Halloween's *last* stop of The Ghost Tour - AND I'm giving away a signed copy of FORGET ME NOT!

Carolee Dean is one of our founders of SPELLBINDERS as well as a regular Monday Contributor (and since this week has an extra 5th Monday), I/we are celebrating Carolee Dean's brand spankin' new YA novel, FORGET ME NOT - and the very *last* stop on her GHOST TOUR!!! Because it's Halloween! And you can't have a GHOST TOUR without it ending on All Hallows Eve!

Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter to win 8 pieces of gorgeous FORGET ME NOT Jewelry and raven earrings! Go here to see all the beautiful pieces of handmade jewelry.

AND I, your humble blogger, am giving away a SIGNED COPY OF FORGET ME NOT right here! Just leave a comment to be entered to win!!! 

Open until next Wednesday, November 5th, 2012! Winner announced on Thursday. :-)

This book is truly one of the most unique verse novels you will ever read. Stunning poetry and prose and screenplay scenes, spine-tingling twists and turns that will surprise you and keep you on the edge of your seat.  HIGHLY Recommended! And I'm *not* just saying that . . . Carolee Dean is a real talent in the Young Adult book world. 

October 29, 2012 OCTOBER SPECIAL - FORGET ME NOT Ghost Tour and Giveaways by Carolee Dean  This month I'm promoting my new paranormal verse novel, Forget Me Not, with a Ghost Tour that includes 9 blog stops, videos, poem excerpts and a contest for numerous prizes including a signed copy of the novel, a hand-painted raven journal, and specially crafted, book-related jewelry-great rewards for your students, or for yourself. It's going on at my blog. Scroll to the bottom of the blog to find the Rafflecopter.  You can view the Ghost Tour at anytime, but the contest ends on October 31. Learn about the ghosts of Raven Valley High School at these stops: Stop 1:  The Nine Circles of Raven Valley High (Poem): Discover the connection between the Nine Circles of Raven Valley High and Dante's Inferno-Purgatorio. Discover which ghosts live where, and why Stop 2: Paranormal Activity Video: Watch Video footage of the Girls in the Stacks as they travel to RVHS looking for ghosts Stop 3: The History of Raven Valley High: Find out about the history of the school as a convent, military institute, and private university, and then discover who lived there while it sat vacant for ten years. Stop 4: Interview with Elijah McCall: Explore his fascination with Shakespeare (he spent a month speaking in iambic pentameter) and learn why he can see ghosts. Stop 5: Exclusive interview with the Ghost of Ernest Hemingway: Ally Cassell records her experiences in a moleskine journal, just like Ernest used to do. Find out why he's the only one she can confide in. Stop 6: Poe-Pac Mash Up: A "Raven" inspired poem Ally wrote about 2Pac as a substitute teacher.   Stop 7: Raven Mania: Learn interesting pieces of Raven Mythology. Discover the names of the ravens that belonged to Odin, the Norse god of death and poetry and find out why they were referred to as Observation and Memory Stop 8: Haunted by a Dead Girl: Learn the true inspiration for the ravens in the story. They're real! Hear author Carolee Dean's first hand experiences. Stop 9: The Inhabitants of the Hallway: Find out who haunts the hallway where Ally is trapped. Ghosts are introduced in a series of Cinquain Chain poems. To see pictures of the prizes and find the links to these stops, go to the tour here:   GHOST TOUR  Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the page for the Rafflecopter. If you want to forward this email, please use the icon at the bottom of this page. Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. Take Me There is a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. Her upcoming paranormal verse novel, Forget Me Not, will be published by Simon Pulse in October of 2012. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."             Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time.    To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to my website.    Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013.    She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.                           Upcoming Author Events November, 2012 YALSA Literature Symposium  "Author Research Panel" Carolee Dean and four other authors St. Louis, Missouri

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Ghost Tour Stop #4 with Elana Johnson

GHOST TOUR STOP #4 at ELANA JOHNSON'S BLOG. 

JUST CLICK. GO AHEAD! IT'S EASY, IT'S FUN. Read some funny stuff by Elana, plus a cool excerpt from FORGET ME NOT. And more Jewelry, too! So ENTER THE CONTEST!

And now I head back to the drafting cave.  Must. Write. 4,000 words. A. Day. Deadline. Coming. Soon.

Yikes!

Hand me come cookies, please!

I bought some yesterday at the Nestle Toll House Cookie Store while I was in town running around like a mad woman. I never even knew there was a Nestle Toll house Cookie Store! And me, a cookie connoisseur!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! 

~Kimberley

Ghost Tour Stop #3 and SPELLBINDERS!

GHOST TOUR STOP #3 IS AT THE LINK! The lovely Brenda Drake is hosting.

Don't forget to go here to enter the Rafflecopter for all the gorgeous jewelry!

October 8 , 2012 THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STORIES-THE MAJOR IMPACT OF MINOR CHARACTERS  by Carolee Dean      Welcome to those who signed up to join us at the IRA conference in Chicago. Remember, you can always unsubscribe at any time. On the other hand, if you find the information useful and want to forward this newsletter please use the FORWARD button at the bottom of this email. Otherwise you may get unintentionally unsubscribed. If you have not had a chance to download the power points from the IRA conference, check out these links: Verse Novel Panel Literary and Poetic Devices in TAKE ME THERE      The Secret Language of Stories is a twelve-step story analysis method I use both to plot my own stories and to teach writing and story comprehension to my students. A complete discussion of the twelve steps may be found on the SECRET LANGUAGE OF STORIES page on my blog.        Some of the most memorable characters in literature and film are the minor characters. Minor characters serve many roles. They often provide comic relief, give us a contrast to the hero, provide a slightly different point of view, demonstrate a rivalry, share insights into different cultures, and show us the motivations of antagonists. They might be a friend, sidekick, evil minion of the villain, or a "threshold guardian" momentarily preventing the hero from leaving the Old World to enter the New World. They often act as mentors, sometimes just for a scene or two, passing along vital information or giving aid to the other characters in the story.    Often these are the characters who die at the MIDPOINT or DEATH AND TRANSFORMATION section of the story. We get to know them well enough that their demise causes us pain if they were friends or relief if they were evil. We feel the anguish of the hero, who has also come to value their friendship and support, or his sense of deliverance if they were trying to do him in. On the other hand, these characters are not significant enough to the tale that the journey cannot proceed without them.        In contrast, the hero of the story rarely dies at the MIDPOINT, in fact I can't think of a single example. It would be difficult to carry the story forward if he did. Here is fun activity for all ages for the ghostly month of October. Make headstones for minor characters. If they have actually died in the story, all the more fitting, though if you are doing this as a class project you might want to keep it ambiguous so it won't spoil a story if not everyone has read it.        Write a two line couplet, an epitaph (a short text honoring a deceased person) or an epigram (a brief, clever, or memorable statement) that might befit a grave marker. An aphorism (original and memorable idea) that reflects the character's beliefs could also be used. The message could be humorous or might be profound. The headstone may be drawn on paper and include elaborate artwork or might be sculpted with clay, Play Doh, or Sculpey.       Headstones are interesting because they use just a few lines to capture the essence of a person's entire life or belief system. You might want to start by exploring some examples on the Internet.       Often these final words are poetic. Some poets even write their own epitaphs before they die. Check out the one below by W.B. Yeats.   Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. Take Me There is a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. Forget Me Not is a paranormal verse novel.    She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."             Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time.    To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to my website.    Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013.    She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.                           Upcoming Author Events  October 27, 2012 6-7 p.m. FORGET ME NOT BOOK LAUNCH Carolee Dean Alamosa Books Albuquerque, NM November 3, 2012 YALSA Literature Symposium  "Author Research Panel" Carolee Dean and four other authors St. Louis, Missouri February 2, 2012 Montgomery Teen Book Festival Carolee Dean Kimberley Griffiths Little Houston, Texas

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FORGET ME NOT GHOST TOUR - STOP #1!

Welcome to STOP #1 of Carolee Dean’s

FORGET ME NOT GHOST TOUR!

Simon Pulse, October 2, 2012 - Available Now!!!

Click this Ghost Tour button to Enter the Contest for a chance to win one of 9 gorgeous pieces of Forget Me Not jewelry!

FORGET ME NOT is the story of a young girl, Ally Cassell, who makes a rash and desperate decision after being bullied and ostracized to the point of humiliation. She then finds herself vacillating between worlds.

In this new realm Ally can see the ghosts inhabiting her school.

The structure of the school is a bit like Dante’s INFERNO. People gravitate to different areas depending on how they died.

Check out the poem below from Elijah’s point of view (he can see ghosts too) and discover who dwells where.

Be sure to scroll to the end to find a link to the rest of the tour and learn how you can win the unique, hand-crafted jewelry designed specially for the GHOST TOUR such as this forget-me-not bracelet:

THE NINE CIRCLES OF RAVEN VALLEY HIGH

(from pg. 112 of FORGET ME NOT by Carolee Dean copyright 2012)

Contact the author (caroleedean@yahoo.com) for permission to reproduce

There’s an abandoned football field

up on a hill that looks down

on the new stadium.

It’s filled with soldiers from some

obscure civil war battle that didn’t

make it into the history books.

Day after day

boys barely older than me

fight the same war.

Night after night

they lie bloody on the grass.

Every now and then,

when one of them is ready

to cross over,

a raven comes

to take him

to the next world.

There used to be a courthouse

where the old gym stands.

They hung murderers

and horse thieves

on the steps.

That’s where the

violent offenders go.

As for their victims,

they occupy a

corner of the prop room

behind the theater.

There’s a dark corner

in the cafeteria

reserved for those

who starved to death.

Two members

from a family of early settlers

who didn’t store enough

food for the winter

and an anorexic cheerleader

from the nineties.

An abandoned ropes course

is home to the foolhardy,

and the weight room

at the back of the gym

is for the jocks

who still can’t believe

they died in their prime.

The administration building is

A melting pot

of those who succumbed

to fatal diseases,

broken hearts, and

people who just got stuck

for no apparent reason.

Not good. Not bad.

Just too mediocre

to continue on.

The Raptor Circle is the home of the one person

who died from an act of God.

As for the H-Hall,

I spent a week there last spring

when I went up to the old football field

and swallowed that bottle of pills

When I was in middle school,

Frankie used to take me

up on the hill

to see the games.

Now all I watch

are dead people.

From this perspective,

it’s like viewing

a theater in the round.

THE CONTEST

You can win the forget-me-not bracelet and NINE other cool jewelry prizes by visiting GHOST TOUR CENTRAL. Earn points by tweeting, posting on FB or joining a fun blog!

Click the Ghost Tour below to enter to win the bracelet and any of the future awesome jewelry on future Ghost Tour Stops! (The rest of the Ghost Tour Stops during October are listed at the link.)

Share the Ghost Tour Button on your own blog, too!

And don’t forget to read about the making of the book trailer and watch the video HERE  http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/forget-me-not-book-trailer-cast-and-crew_12.html