I had a bit of a stressful weekend. I mustered up the strength to mow the lawn, came in and my wife had pushed the washing machine out and was trying to mop up water that was leaking from it. We pushed the dryer out and did the same thing. Then we got the washer out of the house (which leaked more water--necessitating more towels). Two kids had come home from camp that morning, so there were mountains of laundry to be done. We went to Lowe's got a new one. Carried it in, hooked it up, started it--and heard a noise sort of like a duck being ground into pate by large rocks. Unhooked it, removed it (spilling more water--by now we were out of towels and were using dirty laundry). Took it back to Lowe's, got a new-new washing machine. Brought it home, hooked it up. This time it worked.
Highly stressful day. But now, there are some silver linings. We have not one, but TWO secret forts. So the day was a success. 

Inspired Kathy over at I am a Reader, Not a Writer is sponsoring a giveaway of The Kindling if anyone is interested in winning a copy. You can go here.

Super-fun review from author M. R. Bunderson. Very few reviews make me chuckle, but hers was just so fun and full of energy. 

"Burning shorts, flying pizzas, evil motorcycle-riding darkhands, and one pretty vicious unicorn--what's not to love?  With a battle in Disney’s It’s a Small World ride, followed by a lunchroom food fight to end all fights, you won’t want to put this book down until the final page is turned. (Oh, and you’ll never look at pizza the same again.)

This is a great book to cap off your summer and jump into school mode! And if things start happening that you just can't explain? . . . let's just say it's always best to be prepared."

Read the whole review here.

Today over at Queen of the Clan, the Queen has temporarily abdicated and let her 11 year old daughter review The Kindling. I love hearing everyone's comments of course, but I have to admit that I'm especially interested on what readers in the target age range think. 

Here's what MJ said: "I really liked The Kindling. It was one of the best books I read this summer. The author was really good a writing the book. I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to keep reading and reading." You can read more here.

I had a really tight window of time this morning to get my lawn mowed. Couldn't find my shoes, didn't want to wear flip-flops. So, I improvised. Kind of like this new look. 

Nice review by author Monique Bucheger: "The Kindling by Braden Bell is a great story that can be enjoyed by all and is sure to become an instant hit to middle-graders." Read the whole review here.

Quite. 

It's been another very busy few days here at Mockingbird Cottage. I've been trying to work on the sequel to The Kindling. A pretty good chunk of that was written a few weeks ago. But it was a magical fight (not guns) that took place in a movie theatre. After the shootings in Aurora, I didn't feel very comfortable with that, so now I'm trying to figure out how to change it.

I've had some more lovely reviews the past few days, and two interviews. Interviews are always fun because I get asked questions I don't often think about, so they present some sort of fun opportunities.

Okay, here they are. Go check them out!

Author L. C. Lewis reviewed the book this week (she did an interview last week):
"This is family entertainment at its best, a smartly-written, fast-paced, gripping spot-on, tour-de-middle school....[Bell] has deftly created a rich cadre of vulnerable, multi-layered characters youth will find it easy to cheer for, empathize, and identify with. The school setting is drawn so clearly you can practically smell the gym socks, and the action is described in such crisp detail one can easily “see” each battle play out like a movie. I hope someone actually makes The Kindling into a movie."  (Braden's note: me too!!!!!).  Read more here.


Author Rebecca Belliston provided a review and did an interview: "
"The Kindling was such a fun read! I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy a fast-paced, fun adventure novel. The characters are easy to love and unexpected." Read more here 


Finally, Author A. L. Sowards gave me another interview. If you want to find out what my favorite movies, or which world-historical figures I'd love to meet, come on over here.

My friend Gina has a blog called Fantasy Casting where she takes books and imagines them as movies--which actors would play which roles? It's really a fun idea, I think. It was really fun to think about who I would want to play the characters in The Kindling if I could choose anyone at all. Go over to Gina's blog (the bold is the link) and see who we picked--I'd also love to hear your ideas. That was really fun!

Gina also reviewed the book. "...if you have a child under the age of 15 in your family/circle of acquaintances, this is a perfect fit for them. And it really doesn't matter who the kid is, this book will really be a perfect fit." She has some other perceptive comments, especially how the book fits into the large middle-grade genre. Read more here.  

Yesterday was a very busy day so I didn't have time to post the reviews--and there were some really wonderful ones.  So, here they are:

Rob McKenzie, author:  "The Kindling will pull you into a world of the extraordinary. It's a blend of action, comedy, and drama are perfect for engaging both non-readers and lovers of fantasy alike." (Read more here)

Kylie, Emily's Reading Room: "The Kindling is an exciting, page-turning mound of magical middle grade fun....I flew through this book." (Read more here)

Bookworm Lisa: "...an amazing read for anyone. Once I picked this book up I had trouble putting it down, even staying up late to continue it."  (Read more here)

Dorine White, author/blogger: "Great middle school read. The plot is fast moving and the surprises keep coming. (Read more here)      

Tanya Parker Mills, author: "If you want an imaginative, action-packed read in middle grade fiction, I can recommend Braden Bell's The Kindling." (Read more here)