Joelene says this is a recipe that’s been used by her family for years and years.

What you need:

 10 Weet-Bix

1 tin of sweetened condensed milk

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

½ cup desiccated coconut

2 tbsp vanilla essence

Sultanas (optional)

Extra desiccated coconut for topping

 
How it’s done:

 Crush the Weet-Bix in a bowl.

Add condensed milk, cocoa, coconut, vanilla and sultanas and mix together well.

Put mixture in freezer for fifteen minutes.

Press into balls and roll ball in coconut.

Bel:

Cover

I adore the cover art. Black, white and almost cerulean blue. Feathers, scrolling and embossing wrap their way from front to back. Then there is my weakness at the moment, foiling. This all comes together to make a charming and understated, yet relevant cover design.

Characters

It never ceases to amaze me that teens the world over all tend to do the same things. The characters in Hidden are Aussie, but you wouldn’t really pick it.

Favourite

Amber is someone I’d love as a friend of my very own. Fiercely protective, constantly loyal and sweet as pie.

Least Favourite

Adam. Ugh!

Beginning

Ebony knows she’s extremely strong and begins looking for answers.

Storyline

She meets Jordan and all hell breaks lose.

Ending

A great ending that screams for a second book.

Thoughts

I’m proud to say this beautiful story was written by an Aussie about Australia, though you wouldn’t pick it due to the lack of stereotypical markers – shrimp on the barbie, etc. What we do have is a subtle yet moving story about stolen angels in the land down under.

As an added note. Go check out Marianne Curley’s biography. This woman is a true fighter. I’m grateful she’s able to bless us with her beautiful storytelling.

Quote

“Well, Nathaneal Whoever-you-are, I don’t believe you’re telling me the truth because firstly, my name is not Ebrielle. You seem to have trouble remembering that. You won’t tell me your name, and the things you say are creepy.” Ebony.

Krista:

Cover

I love the smooth feel of the US cover, along with the pretty whirly designs. But I thought it weird that they cover her eyes, as it’s explained in the book that she has violet eyes that stand out. I think it would have made the cover pop. But by covering her eyes, it goes along with the “hidden” theme of the book.

Characters

I noticed that all of the characters have something in common. They all have protection as their main goal. The story is told from both Ebony and Jordan’s perspectives, which I enjoyed.

Favourite

Amber, she is Ebony’s best friend. I admired the way Amber was so dedicated and was able to help Ebony through her troubles, whether she agreed with what she was doing or not. Their friendship was one that everybody wishes they had.

Least Favourite

Adam, which is kind of predictable answer because he’s the bad guy. But there was something about his demeanor when we are first introduced to him that just got under my skin. Pretty sure we are meant to hate him from page 1.

Beginning

Ebony and Jordan meet outside a dance club. Ebony comes off as being klutzy and Jordan a bad boy. But as we get to know them, we learn that Ebony she is a very protected girl who loves to ride horses with her best friend and she sticks to her own group at school. Jordan has been through a lot,  moving from house to house. When he goes to live with the Skinner family, a very unfortunate accident happens. His best friend dies and he gains an enemy in the brother, Adam.

Storyline

During a near death experience, Jordan is visited by angels who promise him a better life if he helps them find Ebrielle, an Angel who was kidnapped at birth.

Ending

A couple of things come to a head at the ending to help lead into the next book in the series. It has great action and suspenseful.

Thoughts

Angel stories have become quite popular in Young Adult books recently and I read through this one in one weekend. It was gripping and had a fun twist to it. I was surprised at some of the events that happen and liked the direction the romance took.

Quote

“Do you believe me, Amber?”

She looks straight into my eyes, ‘Every Word.’

Interview by Belinda Hamilton.

You’ve been working closely with Lauren M. Galley to create beautifully vivid and fun images for her website, self awareness book, Steps to Success, and merchandising for Girls above Society… Did you learn anything new about your artistic process during the collaboration work?

Oh definitely for Girls Above Society. What Lauren needed was an identity and since she is the face of Girls Above Society, her logo needed to show her and not just a clever symbol. The logo she has now was entirely her idea. She had it in her head – she just needed someone to draw it for her. This was the first opportunity I had to create a character from a person who actually exists, as opposed to a made-up character. Everything about this character needed to represent the spirit of Lauren who is also the spirit of Girls Above Society. Lauren makes it very easy to design for her and I work hard to keep the illustrations fun, confident, loving, silly, and inspiring – just like Lauren and the message she is communicating to all the girls whose lives she touches. Lauren is inspiring and teaches me something every day that reflects in my new work for them. 

I get the feeling that drawing and creating pictures makes you extremely happy. Have you found that having your hobby become your job has taken some of the shine off, or does it allow you to go into your happy place more often than is generally allowed for a job.

I get asked that question a lot but the fact of the matter is that I often feel guilty people even pay me to do this. To create for others is something I consider to be a real blessing. I am so very grateful and humble that I have the opportunity to touch other people through my designs. Sure, I have those days where I am dealing with a tough client, or have a technical headache – but I get to wake up and do what I absolutely love every day, and I know not everyone can say that. 

From looking at your blog lots of your work is quite positive, bright, and inspirational. How do you get through the days when you are just not feeling all that bouncy? Do you draw the darker stuff and keep it hidden away?

Well, for me art is the thing that MAKES me happy. It is the one true therapy that works. Often times, if I am feeling discouraged or upset about something I will illustrate my situation in a funny manner to make me laugh or draw something purely for my own entertainment. And yes, perhaps not all these illustrations see the light of day as they’re mainly for my own enjoyment.  I also listen to a lot of music that helps my mood. Or I just go for a walk and take in the fresh air when I feel a creative lull. It is so important to keep your creative spirit alive and well fed!  I think this goes for anyone – but it is especially important to those who create for a living. 

What drawing of yours burns the brightest and why?

The drawing for Girls Above Society that burns the brightest for me would have to be her signature illustration.  Lauren’s signature phrase is “BU – There’s no one else like it” – which is a message to girls to be themselves and love themselves for who they are because nobody else in the world is like them.  I wanted this drawing to show pure joy and self love. I love the hand drawn look of imperfection. It lends a lot of personality to Lauren’s message. Coupled with the bright, vivid colours, I just smile whenever I see it. And any design that brings me such joy to create is the one that burns the brightest. 

 BIO:

Kayti Welsh is a graphic designer whose focus is identity. Her ability to create & brand has allowed Kayti to visually express a product, cause or identity that is impressive and unique to the eye. Her work has covered books, logos, websites, & non profit activism in the areas of bullying and self confidence. Kayti’s belief in communicating is apparent in her work ethic and finished product. Her passion for the greater good comes from her family’s lifetime dedication to helping others. To learn more about Kayti, visit kaytidesigns.com. She would love to hear from you. You may email her directly at kaytiwelsh@gmail.com.

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom…

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Hardcover, 324 pages  Published May 22nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends  ISBN  1250003326 (ISBN13: 9781250003324)

Of Poseidon is a mermaid story that takes place on both land and sea with a basis of mythology and ties to the Triton and Poseidon legends.

When Galen and Emma meet, he is intrigued by her, eventually taking her into the group to train her. All the while he is investigating her bloodline and how it is that she exists and not know what she is.

As Emma and Galen spend more time together, their relationship grows. Emma is the feistiest main character I have come across in a long time. She has no intention of taking orders from anybody and is quick to argue anything and everything she has an opinion about. I was amazed at how calm Galen was in her presence and even more so that he falls for her.  But he is definitely up to the challenge.

Emma’s determined to push herself further underwater than Galen is comfortable with and she gets herself into some  sticky situations. Most of the time Galen takes her actions in his stride, but having to also maintain leadership and show control, takes its toll. As he begins to fall for her and anticipates her outbursts, he acts more on his own emotions as well, letting down his guard.

Of Poseidon ties the Syrena with the Greek myths and legends of Poseidon. A young girl who’s reality has just changed forever and a young Syrenian prince who has passed his marriage age and is finding love for the first time. A love that he will have to fight for. 

Joelene reviews City of Bones and recovers from her casting doubts to find she loves it more than the book.

For those of us who have read Cassandra Clare’s New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series, the City of Bones movie was either much anticipated or much dreaded. After seeing the assembled cast, I threw my lot in with those of low expectations. I mean the action and special effects looked great in the trailer, but Clary was meant to have hair the colour of hell’s flames and Jace was meant to be the most stunningly attractive boy to ever grace God’s good earth or something. I felt cheated.

Which is precisely why I need to tell myself more regularly not to be shallow! The movie was amazing.

For anyone out there who hasn’t read the books, City of Bones follows the story of Clary, a normal teenage girl who begins seeing things that other people can’t. At first it’s just symbols but one night she and her best friend, Simon, head into a local night-club and she witnesses three teens killing someone. An occurrence that the rest of the club is oblivious to.

From there events snowball out of her control, dragging her and everyone that she loves along with them. If she has any hope of surviving she has to cast her lot in with Jace, a Shadowhunter, who has dedicated his life to keeping demons and other creatures from killing the innocent.

The casting that I had been so dismissive of at first won me over a few minutes into the film. Jamie Campbell Bower plays a sweeter Jace than the literary one, with the same casual confidence that secured fans of the novel. Godfrey Gao is obviously beautiful and the perfect Magnus. The movie adaptations of Clary and her mother, Jocelyn, were the ones that really shone though. Lena Headey plays a far more formidable Jocelyn than the novels showed. She’s smart, capable and determined; all traits that Lily Collin’s Clary is shown to have in abundance.

In many ways the movie surpasses the novel. It moves away from Clary’s perspective when necessary, while the first novel mostly stayed with her. This means that we not only get to see more of the other characters without reference to Clary, but we see scenes upon which she could only speculate. I don’t recall there being any indication that Jocelyn fought back when attacked in the novel. In the film she does so spectacularly, making it obvious where Clary gets her resourcefulness from.

While the characters translate well to film, the events are a little more tricky. The first half works brilliantly, while the ending is messier than in the novels. There’s so much back-story in the series that fitting it in was always going to pose problems, and in this case it disrupts the pacing somewhat.

Overall, I still really enjoyed the City of Bones movie and am looking forward to seeing how the next two go. This is one of the very few times that I can honestly say that I preferred the movie to the book. So, for anyone who hasn’t yet, go see the movie!