(c.) 2014 by Watson-Guptill

Title: Make Comics Like the Pros 
Authors: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Published: 2014 by Watson-Guptill Publications

There are many "how to draw comics" instructional books out there --I've borrowed quite a few from the library over the years.  However, Pak and Van Lente's Make Comics Like the Pros takes it a step further, as their sub-title states, "The Inside Scoop on How to Write, Draw & Sell Your Comic Books and Graphic Novels."  This book contains a gold mine of information from veteran comic book creators for those looking into publishing their own sequential art.

The main idea of this book is collaboration.  Open any comic book and you'll often see a list of names credited: writer[s], editor[s],  penciler[s],  inker[s], letterer[s],  colorist[s],  etc.  Throughout different chapters, Pak and Van Lente take you through the entire process of creating a comic book from generating an idea to publicizing and marketing.  They use pages and panels from other indie comic book creators as examples or to illustrate ideas, so it's not a boring, dry, non-fiction book.  On the contrary!  The prose is conversational and concise, with each stage often broken down in numbered lists of guidelines or "commandments." 

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was learning about the process of creating a comic book --it isn't simply drawing out panels and writing in speech bubbles.  There is a lot of thought and work put into every step (and often by many different people).  There aren't any drawing tutorials in this book, as that is not the focus of the title, though there are tips and suggestions for collaborating or working with pencilers, inkers, colorists, and other artists. 

Also, unless younger readers are used to reading mainstream comic books, for my regular blog readers I'd probably recommend this book for high school and up for some stereotypical comic book stylization of women and some mild/borderline language (e.g. fr--king).  But overall this is a great graphic novel creation book and I recommend it to anyone who would like an idea of how the comic book publishing industry works.

About the Authors:

"Greg Pak is an award-winning comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing Batman/Superman and Action Comics for DC Comics, Turok Dinosaur Hunter for Dynamite Entertainment, and Eternal Warrior for Valiant Comics. He directed the award-winning feature film Robot Stories, wrote the epic “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” comic storylines, and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) fan-favorite Incredible Hercules for Marvel Comics.

Fred Van Lente is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Marvel Zombies, Incredible Hercules (with Pak), Odd Is on Our Side (with Dean R. Koontz), and the American Library Association award-winning Action Philosophers. His original graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens (co-written with Andrew Foley) was the basis for the major motion picture. Van Lente’s other comics include The Comic Book History of Comics, Archer & Armstrong, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Pak and Van Lente are both residents of New York City."

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for an honest review, which I have done.*

(c.) 2014 by Zondervan

Title: The Princess Spy
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Published: 2014 by Zondervan

Margaretha has always hoped to find her true love, but when an injured man is brought to Hagenheim castle, her world is thrown into disarray.  The mysterious Englishman is evasive in his answers, refusing to reveal his name or who left him for dead.  When he rescues a valuable heirloom, she knows the only way she could help repay him is to spy on her suitor, Lord Claybrook, who "Gawain" is convinced was involved in a murder.  But whom should she trust?

Melanie Dickerson's popular Christian YA fairy tale re-tellings continue with The Princess Spy, an adaptation of The Frog Prince.  Though loosely connected to her previous novels by featuring the children of the protagonists of The Healer's Apprentice and The Merchant's Daughter, like her other works, it can be read as a stand alone.

As always, it's enjoyable for me to see how Dickerson incorporates elements of her chosen fairy tale into her adaptation.  I learned in my English Literature class that in academia, one way they classify fairy tales is by subject or theme by the Aarne Thompson Uther system.   

The Frog Prince was the first English translation of the Brothers Grimm's The Iron Heinrich (or, The Frog King) and is ATU 440, that is Aarne Thompson Uther type 440 (the aptly titled "Frog Kings: Tales of Slimy Suitors").  Though details can change from tale to translation, the main story is this: A princess looses her golden ball in a pond or well and reluctantly befriends the frog who retrieves her plaything.  Later it is revealed that the frog was actually a handsome prince and one of the "morals" of the tale is the importance of  keeping your promises --highlighted when the frog appears at the castle and the princess doesn't want to let him in though she promised he could be her companion as seen in this excerpt from the Grimm's story:

The king said, "What you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in."

 I think the primary way Dickerson chose to adapt this tale was through her female protagonist.  In the original tale, the princess comes across as a bit spoiled, maybe even bratty.  She carelessly promises the frog that he can live with her because she believes he can only stay in the water:

The princess thought, "What is this stupid frog trying to say? After all, he does have to stay here in the water. But still, maybe he can get my ball. I'll go ahead and say yes," and she said aloud, "Yes, for all I care. Just bring me back my golden ball, and I'll promise everything."

Margaretha is a much more likeable heroine.  Her talkative nature is seen as a fault or an annoyance by other characters at times, but I found it endearing and something that set her apart from Dickerson's past heroines.  Also, though she doesn't hurl the frog against a wall like in the earlier tales --Sorry folks, the transformation kiss?  That's a more recent addition!-- Margaretha is no shrinking violet.  Not to say that her hero is a pansy! The "frog" character, Colin, is completely human and never in a frog form (though he does spend some time in some ugly frog-colored garments).  One of the most cleverest of Dickerson's adaptation decisions in this novel was to create a bond between Margaretha and Colin through a language barrier.  The Duke's daughter is one of the only English speakers in Hagenheim castle, so Colin is forced to rely on her and it is the reason why kindhearted Margaretha initially feels she should help him.  Seeing their relationship grow and develop from this beginning was a pleasure.  The only criticism I could give is that some of her plots are beginning to seem a tad formulaic (the protagonists forced to travel together on a dangerous journey), but so were Brian Jacques' Redwall novels and they are still loved and enjoyed by many.

If you like sweet, fairy tale adaptations suitable for teens and up, definitely give Melanie Dickerson's books a try!  Side note: The Princess Spy has one of my favorite book cover art from 2014!  Just gorgeous --I love green!  Also, I appreciate how the author and cover artist coordinate these stories and their covers.  All of the dresses depicted on her book covers are described at least once in all the Dickerson's novels I can remember ...

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this title from the publisher through their BookLook bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.*

(c.) 2014 Tyndale House Publishing

 Many Christians feel daunted by the prospect of sharing their faith with others.  When it's with someone who's belief system may be unfamiliar to you, even more so.  In a post-9/11 America, there is so much (often conflicting) opinions and information regarding Islamic religion, that it can be overwhelming.   Journey to Jesus: Building Christ-Centered Friendships with Muslims is meant to be a starting place for Christians interested in ministering to or sharing with those who adhere to the Muslim faith.

This DVD Curriculum is produced by the Muslim Ministries Program and the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College.  I liked how the focus of the curriculum and movies are on relationships and building personal friendships before trying to witness.  I think Christians can often put so much pressure on themselves, that we have to say all the right things and often end up not saying anything at all because of that fear.  Putting the emphasis on building relationships and letting God work through your life (and that HE is the one who saves, not us) can take some of that stress away.  The mini-dramas are cinematically well made (you can check out the trailer at the end of this review) and are kind of samples of hypothetical situations and questions you might encounter --these videos are also used in the study to encourage thought and discussion.

You'll need a computer and a PDF viewer to access the following materials:

Leader's Guide Session Plan for each session.  Meant for the facilitator, each session plan lists the purpose statement (the main goal of the session), preparation suggestions, a preview of the slide show study, and a break down of a sample hour long session: introduction, slideshow/video and discussion.

Each session also contains participant handouts, which are kind of like a paper copy of the slides. The questions to discuss after viewing the session's mini-drama are also included.

There are also supplemental handouts for each session:
Session 1 - Approach to World Religions

Extra Material: Timeline of Significant Events in Islamic History

Session 2 - Sharing Your Life in Christ with Muslims
Extra Material: "Can Christan Serve Halal Meat to Muslim Guests?" Rev. Mike Urton

Session 3 - Understanding Muslims
Extra Material:

• An Introduction to the Qur'an
• Manuscript Evidence for the Bible

Session 4 - Islamic Diversity
Extra material: "Sharing with Different Types of Muslims" Roy Oksnevad

Session 5 - Encountering Musilm Objections
Extra material:

• Encountering Musilm Objections - Prophets
• Additional Responses - Bryan and Abdul

Session 6 - Sharing Using Apologetics
Extra material:

• "Does Goodness Live in You?" Roy Oksnevad
• Understanding the Trinity: The Community of the Triune God
• Muslim Apologetics Resources

Overall, this DVD curriculum is a good basic overview of the Islamic faith, different sects of Islam, and approaches to apologetics, with a large emphasis of God's love and showing Christ through your words and actions.

[Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this DVD curriculum from Tyndale House Publishers. No compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.]

Yay, finals week is over! Just submitted my last project, so I can get back to blogging.  Lots of reviews coming soon, but for now, Wordless Wednesday is back!

The final covers from The Heart of San Francisco trilogy

For this week's "Wordless Wednesday" I was inspired by Julie Lessman's guest post last week when she wrote about her original ideas for The Heart of San Francisco trilogy's book covers.  It stuck with me and I knew I wanted to try my hand at sketching some ideas of what it might have looked like had they gone in that direction.  Disclaimer: It's been awhile and my Art Professors would be very disappointed that I haven't kept up with my daily drawing journal.  These are quick sketches, only about 10-15 minutes spent on each one.  I'd love to revisit these later (maybe once finals are over)!

My Love at Any Cost cover concept art

"For book 1, Love at Any Cost, I envisioned the blonde heroine—Texas cowgirl Cassie McClare—in a full-length, off-the-shoulder evening gown with her hair piled high in the Gibson style of the day, looking over her shoulder at the reader with a Mona Lisa smile. Very sweet and elegant, but with a lasso—which is an important part of the story—in her hands behind her back that trails to the floor."

People are one of the more difficult subjects to draw ... I couldn't find a good photo or reference image to work from, so the figure is definitely off. It isn't quite what I had in mind, but when your art is frustrating you, it's best to take a break and move to something else.  Fortunately, Alli and Megan turned out much better.  =)

Pose concept for Alli in Dare to Love Again

"For book 2, Dare to Love Again, originally the ebony-haired heroine Alli McClare wanted to take up boxing because she wanted to learn to defend herself after being attacked one night in the Barbary Coast where she volunteers at a school for the poor. I saw Alli in the same kind of flowing dress as book 1, in full-view stance with head cocked as she looks at the reader with a coy smile, a pair of boxing gloves dangling over her shoulder. In the final book, however, Alli learns jiu-jitsu rather than boxing, a self-defense technique popularized by Teddy Roosevelt who was the U.S. President at the time."

I love how Alli's pose turned out and her figure is much more proportionate.  I'd probably want to have her hip cocked a bit more and have an added tilt to her head so she looks more sassy!

Megan's got her glasses again!

"Book 3 [Surprised by Love] is an ugly-duckling-to-swan story about the auburn-haired heroine Megan McClare who wore Coke bottle glasses as a child before she is transformed in Paris while attending school for a year. I thought it would be cute to have Meg holding eyeglasses behind her back or against her lips as she gives the reader an innocent look, once again in full evening dress or even a Gibson style skirt and blouse."

I decided to not go the evening gown route for Meg, though if this really was a cover series, it would look out of place compared to the other two ... I think it was since she was holding the eyeglasses, the blouse and skirt felt like it would go together best (and a hat, as a nod to the final covers).

Note: It's my pleasure to introduce you to one of my favorite authors, Julie Lessman, as my first guest blogger on The Artist Librarian.  Enjoy this peek into the book cover design process of her "Daughters of Boston" and "The Heart of San Francisco" series and don't forget to check out the giveaway for any of Julie's books at the end of this post! I recently reviewed her latest, Surprised by Love.


Horse feathers! As much as I respectfully disagree with Mr. Diddley, I just have to say the man knows “diddley” squat about publishing! Not only can you judge a book by its cover, but according to a statistic quoted in Publisher’s Weekly, 12% of people who buy books do so because of the cover. Now 12% may not sound like a lot, but when you figure that 3.13 billion books are sold every year, that’s a LOT of pulp, people!!

First impressions are important, whether valid or not, and the first glimpse of a cover is a first impression to a potential reader. Which is why my covers are so very important to me and why my prayer partners and I have prayed about every single one well in advance.

 So while I was cleaning out my files a few weeks ago, I came across the portfolio shot of the model who posed for Collin McGuire on the cover of A Passion Most Pure, and I thought it might be fun for you to hear some of the background on each of my covers because as high maintenance as I can be, each book cover has been a real trip.

Because A Passion Most Pure was my debut book, I had no idea what to expect with the cover process NOR any common sense to know that I was a newbie who needed to keep her mouth shut. Fortunately for me, the artist I work with at my publishing company is one of the sweetest human beings on the planet, and she was kind enough (and patient enough) to work with me to get a cover I was happy with. As an author, initially I send my publisher my character descriptions and personality traits, along with pics of movie stars or models I think they resemble. My publisher actually did two different shoots—the first of the female model, then later another shoot with the male model, which they strip into the first pics for the final cover. So unfortunately for the model who played Faith O’Connor, she never got to meet the male model who played Collin McGuire, which in my opinion is a real shame. Especially when you check out the portfolio shot of the model who played Collin. Hubba hubba! 

Initially, the artist sent me pix of Faith with her hair long and a pretty, lacy top that was a bit off-shoulder and showed a lot of her back and neck. “Oh, no,” I said to my artist, “Faith’s hair looks like a prairie romance, and this is 1916 Boston we’re talking about here, so can we put her hair up?” Yes, we could and did, much to my relief. “Can you make the hair a little redder and the eyes a little greener?” I asked. No problem. Then they gave Faith a high-neck dress, which I thought worked a lot better—more chaste and proper for a modest young Bostonian. And FYI, in the pics with Faith, keep in mind they used some guy on the set to stand in for Collin for placement purposes only. So far, so good, right?

And then the tears began. The artist sent me a pic of the Collin model with a namby-pamby, almost weak smile and I started to cry, telling my husband he looked like a wimp. “Do you have any other shots from the shoot?” I asked the artist. “Only one other,” she said, “but Collin looks mad in it, and nobody thought it would work.” “Can I see it?” I asked, hope springing in my chest. And the rest is history. I took one look at the smoldering, moody face of Collin McGuire, the man who was angry because he couldn’t have the woman he wanted, and I knew we’d struck pay dirt.

 On book 2, A Passion Redeemed, it was a real wild ride. Check out the model pic of the guy chosen for Mitch Dennehy, then imagine my shock when the first cover showed him with slicked-down hair like an English dandy. More waterworks, of course, and I begged my artist to “play” with the cover for me, giving stubborn hero more of an iron jaw and an angrier look in the eyes (all my heroes tend to be angry for some reason … maybe because they have to deal with me!). “The hair has got to go,” I said, so I searched on the Internet for 30 minutes for just the right head of hair—blond rumpled curls instead of slicked down, and my artist agreed the changes worked. Did I mention before what a saint my artist is??? Here is a before and after to show you what we did.
Suddenly I zeroed in on Charity and noticed that the very buxom, drop-dead gorgeous vixen named Charity O’Connor was not as buxom as I’d hoped and even less than her sister, Faith, who was supposedly unendowed. So, as a final change to the cover, my artist graciously endowed Charity with a bit more charm as you can clearly see in the before and after.

By book 3, I’d given my poor artist so much grief on the first two books, I made up my mind to accept the cover for A Passion Denied any way they gave it to me, no complaints. And so, despite my utter shock at the model, who looked NOTHING like the Lizzie in my mind, I kept my mouth shut and prayed. And guess what? Right before the cover was finalized, my publisher intervened on her own and said this first model didn’t fit the character image, so she ordered a second shoot and VOILA — Lizzie was born, and I never had to say a word!

For my second series, Winds of Change and the my third series, the Heart of San Francisco, my publisher decided to steer away from having the hero on the cover. They felt it was just too difficult to match a reader’s expectation with a cover picture, so they opted to do without.

Since the Heart of San Francisco series was intended to be lighter and funnier than the O’Connor saga, I suggested some fun options for covers that had a humorous tone.

For book 1, Love at Any Cost, I envisioned the blonde heroine—Texas cowgirl Cassie McClare—in a full-length, off-the-shoulder evening gown with her hair piled high in the Gibson style of the day, looking over her shoulder at the reader with a Mona Lisa smile. Very sweet and elegant, but with a lasso—which is an important part of the story—in her hands behind her back that trails to the floor.

For book 2, Dare to Love Again, originally the ebony-haired heroine Alli McClare wanted to take up boxing because she wanted to learn to defend herself after being attacked one night in the Barbary Coast where she volunteers at a school for the poor. I saw Alli in the same kind of flowing dress as book 1, in full-view stance with head cocked as she looks at the reader with a coy smile, a pair of boxing gloves dangling over her shoulder. In the final book, however, Alli learns jiu-jitsu rather than boxing, a self-defense technique popularized by Teddy Roosevelt who was the U.S. President at the time.

Book 3 [Surprised by Love] is an ugly-duckling-to-swan story about the auburn-haired heroine Megan McClare who wore Coke bottle glasses as a child before she is transformed in Paris while attending school for a year. I thought it would be cute to have Meg holding eyeglasses behind her back or against her lips as she gives the reader an innocent look, once again in full evening dress or even a Gibson style skirt and blouse.

However, my publisher was leaning towards more sophisticated covers that had more of an artistic flare in the posh style of Laura Frantz’s Love’s Reckoning, but I couldn’t get that particular jpg to print, so I’m showing a split cover they did, which they also considered in order to show more of San Francisco.

[Jen: Laura Frantz's book covers are gorgeous!  On the left is the book cover Julie's referring to.  The split cover is interesting, but I do like the final cover style better!]
 
But midstream, they decided to take go back to my idea of a lighter approach with sassy smiles and big hats, which became the gorgeous covers you see below.


 JULIE’S BIO:
Award-winning author of “The Daughters of Boston” and “Winds of Change” series, Julie Lessman was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and voted #1 Romance Author of the year in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards. She has also garnered 17 RWA and other awards and made Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction. Her indie book A Light in the Window is an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers' Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner.

Julie loves to hear from reader friends, so if they like, they can contact her and read excerpts from her books at www.julielessman.com, or through Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or Pinterest or by signing up for her newsletter. Julie also has a blog “Journal Jots,” which is a very laid-back journal to her reader friends, or readers can check out Julie’s favorite romantic and spiritual scenes from each of her books on the “Excerpts” tab of her website. In addition, Julie can be found daily at The Seekers, a group blog of 13 published authors that inspires, encourages, teaches, and informs aspiring writers on the road to publication and beyond. Although Seekerville has been listed on Writers Digest 2013 and 2014 “Best 101 Websites for Writers,” it is also a blog devoted to readers as well.

Finally, Julie has the following freebie/sales/low-cost novellas currently going on:

* FREE DOWNLOAD on her debut novel A Passion Most Pure, American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Book of the Year with over 591 five-star reviews.

* FREE DOWNLOAD ON KINDLE UNLIMITED of Julie’s Irish Christmas love story, A Light in the Window—winner of three awards, and here’s the video to give you a peek—ALITW Video. OR ON SALE FOR $3.99 on regular Amazon.

* Only $2.99 each for two brand new Christmas novella collections from the Seekers called Hope for the Holidays.  The historical collection features novellas from Julie Lessman, Mary Connealy, Myra Johnson, and Ruth Logan Herne, while the contemporary collection features novellas from Marcy Connealy, Mary Connealy, Audra Harders, Sandra Leesmith, Ruth Logan Herne, Tina Radcliffe, and Missy Tippens.

* Calling All Writers!! Julie’s writer’s workbook entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets is on sale for $2.99.

Wordless Wednesdays are normally photo related, but today, I give you ... my first vlog:

This was actually a booktalk assignment for my LIS special topics class on comics/graphic novels.  I've never done a booktalk, but once I thought up the idea (because I'll always take an excuse to dress up in one of my costumes), it came together pretty quickly.

I chose graphic novels that had female protagonists, to encourage girls in particular to read comics (though both boys and girls could enjoy the stories). 

Elementary:  Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series by Sarah Kinney and Stefan Petrucha.  Illustrated by Stan Goldberg
Small Volcanoes #1 [2012]
Secret Sand Sleuths #2 [2013]

Tweens: 
Cat's Cradle: Book 1 - The Golden Twine [2012]
Written and illustrated by Jo Rioux

Teens: 
Daisy Kutter: The Last Train [2006]
Written and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi

What's your favorite comic book or graphic novel?  What do YOU think Princess Leia would read?  

[Note: March 24, 2015 updated labels]

(c.) 2014 - Revell Publishing

 Don't forget to stop by during Thanksgiving week for an interview with Julie Lessman and your chance to win one of her novels!

Title: Surprised by Love
Author: Julie Lessman
Published: 2014 by Revell 

Surprised by Love is Julie Lessman's finale to The Heart of San Francisco trilogy.  However, fans of Julie Lessman won't be "surprised" to find lots of romantic tension and the strong spiritual thread she's known for weaving throughout her books. 

In this novel, Megan McClare returns home from France with a stunning new look and new dreams of helping less fortunate women through medicine or law.  When her internship at the district attorney's office has her working alongside Devin Caldwell, her high school crush, she finds herself turning to her best friend, Bram Hughes, for advice.  Previously ignored by Devin, she's surprised to find him interested in her.  Bram has always treated Meg like a younger sister, but can their friendship survive if she wants to be more than friends?  Or should she take a chance with Devin?

One of the things I've always loved about Julie Lessman's work is that, yes there a bit more romance than typically seen in the genre, but it's matched with some of the best spiritually-filling messages I've seen in Christian romance.  For me, the main theme of the novel was about the importance of trust --both in relationships and with God.  Megan needs to build trust with Devin, forgiving his hurtful teasing in their youth, in order to see the man he's become.  In contrast, she deeply trusts and confides in Bram, who's looked out for her since she was a girl.  Meanwhile, Logan and Caitlyn's relationship struggles because of a history of broken trust between the two.

"You see, I've learned the hard way that when it comes to the most precious things in my life, the safest place to keep them is in God's hands.  To trust Him to do for them and me the very best thing ... No matter what that is." (pp. 308).  Bram calls this deep trust in God "The Abraham factor" (referring to Genesis 22).  As a single twenty-something, I'm beginning to get into that point in life when it seems a lot of my friends are starting to get into romantic relationships, engagements, marriages, and starting families of their own.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't starting to wish for the same, but at times it seems like a hopeless, "never-going-to-happen-for-you" thing, so this reminder came at the perfect time for me.  Do I trust God with these desires of my heart?

In The Heart of San Francisco series, Lessman's writing has gotten tighter, focusing the plot around the main characters of the book.  Unlike The Daughters of Boston or Winds of Change series, you won't really see subplots following the couples and characters from previous books, though characters such as Jamie MacKenna or Alison McClare do appear in the story.  I kind of wish she was able include more subplots, because I felt like I only remembered a couple of characters from the two previous novels.  However, this might be because I haven't yet read book two, Dare to Love Again and it's been over a year since I read Love at Any Cost (book one).  But even though it would be best to read the first two books of the trilogy, I think a first time reader could jump into Surprised by Love without too many problems. 

Though it's sad to say good-bye to the McClares for now, it's no "surprise" I'm eagerly looking forward to Julie Lessman's next novel.  Are you often "surprised" by what you learn from reading fiction?  What are things you've applied to your life that you've discovered from reading fiction?

*Apologies for the puns attempting to connect with the book title. I like to think myself clever at times ... Also, page 124!*  :-P

About the Book (Back Cover):

"She can turn the head of the man who spurned her --but can she turn his heart?

When Megan McClare left San Francisco to study in Paris, no one would accuse her of being poised and pretty.  But on the other side of the Atlantic, this wallflower blossomed into a beauty with big dreams.  When she returned to California and accepts an internship at the district attorney's office, she's thrilled that her life is taking shape.  But the excited opportunity quickly loses its glow when she discovers she'll be working alongside Devin Caldwell, who mercilessly mocked her at school --and with whom she was hopelessly enamored.

Bram Hughes is the best friend to whom Megan has always turned for support and advice.  But when she seeks his counsel about working with Devin Caldwell, Bram's vision is clouded by his sudden unwelcome attraction to a girl he had always thought of as a little sister.  He advises forgiveness, but can he forgive himself for pushing the woman he loves into the arms of another man?"

About the Author (Back Cover):

"Julie Lessman is an award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston series, the Winds of Change series, and The Heart of San Francisco series.  The recipient of seventeen Romance Writers of America and other awards, Lessman was chosen as the #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2011 and 2012 Readers' Choice Awards.  She resides in Missouri with her family. Learn more at www.julielessman.com."

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through their Revell Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.*

ZinePak edition of HTTYD2's Soundtrack

I'll just say upfront, I'm not a music person.  That is, I've never really been musically inclined, though I think I do sing on key. ;-)   However, I do love listening to music and some of my favorites since in high school are soundtracks and film scores.  Needless to say, don't expect any music theory or correct usage of musical terms here.  =)

From Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, to The Chronicles of Narnia films ... I love it when a composer "reuses" or "reinterprets" memorable motifs and themes.  To me, it's like saying "hello" or "welcome back" to an old friend.  John Powell does something similar here with How to Train Your Dragon 2, but as with Howard Shore or John Williams, he also adds new pieces and themes that work wonderfully in the Viking world of Berk and beyond.  He doesn't just rehash.  But don't take my word for it, you can listen to it on SoundCloud, where the official publisher (Relativity Music Group) currently has the entire HTTYD2 film score streaming for free online.

A sneak peek at book reviews to come!

Astrid, Toothless, Hiccup, and Snotlout sport new looks between the movies.

Shirt:
 Astrid wears a sleeveless red top.  It's a muted, kind of rust red and there's a similar texture to the fabric as her shirt from the first movie.  It's probably meant to simulate knitting or maybe nalbinding (a more ancient craft).  There is variety to the stitch size and sections of the fabric seem to shift their rust red tones subtly.  Her top has a jewel neckline, with a small slit in the center (probably for ease when dressing). 

  

Back of caplet with hood and hair detail

Caplet: 
Over this, she wears a new, short dark brown fur caplet.  It's fastened with four leather strips connected to a silver-gray ring (see above image).  The hem of the caplet looks like it's curved like the bottom half of a circle.  From certain images, it looks like the inside of her cape isn't fuzzy fur (see arm warmer reference image below).  It looks lined with a suede or perhaps the backing of the pelt she used, so it's smoother.  It could be fur in the lining, but I decided to make it suede for my costume --I'll find out for certain once the blu-Ray is released.

Hood detail, different angles.  Also can see the shape and length of the caplet.

Hood:

Arm warmer and caplet lining detail

Arm Warmers:
Her arm warmers are probably completely lined with the off-white fur that forms the cuffs, which would explain the bulk.  They completely cover the palm of her hand and run just to her elbow.  There are no individual finger slots, except for her thumbs.  Each arm warmer is likely patterned out of two pieces, since there is a seam on each side.  The seam is top-stitched on both sides of the seam with brown thread.  Brown leather lacing or cord binds the arm warmers in a particular pattern (as seen from the reference images).  The same type of leather lacing also binds her upper arms in the bicep area.
Her skirt is made of two layers.  The first layer is a tan colored fur.  The nap of the fur is short and probably close to the length of the nap on the dark brown fur of her caplet.  If you look at the full body image, the skirt sits on her natural waistline (around her bellybutton) and the hem ends at about her fingertips. 
The over-skirt is made of brown leather panels, which have rounded ends and narrow a bit to the waist.  If you look closely, it seems like the panels are held at about the "beak" section of the skulls which seem to attach the panels to the narrow brown leather waistband of her skirt.  In the movie, we see that the panels are completely sewn to the fur skirt, so they don't dangle from the waist, but I wouldn't suggest that for real-world practicality.  If you don't want to remain standing the entire time you cosplay Astrid, attach the panels only at the waist, so you can flip the spiked skirt panels out of way when you sit down!

Pouch detail

The skulls are similarly shaped, but have small organic differences.  They are about two times larger than the skulls on her caplet. There seems to be about 10-12 panels, with a skull attached on top of each, minus one on her right hand side, where it is replaced with an oval-shaped leather pouch.  It might be stretched or formed leather, since it looks quite structured.  There is a darker brown strip that seems to serve as the fastener to the pouch.  There are also four silver-gray spikes on each panel.  The two closest to the waistband the skirt are slightly smaller than the spikes near the wider bottoms of the panels.  There's a narrow "collar" or rim of sorts at the base of each spike (see skirt image), which probably have something to do with how the spikes are attached to the skirt.

Knee pad and pouch detail

Leggings and Knee Pads:
Her leggings are a dark indigo blue and they fold and crease around her legs above the knees a bit. 
Over her leggings she wears two brown leather knee pads.  There are no straps crossing the back of her knees, so they might be sewn to the leggings.  However, there are short little tabs or something on four sides of each knee pad ... I'm guessing that's the actual way they're rigged.  There are also two curved lines on each knee pad which are probably sewing or structural lines.

Boot detail, note bands on toe

Boots:
 Her boots are brown leather or suede.  They are flat, with no heel and the shaft of the boot is covered in fur.  Tan colored fur with a wide off-white fur cuff.  There are brown leather cord stitching and criss-cross designs on the front of the tan fur and there are three leather strips crossing at the toe of each boot.

Hair detail, click to enlarge

Hair (and Makeup?):
Finally, her hair.  Astrid's golden blonde hair is put in a much more elaborate style.  Her fringe (that is, her bangs) are shorter than in HTTYD and is swept to her left.  She also has some longer pieces framing her face on the sides.  On her right side, it seems those strands end just above her shoulder or barely brush them.  Her hair is parted at the top of her head, where a narrow knotty braid (perhaps a dis-proportioned three strand braid with one very narrow section) frames her face like a headband that joins into a side braid on the left side of her head.  It looks like either a knot braid, round braid or three strand braid, wrapped with a section of hair.  This main braid is tied off with brown leather cord.  She wears a leather headband (I believe it's called a kransen), a bit lighter brown than the rest of the leather in her outfit.  It goes under her bangs and the narrow braid, but over the rest of her hair.

I'm not sure what type of makeup Vikings may have had, but Astrid's eyelashes look like she used a bit of mascara!

My version of Astrid Hofferson --how'd I do?

A few more notes on proportions and colors:

- The width of the leather strips fastening her caplet seems to be the same width as the three strips covering the toe of each boot.

- Her caplet's hem ends just above or at her waist, above her skirt's waistband.

- The brown leather of knee pads and her over-skirt's panels look the same.

- All the silver-gray metal on her outfit is "worn" or "aged" ... not quite a gunmetal look, but almost.

- The fur used for the main part of her boot covers looks to be the same or a similar color to the fur used for her skirt.

- The fur used for her hood lining, cuffs on her arm warmers, and the cuffs on her boots are the same or similar.
- The tan suede-like material for her hood and her arm warmers look the same. 
- The brown leather cord on her arm warmers and tied on her upper arms are the same.

Stay tuned for more --I'll be posting on how I created my costume soon!  Be sure to link and comment if you use my research guide for your Astrid costume --I'd love to see it!

[Edit: updated labels Jan. 4, 2015]

Author Kaye Dacus wrote a book "quiz" I decided I wanted to try out ... I guess you can tell she was an English/Literature major, hmm?  As per her instructions, feel free to re-post to your own blog or Facebook page and share you link in the comments!
List your favorite . . .

Austen (Jane) novel: Sense & Sensibility or Pride & Prejudice.

Brontë sister’s novel:  I haven't read any yet, though I did see the Jane Eyre film adaptation from a couple years back (the one starring Emily Blunt, I believe), so I'll say Jane Eyre.

Clancy or Crichton novel and/or movie:  I think The Hunt for Red October is the only one I've watched (the whole way through). 

Dickens novel and/or film:  I caught the last two episodes of Little Dorrit on PBS several years ago ... It piqued my interest enough that it's been on my "to watch and read" list for awhile ...

English class you took:  Hands down, Eng. 385 - Fairy Tales and their Adaptations.  "Comparative analysis of selected tales of magic and their adaptations across history, cultures and media such as book illustration and film."  Dr. B and her TA were amazing --best large sized class (50ish students) I was ever in.  They worked hard to make sure it wasn't just a lecture course and encouraged interaction and discussion.

Frequently read author:  Ooh, this is too hard.  Julie Lessman, Camy Tang, Donita K. Paul.  Bonus: growing up it was Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Grisham novel and/or movie: Never read or watched ... at least, I don't remember doing so.

Historical novel*:  Um, out of authors I haven't mentioned, anything by Julie Klassen or Elizabeth Camden (she's also an academic librarian).  They stand out to me because of the research and historical details they have in their novels. *Written at a time well after that in which it’s set.

Iconic fictional character: Leia Organa Solo. Okay, Star Wars books probably don't count as literature ... um, Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia.

James Joyce or Henry James?  How about Henry James Alden?  Boxcar Children Mysteries FTW!

King in literature (i.e., a character who’s a king, real or fictional): High King Peter Pevensie of Narnia.

Lord of the Rings character:  Eowyn of Rohan, with Aragorn son of Arathorn coming a close second.

Movie made from classic literature:  Probably Pride & Prejudice (2005 version starring Keira Knightly), Walden Media's Chronicles of Narnia films or Peter Jackson's Tolkien based films ...

Newberry Medal–winning book: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Oldest book you own (not necessarily “favorite,” just oldest): Dana Girls #15. The Secret of the Jade Ring by Carolyn Keene. 1953, 1st edition.

Pirate in literature:  Faves are in Wayne Thomas Batson's Isle of Swords, Kaye Dacus' Ransome's Quest, and the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

Quiet place to read:  In my room (the line that cues the Beach Boys song ... er, never mind, just kidding.)

Robin Hood version (which film/TV series?):  A Bollywood Robin Hood was a fun and entertaining play ... I want to watch the BBC Robin Hood television series someday.