Valerie Bertinelli is my IT girl!

Valerie Bertinelli is my IT girl!

She seems like a real person. Click Valerie Bertinelli to see behind the scenes at her photo shoot with Ladies Home Journal.

Me & Jack is Out Today!

ME & JACK is OUT TODAY!

"Vividly depicted through first-person narration & amusing interior monologues--an entertaining boy-&-dog adventure set against a not-often-depicted era of political strife that’s notably similar to the present.” Kirkus Reviews

"Well paced, keeps readers focused & concerned about the characters & their development.” – School Library Journal

Scholastic Instructor recommends Me & Jack for summer reading.

Scholastic Recommends Me & Jack for Summer Reading!

Scholastic Instructor recommends Me & Jack for summer reading!

"Books about dogs make up some of the best of children's literature. Clear space for these new ones on your shelf.

Me and Jack
By Danette Haworth. $16.99. Josh expects his troubles to end when his [air force] recruiter father allows him to adopt a dog after they move to a new town. But tensions are running high in this Vietnam-era story, and Josh's biggest challenges may lie ahead.
Grades 3-7"

TWO FLAVORS OF LUCKY--my new book!

I sold my fourth book to Bloomsbury/Walker! Four copies of the contract are printing as I type. I'm so excited!

The new book is a middle-grade novel titled TWO FLAVORS OF LUCKY. When twelve-year-old Hailee Richardson's family wins the lottery, her life changes, but not in the ways she'd hoped.

Pub date will be either late 2012 or early 2013. HOORAY!

Four days left to win a signed ARC of ME & JACK!

Four days left to win a signed ARC of ME & JACK!

Kirkus Reviews on ME & JACK: "Vividly depicted, amusing interior monologues--entertaining boy-and-dog adventure set against a not-often-depicted era of political strife that's notably similar to the present."

Biblio Reads: The kind of book you can get lost in."

SLJ: "Well paced, keeps readers focused and concerned."

Click here to enter!

Tuesday Morning Chit Chat or Come, Procrastinate with me while Pondering Semi-Important Things Like Old Movies

Things to think about on a Tuesday morning:

"Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" or "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" This one could tie you up for hours--the former, so rich in atmosphere; the latter, omg surprise ending! Need a rainy Saturday to watch both and decide again. Bette Davis does crazy so well.

Was Barbara Stanwyck the poor person's version of Joan Crawford? (Aside, my movie star BFFs tell me that Babs was nice in real life.)

Favorite Hitchcock movie: Rear Window.

Favorite B&W star: Cary Grant.

Valerie Bertinelli is so pretty. I like how all the characters have to put on reading glasses when they look at bills or magazines. (Hot in Cleveland)

Steven Tyler wears reading glasses on American Idol.

I suspect that Bono's sunglasses are bifocals, but he wanted to look cool.

While writing this, I received a phone call, gathered up some stuff, and made a drop at the school. It is already too hot in O-town. Also, my laptop stopped working and my hubby fixed it.

Good luck in your writing today!

School Library Journal loves Me & Jack!

Last line bolded by my editor:

“Joshua Reed’s mother passed away a few years ago, and he and his dad are constantly moving because his father is an air force recruiter during the Vietnam War. It’s not the easiest of circumstances for a sixth grader.

In his newest home, in the steep hills of Pennsylvania, Joshua and his father decide to adopt a dog from the local pound. Jack spooks and scares most of the community because he’s so strange looking (he’s actually a Pharaoh hound). He is blamed for breaking into the chicken coop, knocking over garbage cans, and more. Joshua has to defend Jack and determine who or what is frightening the community, while simultaneously making a comfortable place for himself.

The constant presence of the Vietnam War plays an integral role in this novel. When attending church for the first time, Joshua and his father hear the pastor congratulate a local family on their son’s upcoming return and empathize with a family whose son is MIA. Me & Jack is well paced and keeps readers focused and concerned about the characters and their development.” – School Library Journal

Funny, Short Video for Adam Lambert Fans

Thank you, Travis Erwin, for your gracious words on Me & Jack

Thank you, Travis Erwin, for your gracious words on Me & Jack: Loved the book for its ability to entertain while also educate and shed light on a time and mindset that few kids today have thought about.

American Idol--Quit Your Belly Aching! THE SEQUEL

Actually, I wasn't done typing the previous post when I accidentally hit "publish." But as you know, there are no real accidents. I let it stand, and I begin again:

Last night, Pia was eliminated from the talent pool of American Idol.

THE HORROR!

The camera made a quick cut to Randy, who looked like he was saying something that began with an F. JLo was jello, trembling with upset. Even Steven declared America got it wrong.

Gimme a break.

With nine contestants left, anyone who leaves now is someone with talent, whether they're your favorite or not. If you want to know how this is going to play out, I refer you to my earlier post, Ryan Seacrest, Adam Lambert in which I theorize that the voting public does not elect the American Idol; the AI electoral college does. To refresh your memory, I submit that Ford, AT&T, and 19 Entertainment are not going to hand over their lucrative contracts to the person voted in by the fastest flying fingers of America's quickest texters.

So let's look at this objectively. AI lowered the audition age and is striving to reach a younger audience--the audience they started out with, the spending audience, not people like me who drive vans and compare prices on chicken. They want the new generation, the people who camp out at night for the latest smart phone, the people just starting out on their own and who might buy a Ford Fiesta.

Let's knock out the talent who are just too niche-y to appeal to the wide group the sponsors want to sell to: Casey--oh so talented, one of my faves, but can he sell to a wide audience? Sorry, no. Paul, no. Jacob--I love you, but no. Scott--you are country cool and I think you'll make it, just not on this show. In fact, I believe everyone I've just mentioned can and will make it, just not on AI. (Oh, Casey, so smokey!)

Whose face does Ford want to put on their product? Well, let's see. Seems people have already forgotten last year's winner (Lee DeWyze, just so you don't have to look it up). And Kris Allen, well, he's so nice and I do like his voice. Can you imagine Adam Lambert hawking Ford Fiestas? Hahahaha!HAHAHAHA! Oh, please! *wipes tears of hilarity from eyes*

An aside: Has anyone forgotten Adam Lambert? I DON'T THINK SO.

I conclude that Ford wants a clean, fresh-faced American who appeals to a wide audience, spanning age, gender, and race. And let's not forget the actual records! 19 Entertainment doesn't want our votes, they want our money! They want an idol who will is capable of sustaining a career, not just exploding as a 2011 supernova.

Here are my bets for American Idol 2011 top three:

Stefano: Stefano is so very passionate and so genuine. He's got a lovely voice, and I think he's humble. All the qualities the sponsors are looking for.

James: Good looking, exciting, rocks the house! AI, please do something else with his hair! James has Adam Lambert appeal, though lacks a maturity present in Adam. Forgivable. James is great. Has a good back story. I bet sponsors are looking hard at him.

Lauren: Oh my gosh, this girl is so cute! Cutesie-pie qualities are usually a turnoff to me, but Lauren is seriously cute. I wish I had her accent! I wish she'd sing more rocker songs like she did in the beginning of the season--she's got the rasp to do it. I can see her face selling Ford, AT&T, clothing, hair ribbons, and bracelets.

Who will win?

I don't know!

Who do you think will win? If you had to put money on one of the eight who remain, who would it be? My answer is in the comments.

American Idol--Quit Your Belly Aching!

Last night, Pia was eliminated from the talent pool of American Idol.

THE HORROR!

Lovely Review for Me & Jack on BiblioReads

Me & Jack has received a lovely review from Lisa Barker on BiblioReads.com. Check it out here!

Have a great day!

Casey's Home and is Fine

After spending the night at the emergency vet's and the next day at the local vet's, my little Casey is dashing around the house, chasing balls, and chewing the edge of the couch. With the exception of some minor gastric discomfort, she is doing great!

Casey's at the Emergency Vet's--Swallowed Ibuprofen

My husband dropped ibuprofen on the floor and missed one in picking them up. Casey, our dog is now at the emergency vet's.

IBUPROFEN AND DOGS (cut and pasted from valid animal health sites)
A typical tablet contains 200 milligrams, so only a fraction of that pill is safe for most dogs.

When your pet is in pain, it's common to want to administer a painkiller like Ibuprofen or aspirin. Dogs should not take human medications. Ask your vet about safe dog medicines. Despite the low cost, dogs rarely survive Ibuprofen overdose.

Never give a dog ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Aleve), or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Even a child's dose can be fatal. These pain relievers can cause severe, even fatal, stomach ulcers and kidney damage in dogs.

Symptoms can take anywhere from 12 hours to several days to show. However, if you suspect your dog has ingested Ibuprofen take him to the vet immediately. Any tablets consumed must be flushed out of your dog's system as quickly as possible to improve his chances of a full recovery.

Symptoms of an Ibuprofen Overdose in Dogs

Unsafe dog drugs like Ibuprofen commonly cause renal failure. Symptoms include:

* Blood in the stool

* Dehydration

* Lack of appetite

* Stomach pain

* Vomiting

* Weakness

If symptoms appear, it is often too late to save the dog's life. Treatment for Ibuprofen poisoning in dogs must begin within two hours. Activated charcoal, stomach pumping and plenty of IV fluids are necessary.

Me & Jack: My Passion, My Inspiration

Last year, I was invited to share a table with several other authors and we spoke informally to the teachers and media specialists who sat down with us. I'm used to talking about my books and how I got the ideas, how I always wanted to write, but when I listened to these other authors talk, they spoke openly about how they thought readers would gain from the experience of reading their books.

I'd never heard anyone talk in that way about their own book. But you know what? I liked it. I felt their conviction and belief in the story they wanted to tell.

I have the same passion for Me & Jack. I lived in the Pennsylvania mountains, and it was the best time of my growing up years. We'd leave the house for hours, climbing the mountain, building (and wrecking) forts. We ate wild blueberries right of the bushes and still collected enough for our moms to make pies. The secret cave was discovered was narrow and dark; we never knew if a bear or a mountain lion would leap out us, but we crept in anyway.

I love those years. I want to take readers over the paths of my childhood. But more than that, I want to offer readers a story that will excite them, impassion them, and inspire them to be more than what their world has limited them to.

Me & Jack is a story of sacrifice and hope--boy and dog versus world at a time of unrest everywhere--Vietnam.

Vietnam changed everything. It was the war that was never a war. It was a "police action," a "conflict. It never really broke out; it just grew bigger (as in numbers of our boys sent over), more public (more boys, more talk, more news coverage), and more transparent (violent, not a peacekeeping mission, not a skirmish or mere conflict as the government called it--this was a real war.)

Vietnam was the first war to come into people's living rooms and was being protested across the country on college campuses. Four students had already been killed at Kent State. Enough time and enough exposure to what was happening in Vietnam (and enough boys had come home messed up or not at all) that the general public hated the war and distrusted the young men coming home from it.

In Me & Jack, Dad becomes a recruiter when America feels informed enough to spit on returning soldiers.

Joshua and Jack have their own war going on with small-minded people in a town where everyone knows everyone else and trust is a hard thing to earn.

I truly believe in the power of this book. I hope you do, too.

Audubon Park Elementary School Visit!

I visited Audubon Park Elementary today and had the best time! The students had great questions, lots of things to say, and they were not shy! They teased me about my rotten handwriting! Haha! That only made me like them more.

I had fun, you guys! Hope you did, too!

Me & Jack: Five stars and Annika cried; Kim said "Great!"

The first reviews are coming in, and so far, so good! Thank you Kim Kasch and Annika Barranti for taking the time to not only read Me & Jack, but also for taking the time to compose reviews and post them. Visit Kim here and Annika here (for the Goodreads review), or here for her blog.

But don't leave! Their reviews are making a guest appearance right here, right now! Here we go:

Annika Barranti rated it

Shelves: mg-ya

Me & Jack is a charming coming-of-age story about a boy, his dog, his father, and friendship during the Vietnam war. I couldn't put it down and I cried at the end. I've read all three of Danette's books, and they're all so different from one another. I couldn't choose a favorite between Me & Jack and Violet Raines, but I did give both to my husband immediately after I finished them, and I only give him books I really love.

From Kim's review:
"me & jack is a middle grade fiction set during the Vietnam war. But the story is really a tale about a boy (Joshua) and his dog (Jack). This is a story about relationships, family, friends and having to make tough choices in hard times . . . There is plenty of drama in this dog story. And, it’s a great boy’s book, one with lots of adventure and even a little fighting. Plus there’s even a little suspense mixed into the mash. Of course girls will love it too."

THANK YOU, LADIES!

Free Author Visits, Free Books, and other assorted updates

This update is cross posted from my website, which I am also updating!

Much has happened in the past few months--Violet Raines has been voted a finalist for the California Young Reader medal; The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is in Scholastic Book Clubs and Fairs; Me & Jack is coming out in June; and I've been working on a super secret new manuscript!

Thank you for all your emails! A lot of you are asking if I'm going to write a sequel to Violet Raines--I don't have plans to do so, but who knows what the future holds! Some of you want to know how my dog, Casey, is doing. She just graduated from puppy training class! I love when I come home and she leaps in the air to greet me, her body twirling like a BMX bike. Her tail wags so hard, her whole body shakes. It makes me feel good that someone could be so happy to see me!

Guess what? I'm so excited for you to read Me & Jack that I'm giving away two review copies on Goodreads.

Me & Jack:
A boy--an outsider--trying to fit in. A dog from the pound with an unknown past. A father serving as a recruiter during the Vietnam War.

Each has something to fight for. Together, they have something to live for.

Click here to go to the giveaway contest at Goodreads.

Teachers: Don't forget, I provide free, twenty-minute Q & A sessions via Skype! More detailed presentations are also available through Skype and in person. Contact me!

Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes: I didn't want to like it, but it was funny

Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes from Charlie Sheen

Ryan Seacrest & Adam Lambert, Don't You (Forget About Me), American Idol 2011

Ryan Seacrest is enamored of Adam Lambert! Last year when Adam performed "Whataya Want From Me" Ryan practically sparkled as he spoke to Adam afterward: "Now THAT was a performance," I remember him saying.

If you read my blog, you know I agree with Ryan. Last night's American Adam performance was no different. You can only talk about Adam's voice the way connoisserus talk about wine: the undertones, the aftertaste, the bouquet, the lovely appearance, and the glorious purity of the serenade. God has certainly imbued him with a gift.

Another great surprise--to me, anyway--was David Cook's rendition of Simple Mind's "Don't You (Forget About Me), which I thought was excellent and will purchase on iTunes, along with the original. For those of us for who thought the Breakfast Club WAS the eighties, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is our anthem. David Cook did right by it.

My revised take on American Idol 2011: Call me ignorant (uh, no, don't), but in my third year of Idol viewing, I've concluded there's no way these selections and eliminations are left to the American Public. Just like the presidential election, we put our votes in, but there's an electoral college who make the actual appointments.

Think about it: The winner is going to be a Ford spokesman for one year. You think Ford is going to hand that casting over to people who text in three hundred votes a night for their favorite? I don't think so. Even the Top Ten is a product; they go out on tour over the summer--a product that earns money, promotes the singers, and keeps aflame the machine that is American Idol. The elements of a production that big aren't left to the fastest fingers on the iPhone.

All that said, I think the talent this year is incredible, but limited. One blows my mind. The rest are excellent, but do not surpass the bar set by Adam Lambert. Hey, I'm just repeating what Ryan said.

Anyway, here are my Top Ten:

1. Casey Abrams (Casey! You are so smokey blue jazz--I see you on the same ticket with Harry Connick, Jr.
2. James Durbin (James, you can do it! Though you rocked with Judas Priest, it felt superficial. More like Wednesday night, please; more of anything that means something to you so that it can mean something to us.)

Yes, that's all I have for my Top Ten. And now, here are my illegal favorites:
1. Adam Lambert
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Steven Tyler
7. Casey Abrams
8. James Durbin

Danette out. Please don't TP my house.

Adam Lambert Alert!

Adam Lambert fans, arise and set your DVRs to record Thursday's segment of American Idol in which Adam YAY, ADAM! will perform an acoustic performance of 'Aftermath.'

That is all.

Scholastic Book Fair, page 3--MY BOOK!

My son brought home the colorful newsprint of the Scholastic Book Fair, listing books that will be available through ordering or at the fair. The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is featured on page three under Adventure, Mystery, & Fantasy as an Exclusive Paperback. YAY!

How do you say "Econlockhatchee" River?

It's a question I'm asked frequently by students doing book reports after they've received some info from me. "How do you pronounce 'Econlockhatchee?'"

First, put a bunch of marbles in your mouth and say, " E! online; did you see?" or you can say it the way we who live by the river say it: ee-con-lock-HATCH-ee. If you really want to sound native, just say, "the Econ."

Why, yes--I DO like American Idol 2011

Not many sixty-two-year old men can ROCK long hair and feathers (and sometimes a raccoon tail), but Steven Tyler does it pretty well.

I didn't think I'd like American Idol 2011, but I knew I had to watch at least a few episodes to see how Aerosmith's Steven Tyler would fare. I like it! A card on SNL and Wayne's World, Steven has proven himself to a thoughtful and intelligent judge. I loved when he'd sing along during auditions and the interest he took in the hopefuls.

One thing that surprised me was that neither Steven or J.Lo hold their collective superstar power against the aspiring young singers. J.Lo is encouraging without being smarmy. Steven is generous and nice--nice! Even Randy has stepped up to the plate during critiques.

My favorite contestants: Casey Abrams, oh so smokey; Jacob Lusk, a true talent; James Durbin, a rocker in the making who hasn't chiseled out his own identity so he's using Adam Lambert's (but I still like him!).

Favorite girls: . . .

And that's a wrap!

Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner

My friend, Kate Messner, has a GREAT new website! And even better, I finished Kate's recent book, Sugar and Ice, and I loved it. Claire Boucher is a middle school ice skater, plucked from her small town into an elite training camp by a world renowned coach.

I live in Florida, but I was in the land of snow and maple syrup the whole time I spent reading this wonderful book. The locker room scenes played like a movie in my head. Kate's knowledge of the ice skating world and its jargon opened the door for me to a place I'd never seen; ice skating terms I didn't know only made the story more real. Best aspect of story: Claire's very real insecurities and dealings with other girls.

One thing I loved was the idea that Claire doesn't seize upon the scholarship immediately. She has mixed feelings, reluctance, fear--and it's that fear that hit me as so true. It's scary to be taken from your comfort zone, even if where you're going is up. And those tween years can be catty enough in school hallways, but WOW! cutthroat in competition. Kate delivers a nice twist and an ending I didn't expect. I quickly passed my extra copy to my fifth grade neighbor next door.

Definitely recommended!

Only a Few ARCs of Me and Jack Remain!

Me & Jack A boy--an outsider--trying to fit in. A dog from the pound with an unknown past. A father serving as a recruiter during the Vietnam War.

Each has something to fight for. Together, they have something to live for.

Three ARCs stand available for readers willing to post their reviews on sites such as Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, or their own blogs.

The first chapter is available on my website. (Click on Me & Jack in the sidebar, and then click on the book icon for the excerpt.)

If you'd like to review Me & Jack, send me an email (dhaworthbooks at yahoo dot com) with your snail mail address.

Read Me & Jack FREE before it's released!

Me & Jack is the first book I ever wrote. The boy, the dog and the Pennsylvania mountain setting are especially close to me. I can't wait to see how this story is received.

I have twelve advance copies available to send to readers who would be willing to post their reviews on sites such as Amazon, Goodreads, or their own blogs.

Me & Jack A boy--an outsider--trying to fit in. A dog from the pound with an unknown past. A father serving as a recruiter during the Vietnam War.

Each has something to fight for. Together, they have something to live for.

The first chapter is available on my website. (Click on Me & Jack in the sidebar, and then click on the book icon for the excerpt.)

If you'd like to review Me & Jack, send me an email (dhaworthbooks at yahoo dot com) with your snail mail address.

Thank you, and happy reading!

So it turns out, my dog DOES like broccoli!

Violet Raines Nominated for California Young Reader Medal

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning has been nominated for the California Young Reader Medal! Nominated for the Intermediate Category, Violet Raines is one of only three books vying for the award. Students will be reading over the next few months, then voting. I'm so excited!

In other good news, The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is in Scholastic Book Fairs happening in your schools right now! YAY!

Hot Debate on the Big W

Whilst working on my super secret manuscript this morning, I found myself in need of a synonym, so onto Thesaurus.com I hopped. Wham! Hot debate going on in the comments of the article titled, "If “w” is double u, why is it made of two v’s?"

Indeed!

I had just been talking about this not two days ago with my son! We agreed W should be called "double vee," and my son tasked me to contact the literary powers that be with our epiphany. Thank gosh I don't talk to Noah Webster anymore (because he's dead and my therapy's over), or I truly would have embarrassed myself. According to the enlightening and timely article, the sounds we attribute to U, V, and W all derived from classic Latin's V, which originally was pronounced "wa." Surprised? There's more!

The first mutation was the use of V as a voiced bilabial fricative! Fricative-A! Can you believe it? Do you even know what a fricative is? I didn't until I read this article. But those in the know argued in the comments against the voiced bilabial fricative label: V is a voiced labio-dental fricative. V is a labiodental fricative. There was even reference to --gasp!--bilabial nasal [fricatives] in connection with a different letter.

Anyway, as V became overloaded with responsibilities, what with representing ugly vampire want-to-bes, eighth century writers decided that the wa sound would be depicted by a U and a U--a double set of Us--and it looked like this: uu.

At this point, I felt the question posed in the title remained unanswered. ("If 'w' is double u, why is it made of two 'v’s?'") If anything, my curiosity had been further stoked, but the article ended abruptly, summing up too quickly, leaving me without hope of resolution.

My hands stretched toward my monitor like those of a sunburnt, dehydrated soul upon the appearance of an oasis that dissolves into mirage. Why, oh why, I lamented, if double-u is based on U, why why WHY is it pointy like a V?

Scrolling for answers, I stumbled upon a wiseman.

Mark II answers thusly: "Because…. in Latin (of which most of the English language is based), “U” looks like a “V”. You boneheads."