Aaron Stone

He rocks. That is all.

Funny If You Like Bridget

Waiting to Score Voya Review

VOYA
Living in the shadow of Zach's famous hockey- playing father is tough. Especially since his father is dead after a car crash involving groupies with whom his father may or may not have been having an affair. And his mother? That she loves him is never in question, but is she pushing him to become his father or a better version of himself? This year Zach questions his own motives for playing hockey and takes some time evaluating what he really wants to do with his life. Moving to a new town, Zach is instantly immersed in a power struggle with the captain of the hockey team. Between that friction and falling for a girl who seems to hate hockey, Zach has his hands full for the school year. The topics presented—questioning life choices, teen relationships, drinking, sex and suicide—are real issues faced by many teens. Readers will enjoy being privy to Zach's thoughts and struggles when making some of these moral decisions. A good solid choice to offer readers who enjoy sports fiction or light romance, the conversational tone makes for easy reading, but McLeod does not shy away from tough issues and keeps the plot moving along evenly. Reviewer: Angie Hammond

TEASER TUESDAY- FREE RUNNER

Lori stared at her notebook for a moment but didn’t jot anything down. Then she looked at me. “You know this is rape, right, Ryan? It’s not okay what that woman did to your brother.”

Mom began to sob louder.

I shook my head. “No. I mean, you can’t really rape a guy. I mean, it’s not possible. Physically.” I didn’t look at Trey.

Lori flicked her pen up and down on the notepad. It sounded like a snare drum. “Just because his body responded doesn’t mean he wanted to do it. It doesn’t make it okay.”

Mom sniffled and groaned, grabbing more Kleenex.

Lori seemed a little dazed, too. I guess she hadn’t studied this scenario in psych school. She turned to Trey.

“How are you doing, Trey?”

He laughed bitterly, but it quickly turned into a choking sound. “How am I doing? I have a rash on my penis. It hurts when I pee and I have a broken leg. And on top of that I’m now sitting in a room with my mom and my brother talking about sex. With a psychologist.”

Green Olympics!

Cool show on TV as I check through my morning mail. Olympic Medals for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver are being partially made with gold, silver and copper extracted from discarded computer chips from a recyling plant. Green Medals!

Plus the Olympic Oval roof is being made with Pine wood infested by Pine Beetles. Perfectly good wod but not useable in all circumstances. But perfect for an Olympic Oval roof!

CANDOR

ABOUT CANDOR

Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he’s found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He’s got them all fooled: Oscar’s the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he’s made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar falls in love. He must choose whether to let Nia be lost to brainwashing—or to sacrifice himself.


Now...let's talk to the author behind the book! Pam Bachorz.

How did you come up with the fab idea for Candor and how long did it take you to write it?

I was living in a planned community in central Florida, and out walking the dog late one night. The mosquito truck drove by, coating me and the dog in the fine white mist that the town assured people was harmless. What if, I thought, that mist had Prozac in it? That would explain why everyone is so friendly and happy in our town. From there, I came up with the idea of a town where everyone pays a premium to be brainwashed--and they don't tell their kids what's going on.

Love it!! So...writing for teens must bring back alot of memories... tell us about something traumatizing and/or embarrassing that happened to you when you were a teen?

I seriously have one of the least reliable and detailed memories around. This strikes me as a bad attribute for a writer, since I should probably be mining my childhood and teen years. Maybe I'm just blocking the really bad stuff! Actually, seventh grade was the worst year for me, though technically that's just before I hit my teen years. There was a pack of boys who seemed to zero in on me as their chosen victim for the year. When I wore lipstick they'd walk by my desk and hiss, "so you think you're sexy, dog?" Sometimes I still hear them when I put lipstick on. Maybe it sounds small now, but I remember the daily harassment and sly, sneaky methods that totally shook my confidence. One of them recently tried to friend me on Facebook. I was like, really? Ignored that request.

Nasty boys. Good for you not friending him. So...what would be the worst thing that could happen to Oscar in CANDOR?

Well, at the start of the book he'd say the worst thing that could happen would be to get caught: he's hiding the fact that he's escaped the brainwashing Messages that his father has established in the town. But after he falls in love, he's even more afraid of losing Nia to the brainwashing.

What do you think Oscar will do for a living when he's "grown up"?

Well, that all depends: is he going to escape Candor, Florida? Or not? If he doesn't break out, he'll be his father's successor, I think, running the show and feeding Messages to people. And if he does escape? Something cunning, under the radar, and probably not entirely on the up-and-up.

That settles it...I need to read this book now!! Thanks Pam!

ABOUT PAM BACHORZ

Pam Bachorz grew up in a small town in the Adirondack foothills, where she participated in every possible performance group and assiduously avoided any threat of athletic activity. Pam attended college in Boston and finally decided she was finished after earning four degrees. Her mother is not happy that Pam’s degrees are stored under her bed.

Pam lives just outside Washington, DC with her husband and their son. She likes to read books not aimed at her age group, go to museums and theater performances, and watch far too much television. She even goes jogging. Reluctantly.

As far as she knows, Pam has never been brainwashed. Or maybe that’s just what she’s supposed to say.

It's My Party

Today is my birthday. Which means, yes, I am one year older than I was on my last birthday. Funny how it goes that way.

I'm adjusting to the new schedule of working during the day. As a rep I am in my car and in and out of stores all day, and have no internet access. It's honestly a pretty fun job and I really like the company, but having no internet is hard to get used to. "Adjust I will." (best said in a Yoda voice)

I am itching to get some writing done. Have to work something out with myself and my family. Set some time to get to it.

That is all.