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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Forever Girl Blog Tour


My Passion for Reading
by Rebecca Hamilton

I don’t remember learning to read. I know I was reading sometime before I started elementary school, though, and for as long as I remember, I was “a reader”. I read everything—not just books, but pretty much anything I could find with words on it. Shampoo bottles, cereal box packaging, those little silicone packets that come in a pair of brand new sneakers…you know, the kind of stuff you usually read while shopping, not after you bring the product home.

I read while snuggled up on my couch, while walking to school, even while the teachers were teaching math or science or what have you. (Thankfully, I actually learn best with several structured things happening at once, so long as no one thing DEMANDS my attention.)

In sixth grade, I had this one teacher—Mr. Jamet—who was perhaps the first teacher ever to accept this quality about me.  Many conversations took place between him and me, mostly because I used to bombard him first thing in the morning to tell him about whatever unimportant thing I thought was really important at the time. This usually resulted in him asking me to please wait until he’d had his coffee.

Yeah, I guess I can be a bit much to take first thing in the morning.

There is one conversation that I remember, however. I was sitting at my desk reading with a book hidden in my lap while Mr. Jamet went over our homework.

“Shana,” he said (because that’s my real name), “can you please repeat what I just said?”

I don’t think he was expecting me to repeat everything he’d said, verbatim, over the last two minutes. I got about twenty seconds in, and he said that was enough, then moved on with his efforts.

After class, he called me over to his desk and told me that as long as I’m paying attention and getting good grades and not disrupting the class, I was free to read at my desk during class.

So I did. I did it in his class and every class after that. I don’t remember ever really paying attention in school—not directly—and my memories of how I spent my childhood are more about THE DOOM SLIDE (Goosebumps, choose your own adventure), and unicorns and magical amulets, or two girls hidden in their neighbors closet who witness him murdering a young woman. Much more exciting than watching someone write on a chalkboard all day.

(Yes, I’m getting old. They used chalkboards when I was in school. Not Dry-Erase)

My passion for reading continues to this day. I don’t know where it came from, but when I have free time, there’s nothing I’d rather do.


FOREVER GIRL Blurb

Sophia Parsons' family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves.

The cult in BelleMeadow will do anything to get their hands on Sophia's house, even burn her out of it if necessary. Sophia believes she can gain their acceptance without giving them her house--if only she could come across a little more normal. Maybe then they wouldnt view her Wiccan religion as a demonic practice. 

There's one thing standing in her way. A hissing noise in her mind that makes her flighty and distracted. In her search for answers, she discovers a link between her own affliction and one of her ancestors--a woman convicted of being a witch during the Salem witch trials.  A woman whose body has been missing ever since the hanging.

Sophia doesn't know that someone in her life wants her to solve this mystery for all the wrong reasons. Someone wants Sophia to join a race of dark supernaturals she never knew existed: the Cruor. When this person nearly kills her, Sophia realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse is to perform dark magic or become a murderer herself.


Get to know Rebecca Hamilton at her website:  HERE

CONTEST

One lucky commenter (with a valid email address) will receive an e-copy of Forever Girl and a scented candle (pictured below). However, due to postage costs, if you're outside of the US and you enter this contest, then by entering you are agreeing that you are only entering to receive an e-book of Forever Girl. The scented candle will only ship to a US resident winner. All winnings will come from the author, Rebecca Hamilton. Gracen Miller is not responsible for the delivery of any winnings. NOTE: If you do not leave your email address, then I will assume you are not entering the contest.



18 comments:

Noree Cosper said...

I used to read during class as well. Though I could memorize what the teachers were saying verbatim. I did well enough to get a decent average. College was different. It actually held my interest.

Always loved reading. I think I picked it up from my other.

Robert Zimmermann said...

I have to say, in school I was somewhat similar. I was reading more only on the buss early one, but once in high school I was reading in every class I didn't get yelled in. There was a math class where I'd do the homework for the next week (she wrote the assignments on the board) and then read. The teacher would try to call me out by making me do a problem on the board, so I'd go up finish it fairly fast and sit down. She didn't bother me much after that. Like you I learn while not "paying attention" directly.

I loved this post. Reading is so much of what makes a writer.Tthank you for sharing with us.

Unknown said...

*raises hand* we used chalk boards too :( LOL

Great story! My girly is the same way, only she draws, all the time! But she pays attention while doing it.

SupaGurl
supagurlheather @ gmail .com

Unknown said...

I used to read in class too, but I used to get in trouble for it. delphinareadstoomuch at yahoo

Jenny Zimmerman said...

This awesome Gracen! Thank you for the giveaway!!
bynumjenny@yahoo.com

Jacquie T. said...

I'm a big reader now that I finally have the time and I love it. I'm not a nice person when I'm interupted and really involved in a book. This sounds like something I would like to read so I' m entering your contest. email is: jmt3328@aol.com

Joella said...

I have loved to read since before I can remember as well. My teachers used to get frustrated when I was younger because I would read all the books they had available so quickly and they would have to send me to older kids library to get books to keep me busy! lol I did get in trouble for reading in class as I got older...

Thanks for sharing and for the contest. Books sounds very interesing and definitely have to check it out!

joellaelbert@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Was always much more focused on reading than I was anything else ...I also can't remember ever not wanting to be an author. Thanks for a great article! This is a brilliant stop on the tour!

Unknown said...

Too funny! I used to read in class with my book tucked into the cubby part of the desk. I got in trouble for it all the time. Goosebumps were my crack, too.

Oh, and I had chalkboards, too.

(Not entering -- just wanted to come support Rebecca!)

L. G. Kelso said...

Great post Bec.
I am SO happy someone else knows about the "choose your own adventures" I use to love those, but not very people seem to know about them.

You're also one of my go to scent girls, lol, if that makes sense, so I love this candle idea.

My problem wasn't so much reading in class (I did that too but), but more so of writing. My school notebooks were : notes, notes, paragraph of story, note, more story...and so on.

lgkelso@hotmail.com

L.G

Unknown said...

That's so neat, LG! When I wrote in school, it was just poetry :P

Want to hear something wild? My son's school has TOUCH SCREEN BOARDS. It's just in his autistic cluster, not all the classrooms, but the technology like that in a school setting is impressive and a little frightening LOL

Stephsgrn said...

I have always been a reader, myself. It's funny how you talk about reading "anything", I do the same thing, shampoo bottles, etc. I also learn best with background noise (I like to say it blocks out the voices).. I always had to have other things going on or I couldn't concentrate!
my email address is stephsgrn@gmail.com

Autumn said...

I never was able to read during class since I had to make sure I knew what was going on so I could help all the others. You were very lucky! But I do try to read whenever I can, if the book has me caught up into that I do not want to put it down. The book sounds amazing!

Autumn foamfamily08@yahoo.com

Noree Cosper said...

OK, question. There have been mentions of Goosebumps. Does anyone remember the Fear Street series R.L. Stine wrote before Goosebumps or am i just old?

Unknown said...

OMG OMG OMG FEAR STREET!!!! YESSSS I REMEMBER!!!!! Oh, good times. Thank you for the memories, Noree!

Noree Cosper said...

I LOVED Fear Street. I think I read almost every book in that series.

Anonymous said...

Love this, thanks
Lauriesxos@yahoo.com

Kristina's Books & More said...

My mother read to my while I was in her womb. I've had an endless love for reading and all things books my whole life. I'm even planning my future career in the book industry!

Thanks for the great contest!

kristinaleigh1@hotmail.com