Young Voices Foundation

Hi everybody!

A few little announcements -- Legacy was recently named Book of the Month by the Young Voices Foundation! In their own words: "Young Voices Foundation is a 501 (C) (3) educational non profit dedicated to creating a life long love of the written word in young people. Each month the foundation selects one book to present to a young reader. Book selections are made based on the quality of the writing, message, and the ability to inspire, mentor and educate readers. Your book meets all the criteria."

I found this to be such a great honor and opportunity that I had to share! They're really a wonderful organization, and they host writing contests for young people if anyone out there would like to check them out. To visit their website, just use the link above!

Also, I've got results for last month's poll (Can London be trusted?).

53% Yes, he clearly cares about Hytanica
3% No, he's too mysterious
43% I'm not sure, but I like him anyway

Thanks to everyone who voted, and next month's poll (Are London and Cannan secretly good friends?) is up!

Come back and visit soon!

Cayla

Renaissance Magazine

Hi everybody! Legacy was just reviewed by Renaissance Magazine (the review will be printed in their January edition), and I thought I'd share an excerpt. (FYI, Renaissance Magazine is an awesome publication for anyone interested in the time period. They do book and movie reviews and have some really awesome articles. To visit their site, click the link above.) Also, if you're looking for the prologue, here's the link again: Allegiance Prologue.

And here's the (excerpted) review...

"Legacy by Cayla Kluver revolves around a privileged princess in an imaginary medieval kingdom, but this debut novel .... addresses many real-life adolescent issues within a fictional context. With likeable characters and vivid details, this is an engrossing story for young adults.

".... Alera’s efforts to fulfill others’ expectations and create her own happiness mirror the choices that many teens face. This relativity makes her understandable to young adults, especially young women, dealing with similar issues. Kluver successfully portrays Alera’s inner turmoil while maintaining the plot’s momentum. The author also demonstrates a vibrant imagination with meticulously detailed descriptions of locations, clothing and events. ....Kluver’s grasp of language, dialogue and character development shows that she is as talented and promising as her heroine."
-- Rose Rankin, Renaissance Magazine

I'll be back in a few days to post my spring schedule, and remember, if you're interested in having me visit and/or speak at your library, school, bookstore, or other organization, just send me an email and we can figure something out!

Thanks for stopping by! And MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Cayla

A Whole Bunch of Stuff

Hi everybody!

Happy belated Thanksgiving -- I spent it with my family, just chilling out and having a good time, as I hope all of you did. First order of business, I've posted the prologue of Allegiance for you all!

To read, go here: Allegiance Prologue

Sorry for the somewhat troubling formatting -- I couldn't get the computer to cooperate.

I also have poll results for this month: Who should Alera end up with in the end?

62% Narian
13% Steldor
20% Plot twist -- London
3% Other

Thanks so much to everyone who voted, and next months poll (Can London be trusted?) is up!

Also, my schedule for spring is filling up, so if you own or know of a library or bookstore interested in having me come speak or do a book signing, please send me an email asap! I love going out and visiting places, so don't be shy. And, of course, anyone who has a simple question or comment is encouraged to send me an email as well. My address is cayla[at]forsoothpublishing.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cayla

Allegiance: Prologue

Because of recent developments with the books, I have decided to remove the prologue of Allegiance from the site. I apologize for any disappointment or confusion, but I promise it won't be too much longer before I'm back with more enlightening updates. Thank you!

Cayla

Back Again!

Hello all! Great news -- Legacy is officially a bronze medalist in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards (for young adult fiction), and I'll be attending the awards ceremony in Denver in January. Yay! Also, in response to Cherie's comment on my latest Allegiance-related post, the official publication date for Allegiance is May 28, 2009, and the book's prologue will be posted here on my blog and on Forsooth Publishing's website in the next few weeks.

Sorry, sorry, sorry for the shortness of this post... I'm trying to think of something else to say (on that note, if anyone has any suggestions as to things they'd like me to write about, send me an email, by all means). Allegiance is in the final critiquing stage, and I've started laying out my next book and writing the first bit (sorry I can't say more about it, but I'm kind of paranoid about putting my ideas out on the web before I've slapped a copyright on them). Oh, obvious topic, we have a new President here in the US (or President-Elect as I suppose he is 'til his inauguration). I won't say who I was supporting for diplomacy's sake (can't vote yet, anyway), but I can certainly see the next few years bringing major changes to the nation.

That's about all I can think of to write about, so... until next time! And thanks for stopping by!

Cayla