StewartRonen.com

Guest Post by Popular Book Blogger Marjolein Balm

2012-04-30T10:42:00.001-07:00

About Reading and YA Books

I am very honored to be the first guest on your blog. Thank you, Stewart!!

Very often I get the question why I love to read and review Young Adult books so much. Maybe it is because I remember my own teenage years so vividly like it was yesterday and I have loved reading ever since I can remember. I was always seen with just one accessory: a book.

I’ve been reading since I was four, there were always books in the house (although my parents didn’t read that much, but somehow, there were books around!) and I remember that I learned my first words from a children’s book I always carried around with me (I still wonder sometimes which book this was, I still know what it looks like but I can’t remember the title anymore) so I could read a few words before I entered school. Reading was always widely promoted when I was in primary school. We always had huge projects around the Children’s Book Week and my twin brother and I were always allowed to select two books from the book store when that week came around, we had to do a book speech about a book every month In front of the entire class and I am still very thankful that we visited the library almost every week since I can remember. We also had a huge library at my primary school and before we could leave to go home, our teacher read to us every day, and we also had to write about the books we read for the school paper. What I remember reading in my childhood years were: ballet books (I was also into ballet during that time) Astrid Lindgren (Lotta, The Children of Noisy Village) and from Dutch book I remember Madelief en Het Zakmes, which was quite a hype at my school when the film came out.

During my teen years, I don’t remember there being books categorized as YA. Remember, we had to read books for English but YA? It just didn’t exist. Roald Dahl was as popular as Harry Potter and his books are the only ones that come to mind when I recall reading in my teen years. How times have changed for the better!! Young Adult is more popular than ever, and is the fastest growing market in the book industry. Young adult, or YA, has become popular not merely among tweens and teens, but among adults as well. Bestsellers like the Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games series have fallen into the hands of many adults and have found a welcoming audience. You can walk into any book store, locate the YA section, and have at your fingertips historicals, paranormals, romances, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, steam punk, poetry, fairy tales, myths, and biographies. You name it, it’s there.

Teens want to read books about other teens who they can identify with and that deal with the same issues they themselves have to cope with. Young adult novels changed the world for me. I could never have guessed when picking up a Princess Diaries book (the first YA book I picked up..) that I would be reviewing YA books two years later. I just celebrated my 4 year blogaversary recently! So yes, books can really change your world!

Most ‘’adult readers’’ still think that YA fiction is set in a high school (think of the Sweet Valley High books) but that is history as most YA books nowadays are set in the most diverse settings, here a few recommendations if you never have read YA in your life (something I find truly hard to imagine). Some are not specifically marked as YA but are more crossover.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok: moves with her mother from Hong Kong to the USA, with the help of their aunt, they settle in a rattled apartment with no heating or windows in Brooklyn. A very impressing coming-of-age story between the Chinese and American cultures.

Red Glass by Laura Resau: Red Glass is an outstanding and amazing YA novel 'between cultures''.The book is set in the USA, Mexico and Guatamala. The story is about Sophie and a little Mexican refugee, Pablo. Because Pablo’s parents have died during harsh conditions, while trying to illegally cross the Mexican-American border, Sophie travels with Pablo to Mexico to locate his family and overcomes her fears.

Shadow of the Dragon by Sherry Garland: A very original YA novel about a Vietnamese-American teen. Danny grows up amongst gangs and American/ Vietnamese culture. Danny is dating Tiffany Marie, a girl from his high school, but rumors are that Tiffany's brother Frank is a skinhead with racist actions against Vietnamese people in particular, and soon enough these rumors seem to be true, and Danny Sang Le's (Danny’s cousin who spent years in a Vietnamese re-education camp and who is living with Danny now) are in danger. The book just gives an amazing look in the life of the Vietnamese community in the United States and a peek into Vietnamese family traditions.

Far from Home by Na’ima B Robert: a gripping story about two girls Tariro and Katie living in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, both living in different time periods, 1967 and 2001. While Katie is a rich western girl living on a farm, Tariro and her family have to fight against white settlers who crash into town. In 2001 the opposite happens with Katie, people are attacking her family’s farm and claiming their land back. Without being aware of it, both girls share a horrible secret.

I’d like to end off with a question: What books have you read recently that really captured the YA voice and pulled you into the story?

Contest! Enter And Win A Signed Copy Of The Goat Herder!

2012-04-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Goat Herder has been out in the world for a reasonable while already and you've all read it by now, right? Just say yes J.

So! If you write a review about the book and send it to me you will stand a chance to win a signed copy!

How to enter:

- Write a review on any online bookselling site like Amazon, Barnes & Nobles etc, or on book networking site Goodreads. All you have to is send me the link when you’ve done it.
- If you've already written a review of The Goat Herder you're good to go, just send me the link.
- It doesn't even have to be a good review! Be honest. I won't be offended.
- You have until Friday, May 18th, when I will randomly select one winner. So if you haven't read it yet, better get cracking!
- To send me the link, send to my email address: stewartronen@gmail.com

Good luck!

Shameless Plug :) Order Your Copy Of The Goat Herder At One Of These Online Stores Today! Go on, Make An Author Happy ;)

2012-04-13T06:50:00.003-07:00

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Some Of My Favourite Quotes

2012-04-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I tweet a meaningful quote about life on my Twitter profile. They are magic words that immediately encourage, uplift and inspire you. Here in this post is a compilation of some those quotes:

'If you live with one leg in the past and one leg in the future, you will have no leg to stand on in the present.' Buddha
'Try remember your dreams. The answers you'll find in them.' SR

'If you have roots, you are strong.' SR

'You don't need a lot to be happy.' SR

'Be kind to someone. It will have a ripple effect in the Universe.' SR

'You do not need to acquire this power, you already possess it.' Dr Joseph Murphy

'Message of the wheat sheaf. Its future is brightest when kernels are smashed because when gathered from the chaff and milled to flour it will nourish man.' Perek Shira

'Generously, and with respect to Creator, sun floods moon with light so earth's barren satellite can bring glow to our nights.' Perek Shira

'Where there's disarray, a judge must restore order. When the world's in turmoil and justice perverted, even the trees suffer.' Perek Shira

'It's nice to be beautiful on the outside. But if your soul is beautiful too...omg.' SR

'Do what feels right for you in order to focus on going forward, think of what you have to do right now and keep your goal in mind.' SR

'We are all one.' SR

'Lives of others put things in perspective for one's own life. Everything is relative.' SR

'The sun shining means so many different things.' SR

Get More Traffic To Your Blog

2012-03-30T03:42:00.002-07:00

I was pondering lately on ways to attract more attention to my blog. I'm not making excuses but what with writing my third novel, my day job as massage therapist, getting my latte fixes at Vida, strolling on the beach to gain inspiration, you know the usual things, I just don't seem to have the time to write posts :) Sound familiar?

I stumbled recently on the amazing blog of Seth Godin, apparently nominated as 12th best blog in the world by a single person.
This link will take you to a page on his blog where he lists 56 tips on how to get traffic to your blog. It's brilliant.

So, if you have the same dilemma as me, or for some other reason you are not satisfied with with how your blog is doing, go to this link: Seth Godin

Success! X

p.s. Let me know what you think

The Kalahari Review

2012-03-22T09:26:00.003-07:00

Chapters of The Goat Herder will be published in two parts in The Kalahari Review next month.
I'll keep you updated. You can check out this top literary journal here:
www.thekalaharireview.com

Be My Guest now on Kindle

2012-02-28T03:28:00.004-08:00

My short story Be My Guest is now available on Kindle.
Click here to purchase:
BE MY GUEST

What They Are Thinking...

2012-01-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Under Philadelphi Road has embarked on its journey through the maze of the publishing world. The hard part starts now. The waiting. And believe me, if the cliché or proverb (or whatever you want to call it) ‘patience is a virtue’, has ever been more relevant, it is here and now. Literary agents, bless their souls, are extremely busy people. They read most of the manuscripts that land on their tables at night after work and on weekends. In addition, they have their own current author clients to deal with on a daily basis and other administrative tasks. So, waiting for a response can take months. Frustrating, but totally understandable. And, of course, when the response does finally arrive it can either be yay or nay (obviously). Oh yes, and some agents respond only on manuscripts that interest them.

They say the best way for a writer to remain sane in this type of situation is to keep on writing. In other words, not to wait but to forget the waiting and to put that energy into writing. Aptly, in my case, I have started my third novel of the paranormal genre. All three of my novels are each of a different genre. It’s how they have come out, born that way. I am writing the stories that are sitting in my soul and that need to be written. I 'm not going according to a strategy or a commercial plan i.e. sequels, a series of the same tale. I just write what my soul calls on me to write and this is also, coincidentally, how I bide my time creatively as I try not to think what ‘they’ are thinking…

Short Story Published!

2011-12-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

Just between the lines, a news flash: My short story, Be My Guest, has been published in The Arlington Literary Journal. To read it, please click on this link, www.arlijo.com

Where is Philadelphi Road?

2011-11-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Firstly, my profuse apologies for the lull in the writing of posts and the updating of my blog. Life is hectic, as you well know, and time does not pause for any man. The first draft of Under Philadelphi Road is complete and editing and copywriting is underway. Actually, it's going quite swiftly, at this stage anyway, due to the fact that the reason it took almost 4 years to complete the draft is that I have already spent hours, and sometimes even days, on a single paragraph, a sentence or a word, not to mention the Everest of research I was required to do for this challenging, but most satisfying, work to date.

A question posed by several people around me, and at a distance, has prompted me to write this first post about my upcoming novel. I am thankful for questions and deeply appreciative of feedback as I write not only for myself, as a necessity, but for you the reader, who indeed insists to excel in and forever develops the curiosity and want for knowledge, understanding and literary quality. And quite rightly so.

The question and interest that has come up regards the title of the book, which some think has to do with Philadelphia, USA. This could not be furthest from the truth. Firstly, it is Philadelphi (with an i at the end). So, where is this so-called Philadelphi Road and what is it's importance to the story?

The Philadelphi Road or Route refers to a narrow strip of land, 14 km in length, situated along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Under the provisions of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty of 1979, the buffer zone was controlled and patrolled by Israeli forces. After the 1995 Oslo Accords, Israel was allowed to retain the security corridor along the border. One purpose of Philadelphi Road was to prevent the movements of illegal materials (including weapons, ammunition and illegal drugs) and people between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Palestinians, in cooperation with some Egyptians, have built smuggling tunnels under Philadelphi Road to move these into the Gaza Strip. The 1979 Egypt-Israeli peace treaty, in which Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai in exchange for peace with Egypt, stipulated that the border with Egypt would follow the border of the Palestine Mandate. The main border exchange would be in the town of Rafah. (info from Wikipedia).

Rafah is where the story begins but this is for another post. Above then, you have the explanation of what and where Philadelphi Road is. The reason for the title, well, this is also for a following post :)

Thanks for your time and stay tuned.

Warm regards.
SR

Interview in The Cape Chronicle

2011-10-05T01:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The October edition of The Cape Chronicle is out and in it is a great interview which I'm very happy with.
To see it, please click here.
It's on page 10. Thanks so much to Tali Barnett for setting it up so beautifully.

Hope you like it :)

SR

Watch The Book Trailer!

2011-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Second Novel

2011-05-16T03:22:00.000-07:00

Given that I am reaching the end of the writing of my second novel , I am proud and glad to announce for the first time its name:
It is called Under Philadelphi Road. It is written in the first person from the eyes of Ismail, a Palestinian boy who together with friends digs a tunnel under the border between Israel and Egypt in order to smuggle out goods to earn some money. When the tunnel collapses, Ismail is trapped on the other side of the border, in Egypt. As he takes the reader on his life's journey, the reader starts to understand that Ismail has been born for a very special purpose.

I will be creating a separate blog for Under Philadelphi Road so please stay tuned :)

Blessings!

The Week of Interviews and Book Reviews

2011-05-09T09:01:00.001-07:00

Yes, this week appears to be the week of the interviews :)

Yesterday I was interviewed by Suchitra Chaudhary of Gulf News in Dubai for their magazine Friday. The interview will appear on 3rd June. Today, Marjolein Balm, book blogger and reviewer extraordinaire, interviewed me via skype. Her review should appear tomorrow on her blog. Last week, I was interviewed by Tali Barnett, the editor of The Cape Jewish Chronicle. That article will be published in their next edition.

I'll keep you posted!

Blessings

Free Giveaway of 10 ebooks!

2011-05-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

To express my gratitude for the great things that have happened to The Goat Herder since its publication, I am giving away 10 free ebook versions of the book downloadable on Smashwords. All you have to do is send me an email and if you are among the first 10 emails requesting the ebook, I will email you the special coupon code to type in when downloading the ebook. The Giveaway offer starts now! :)

Good Luck!

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

2011-04-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

You can listen to the interview on my website www.stewartronen.com by going to the website and clicking on the side bar link 'In the News'.

Enjoy!

Blessings.

Radio Interview, Book Review, Book Launch

2011-04-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Today I was informed by a very nice reporter of a local newspaper that I will be invited soon for a radio interview. This is great news and I am really looking forward to it, besides me being a bit nervous :)

In addition, a number of copies of the book are now for sale at The Bay Bookshop in Hout Bay, Cape Town. They have organised for a book review to be done in a popular magazine. More great news. Wow!

To add to the above, the owners of the above fabulous book store have offered to do the book launch in their store at The Cape Quarter in Green Point. What more can ask for? The launch will take place later on in the year.

I will keep you all posted :)

blessings

Stewart

Paperback finally on Amazon!

2011-02-07T06:09:00.000-08:00

Yes!! It took a while but the paperback is now finally available on AMAZON.COM.

Click here to buy:
http://www.amazon.com/Goat-Herder-Stewart-Ronen/dp/055769812X/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297087403&sr=1-1-catcorr

On eLibrary today alone, so far...almost 800 visits/downloads of The Goat Herder :)

My gratitude is eternal.

SR

The Goat Herder as ebook available in South Africa!

2011-01-20T04:23:00.000-08:00

And so it should be :) The ebook is now downloadable from publisher.co.za for R95. It's a great site and does a tremendous job to promote independent authors.

Please don't be shy to leave reviews ;)

Thanks all!

The Goat Herder available for immediate sampling on Smashwords!

2011-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Goat Herder is available for immediate sampling and sale in multiple ebook formats, readable now on virtually any ebook reading device!

Stewart Ronen's Smashwords Author Profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stewartronen

Book page to sample or purchase The Goat Herder: http://smashwords.com/b/36599

Remember to leave a review or comment :)

Thank you all so much!

Some reviews from the HarperCollins writing forum Authonomy

2011-01-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

"Stewart, I've read the first four chapters. I think your ability to evoke a sense of place is excellent, as is the way you compell your readers to turn the page at the end of each chapter." Elinor Evans

"This is a beautiful tale, and told with such a keen eye and attention to detail that the reader is transported. I was intrigued by your opening - as we both begin our books with a photograph, and loved your prose. Your writing is beautifully paced and unusually elegant, with such perfect imagery without any superfluous word; 'a breeze whispered to the languid day' - I could feel that breeze, the atmosphere of that day. I am putting you up on my shelf - just as soon as I've rearranged it. Well done and good luck with this." Judith Kinghorn

"Hi Stewart - A most enjoyable read. Lovely, lyrical writing that took me without effort to Nathi's village. I like the way his enquiring mind raises questions and how he is determined to satisfy his curiosity about the hunting lodge. The stillness, while he watches his goats, or the ants, helps to give your story a lovely, calm flow. For all that, it certainly deserves an airing on my Bookshelf." Elizabeth Jasper

"Good balance (narrative-POV), nice pacing, exceptional descriptive abilities. Like the old photo start, reminds me of the (Time After Time) Chris Reeve movie. Almost like you're painting a picture, rather than merely telling a story." Rocky Lastinger

"This is simply beautiful writing. And a lovely story. You play with the delights and challenges of Africa with such skill - I've been sitting here with a grin on my face just enjoying this. No intention of nitpicking details - just putting this on my shelf." Jo Carrol

"Hi Stewart, The only comment i can make is that this is, in my opinion, a beautiful story. I am amazed at how you bring the characters to life: i am literally there, with Nathi, and i can almost feel the atmosphere. I have never been to Africa, but now feel like i have. You are on my shelf. Good luck." Janie.

"You write with fantastic detail, down to the offering of the photograph. I can't tell you how often I've seen this in film or documentary and noted it, but never considered it might be a sign of respect or an indication that the offerer had nothing to hide. It's this kind of wonderful, knowing detail that fills out your characters so much. Great transportive fiction. Great work here." Jason Riley

"Lovely cover. Good pitch. Wow! The descriptions are beautiful and surpassed my expectations. I could see the boy sitting there. I could see the photo. Can't wait to read more." Joanna Stephen-Ward

The Goat Herder in paperback available

2011-01-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

Although it will take another 3 weeks approximately until the paperback edition of The Goat Herder is available on all major online book stores (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon and more), it is, however, now available on Lulu.com

To go to my store front on Lulu just click here. The ebook is already available on Amazon's Kindle and should be on iBooks shortly as well.

Please feel welcome to leave a review or leave a comment here when you've read the book. I would love to hear your feedback.

The Goat Herder in ebook Format!

2010-11-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

The eBook format of The Goat Herder has won the race against the paperback edition. It should be available to download on Lulu.com within 2 days from this posting. It will also be available on Apples's iBooks within two days. The link is already here on the blog!

The paperback is experiencing a slight delay in the area of formatting. Hopefully, it should see the light in a week or two.

2010-11-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce the publication of The Goat Herder. It is apparently already being promoted for the holidays. Go to the following link for more information:

http://www.lulu.com/product/13622272?cid=112110_en_email_STOCKING305

Niq Mhlongo to endorse The Goat Herder

2010-10-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

As previously announced on Facebook and Twitter, The Goat Herder will be published soon in paperback and eBook. The great news is that South African prize-winning author, Niq Mhlongo, will be endorsing the novel! What an honour.