Hey all. My novelette, Pinocchio is Punching You is a current semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA). The first third or so is up on Amazon for free.
"After he got his wish to become a real boy, Pinocchio wanted what every real boy wanted: to be trained by ninjas."
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011G9Y1I/ Publishers Weekly says:
"In this funny sendup of the classic fairy tale, Pinocchio, having been made a boy, wants one more thing: to be made a ninja. Pinocchio hangs out at the mall, where a bully convinces him that ninja mastery can be had-at a price. The story sharply outlines the oddity of pre-pubescent boys' fixations (ninjas, zombies, petty theft and bra straps), and its playful blend of realism and fantasy is just right. The author has a sharp ear for dialogue and for the unusual highways and byways that adolescent conversations take. It's a clever idea executed ably; lots of laugh-out-loud moments and off-beat humor pepper this fun, inventive romp."
My blog entries related to the subject:
http://www.pinocchioispunchingyou.com I expect moving to the finalist round is going to be dependent more on the Publishers Weekly review/summary above than on quantity/quality of customer reviews, but I'd be much obliged to anyone who wants to read and/or say something about it.
Aaaand every book should have a theme song IMO, so here's the one to PIPY (MP3 and other formats available here; don't make fun. Haven't picked up the old guitar in a while...):
http://www.alexwilson.com/projects/journal/abna_love_theme_from_pinocchio_is_punching_you.phpAlex.