Lurlene McDaniel - Author of the Month

Photo from lurlenemcdaniel.net

There are some authors that just have the innate ability to move you to tears - and Lurlene McDaniel is one of those.  She writes books that are strong blends of love and tragedy, and her characters connect with readers on a personal level.

According to her website, McDaniel was born in Philadelphia but grew up in Florida.  She now lives in Tennessee.  She says that her writing stems from her son's diagnosis of diabetes that he received at age 3, and she loves to inspire people to do things to help others.  Her writing and characters are often inspired by the songs she hears and loves.  You can even find a list of the musical inspirations for her latest book Year of Luminous Love on her website - one of which is a George Strait song, so she obviously has good taste.  :-)

You can connect with Lurlene McDaniel on Twitter (@Lurlene_McD), Facebook, or YouTube where she often answers questions from readers.  Her birthday is this month (April 5th), so feel free to send her birthday wishes, and she also has a book tour coming up soon.  Check her website and social media pages for dates and locations.  You can find a display of McDaniel's books in the fiction section of the media center.

Follett Ebooks for Kindle Fire (sort of)

We have a decent ebook selection, but many people have expressed that they are annoyed that there is no way for them to read the ebooks on their Kindle devices.  Well - good news is here.  You can now access these ebooks from Kindle Fire devices - as long as you have an Internet connection.

Here's how to get it done:

• Open a Browser window on your Kindle Fire and visit http://bit.ly/lisdmedia or click here if you're reading this on your Kindle Fire.
• Click Digital resources from the left menu
• Click FollettShelf
• You will be able to browse the ebooks in our collection.
• When prompted for your Username & Password - it is the same as the one you use for AR.

You'll then be able to check out and read to your heart's content!

Happy reading!

Author of the Month - Margaret Peterson Haddix

Picture from haddixbooks.com

Margaret Peterson Haddix has written "over 25" (the safest estimation according to her website) books for young adults including the popular Shadow Children series.  

She has been a writer and a reader her whole life, starting her career as a journalist in the Midwest.  She triple majored in college in creative writing, journalism, and history - which helps explain why many of her books are based somewhere in between fact and fiction.  She often works historical elements into her fiction - like in the hugely popular Missing series.  

You can find out more about Haddix by checking out her website or visiting her Facebook page.  She often responds to her fans on the page and shares some interesting insights into her writing process.  Take a minute to check out one of her books from the fiction section of the media center!