• Tall enough to reach standard book shelves
• Of undetermined weight, but generally considered to be a "heavy reader"
• Known to frequent libraries, bookstores, and paperback racks of local emporiums
• Suffering from a reading addiction, and usually have one or two books with you at all times
• Guilty of ever reading by flashlight under the covers at night when you are supposed to be asleep

Fill out an application for membership (PDF format/191K) and return to the adult information desks at the Main Library, 201 Peterson St., or the Harmony Library, 4616 South Shields.

Check out the latest from the IRS on the School Library Journal's website.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

North of Beautiful

By: Justina Chen Headley

In today's world where kids are bombarded by unobtainable "ideals" of what is pretty, what makes you attractive to others...it is refreshing to read a book that smashes through the ridiculous standards set by the fashion magazines.

At first glance Terra Cooper has everything - tall, slender, blonde beauty...and a large port wine stain on her gorgeous face!

Her meeting with a boy - an attractive boy - would normally add the stress of insecurity to the equation...but on closer examination Jacob, the Goth Chinese boy she's just met has a cleft lip.

This story weaves the lives of Jacob, Terra and their mothers in an unforgettable fabric of circumstances...this is a wonderful look at a very touchy subject.

Justina Chen Headley has written a book that will stay with you about mending fractured families and the true meaning of beauty!

Product Description

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women

By Harriet Reisen

Looking forward to the PBS American Masters Presentation..., December 24, 2009

By	Reading It All (Orange County, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I have always been a fan of Louisa May Alcott's writing and when I was given the opportunity to read Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women (John MacRae Books) I jumped on it.

Harriet Reisen has a background as a writer of documentaries and I wasn't expecting more than a light biography but this is so much more because of Ms. Reisen's twenty year relationship with Louisa May Alcott. She explains how the book came out of the screenplay and the differences between the two...I am quoting her below.

From Harriet Reisen's Bio:

I decided to write the film script completely from primary sources. Louisa and all the other characters would speak only words they had written or were reported by contemporaries to have said. My choice and arrangement of scenes and dialogue, our production choices, interviews with scholars and experts, and Nancy's direction and editing were our only means to interpret Louisa's character and her life. We had no narrator to get between the viewer and the material.

What the film gained in authenticity was worth the embargo on my own knowledge and opinion. The book came as a gift--with room to let Louisa's story roam, and freedom to tell it in my own words and fill it with characters without having to consider what their costumes and meals would cost.

-------------------------------

This book gave me a warm, up close peak at Louisa May Alcott - the woman! Reisen does a fabulous job of dropping you into the period - so well in fact that I learned some history and discovered quite a bit about the environment that LMA and her art grew from.

I think that I would have loved to work beside the LMA that treated the wounded in the Civil War. Her family, her politics, and her writing. This is a multi faceted woman and Reisen polishes every facet - light and dark.

I eagerly await the PBS American Masters Documentary.

Product Description from Amazon

A vivid, energetic account of the life of Louisa May Alcott, whose work has delighted millions of readers...

Louisa May Alcott portrays a writer as worthy of interest in her own right as her most famous character, Jo March, and addresses all aspects of Alcott’s life: the effect of her father’s self-indulgent utopian schemes; her family’s chronic economic difficulties and frequent uprootings; her experience as a nurse in the Civil War; the loss of her health and frequent recourse to opiates in search of relief from migraines, insomnia, and symptomatic pain. Stories and details culled from Alcott’s journals; her equally rich letters to family, friends, publishers, and admiring readers; and the correspondence, journals, and recollections of her family, friends, and famous contemporaries provide the basis for this lively account of the author’s classic rags-to-riches tale.

Alcott would become the equivalent of a multimillionaire in her lifetime based on the astounding sales of her books, leaving contemporaries like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Henry James in the dust. This biography explores Alcott’s life in the context of her works, all of which are to some extent autobiographical. A fresh, modern take on this remarkable and prolific writer, who secretly authored pulp fiction, harbored radical abolitionist views, and completed heroic service as a Civil War nurse, Louisa May Alcott is in the end also the story of how the all-time beloved American classic Little Women came to be. This revelatory portrait will present the popular author as she was and as she has never been seen before.