Author Archives: Val

Fantastic Friday: No Such Thing as Boredom

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Val

I remember as a kid being bored once in a while. But mostly, I entertained myself. I remember waking up on weekend mornings. I knew it was too early to wake up because I didn’t hear my mom yet. So … Continue reading →

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Writer Wednesday: My Blog Tour

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Val

I’m excited to kick off my blog tour this week. I’m touring my two most recent young adult works: The Man with the Crystal Ankh (perfect for this haunting time of year) and The Girl Who Flew Away, a literary coming-of-age novel. Each stop … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Friday: A Trip to the Newseum

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Val

Earlier this month, I got to chaperone a high school field trip to the Newseum, and the experience stayed with me. I thought I’d share some highlights. (Because I was chaperoning a class on media ethics, I did not view … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction: Witch by Val Muller

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Val

Welcome to the Spot Writers. Today’s tale comes to us from Val Muller, author of the Halloweenish tale The Man with the Crystal Ankh, a story of a violinist who is contacted by spirits while she plays. This month’s prompt … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Val

Inside Out & Back Again is this year’s “One Book, One Community” selection, and I picked up a copy from my local library while I was there during an author event. The timing was serendipitous: the book was on my … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Friday: Serendipity

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Val

Even back in June, I saw people posting on social media about October 13. These fans of October, Autumn, and Halloween were excited that October this year “features” a “Friday the 13th.” Sure, there are the realists out there who … Continue reading →

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Writer Wednesday: Spooky October Titles

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Val

Call me a nerd, but I always enjoyed the feelings associated with “Back to School.” Don’t get me wrong; summer is my favorite season, and I love the freedom of endless days, but there was always something thrilling about fresh … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Val

Where to start… I had to read this book for a young adult book club/professional development group I’m in: the purpose of the book club is to assess novels for possible use in classrooms. I would not have chosen to … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Friday: To Thine Own Self Be True

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Val

This summer, I taught an online class about the archetypal journey and personality archetypes and how they can be used to help make narrative writing stronger. In doing so, I found dozens of online “quizzes” to help users get to … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction: Consumed by Dorothy Colinco

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Val

This month’s theme is “monster,” to be interpreted any way. This week’s story comes from Dorothy Colinco. Consumed by Dorothy Colinco He had plucked a woman from her tribe, reaching back into time and space to place her here and … Continue reading →

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