Creativity Challenge: Winter Loon

Going off the Cover:

This is a swan princess adaptation, where someone turns into a loon and doesn't become human unless it snows.


Goodreads Synopsis:

Abandoned by his father after his mother drowns in a frozen Minnesota lake, fifteen-year-old Wes Ballot is stranded with cold hearted grandparents and holed up in his mother’s old bedroom surrounded by her remnants and memories. 

As the wait for his father stretches unforgivably into months, a local girl, whose own mother died a brutal death, captures his heart and imagination, reminding Wes that hope always floats to the surface.

When buried truths come to light in the spring thaw, wounds are exposed and violence erupts, forcing Wes to embark on a search for his missing father, the truth about his mother, and a future he must claim for himself—a quest that begins back at that frozen lake.

Did I Get Anything Right?

Nope, plumb wrong on this one. At least, as far as I can tell, I'm wrong.

Creativity Challenge:Lumberjanes; Parents' Day

Going off the Cover:

This is about what happens when people's parents visit them at summer camp.


Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone at camp is super excited about the best day of the summer-Parents' Day, when they get to show their folks what they've been up to! Molly seems really worried, though, and even her friends are unsure of how to cheer her up.


Did I Get Anything Right?

Yup, pretty much right-on here.

Creativity Challenge: The Disasters

Going off the Cover:


This is about space travel, obviously. It is also about people who are very bad at astronaut school. Probably because they can't stop doing stunts.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.

But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.

On the run and framed for atrocities they didn’t commit, Nax and his fellow failures execute a dangerous heist to spread the truth about what happened at the Academy.


They may not be “Academy material,” and they may not get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight.

Did I Get Anything Right?

Astronauts and flunking out of a program are bang on the money. Didn't predict the framed for terrorism thing.

Creativity Challenge: Ghost of a Chance

Going off the Cover:

This story appears to be about dead people and how keep their living loved one safe and happy, with a comedic twist.


Goodreads Synopsis:

True love is like a ghost. Many people believe in both, but few find either. 

Samantha Shade has been hired to find out if there is more than rats and bats and feral cats haunting the crumbling remains of San Rafael Mission, home of Father Rodriguez’s impoverished flock. 

But soon the donut-addicted rookie private investigator is sidetracked by a series of murders occurring within the parish—and by the attractive police detective involved in that investigation. Several young men have been found murdered—each with a marigold between his lips. 

The clues all seem to lead to someone at San Rafael . Who could be responsible? Someone Sam knows and used to love? Soon Samantha comes all too close to the answer as she is led through the crypts below San Rafael on a journey that could only end on the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Did I Get Anything Right?

Nope, just the dead people.

Creativity Challenge: Elusion

Going off the Cover:

This is about people living life through virtual reality. Nothing is as it seems: they might not even be real.


Goodreads Synopsis:

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.


Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

Did I Get Anything Right?

It does involve virtual reality so I did get that right. Other than that, nope.

Creativity Challenge: The Diamond of Drury Lane

Going off the Cover:


This one is about a totally dashing diamond-in-the-rough type. They perform in a place something like the Moulin Rouge lounge. I highly suspect there will be romance.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Set in 1790's Covent Garden this book whisks you back to a bygone era, and to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies, and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters.


It is the tale of Cat Royal, an orphan, four foot four with long red hair and not a penny to call her own. She lives in the Theater Royal on Drury Lane, a place filled with dramatic characters, theatrical spectacles, and now, a secret treasure--which Cat has been asked to protect. 

Her new friend Pedro, a former slave and gifted violinist, is eager to help, and so is the theater prompter, Jonathan, who is hiding secrets of his own. But when the ruthless gang leader Billy Shepherd learns about the treasure, Cat thinks she's going to lose it for sure. She still doesn't know what the treasure is, so how can she keep it safe from Billy and his gang? Follow Cat into the streets of London, as she faces danger and adventure, racing to be the first to discover the diamond of Drury Lane!

Did I Get Anything Right?

Well, there are certainly diamond-in-the-rough types all over this book. Again with the slavery thing. As for the treasure being protected, well, no one knows what it is. So, how can they possibly protect it?

Creativity Challenge: Pick Your Poison

Going off the Cover:

I Think this is a murder mystery featuring a killer no one suspects because she is cute and tiny. But she is so deadly, she's probably a serial killer. She poisons her victims, of course. But she makes them choose how they will die.


Goodreads Synopsis:

Out of school, out of work, and out of motivation, Abby Rose is contemplating her life and wondering what to do next. It's the kind of situation that would get some girls down, but luckily Abby's got a heart the size of Texas-and a bank account to match. But when she discovers the gardener dead in her greenhouse, Abby realizes what she needs to do with herself: she needs to solve a murder... 

Did I Get Anything Right?

Nope. Well I suppose it's still possible I could be right about the killers being a tiny girl who makes her victims pick their death. I'll just have to read it someday and find out.

Creativity Challenge: Mistress of Rome

Going off the Cover:


I would guess that this is the story of a muse of the Italian Renaissance artists. She is inspires everyone and everything, but takes a special interest in a particular artist, probably someone unknown to history.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart. 

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress. 

Did I Get Anything Right?

Well, not really. She's a slave. and becomes the plaything of some rich woman and her would be suitor falls for the slave. She then marries him and they are torn apart by spite. She then remakes herself as a free woman; a singer, and the emperor's mistress. Wow, leave me something to read why don't you synopsis writer.

Creativity Challenge: Brave

Going off the Cover
A nonfiction book about Rose Mcgowan's life and activism. From this cover alone I would assume that it was about overcoming cancer, and regaining a sense of self from there. 

Goodreads Synopsis

Rose McGowan was born in one cult and came of age in another, more visible cult: Hollywood.
In a strange world where she was continually on display, stardom soon became a personal nightmare of constant exposure and sexualization. Rose escaped into the world of her mind, something she had done as a child, and into high-profile relationships. Every detail of her personal life became public, and the realities of an inherently sexist industry emerged with every script, role, public appearance, and magazine cover. The Hollywood machine packaged her as a sexualized bombshell, hijacking her image and identity and marketing them for profit.

Hollywood expected Rose to be silent and cooperative and to stay the path. Instead, she rebelled and asserted her true identity and voice. She reemerged unscripted, courageous, victorious, angry, smart, fierce, unapologetic, controversial, and real as f*ck.

BRAVE is her raw, honest, and poignant memoir/manifesto—a no-holds-barred, pull-no-punches account of the rise of a millennial icon, fearless activist, and unstoppable force for change who is determined to expose the truth about the entertainment industry, dismantle the concept of fame, shine a light on a multibillion-dollar business built on systemic misogyny, and empower people everywhere to wake up and be BRAVE .


Did I Get Anything Right?
Well, The journey to finding oneself sort of fits. 

Creativity Challenge: The Fourteenth Letter by Claire Evans

Going off the Cover
It is a murder mystery set in the 1800s that involves a wedding. The bride is going to either be victim or killer. and the groom is a swashbuckling drunk.
Goodreads Synopsis
One balmy June evening in 1881, Phoebe Stanbury stands before the guests at her engagement party: this is her moment, when she will join the renowned Raycraft family and ascend to polite society.

As she takes her fiancé's hand, a stranger holding a knife steps forward and ends the poor girl's life. Amid the chaos, he turns to her aristocratic groom and mouths: 'I promised I would save you.'

The following morning, just a few miles away, timid young legal clerk William Lamb meets a reclusive client. He finds the old man terrified and in desperate need of aid: William must keep safe a small casket of yellowing papers, and deliver an enigmatic message: The Finder knows.

Did I Get Anything Right?
The bride/fiancee is indeed the victim. Beyond that and the year which was provided on the cover, I didn't get anything else spot on. It remains to be seen if the potential groom was a drunk of any kind or not.

Creativity Challenge: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Going off the Cover
A modernized retelling of Hansel and Gretel, mixed with elements of Snow White. 

People will be murdered, bird will be set free, and trees will come to life. 

That bird he's important somehow. There will be time portals. 

Goodreads Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”


Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

Did I Get Anything right?
Well, I picked up that it has to do with fairy tales. The portal is a thing it's just interdimensional rather than time. I suppose Hansel and Gretel isn't quite that far off as two people will be following "breadcrumbs" to find a dead person (as opposed to leaving the crumbs). Unclear if I may be right about the birds or trees. 

Creativity Challenge: Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Going off the cover

A tale told from the perspective of wolves. In a world ruled by females and where mates are for life, our tale unfolds.

The main character is on a journey of self discovery. They feel they were not made for this society. Soon they learn why.

They are not a wolf they are a shapeshifter who has been raised by wolves.

Goodreads synopsis

Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.

With her father’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

Did I get anything right?

Nope. Absolutely bupkis. I suppose I could argue that he is kind of on a self-discovery kick. But, that would be quite the stretch.