- File Size: 318 KB
- Print Length: 157 pages
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publisher: BookBaby; 1 edition (October 21, 2013)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00G3IUEDG
The kids at Ralph Bunche Middle School love to pick on Elliot Kravitz-Carnucci. He struggles with his weight, looks like a geek, makes top honors, and lives above the Carnucci Home for Funerals in South Philadelphia with his distant, workaholic father and Nonna, his quirky, overbearing grandmother.
Since his parents divorced, he splits spending his time with his funeral director father and his mother Rayna, who dreams of becoming the queen of commercials on the west coast.
At the hands of his peers, Elliot experiences a series of bullying episodes that escalate from entrapment in a school supply closet to a brutal “swirly” (head dunk in the toilet) that lands him in the hospital emergency room.
Elliot has a small circle of loyal friends and a mentor named Duke, an aging school custodian, who root for him to overcome his bullying issues so that he can enjoy his life as a teenager and a budding singer/performer. Can Elliot win his fight against the nasty bullies, or is he doomed forever? Read this funny, sad, and crazy book to find out.
Goddess Fish Promotions is organizing a Virtual Book Tour for Elliot K. Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser: A Book about Bullying by Catherine DePino, a Middle Grade (8-14) fiction book available now from Book Baby Publishing. The tour will run June 16, 2014 to July 18, 2014, and Catherine is available for guest post and interviews. An ePub and Mobi copy of the book is available for review in conjunction with a guest post or interview.
~My Impression~
Having 4 children that have all been bullied at some point in their lives, mainly while attending the public school system, I was very interested in reading this book.The author does a wonderful job developing characters that are real and likeable. I felt so horrible and sad for Elliot at the beginning of this book. His life was such a mess and it seemed he would not find his way out and remain a victim suffering at the hands of Kyle and his friends.
I adored watching how Elliot learned to step outside his comfort zone and make new friends and lean on others,allowing them to help him gain confidence and control back over his life. No man is a fortress unto one self and I think Elliott found this out.
Catherine did a wonderful job tackling the bullying issue with the sensitivity and attention it deserves. I can easily recommend this book to family and friends.
~Giveaway~
Catherine will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So please visit all those participating and leave some comments.
~About the Author~
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Author Interview:
What were you like at school?
I always loved reading and writing, both in elementary and high
school. In high school I wrote for the school newspaper and literary magazine
and loved acting in the drama club.
Were you good at English?
English was my best subject because I loved it so much. I was
fortunate to have excellent English teachers who inspired me to become an
English teacher for 31 years. I loved teaching high school English and my years
spent as an English/world languages department head in the city of
Philadelphia.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I want to keep writing for the rest of my life. I enjoy writing
fiction and non-fiction for all different age groups.
Which writers inspire you?
More than any writer, Shakespeare inspires me. He knew how to
craft a story and turns his characters living people. I learn a lot from the
classics but also enjoy reading contemporary fiction. I also love to learn
about subjects such as psychology by reading non-fiction. I recently read a
book by Lior Suchard, a magician/mentalist. He talks about how we can use
certain expressions and phrases to influence people. That led me to read
another non-fiction book in his bibliography called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. It may sound strange, but
I learn a lot by reading footnotes and bibliographies.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do
that is so special?
My main character, Elliot Carnucci, works hard to overcome his bullying
problem. His tormentors won’t leave him alone, but with the help of his
friends, he finds ways to deal with the harassment they dish out to him. He
shows resilience and perseverance and has a desire to help other bullied kids,
and that makes him a special character to me.
What are you working on at the minute?
I recently published another book for soon-to-be retired women called Fire Up Your Life in Retirement: 101 Ways for Women to Reinvent Themselves. It aims to give practical advice to women facing this big milestone. Since I’m retired, I discussed a lot of issues I personally faced and talked to other women about the challenges and joys retirement brings.
I recently published another book for soon-to-be retired women called Fire Up Your Life in Retirement: 101 Ways for Women to Reinvent Themselves. It aims to give practical advice to women facing this big milestone. Since I’m retired, I discussed a lot of issues I personally faced and talked to other women about the challenges and joys retirement brings.
Now, I’m thinking about writing a book for middle grade kids who
need tips about dealing with the adults in their lives without having a lot of
conflicts.
What genre are your books?
I write both fiction and non-fiction books about bullying,
grammar, women’s issues, and prayer. I feel equally comfortable writing fiction
and non-fiction. Some people think that writing non-fiction is cut and dry and
that you can’t be creative. However, I’ve found that many of the same elements
that apply to fiction (finding the right theme, tone, mood, and voice apply
equally to non-fiction.
I self-published my first book, Elliot K Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser and am finding
self-publishing a whole new experience, especially the publicity end of it.
Also, I received the e-rights back from my prayer books for teenagers and
decided to put the one for girls, Hi, God,
it’s Me: e-prayers for teenage girls on the Internet. I’d originally
written it for a traditional religious publisher but revised it for all
different faiths so that it would appeal to a wider readership. So far a lot of
people have read it. I also plan to put my prayer book for teenage boys on the
Internet.
I hope your readers will take a look at my website, www.catherinedepino.com and write to
me. I love hearing from readers.
What draws you to this genre?
I write both fiction and non-fiction because I love reading books
in both of these genres.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I’ve written all my life. When I was a child, I composed poems and
had one published in the Girl Scout magazine when I was a pre-teenager. I
didn’t have much time to write when I was working in the school system when my
girls were growing up. However, I found time to write some magazine articles
and eventually wrote a book for an educational company, a study guide for the works
of Cynthia Voigt, a YA author.
The book company, J. Weston Walch, eventually accepted a book
called Grammar Workout that
teachers could use in their classrooms to help improve students’
writing. Many homeschooling parents also use this book with their children.
They tell me that it’s a user-friendly text that their children enjoy using.
Why do you write?
I write because I have to write; it’s a basic need to me, like
eating and sleeping. It fulfills my spirit and brings me happiness.
What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
I knew that if I kept dreaming about it and didn’t do it, I never
would. So I promised myself that when I left my job I’d start to write in
earnest. I think what holds a lot of writers back is their fear of rejection. I
was apprehensive about it too at first, but now I don’t let it stop me. I
believe that it’s only one person’s opinion and that I should keep trying.
Remember to tailor your writing to the publication and be willing to be tough
on yourself when you edit. That will help stave off the rejection slip blues.
Do you write full-time or part-time?
Some days I spend a lot of time writing and other days I devote to
other activities. However, I’m very strict about deadlines and have never
missed one with a publisher. After publishing a book, I usually need a little
break. Then I’m fired up and ready to start another one.
It’s important to always think of writing as fun and not a
drudgery. When it starts to drag you down, it’s time for a break. Be sure to
allow yourself to rest and recover so that you can approach your next work with
enthusiasm and energy.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I usually write when I get home from exercise (mainly Zumba these
days). I write better later in the day than in the early morning. My brain is
much more alert after mid-morning.
Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
I don’t keep a set schedule. I like to be flexible and write when I want to. Some people need more structure, but I find that I work better when I feel like writing rather than when I force myself to sit down and produce during a certain time period. Once I begin a writing task, however, I stay with it until I complete it. I’m very disciplined that way.
I don’t keep a set schedule. I like to be flexible and write when I want to. Some people need more structure, but I find that I work better when I feel like writing rather than when I force myself to sit down and produce during a certain time period. Once I begin a writing task, however, I stay with it until I complete it. I’m very disciplined that way.
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
I never pressure myself that way because it won’t work for me. Some days I feel like writing more, and other days, less. In the end, I always complete what I set out to do. If an editor gives me a deadline, I work steadily (but at my own pace) until I complete the project.
I never pressure myself that way because it won’t work for me. Some days I feel like writing more, and other days, less. In the end, I always complete what I set out to do. If an editor gives me a deadline, I work steadily (but at my own pace) until I complete the project.
Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?
I usually write on a computer, but when I’m formulating ideas for a book, I usually write longhand. I like to cluster ideas to see where they lead me. Gabriele Rico’s book Writing the Natural Way is an excellent source for learning about clustering.
I usually write on a computer, but when I’m formulating ideas for a book, I usually write longhand. I like to cluster ideas to see where they lead me. Gabriele Rico’s book Writing the Natural Way is an excellent source for learning about clustering.
Where do the your ideas come from?
First a title enters my head and then I go from there. I always
start with a book title and then begin to come up with ideas from there. It has
never failed me, and my editors have never changed one of my titles.
One of my most unusual titles is Excuse Me Your Participle’s Dangling: How to Use Grammar to Make Your
Writing Powers Soar. Everything I want to say is embodied in that title.
When thinking about the grammar book for adults, I knew I wanted to show how
easy it is to get rid of common errors, such as dangling participles, to
improve writing. As the title implies, the book includes all the necessary
points of grammar that will help you become an expert writer.
Elliot K Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser is another unusual title. I asked myself
what a pack of bullies in high school would say to someone they wanted to
ridicule about his weight, and this title came to mind. With my chapter book, Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet: How to
Deal with Bullies, I thought about what younger kids might say to taunt a
classmate and came up with that title. I think it’s important to think of a
title that will catch an editor’s or agent’s eye when you write your query
letter. It will make your book stand out more.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
When I write a non-fiction proposal,I have to outline every chapter to see what I’ll include. With a fiction book, I outline a general plot on the back of a file folder and then see where the idea ends up. Sometimes I scrap my original plan and try going in a different direction with plot and characterization. But that’s the fun part of the writing process. The most important thing is not to be too rigid and to go where your instincts take you.
How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I believe that I’m learning more about the subtle differences in
meaning among words. I’m paying more attention to the psychological
implications of words, which goes beyond denotations and connotations. The
sounds of words can also evoke deeply-rooted memories and emotions in readers.
I’m learning more each day about writing and hope to never stop learning.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
It used to be dealing with rejection, but I feel that now, for the
most part, I’m beyond that. I try not to think about writing as something hard.
I write because I want to and try to make it a pleasurable experience. If it
ever becomes hard, it’s time for a break.
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
With Elliot, it was dealing with his mentor’s illness. I had to
write a couple of heavy scenes, and that was difficult because I loved Mr.
Boardly’s character. I patterned him after a beloved school custodian I used to
know. It was also a little scary researching the funeral industry because
that’s where the story took place, in Elliot’s Dad’s funeral home. However, I learned
about the many different facets of the job, and that was quite interesting.
Many of the people in that business deserve a medal, in my opinion.
What is the easiest thing about writing?
I love when the words flow easily, but any writer can tell you
that it doesn’t always happen that way. Most writers say you should edit after
you’re finished writing. Being the grammar nut that I am, I have to edit as I
go along. I feel more comfortable that way. Of course, I sometimes change
things after the book is completed.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It usually takes four months to a year. It depends upon the
subject matter and how much research I have to do if it’s a non-fiction book.
Do you ever get writer’s Block?
I usually take a breather if I feel that no ideas are forthcoming.
Usually, I don’t get blocked because ideas are everywhere. Many times they just
pop into your head. It’s up to you to remember them. In line with this, I
always advise writers to carry around a small notebook in which they can jot
down ideas so they don’t forget them.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
I’d say it’s best not to worry about it as eventually the ideas
will begin to flow. Do something else until you feel you find something you
want to write about. Also, read books by an author you like. That often gets
the juices flowing.
What is your favourite motivational phrase.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The Goddess Fish Review Crew.
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