Finding the Write Way

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-03-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Genre: YA (sci-fi/retelling)
Why I read it/how I found it: Promoted on blogs, and decided to read for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge.

Description:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:

As a character, I really enjoyed Cinder. She has a lot of struggles, she has insecurities, but feels she should be treated as anyone else. I loved the way she was portrayed. I loved Kai, and how he and Cinder didn't get into a huge sweeping romance in this first book. Hopefully this will unfold at a nice pace like it goes in this first book. Cinder's robot friend, Io, is a lot of fun and quirky. Meyer does a fair job with the world-building. I could sense the type of world they lived in, the conflict going on politically, the social constructs. I think she could have described New Beijing a bit more, but that was really the only downfall to it. Also, when the book started, I got a huge sense of a Star Wars-inspired layout with the robots and the market.

Now, one thing Meyer didn't do as well would be to put shocking plot twists along the way. Granted, this is inspired by Cinderella, so we all know general points in the arc of the story. However, it's easy to pick up on points that should shock you in the end. For example, we're told at the beginning that the Lunar Queen killed various members of her family to keep them from getting the throne, including her three-year-old niece, Princess Selene, but conspiracy theories suggested she had escaped the fire and came to earth. Bet you'll never guess what happens.

Also, I wonder how the arc of this story will go. It's Cinderella, but all of the plot points in Cinderella is hit (except for the happily-ever-after, seeing as this is a series). Will Meyer pull in more fairytales? Will she branch out? Also, personally, I found this book could have wrapped up in one, and I think I might have favored that more, mostly because of the Cinderella arc, and the fact that Cinder had a chance to finish it off in one book. But I haven't read any of the rest, so who knows? Maybe it's a good thing Meyer didn't finish off the story here. For right now, though, I wish she had.

Other information: The Lunar Chronicles will be a four book series. Cinder is the first. Mariss Meyer's blog is here.

Kony 2012

2012-03-08T09:53:00.001-07:00

You've probably seen Kony 2012 all over social media the past two days. Maybe you've taken time to watch this video that explains this project. Maybe you've glanced over what this is about.

Well, I agree with Invisible Children. If a thirteen-year-old girl can become a celebrity overnight for a horrible music video, then it's time for Joseph Kony to become famous for his crimes.

What the heck is Jenna talking about? You might be wondering. Who is this Joseph Kony guy?
Let me take you back...to my freshman year of high school, 2006.

For my English class, we took a period to watch a documentary that some local college kids made about something going on in Africa.

Oh, boy, did the waterworks pour.
Three Americans went to Uganda and discovered that a man named Joseph Kony led the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army, and no, this isn't a religious group) who abducted children, forced them to become soldiers, mutilated people, killed people, raped girls, and committed just about every atrocity you can think of. I saw hundreds of people huddled together at night for protection. I saw the victims of these crimes, the few who had escaped. I heard a boy's testimony of the horrors, saw him cry, heard him admit he'd rather die than live, even now that he was free. All of this has been going on since 1986. And no one knew about it, until three California boys with a camera captured it all.
These three college boys started Invisible Children, a group that was determined to end this war.

I donated what I could when my high school's club would have fundraisers. I didn't go to the club because of schedule conflicts. Honestly, I didn't do as much as I could have. I did some, but not as much as I wish I did.

Other people did, though. Invisible Children has grown and this year, they're determined that Kony will be famous for his crimes.

Joseph Kony, the world's #1 most wanted war criminal

I'm not going to be able to give up school and march around America shouting for this cause, but I'm determined to do more than I did before. Evil only continues when we sit by.

Some people criticize Invisible Children's involvement in this. They say America should sit by and worry about our own problems. Let Uganda deal with this. We have no business interfering.

But get this. All Invisible Children is asking is that 100 advisers stay in Uganda to help the government capture Kony. None of our troops. None of our soldiers dying. Only 100 advisers to save thousands of lives.

Is this really such a hard decision to make? For me, it isn't. Kony must be stopped. And 2012 is the year.

This is only the briefest of information, but I encourage you to learn more about this and get involved. Helpful links to do this:
Kony 2012 video
Invisible Children's first documentary
Invisible Children's website
Sign the pledge

Book Review: Gregor and the Code of the Claw by Suzanne Collins

2012-03-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Title: Gregor and the Code of the Claw
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: MG (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: Fifth and final book in the Underland Chronicles

Description:
Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to keep The Prophecy of Time from Gregor. Gregor knows it must say something awful but he never imagined just how awful: It calls for the warrior's death. Now, with an army of rats approaching, and his mom and sister still in Regalia, Gregor the warrior must gather up his courage to help defend Regalia and get his family home safely. The entire existence of the Underland is in Gregor's hands, and time is running out. There is a code to be cracked, a mysterious new princess, Gregor's burgeoning dark side, and a war to end all wars.

Review:
This book doesn't disappoint with the ending to a great MG series. If you've read The Hunger Games, this is sort of the Mockingjay of the series, although less depressing, as it is for younger readers. At the same time, Gregor doesn't escape a hard path, and the results of it are less happily-ever-after than most other MG books. Character arcs are filled out nicely, there's a satisfying resolution to the Underland, and a lot of action and suspense to fill it out. This was my favorite book out of the series, and for any MG fan, I'd recommend these books.

Other info: Last book of the five-book Underland Chronicles. Suzanne Collins's website is here.

Book Review: Feed by M.T. Anderson

2012-02-25T10:56:00.001-07:00

Title: Feed
Author: M.T. Anderson
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre: YA (science fiction)
Why I read it/how I found it: One of the books I could read for my writing for adolescent's class.

Description:

Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires.

Review:

This book is, to me, an exaggeration of what consumerism and our technology could potentially do. I recognize it as an exaggeration, but at the same time, even slipping a little bit into this society that no longer cares for the planet or anything else but their new toys. In that way, it was very thought-provoking and made me look at our own society. It's very compelling in that way. I loved Violet's character, she was so vibrant and a breath of relief with the other characters who were...well, let's just say a lot like the people I didn't care for in high school. However, I didn't like Titus. He was pretty cool in the middle with Violet, but at the beginning and the end I didn't like him. There's one point where I really hated him. In this futuristic world, there's a lot of new jargon. "Meg," "unit," "mal," just to name a few. I had no flipping idea what a lot of those words were used for. I still don't know what "unit" is. When going into slang terms not known to the readers, we need some clues, but I didn't pick up on them. Not like with Scott Westerfield's Uglies. And rest of the language--so annoying. I get that he wanted to show how low society had sunk to have "like" and "was all" for dialogue tags, but when it gets distracting and annoying to the reader, it's not a good thing to use. I felt like I couldn't inject myself in the world at the beginning. In the middle and end it lightens out, so after the first thirty or forty pages it's fine. But those first few made me annoyed--and I'm from California, I use those phrases all the time when I'm telling a story.

Other information: M.T. Anderson's website is here.

Two digits make a difference

2012-02-23T09:58:00.006-07:00

Two days ago, I was nineteen. In a matter of hours that changed. I'm now twenty.

People make a huge deal out of eighteen and twenty-one, but so far, twenty is the big number for me. At eighteen, yeah, I was technically an adult, but still in high school and relying on my parents. I didn't have anyone to vote for, military branch to join, man to marry, desire to buy lottery tickets, infomercial products, or cigarettes. Twenty-one will be a big number for me, although probably not the way it's big for most other girls.

Still, twenty seems so large. Why hasn't it gotten recognition before? At eighteen and nineteen, I was technically an adult, but I still felt a lot like a kid. Now, twenty. I have a whole new decade ahead of me. Probably one with the most life changes (graduating from college, going to grad school, getting a job, maybe getting married and starting a family, maybe getting a publishing deal, maybe going on a mission, and for sure entering the adult world for real). It didn't hit me in my teens how much my life could change. Of course, I saw it as the fog in the distance, but now I'm in the middle of the fog, with a compass to point me but no way of knowing what I'll bump into along the way and how I'll need to adjust my compass because of it. I feel a lot of big changes coming my way.

But, for some stuff that was fun about my birthday yesterday:

Tickets for The Hunger Games went on sale and I got mine for Friday, March 23 at 12:01 AM. This fangirl is ready.
I actually ate out at a restuarant (skimpy college kid here...never mind my roommates treated me).
Starkid announced their next show, Holy Musical B@tman!
Prepared for three different midterms (oh wait...I said fun, didn't I? Scratch this)
Lots of messages on my facebook wall.

Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins

2012-02-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Title: Gregor and the Marks of Secret
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: MG (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: The fourth in the Underland Chronicles.

Description:
It's only a few months since Gregor and Boots returned from the Underland, leaving their mother behind to heal from the plague. Though Gregor's family receives frequent updates on her condition, they all know Gregor must return to fulfill his role as the warrior who is key to the Underlanders' survival. Accompanied by his now-talkative little sister Boots, still considered the honorary "princess," Gregor joins forces with another princess--12-year-old Luxa--and Ripred the rat to defend the Underlanders and the vulnerable "Nibblers," or mice, from the rat army.

Review:
I feel like I say the same thing with these books. How great the characters are shaped, how the themes are so important, how high-action they are. Because it's all true! One fun thing with this one is that Gregor starts to get a crush on Luxa, which is just adorable to watch. It feels really natural to how a twelve-year-old feels with a crush. Also, this one digs deeper at choices that Gregor made in earlier books, and I think could create some pretty great discussion.

Other information: This is the fourth of a series of five. Suzanne Collins's website is here.

11 Questions...I've been tagged

2012-02-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Daisy and Sophie tagged me to answer some questions! So let's get cracking!

From Daisy:

Favorite villain and why? Ooof, this one's hard. Because I am obsessed with it right now, I'm inclined to say Regina from Once Upon a Time. Mostly because right now I hate her the most, and that's what villains should make me do, right?
What's the last book you read? Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins.
If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? Wow, there's so many places I kind of want to pull a Bill and Ted! But let's face it, I'm a pretty modern girl. I think I'd go to the 1950s because there's still indoor plumbing, swing dancing, rock and roll, poofy skirts, and glass Coke bottles.
Would you rather have an unlimited gift card to your favorite bookstore OR a publishing contract but never be allowed to read any other books? UNLIMITED GIFT CARD. Hands down. I can find a way to a publishing contract, but if I can't read any other books? Not only would I fail my major, I don't know what I'd do with my life!
If you were an animal, what would you be? A cat. I'm more introverted and if I could sleep for 23 hours of the day...yeah. That'd be pretty great.
What's your very first memory? The first memory I know actually happened was when I was two and my little brother was born. My parents were informed that based off of the heartbeat of their unborn child, they'd most likely be having a girl (my mom never wanted to know the sex of any of her kids, but for some reason listened to this). I'd been led to believe that I'd be getting a little sister, so when the couple babysitting us informed us that we had a little brother I yelled, "NO! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A GIRL!" I was really mad and blamed my babysitters that I'd gotten a brother. (I am now very grateful that I got a little brother and not a little sister)
Suzanne Collins, JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Neil Gaiman, Judy Blume and John Green call. They all want you to come to their house for dinner, but all on the same night. Whose dinner invitation do you accept? Suzanne Collins. Suzanne Collins. I'm getting all wiggly just thinking about it (is this what Bieber fans feel like?).
You discover a planet. What do you name it? Well, I guess I should go along with the whole Roman thing, in which case I'd name it Minerva. I'd be really tempted to name it Kolob, but it wouldn't be my place to name it that.
What world/nation/city/place from a book would you most like to visit? Hogwarts (is there another answer for my generation, really?).
Here's a million dollars. How would you spend it? *note, I said spend. It's a fantasy! No saving!* Tuition. Books (but the fun ones!). Go to Europe. Remodel my parents' house.
On which reality TV contest or gameshow would you be a contestant? The Price is Right, because I would watch it on my days off from school all the time and I've always wanted to spin that big wheel!

And here's from Sophie:

1.When did you start writing? First grade at school, but on my own when I was eight.
2. Who are your literary heroes? (/favourite authors) Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Jane Austen, Laura Ingalls Wilder.
3. What is your favourite fictional character? Peeta Mellark.
4. What genre(s) do you write? I always say that I write YA and anything that can't really happen...although with my class that's proved to be false, so now I write everything!
5. What is your favourite book, tv show and film? Book: Mockingjay or Persuasion. Please don't make me choose. TV show: I'm going to go with Gilmore Girls since Once Upon a Time hasn't been on long enough for me to know for sure I'll always love it. Film: Probably Penelope. It's just so dang cute!
6. What is your favourite place you've visited in the world? I haven't visited many places, but I'd say Niagara Falls.
7. What is your favourite music? Hmmm...stuff like SafetySuit and He is We, but I like a lot of different kinds.
8. Have you ever written fanfic?/Opinions on it? Yes, and I think it's a fun way for writers to start out, but there are some things that just shouldn't be written at the same time.
9. Where is your favourite place to write? Anywhere comfy, with my music, and no one to distract me. So for where I am right now, my couch while my roommates are at school.
10. Tea or Coffee? Hot chocolate! (don't drink tea or coffee, sorry!)
11. Have you ever taken part in NaNoWriMo?/ Opinions on it? I tried once two years ago and failed. I think that it's great for people who need motivation, but for people who can finish stuff on their own time should spend their stress somewhere else. ;)

Here are my questions for those I pass along to:

Redvines or Twizzlers?
With your iPod/MP3 on shuffle, what's the first song that comes up?
What's your least favorite book you ever had to read for school?
You're the producer for turning any one book into a movie, which do you choose to do?
What's your favorite youtube video?
Who did you look up to when you were thirteen years old?
Which food do you wish you could rid the planet of?
Why did you decide to start blogging?
Do you cry over books/movies/TV shows?
What's one thing you believe in with all your heart?
Flowers or chocolate?

And now, I tag:

The Character Your Character Could Be Like

2012-02-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

The following post has spoilers for Once Upon a Time, including the most recent one. Just in case you care and haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

Sadly, there aren't enough characters like Rumpelstiltskin as he's portrayed in ABC's Once Upon a Time.

He's not a moral person. Some would probably even call him evil. But the writers of OUAT know how to develop characters (these are the same people who did Lost after all). I've always been impressed with the characters on the show, but last week's episode blew me away.

You see, Rumple here has a heart. We knew from his previous episode "Desperate Souls" that he can love--he had a son before he did anything to protect. But what about the Rumple we first saw behind bars, jumping around like a madman? With the end of his origins episode, people (or at least I did) assumed that he just became evil after he took on the power of The Dark One. But now we know from this past episode he is quite capable of love, despite all of the bad things he did. Even after the more than twenty-eight years since he lost Belle, he continues to love her. He just thought at the time he loved his power more.

Rumple isn't a good guy. But he's a rather sympathetic character when knowing his backstory. Usually I only root the the good guy, I've never been the kind to side with the villains. But at this point in the story, I don't see Rumple as a villain anymore, even though he does some awful things.

From what I've learned with Rumple's character is that you need to go deeper with your characters. Are they really all good/bad? (probably not). What made a specific character the way that he is? What about the character will surprise the reader, but still fit with her personality?

This past episode has really made me consider my own characters and develop them further.

Is it getting hot in here? (bloghop)

2012-02-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

When it comes to kissing scenes...well...I don't think I'm exactly where I'd like to be yet, so for this bloghop I'm going to share my Ultimate Favorite Kissing Scene Ever. For those of you who haven't read Catching Fire and wish to remain unspoiled, look away now.

My Ultimate Favorite Kissing Scene Ever is from Chapter 24 of Catching Fire. In case you need a little refreshing: Katniss and Peeta have been thrust into the Hunger Games again. There's no way (or so they think) that both Katniss and Peeta can make it out alive for a second time. Katniss wants Peeta to live, and he wants her to live. They have a conversation where they discuss this dilemma. I'll let Katniss take it from here. :)

"No one really needs me," he says, and there's no self-pity in his voice. It's true his family doesn't need him. They will mourn him, as will a handful of friends. But they will get on. Even Haymitch, with the help of a lot of white liquor, will get on. I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me.

"I do," I say. "I need you." He looks upset, takes a deep breath as if to begin a long argument, and that's no good, because he'll start going on about Prim and my mother and everything and I'll just get confused. So before he can talk, I stop his lips with a kiss.

I feel that thing again. The thing I only felt once before. In the cave last year, when I was trying to get Haymitch to send us food. I kissed Peeta about a thousand times during those Games and after. But there was only one kiss that made me feel something stir deep inside. Only one that made me want more. But my head wound started bleeding and he made me lie down.

This time, there is nothing but us to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Peeta gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my arms and legs, to the tips of my being. Instead of satisfying me, the kisses have the opposite effect, of making my need greater. I thought I was something of an expert on hunger, but this is an entirely new kind.

This is why I think this kiss is The Ultimate Favorite Kissing Scene Ever:

This kiss has been having some serious build up. If you read even two pages before this, there is a lot of emotional stuff going on. Namely that they're both convinced only one of them can make it out alive, so they'll never be together again. At least one of them will die.
It clearly focuses on their emotions. Katniss doesn't say anything about parting lips or heaving breathing or hands tangling in hair. The physical description is very minimal, but we get a lot about the desire and feelings she has during this kiss.
Like Katniss says, there's a lot of kissing between the two of them, but this is the one that means something. For the reader, this is the "YES! YES! YES! SHE GETS IT!" kiss.

I hope you enjoyed this kissing scene, brought to you by Suzanne Collins. And if you so desire, I've rounded up a few of my favorite kissing scenes from movies/TV shows below.

Pretty much all of Snow/Charming kisses are the best, but here's just two, because that's how much I love this couple.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Flash Fiction (blogfest)

2012-02-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last day of the I'm Hearing Voices blogfest! This time around it's a flash fiction (>251 words). This is Troy again, from my Monday interview.

Today ended the war. Today the mountains became peaceful.
Today she married him.
I thought they would have fought with me, knowing the truth about him. But they told me to let it go, that we'd find another way. Morcant had proofed the castle so I couldn't penetrate it, with or without magic. I couldn't get to her.
Egan found me in Dunthur City.
"Come back," he said. "There's nothing we can do."
She had the necklace, though, as far as I knew. With the necklace, maybe she'd find me. Or maybe she never discovered the truth. Maybe she'd never remember me.
I'd always remember her, with her aspirations and flowers and determination. I remembered the first time I saw her, the first time we kissed, our last moment together.
I'd never know if she did remember. I'd probably never see her again.
Today she became the Queen of Thesland. And I was forgotten.

Fourth Writers' Platform Building Campaign!

2012-02-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Rachael Harrie is having another Platform Building Campaign! For those of you who don't know about it, it's a super awesome way to connect with other writing bloggers, build your followings, and win sweet prizes. Find out more about it here.

Character Dialogue (blogfest)

2012-02-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

These two are characters from my current WIP.

F: Ouch.
M: Don't wanna talk about it.
F: She totally just used you.
M: Yeah, well.
F: Do you really like her?
M: Have you seen her? Of course I like her. Every guy at school likes her.
F: So all guys go for the slut look?
M: It's her party outfit. She isn't like that all the time.
F: Mmmhmm. And the fact that she just made out with you to get with that other guy...?
M: Not technically a slut.
F: But still pretty slutty. I saw them leaving together. I guess they thought the party was lame with the whole parental supervision thing.
M: You just met her tonight, you don't even know her.
F: I can't believe you're still defending her. She can't be that pretty.
M: She's Alicia Norman.
F: Oh, right, how stupid of me to forget.
M:...
F: Do you really still like her?
M: Do I still wish we were making out right now? Yeah. Do I like her?...Not really. Not anymore.

Character on the Couch (blogfest)

2012-02-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

I know that I usually post Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, but for the I'm Hearing Voices Character Blogfest I'm rearranging my schedule for this week.

For today, I need one character to answer a few questions. It was really hard for me to pick just one character that I wanted to do, because I'm editing one book, writing another, and in the stages of outlining a third.

But I finally decided to interview Troy, the love interest of FORGET ME NOT that is a little mysterious even to me.

So Troy, take it away.

What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret? People I love are my greatest vulnerability. I'm scared to love because of everyone I've lost. Not many people know this, because I keep people at a distance.
What do people believe about you that is false? When I was in the castle, people underestimated me. They thought that I didn't have an agenda or a reason to be there, at least not anything deeper than what I told them.
What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why? My best friend has forgotten everything about me. But if I asked her before, she'd tell me that I don't trust enough. I didn't trust her until she knew my secrets, and there are only a few more people I have faith in. I've seen too much wrong done to believe in many people.
What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why? To her, my redeeming quality would be the kindness that I feel toward others, how I want to help everyone I can.
What do you want most? What will you do to get it? I want Imogen. I've already done all I'm able to do to get her. I'm relying on my faith in her now.

Well...things have popped up in here that I wasn't expecting. I love interviewing characters!

What types of things have you learned about your characters you weren't expecting?

Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

2012-02-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: YA (Paranormal)

Why I read it/how I found it: Read it in part for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge.

Description:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Review:

This book is so emotionally charged. The feelings between Jack and Becks (her name is Nikki, but Jack calls her Becks, so I like that more) are intense. There's so much hurt, love, and longing between them it rips your heart out. I loved the flashbacks to give us an idea of Becks's life before Everneath, and how all of that builds up to see why she decided to go with Cole in the first place. And while the choice Becks made was wrong and weak, it makes her a good character, who has human emotions that make her use bad judgement. Her struggle with her choice was absolutely heartbreaking, but I think had a good parallel with substance abuse. Both only bring in more problems and emotional trauma than dealing with the situations the drug users try to escape from. My one complaint is that it takes a while to understand the world and what's going on exactly with the situation Becks is in. There's enough of a mystery with the Daughters of Persephone and the bracelet that we don't need the mystery of Beck's time in the Everneath.

Other information: This is set to be released as a trilogy. Brodi Ashton's blog is here.

Emotion

2012-02-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

In my writing class, we talked about emotion a few class periods ago. How we accomplish making our reader, our characters, even ourselves feel.

I think that emotion can be one of the hardest parts for writers to accomplish, and it's the most important. All of the books that you read over and over again, that leave you anticipating for the sequel, crying when the series is over, it's all from the emotional tie you as a reader have to the book. There's a lot that comes into play with this, characters and plot, mainly, but the actual writing itself can be the most difficult. You don't want to sound too emo or sappy or hateful.

So as I questioned how we as writers can do this, I thought about music. Generally speaking, the lyrics that move us the most aren't overly emo or sappy or hateful (at least, for me they're not). Just look at these lyrics:

From Where You Are by Lifehouse
"I miss the years that were erased
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face
I miss all the little things
I never thought they'd mean everything to me
Yeah I miss you
And I wish you were here"

This set of lyrics gives us a specific image by saying "I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face." You can see it. You can see a loved one's face tilted up to the sun, a smile, the happy feeling that's now been taken away. The absence of that happy feeling is what makes it hurt the most. These lyrics are so simply stated they make a big impact. There's no great metaphor for how he feels life is a black hole and there's no more joy in his life. It just simply says "I miss you and I wish you were here." How much more powerful is this than a hyperbole of depression?

Now, when I write emotion, I try to think of a great song that makes me feel in a similar way. Getting down to the sentence-level I've found has really helped me.

How do you try to bring out emotion in your reader?

Book Review: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins

2012-01-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: MG (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: Third book in the Underland Chronicles

Description:
With two prophecies fulfilled, Gregor is now focused on the Prophecy of Blood, which calls for Gregor and Boots to return to the Underland to help ward off a plague. But this time, his mother refuses to let him go...until Ripred the rat convinces her that Gregor and Boots need to stay for only a brief meeting. Finally, Gregor's mom relents, provided she is allowed to travel with them.

When they arrive in the subterranean city, the plague is spreading--and it has claimed one of his closest companions. Only then does Gregor start to understand how the illness plays with the fate of all warmblooded creatures, but he still doesn't know how he can help combat it.

Review:
This has been my favorite of the series so far. They continue to get better and better as the series goes on (well, at least these three do). Gregor and Boots are maturing very naturally throughout the story, especially Gregor. He's starting to see the gray areas of war and puzzling over where a line should be drawn. There's action a-plenty, of course, but the plot is still great. The cast of characters a full-fleshed and diverse, the setting is different from the rest and intriguing. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Other information: This is the third of a five-part series.

The kind of writer I do and don't want to be

2012-01-24T10:36:00.009-07:00

I don't want to write only to get published.
I want to continue writing no matter what because I love it.
If/when I'm published, I don't want to be ungrateful and never be satisfied because of what I don't have (six figure deals, movies, awards, huge twitter followings).
If/when I'm published, I want to be content with the fact that my dream's come true and a physical book exists with the word I wrote.
I don't want to feel the need to degrade other genres/writers just because they're successful and I'm not.
I want to praise all writers for the fact that they did something hard and published a book, and praise even more highly those who I think did a fan-freaking-tastic job.
If I do become one of the few lucky who's really successful at a writing, I don't ever want to forget that for all the work I did put in, I'm only a slice of the reason why I'm able to support myself in it.

This is my list. What's yours?

Huzzah! Blog Awards!

2012-01-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

I want to thank Jaye Robin Brown for the Versatile Blogger award!

I've gotten this one before, so I'm passing on the passing of this one again, but I'm always appreciative when people think of my blog and give it an award. :)

Kelley has also given me a blog award, the Kreativ Blogger award.

For this one, I am sharing 10 things about myself and giving to 6 bloggers.

Ten things about me:

I'm trying to get better at decorating cakes.
Since coming to college, I've been turned on to wearing aprons while washing dishes and cooking. It saves clothes.
Gilmore Girls is my favorite TV show (so far...Once Upon a Time is giving it a run for it's money, but it's too early to tell).
The first musical I saw on stage was Beauty and the Beast, but the first I remember is Wicked.
Most of the youtube videos that I think are hilarious are in some way related to books, cats, or kids.
For 8th grade graduation, I was given the A.R. (Advanced Reader) Award for accumulating over a thousand points and reading Gone With the Wind.
I hate bananas, but love banana cake, banana bread, banana cookies.
I had one year where I was awesome at soccer...then hit a growth spurt and became awkward.
Current favorite song: I Wouldn't Mind by He is We.
I wish I were good at photoshop-y things, but I settle with not-too-embarrassing.

Here's the six Kreativ bloggers I pass the award onto:

Huzzah! You know, that's just a really fun word. And following all of these blogs--also really fun. :)

Strong Bad writes for children

2012-01-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny video of Strong Bad from Homestar Runner about his children's book.

Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

2012-01-14T10:54:00.002-07:00

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Publisher: Puffin
Genre: YA (contemporary)
Why I read it/how I found it: I recently found the nerdfighter community and I felt I had to read at least one of John Green's books.

Description:
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Review:
I don't even know where to start with this. This book made me bawl. BAWL. I had to leave company so I could sob. I know reading it through once isn't enough to pick up on the layers of the book, everything that this book can give. It's so powerful, the way the words are used and phrases and made memorable, the quotes of other people/works that find their place, connecting humanity together. The characters are so real, flesh-and-blood. Sometimes they amaze me. Sometimes they aggravate me. Sometimes I want to slap them, and sometimes I want to hug them. But I cried with them. They were flawed, but so humanized.
The one thing that will stop me from recommending this book to everyone is that there is a lot of cussing and two or three rather sexual scenes that I skimmed over, and I think that quite a few people I know would probably just shut the book there.
And to those who have read Looking for Alaska already, get this: I checked this book out from the library on January 10. I didn't even know. Freaky, right? Yeah, freaky.

Other information: Looking for Alaska has been opted for film by Paramount, but it looks like it's stuck in development. John Green's website is here.

I'm going contemporary

2012-01-12T21:52:00.006-07:00

This week has been crazy. I won't bore you with details, but it was crazy! *Long deep breath*

One thing that gave me major stress-out was on Tuesday, I had my first class for English 320R: Writing for Children and Adolescents. Yay, right? Nope. Not yay. You see, the section I'd signed up for consists of only writing picture books. That's all. I'm mainly a YA writer with occasional MG ideas. The class description had said that the class would consist of writing picture books, MG, and YA. I was excited to try a hand at picture books, but not the whole semester.

There's one other section for the class. I went to check on it, and saw there was a seat. Now that's a yay! However, adding that class would put me over 18 credit hours, which isn't allowed, so I can't add the class. No problem, I'd just drop my current class. After I do that, I go to add the section I want and it says that I need a permission to add code and to get that from the professor to add.

Not yay.

I also can't add back the class I dropped (I still need this class as part of my major, too, so it's important I have it) and find that since the professor is letting more people take the class than people are allowed to sign up for, I can't add the class, unless I get the add code. And how awkward would it be to go up to that professor and say, "Yeah...I dropped your class...but now I need it...could you give me an add code?"

Not yay.

But I emailed the professor for the section I want, she gave me the add code, and I have my first class today! :) Yay!

My professor also emailed me the syllabus, and it turns out this is focusing on contemporary MG/YA. I'm a little nervous about this. While I have tried to start contemporary books before, except for one case, I failed. I do have one idea, and I don't need a full MS to pass the class, but I'd still like to try and go as far as I can with it.

So, to contemporary writers out there, I have this question for you: how do you come up with ideas for your books? I'm not talking about a spark idea, but everything that keeps the story moving. What do you do for ideas?

Book Review: Eve by Anna Carey

2012-01-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

Title: Eve
Author: Anna Carey
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Dystopian
Why I read it/how I found it: It showed up in the mailbox addressed to me. I think I won it in a contest, but I can't remember.

Description:
The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Review:

Well, the concept was pretty interesting, with the take on reproduction. Although has anyone else noticed the different spins that dystopians have taken with reproduction? Wither and Bumped both have different takes on it, as does Eve. Anyway, the world-building was done well, and I'll give it the distinction of being one of the better-developed dystopian worlds out there. I think that having so many connections to our world now, and the fact that not everything was lost, makes it an easier world to connect to than some other dystopians.
However, the main flaw in this book was Eve herself. She's beautiful, intelligent, fragile, kind, and oh-so perfect, everyone just loves her. Even the people who don't like her at first come to love her. She just so perfect no one could ever hate her once they know her! So that was annoying. At first, I tried to fight back my dislike because hey, she's been fed lies to all her life, I should feel some sympathy for her. But then I realized...I dislike people who are products of their upbringing. And after that I felt fine when I was annoyed at how she freaked out whenever she saw a man and continued to believe the lies she'd been told in school, even though she found out that they'd been bringing her up to a horrible fate.
The beginning was a little too fast for me, I guess given Eve's personality I didn't see her as acting in a way that got her out of school and into the wild by breaking rules. And I never really felt a connection with the life Eve used to have with her mother, and then with her friends Pip and Ruby.
Looking at the book, it has what it should--action, stakes, romance. But nothing about it was really special to me, and Eve just bugged me too much.

Other info: This is a trilogy, the next book titled Once. It has also been opted as a TV show from the producers of The Vampire Diaries. Anna Carey's book is here.

Crossed Winner and Other Stuff

2012-01-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the signed copy of Crossed is...J.A. Bennett! Congratulations! I'll be sending you an email. Please respond in 48 hours, or the prize may be given to someone else.

Now I have a few things I'd like to tell you about.

First, Emily R. King has two surveys about blogging that you should go check out. The questions are really helpful, and the more input she gets the better it'll be. She'll be sharing the results to it, and from taking it I know I'm curious about some of the questions she posted to see how I can better my blog. So go here to participate.

Second, I wanted to spread the word about #wipmadness

Leave a comment on this post for your January 2012 goal, and on twitter whenever you need some writer support, just use the hashtag #wipmadness. It's a great way to connect with other people.

Third, there's a bloghop coming up that I'm super excited about! Hope Roberson and Cassie Mae are holding the Is It Getting Hot In Here? bloghop

Basically, you can share your favorite kiss scene from a book, your life, or your W.I.P and share it on February 14th. Find out more about it and sign up here.

And one more blogfest, also brought to you by Cassie Mae and Angie are hosting I'm Hearing Voices, Character Blogfest.

This one will be really helpful in digging into your characters. Find out more and sign up here.

Well, that's all from me for now. I hope you join in some of this awesome-sauce.

Writing Resolutions

2012-01-03T09:18:00.003-07:00

With the new year, bear with me as I share my goals for 2012 (at least the writingish ones).

Edit at least a page a day.
Write 500 words a day, of anything.
Comment on at least three blogs four days out of the week.
Prepare a query (although whether I actually query...different story).
Have FORGET ME NOT into its shiniest form.

I've tried to make my resolutions doable, so I don't end up like the cartoon above. Slow and steady after all.

What resolutions have you made?

Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

2011-12-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

First, a reminder to enter my blogiversary giveaway.

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: YA (dystopia)
Why I read it/how I found it: I followed Tahereh Mafi's blog, and heard about it there.

Description:

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans on her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

Review:

Have you ever read a book and thought, dang it, why can't I write like that? That's Shatter Me. The prose was beautifully crafted. I'd heard about the strike-outs before, and I wasn't sure how I'd feel about them, but even when the first one came up I didn't need to get used to it. It was a natural extension of the story and Juliette's character. I also really enjoyed the characters in this book. I can't say that Juliette will make it into my favorite protagonists of all time, but I do appreciate what she went through and the layers that Mafi put on her. She has anger, feelings of abandonment, loneliness, but she's always trying to do the right thing. For me, that's a crucial part of me liking a character--I'm all for the good guys. The love interest, Adam, was awesome--tough but caring. He turned out totally different than what I'd been expecting when first introduced. As for Juliette and Adam's relationship, I did have trouble buying the fact that they supposedly knew each other before, they both liked each other, but never spoke. They were sitting along the same chain fence for six years without any friends but never talked to each other? I didn't buy that part of it, but the rest I could get into. Mafi really knows how to write sexual tension. Whew! As for the villain, Warner, he was an interesting, twisted character. I really didn't like him, but in the good way that you're supposed to not like a villain. The few other characters, James and Kenji, I also really liked, with their own unique personality. This book has a lot of great action, and it's always moving through with hardly ever a slow moment. The ending though, I'm not sure how I'm liking it yet. I'll have to see how it gets incorporated into the next book to see if the plot development works or not.

Other information: There are two more books to this trilogy, currently untitled. Shatter Me has been optioned for film by Twentieth Century Fox. You can find Tahereh Mafi's website here.

On a non-book review note, Happy New Year! May 2012 be an awesome year for all of you.

And a song with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt (in case you haven't heard it yet):

Top Ten Books I'm Glad I Picked Up in 2011

2011-12-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

First, have you entered my blogiversary giveaway? You should.

Now, here's a list of my top ten books that I'm so glad I picked up this past year.

1. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Last year, I entered college and got into this mindset that I was too busy to read. Or, at least read things outside of my classes. I hardly read anything for fun. Then, a girl in one of my classes suggested this book to me. And I'm so glad that I picked it up. I remembered how much I loved reading, and how fun it was to lose yourself in a book. Paranormalcy re-vamped my love for reading with its characters and humor.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

I thought I was done with dystopian books for a while. But then I picked up Divergent, and man, I'm glad I did! I remembered how creative people can be and that I really do enjoy a good dystopian novel.

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Before, I was never crazy about contemporary. But Anna and the French Kiss was just too much fun, and this book has made me more open to the genre to show that I can really love any type of book as long as it hooks me.

4. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

This book was so interesting and so intriguing, it had me getting shivers down my spine. I loved the complexity of Mara's character and I'm just so glad I got a chance to read it.

5. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

An awesome, thought-provoking read that made me think so differently about my actions. I loved this book.

6. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

I'm glad I finally picked up the first series by Suzanne Collins, because the themes in her books are rare to find, and I feel that they are so important to read about. Plus, the awesome story doesn't hurt it at all, either.

7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

This was an awesome book to escape into, and had such a great creep factor.

8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I used to be afraid to read this book because I thought it would be too graphic for me. But I'm glad that I picked it up because it talked about an important and hard issue to bring up, but at the same time, it felt safe.

9. White Cat by Holly Black

I loved the interest in this book, the unique world-building, and the characters. It was a lot of fun to get sucked into this book.

10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Ah, Wilde. So witty, and yet in this piece, so dark. This was an amazing look into vanity and sin, I'm glad I finally picked it up.

What are some of the books you're glad you picked up during 2011?

Blogiversary Giveaway!

2011-12-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

Like the new look? Exactly one year ago today I was bored, home from my first semester of college, and thought hey, why not start a blog? So I did. And in my less-than advanced skill on the computer, I settled for the layout I had the past year figuring it'd only be for a little bit. And man, am I glad that finally after a year it is gone!

Anyway, you're probably here for the giveaway to celebrate with me my past year of blogging. What will I be giving away? Well, how would you like one of these:

Signed by this lady:

This is Ally Condie, the author of Crossed in case you didn't know.

Aha, now I have your interest, don't I?

All you have to do is fill out this form. Before you go skipping along to it, I will let you know that you get extra entries for following this blog, following my new blog A Writer's Guide to The Hunger Games, and/or following me on twitter.

The contest will be closed next Thursday on January 5, 2012 (wow, we're going to be in 2012!).

Dream Team: Gilmore Girls Edition

2011-12-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I made this post about who from NBC's The Office I'd pick for the jobs that go into making a book happen. This post is the same idea, only this time using the character's from Gilmore Girls.

Jess Mariano as my CP. He published his own book on a small press, and he knows his stuff. Besides Paris, he was the one who could keep up with Rory when she talked books. He'd give amazing feedback.

Paris Geller as my agent. She gets whatever she wants. She might be intimidating, but that's why she'd be awesome with getting me the best deal. The insanity with dealing with her would be worth it in the end. I think.

Rory Gilmore as my editor. She already has background as an editor on the show, too, and she's always constructive with her criticism but supportive as well.

Olivia (one of the most obscure characters, I know, but she was still in the series) as the cover designer. She's the one character who's most artistic and I think she would be able to make an amazing design for the cover.

Richard Gilmore in charge of marketing. He knows business, and as he showed in the episode with Rory's mock business group, he knows how to appeal to younger audiences, too.

This is my dream team according to the cast of Gilmore Girls. I think I would be quite satisfied with this crew.

I have a childish habit

2011-12-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've been writing forever. Or at least what my nineteen years feels like forever is (which, to some people like my mother, isn't so long to them). But, for as long as I've had the ability to put pencil to paper and form words, I've written. And so of course, as a kid, I didn't know proper terms like manuscript. I just wrote stories, that's what I called them, that's what everyone else called them.

Now, ten years later, and I still fight back to write or say "story" when I refer to my own work. But I'd rather say "my story" instead of "my book" or "my manuscript." I don't know what it is. I want to be grown-up and professional, out of my self-illustrated cover and table of contents smudged in pencil and into real shiny covers and formatting. But I can't let go of my stories. Maybe it's habit, and maybe it's something else. Maybe it's holding on to the excitement and thrill I got as a kid writing down the people and places in my head. It may also be that I've always focused on the actual story and not the writing (which, of course I learned a few years ago is actually important).

Now that this is out in the open I just might keep on referring to FORGET ME NOT as my story. Because despite everything I know now, it's really that child-like excitement that keeps me writing.

(And for kicks, here's a picture from my childhood)

Me and my brothers. First day of 3rd grade for me.

The Red Ryder BB Gun

2011-12-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

I hope you all are doing well. I just got over the flu (blech) so I've been a little out of it the past few days. But I'm just glad I came down with it before Christmas and not during.

Last night, my family and I watched the classic movie, A Christmas Story. It's one of those movies that we just have to watch every year. I think it's funny watching it in the retrospect of a more adult-like person now and reminiscing more than being the kid. And last night, I reminisced on my own Red Ryder BB Gun.

Well, not an actual one of those, of course. But the one present that I want so badly I would have done nearly anything to get it. For me, my ultimate Christmas gift would have been a kitten. I knew my parents would never give me a cat, but hey, Santa was the one giving gifts at Christmas, not the parents. I knew if I were really good, I'd wake up on Christmas and under the tree there'd be a cute little kitten under the tree sleeping in the early hours of the morning. My mom told me that Santa wouldn't get me a cat because he also knew what my parents didn't want me to get. But I believed so much that I'd get a kitten. This happened for several years until I realized just how accurate my mom was in that Santa wouldn't get me a cat because my parents didn't want one. I'd pretty much given up.

Then I went into middle school. And uh, yeah, I guess you can imagine the type of 'tude I got. My dad was puzzled about it, but thought that maybe if I got a cat like I'd always wanted, I'd be loving to the cat, and therefore more loving to my family (they were really the only ones who got the 'tude from me). So, after many months, he finally convinced my mom to get me a cat. I didn't wake up on Christmas to a kitten sleeping under the tree, I had to wait until January to pick one out, but it was still considered one of my Christmas presents.

And so after many, many years, I finally got my own Red Ryder BB Gun.

What Christmas present was your Red Ryder BB Gun? Have you given anyone the present they wanted more than anything?

Some Lesser-Known Christmas Songs

2011-12-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, around the halfway point between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you're going CRAZY because of all the same Christmas songs playing again and again and again, the same tune and words just with different voices and arrangement, or that same popular song played on the radio fifty times a day (how many times am I expected to hear Taylor Swift whining as usual about her freaking boy issues during Christmas?!)...

First, I really do like Christmas music. But the situation above makes things a little tiresome for me about this time. That's why I want to introduce you to some Christmas songs you might not know, and if you do, your ears probably haven't been boxed in by them yet.

This one is my all-time favorite (and this original version specifically). Mary's Boy Child by Harry Belafonte. I have so many childhood memories of listening to this song during Christmas and marveling about how miraculous Christmas is.

I was raised on The Beach Boy's Christmas Album. This is one of their songs, Little Saint Nick. I LOVE dancing to this and decorating the tree:

And, for a last one, Christmastime by Hilary Weeks. This one is so cozy and makes me think of all the amazing things that Christmas is:

On a completely unrelated note, I would like to proudly declare that I have not yet been put under ~~torture~~ submission to hear any of Justin Bieber's Christmas songs. It's a beautiful, wonderful feeling to be free of such horrid pop culture.

Major Blog Award Catch Up

2011-12-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it was about last week, but I received three blog awards!

First, thanks M.E. for the Liebster Award!

Second, thank you Crystal Licata for One Lovely Blog Award!

I've gotten these two awards before, so I'm passing on giving them out again, but seriously guys, I love it when people think of me when they give out awards.

And so last of all, I want to thank Krista for the Beautiful Blogger Award!

And so for this award I'm passing it on to five awesome bloggers!

1. Jaye Robin Brown
2. S.P. Bowers
3. E.R. King
4. Erin
5. Ruth Josse

Again, thank you M.E., Crystal, and Krista. And be sure to follow those I've passed the award on to. :)

As for me, I'm in finals week. I'm hoping to finish mine by tomorrow, but I might be pushing it as late as Thursday. But after that, I am FREE and going back home to California where there is relative warmth in comparison to where I am now and most other places in the U.S. And once I'm done with finals I'm going to start work on revising FORGET ME NOT. Isn't it the most wonderful time of the year?

Book Review: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

2011-12-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

Title: Forgive My Fins
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: YA (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: MERMAIDS

Description:
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Review:
MERMAIDS! I haven't read a book about mermaids ever, I think. Unless you count the Hans Christian Anderson story. But, anywhoo, I will say to this book that I loved the world it created. My favorite part was diving down in the sea to go to Thalassinia and seeing how Childs structured their world. That was fantastical and magical and I loved it. But...as for the rest of it...I was not as wowed as I'd hoped starting this book. Generally, I don't have too much of a problem with MC's annoying me. But I did with Lily. She had these "problems" and got all woe-is-me about them, when frankly I didn't see them as too much of a problem if she stopped being so idiotic and stubborn. I'll have you know I've never called an MC a whiner before, until I read Lily. She complains a lot and thinks her life is the worst ever. Overdone. I can't even see why Quince liked her. He was pretty cool, and made most of the book okay to go along with, but why he was attracted to Lily, I will never know. I wished that the plot would have been a little less predictable, but unfortunately...it was. Very much predictable. I knew what would happen about fifteen pages in.

Other info: This has a sequel, Fins Are Forever. Tera Lynn Child's website is here.

If you happen to have read an awesome mermaid book, please let me know about it! I'm dying to read a book about my favorite mythical creature that I can gobble up and adore!

My Top Ten: Book Covers

2011-12-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

All right, so this has nothing to do with improving writing like my other Top Tens, but this one's just too much fun! :) I may have loved the book, I may have hated it, or fallen in the middle, this list is just of covers that I think are beautiful.

1.

4. For me, this one is all about the actual book cover. A computer screen can't give justice to the sheen and color of this one:

10.

What about you? What are some of your favorite covers?

Book Review: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins

2011-12-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: MG (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: Sequel to Gregor the Overlander.

Description:
In the months since Gregor first encountered the strange Underland beneath New York City, he’s sworn he won’t ever go back. But when another prophecy, this time about an ominous white rat known as the Bane, calls for Gregor’s help, the Underlanders know the only way they can get his attention is through his little sister, Boots. Now Gregor’s quest reunites him with his bat, Ares, the rebellious princess Luxa, and new allies and sends them through the dangerous and deadly Waterway in search of the Bane. Then Gregor must face the possibility of his greatest loss yet, and make life and death choices that will determine the future of the Underland.

Review:
I really love this world that Collins created. She always manages to show that nothing is black and white, everything has gray. This theme especially rings true in this second book of the Gregor series. I find myself very involved in the different creatures in the Underland, not just the humans, and finding ways this works in our own world. I loved the characters in this, too. Boots is just as adorable as ever, I loved getting to know Ares more, and Twitchtip was another awesome addition to both the theme and the cast of characters. I appreciate what Collins is able to explore here for younger readers, which I frankly think kids aren't being exposed to early enough these days. The ending is really thrilling, and goes for a total twist that you never expect. I'm looking forward to finishing this series.

Other information: This is the second of fives books in the series. Suzanne Collins's website is here.

PerNoFiMo is FINISHED!

2011-12-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I officially completed the first draft of my W.I.P. Time to blow the horns! WHOOOO!!! Personal Novel Finishing Month has been a success.

So, for anyone who's curious (and me to record):

Working Title: Forget Me Not
Genre: YA Fantasy
Idea came: March 4, 2011
Bumps along the way: I started to write it seriously around April, but had to scrap it mid-June and start over.
Finish date: November 30, 2011.
Word count: 67,000
Brought to you by: Josh Groban, Josh Groban, and oh yeah, Josh Groban. I couldn't listen to anything but him for some reason. Especially this song:

For those curious about the premise of it, let's just say that when I heard this song I was kind of freaked out about how well it fit my MC's situation:

(As you might tell, music is huge for me when it comes to writing).

And right now is really the perfect time for me to be finishing up my first draft, because now I can focus on my last week of class and finals week. Then over Christmas break I'll be able to dive right into revising.

So since November tends to be a productive month for finishing projects, have any of you finished a draft lately?

Announcing A Writer's Guide to The Hunger Games!

2011-11-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've been a huge fan of The Hunger Games for a long time now, in case you haven't noticed. And whenever we're given the advice to "see how published books have done it" I've always flipped back to The Hunger Games Trilogy. And so earlier this month I decided to start a blog just on that--seeing how Suzanne Collins manages to capture her audience in this series.

This week I made my first two posts on it. So if you're a fan of The Hunger Games or just want to get insight into how Suzanne Collins manages to hook so many readers, be sure to follow my new blog--A Writer's Guide to The Hunger Games.

In other news, I'm now 62k words into my W.I.P. with three more chapters, two more days, and three thousand more words to meet my goal.

What book do you always look at to see how the author did it? How's your W.I.P coming along?

Somebody Has a Gun

2011-11-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

I've read a book somewhat recently that I feel sort of takes Michael's stance on action. It's like the author was thinking, "Well, as long as things are blowing up and people are fighting, that'll make my book interesting!"

I wish sometimes authors (and screenwriters and anyone making a story) could see that they're pulling a Michael here. Now, obviously there needs to be action, and for some stories it's appropriate to have guns and that type of action. People have guns in TV shows and movies because it is exciting, like Michael said. But Michael fails to realize that usually before the big fight that he wants to emulate in his improv class, there's character development and conflict and mystery. They may start out with a big scene, but then it peters out and we get the plot. Bursts of action may come in the middle, but sandwiched between those there's other crucial elements that make a story interesting and worth reading/watching.

But really, seeing/reading anything that just seems to down on the action without incorporating other elements can just be tiring. This may be more of a jab toward action movies than books, but this is something we can all fall into and I've been thinking about.

Book Review: Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley

2011-11-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

Title: Bella at Midnight
Author: Diane Stanely
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Middle grade/little YA-ish (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: browsing through the library and it looked intriguing.

Description:
Bella has grown up thinking that she was just a simple peasant girl. But suddenly, Bella's world collapses. First, her best friend, Julian, betrays her. Then she finds out that she is, in fact, Isabel, the daughter of a knight who abandoned her in infancy. And now he wants her back. Bella is torn from her beloved foster family and tries to accept her new life with her deranged father and his resentful wife. But when she finds out about a terrible plot that threatens the kingdom, she sets out on a journey that will lead her to a destiny far greater than she could have imagined.

Review:
This book has some charm to it. It takes a spin on the Cinderella story, and one in a way that I haven't seen before. The parts where Bella is a peasant and growing up are sweet, and when she's taken away from that happy place it's sad. Overall the plotline is interesting and has compelling stakes, and the ending is satisfying to any happily-ever-after lover. The reason that I couldn't completely get into this book was because it shifts first-person POV frequently. And not in a Shiver type of way where it's between two POVs, it's at least eight different characters (and those are the ones I can just think of off the top of my head). I found this unsettling, because I was always jumping not only from head to head, but also story to story. Halfway through the book we leave Bella and the characters she has for new characters, who do end up being her stepfamily, but it's such a transition it shook me up.

Other information: I couldn't find anything more on this book, or a website for the author.

PerNoFiMo Check-in

2011-11-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

All right, because I need to be accountable to somebody for my Personal Novel Finishing Month, I've come to tell you guys my progress.
I am now at 58k on my W.I.P. Whew!
I think I'm going to be closer to 65k when I finish, but I tend to underwrite my first time through, so after everything goes through and it's finished, it should be longer.

And, to amuse you, a video called Harry Potter in 99 Seconds. Because I am both a nerd and easily entertained.

Book Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

2011-11-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Young Adult (dystopian)
Why I read it/how I found it: It's the sequel to Matched

Description:

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Review:

Once again, the way that Condie can spin descriptions amazes me to no end. Crossed is just as poetically written as Matched, and with all of the rich imagery the setting has, it makes for breathtaking sentences. As description is one of my weak points, I just ate it up. In Crossed, I felt like I really got to know the characters more. Their struggles, wants, and past were fleshed-out and stunning. I wasn't sure about how I'd feel with Ky taking half of the book through his POV, as I'm not generally a fan of adding in a second POV in a sequel, but Condie really made the right choice. There are things he tells us that Cassia would never be able to, but things he wouldn't be able to tell Cassia and through us, her. I feel though, that this book wasn't as much about the plot as it was the characters, and I felt the same way with Matched. Everything else about it was so beautiful that I couldn't bring myself to care, although now I have expectations of the third book. And part of that is action. While I'm sure more character growth will be needed in the third book, it's come to the point where I hope we get a lot more action and plot.

Other information: There is a third book (still untitled, and today I went to a signing with Ally Condie, and she said that she and the publishers are still struggling with a title). Matched has been opted for film by Disney. You can find Ally Condie's website here.

It's for the Kids

2011-11-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I've been following news for The Hunger Games movie since...well, since it was announced that it was opted for film. And I've loved seeing big news companies covering the story. I always get really excited and read through the articles and the comments, too. And, amongst all of the hyped-up fans, I've always noticed a different kind of comment: "This is just Battle Royale for kids." Followed by more snark about how it isn't violent enough and it's toned-down and dumb.

Ok, even if I wasn't Peeta-crazy, say what now?!

I am very much aware of the similarities between Battle Royale and The Hunger Games, although I haven't ever read the former. But I really think this is just one of those ideas that gets used a lot, so there's no way to really say the idea was "stolen."

However my main beef with these types of comments is the dismissal of it being "for kids" in such a condescending way. I'm 19, so maybe I get riled up at this comment because I'm in limbo between childhood and adulthood and get in the defense about that part of me still in kid mode. But I'd hope anyone would look at these comments in a similar way that I do. And that's "well, why shouldn't there be a version of this for kids?"

There are concepts, themes, and ideas in The Hunger Games that kids should learn and be exposed to. I admire Suzanne Collins' skill, because while she does portray the horror of the situation, she doesn't do it in a way to alienate a majority of the YA audience with vast depictions of violence (depending on the kid, I'd think anywhere from ages 12-14 they could read this book). If she had created another Battle Royale, then I don't think the book would have reached as many kids (or adults), even with the same themes and storyline.

I feel the same way with Speak. It took me a long time to read Speak because before I thought, "Ew, rape. It's going to be so graphic!" But I finally decided to read it, and Laurie Halse Anderson is able to talk about rape in a way that doesn't mask the troubles and terrors that come with rape, but she also doesn't make it into a big scene that scarred me with too many details.

I know some people have a much more relaxed view of what kids should be exposed to. And I know some people are stiff-necked about it. I fall in the middle. Laurie Halse Anderson explained in a note at the end of my copy of Speak that, "America's teens are desperate for responsible, trustworthy adults to create situations in which they can discuss the issues that are of high concern for them." I don't believe in making an overly-graphic novel for a YA audience (and I don't consider The Hunger Games to be overly-graphic, so I wouldn't exactly say I'm a prude about it), but I don't believe in covering up subjects, either. It all comes down to the "responsible, trustworthy" part. Kids are expecting truth, but they're expecting it in a form they can become comfortable with the issues. And that's where books like The Hunger Games and Speak come in. Two different genres, two different subjects, but both targeting to YA and their needs.

So, to those negative commentors, yes, The Hunger Games can be seen as a Battle Royale for kids, but I don't think that makes it worse. I think it makes it even better.

Tips for Baking

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I made a cake for my friend's birthday. I'm pretty much the designated cake-maker among my circle of friends. Since coming to college and living with people who see me make the cakes, but have no idea why I do certain things the way I do has made me realize how much my mom knew about baking that most people don't know.

So here are two things I've learned from my mom that are really helpful when you want to make a cake.

1. Put down the Crisco! I found out coming to college that people will put Crisco and flour on their pans so the cake doesn't stick. Way better option: get some wax paper and trace the bottom of the pan. Cut out the wax paper and put it at the bottom of the pan. Your cakes will come out (don't worry about the edges, they don't stick) and just peel off the wax paper. Seriously, it's 100 times better.

2. Freeze your cakes. Before you put the frosting on, it's best to let your cakes freeze for an hour or more. This makes them stiff, so it's easier to spread the frosting around. And my roommate noted that when I frosted the cake, there weren't any crumbs getting all up in the frosting. I've been watching this be done this way for so long, I didn't even know crumbs were an issue.

There you have it. Two easy ways to make your cake-baking experience easier! Do you have any culinary tips others don't often know about?

Yay for Blog Awards!

2011-11-03T08:32:00.000-06:00

Thanks so much to Juliemybird for this blog award:

It certainly is lovely! The roses are beautiful.

And of course, I need to pass it along! So without further ado, I pass this award to:
1. Amanda the Aspiring
2. Abby Fowers
3. Bethany Elizabeth
4. Magpiewrites
5. Paige

And you know if I gave them an award, they're totally worth it to follow. So go on and follow them if you aren't already!

PerNoFiMo

2011-11-01T17:03:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I just wrote down PerNoFiMo, not NaNoWriMo. Because while I'm not officially participating in NaNo, I'm trying to embrace the spirit of it.

Last year I tried it, and I failed. I think part of it was that I decided a week before to do it, I didn't have an outline together, and this idea wasn't one that I could just spit out. I needed time to research and plan. So when it came time to write I hit a lot of brick walls and around 20,000 words I realized I would be using none of what I'd written. Plus, I spent a day driving home to California for Thanksgiving and a day driving back up to school. And once at home, I didn't want to write. I wanted to spend time with my friends, family, and cat.

Seriously, how could I write when I hadn't seen my kitty in 3 months?

I wasn't planning on doing NaNo this year. But then, a little idea I had began sprouting. And this one doesn't really need an outline or research, just a general idea and then I could run with it wherever I wanted. So tempting not to try again, except for a few things...

TESTS! STUDY! WORK! ESSAYS! CHORES! LIFE! MORE TESTS! MORE WORK!

I'm sure you all know how it goes.

And, to top it all off, I'm still on a W.I.P right now that took a back seat when I came back to school.

I wanted to get in the spirit of NaNo though, and so what I decided was to have my own PerNoFiMo, or Personal Novel Finishing Month. This is going to be the month, guys. By November 30, I will have finished the first draft of my W.I.P. I'm currently at 45,000 words and hope to be anywhere between 65,000 and 75,000 by the time I finish. Anywhere between 20k-30k more to go.

Not quite (at all) 50,000 words, but it'll be a great accomplishment nonetheless.

Book Review: Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

2011-10-29T11:32:00.000-06:00

Title: Gregor the Overlander
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Middle grade (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: The author wrote The Hunger Games trilogy. I had to check out her other series.

Description:
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

Review:
This is a book I wished I'd picked up when I was younger (and when it came out, I was it's target audience). But I must say, better late than never. This world is really unique for a children's fantasy, because of how dark it is. Usually for kids a fantasy world is magical and sparkly, with only a streak of darkness to it. Yet despite the gloomy setting, it's not really oppressive or too scary. And I never thought I'd like a book with spiders, cockroaches, bats, and rats. But I did. And on top of that, I was really impressed with the characterization of Boots, Gregor's two-year-old sister. It's always been difficult for me to create a believable character under the age of five, and I find when they're in books they tend to be minor characters. She was believable in her age and understanding, but had her own personality at the same time. And of course, all of the other characters were amazing. I'm always impressed with how Suzanne Collins can make her characters breathe life, and the characters in Gregor the Overlander weren't any different.

Other information: There are four more books to this series. Suzanne Collins' website is here.

An Easy Tip

2011-10-27T19:17:00.000-06:00

This is something that I learned in my class on writing literary criticism:

To see the pattern of your sentences and how long they are, wherever there's a period make a dot on the margin. This way, you can visualize the length of your sentences and see what areas are either lacking in dots or abounding in them. And, this doesn't take up a lot of your time (it's the whole fixing it that takes longer).

This helped me a lot in writing my essay, because it's important to have a lot of different sentence lengths when writing an essay. And in general, I think writing creatively a variety of sentence lengths is good, unless one is making a point with the length of syntax.

Just something quick I thought I'd share. :)

Inspiration of Awesomeness

2011-10-25T08:42:00.000-06:00

I love it when I come across things that inspire me. Maybe not with a specific idea, but something that's so awesome it just makes me want to be awesome, too.

A few weeks ago I discovered one of these. I'm probably coming in late to the craze, but better late than never, right?

I've been completely taken away with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Here's the first part of it:

So if you haven't seen it yet, I'd suggest watching the whole thing (and it's only about 40 minutes, so it won't take too long). It's amazing.

Book Review: The Death Cure by James Dashner

2011-10-22T10:16:00.000-06:00

Title: The Death Cure
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Young Adult (dystopian)
Why I read it/how I found it: I read the first two in the series, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials so of course I need to finish the series!

Description:
Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.
What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Review:
This may be the most action-packed of the entire series, although that's hard to say because they all have a lot of action. But in this book especially, I saw it play out just like an action movie. There's certainly never a dull moment, and at times I realized how emotionally invested I was in these books, characters, and their lives and decisions. Now, in the midst of all of this action, I felt a little like Dashner added in a lot in the middle because he had an idea of the beginning and end, but needed filler for the middle. Just a lot of action and exciting stuff to add some pages onto the book. As for the ending of this series, I'll say that I'm satisfied. I'm a little disappointed with one aspect of the end (but won't say what so there'll be no spoilers), but not feeling cheated as a reader.

Other info: This is the conclusion to The Maze Runner Trilogy. The first book has been opted for a movie by Fox. You can find James Dashner's blog here.

Winner of 100 Follower Giveaway

2011-10-20T10:07:00.003-06:00

The signed copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin goes to...Jenna Miller! Jenna, I'll be emailing you to get your address. Please respond in 48 hours in order to ensure the book goes to you.

Okay, so when I was making the form to fill out for the giveaway, you might have noticed my super random question about cheese. Well, that's because the form looked a little blank, so I decided to add in a random question and that was the one that came into my head. But only two people answered the third option, "Why yes! My favorite's gouda!"

So I'm feeling that not a lot of people got the reference. And so, to bring you out of the dark, a clip from She's the Man (sorry about the quality, it was all I could find :/)

Yeah, pretty much one of the funniest movies ever. I'd quote this all the time with my friends in high school.

Yes, I am a Christian

2011-10-18T17:40:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am going to venture into that realm in which we're not supposed to go. Religion. With a sprinkle of politics. Oh snap.

But you can breathe again, I'm not going to try and convert you. I just want to explain things that are often misunderstood, and have been recently.

Last week, a prominent Baptist minister, Dr. Robert Jeffress talked about why "born-again followers of Christ" shouldn't vote for Mitt Romney because he's "not a Christian." He says:

The Southern Baptist Convention, which is the largest Protestant denomination in the world, has officially labeled Mormonism as a cult. I think Mitt Romney's a good, moral man, but I think those of us who are born-again followers of Christ should always prefer a competent Christian to a competent non-Christian like Mitt Romney... A lot of people say they're Christians and they're not, but they do not embrace historical Christianity. And I, again, believe that as Christians, we have the duty to prefer and select Christians as our leaders. (Source)

Now, if you didn't catch that I'm in Utah attending Brigham Young University, and if that didn't tip it off to you, I'm a Mormon. My parents converted as adults, so about half of my family isn't Mormon and I've heard of their diverse beliefs. I grew up in California, and I've been in Utah for school for just over a year now. I attended church every week since I've been born, went to early morning seminary, as well as church camps and devotionals. I've been to a few services of different religions with friends growing up and talked with my friends about their religions, from Catholicism to Jehovah Witnesses to Hinduism, and I'm friends with several Atheists. I'd say between how I grew up and my own devotion, I have a sound understanding of other beliefs and of my own. At least enough to explain my opinions.

First, the official name of the "Mormon" church is The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints. We got the nickname "Mormon" from our scripture, The Book of Mormon. But church leaders have made it clear this is not our official name, because we want to highlight the fact that Jesus Christ is at the center of our church.

Whenever we pray in church or private, we always end with the phrase, "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Two weeks ago I went to my bishop to get what's called a temple recommend, basically a form that gives me permission to enter into the temple, which is the holiest and most sacred of all LDS buildings. In this interview, he asked me, "Do you have a testimony of Jesus Christ?" I answered, "Yes." If I had answered, "no" then I wouldn't have been allowed to go into the temple. Any member who doesn't have a testimony of Jesus Christ can't be a part of this extremely sacred place. It's essential to us that we believe in Him. Even The Book of Mormon, which is often criticized because it isn't the Bible, has the full title of "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ." In this "un-Christian" book, a name or title which references Christ is in every 1.7 verses.

Dr. Jeffress and others are perhaps startled with our "image" of Jesus. We don't believe in the trinity. We believe that God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings who are "one" in that they have the same goal. We also believe that Jesus came to the Americas after his resurrection as a fulfillment of the scripture found in John 10:16: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice." This visit to the Americas is recorded in The Book of Mormon.

These, among a few other reasons, is what Dr. Jeffress claims make us not Christian, because we don't, as he put it, "embrace historical Christianity." I'll tell you a bit more of what I and the other Mormons believe:

I believe Jesus was born to the virgin Mary, with God as His Father. I believe in the words of the Old and New Testament. I believe that He healed the sick, walked on water, raised the dead. I believe He suffered for our sins and died on the cross for us. I believe that without Him, I wouldn't be able to progress into heaven. I believe that on the third day, He was resurrected from the dead. I believe He'll come again.

Any other Christians disagree with any of that?
Mormons do differ on some points, there's no denying. But so do several other Christian faiths differ among each other. That doesn't make them any less Christian. Because in the end, we all believe that Jesus Christ is our way to salvation. And that is what makes us Christian.

On the "cult" thing, I can see why an outsider would see that. We do what our leaders tell us, generally. Some mistake this for blind faith. I'll tell you, though, that there isn't one principle or belief I haven't studied out and prayed about on my own. We are told to ask for ourselves. I've done that. I'm not going by blind faith. I'm choosing this on my own free will, after a lot of thought on the matter. Also, our temple can seem secretive, which suggests a cult. I've heard crazy things like we sacrifice animals and babies there and we get married naked (none of these are true, in case you were wondering). We, however, prefer the term sacred over secret. What happens in there is so special that only those completely devoted and mature can understand it, and thus participate and see it once the temple has been dedicated to the Lord. I've only been in one part of the temple. I'm approaching the age where I can go in farther, but I'm waiting so that I'm ready. Do you see? Nineteen years of preparation and I'm still getting ready. How could someone claiming we're not Christians and a cult go in and understand? They can't. It would become a mockery, and it already has to those who don't get it.

Now, personally I feel that a majority of other Christians recognize Mormons as fellow Christians. This has been floating around my facebook:

I've been blessed to come across so many who while they don't share my beliefs, accept me and my religion, even if we do seem (and are) a little strange. This is a response to a very minute number of people, as well as some who might have had some question marks over their heads about this.

For the comments--please no negativity. I've heard it all, and I'm still going to church and reading my Book of Mormon, so you'll be wasting your time trying to convince me otherwise. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask, I'd love to answer. :)

Book Review: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

2011-10-15T10:20:00.000-06:00

Title: Blood Red Road
Author: Moira Young
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult (dystopian)
Why I read it/how I found it: Moira Young was at a book signing I went to this week.

Description:
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back. Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Review:
Ok, so this book has a lot of great action in it. The world is ruthless and brutal, so the characters in it need to fight a lot. There's never a slow moment in it, which I very much appreciated. However. I don't think this book was the best fit for me. Why? This book is written in dialect. I cannot stand it when prose is written in dialect. I mean, there's a difference between showing voice and writing how people speak. It was just difficult for me to get past it. I had to read for large amounts of time to get the rhythm of it down. And, frankly, I didn't think there was a point to it other than showing they're uneducated and tough, which is stereotypical to give the characters a southern dialect. But even worse than that is there were no quotation marks. Sometimes I'd read something and then realize it wasn't Saba narrating it, it was someone else saying it. Also, Saba's character growth was too fast for me. She was a follower of Lugh, not showing an abundance of backbone, but then she turns all bad-a and can fight like no other. I'm all for character growth, but not a 180 change in two pages. However, the relationship between Saba and her little sister Emmi was adorable to read. That progressed very naturally and beautifully. I feel like the world needs a lot more description in the upcoming books in the series, because while it isn't lacking, there are questions that need to be explained.

Other information: This is a series (unsure of how many there will be right now). Also, Ridley Scott's production company has picked up rights to Blood Red Road for a movie.

The 100 Follower Giveaway

2011-10-13T08:39:00.000-06:00

Yes, last week I passed the 100 mark on followers. *cue confetti and noise blowers* You guys are all AWESOME SOCKS. Yeah, that's right, not just awesome and not just socks, but awesome socks (ok...I literally have no idea where that phrase came from, but I'm running with it).

Now...what do I have for all (one) of you?

A signed copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. In case you want to know more about it, here's my review. But to the point: it was ah-mazing.

So, no need for blog posts or twittering or anything like that (unless you want to, but you don't get anything extra). The only thing is that you must be following my blog to enter the 100 follower giveaway.

Fill out this form and you'll be good to go. Contest ends next week, October 20 at 10:00 AM MST.
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The Early Work blogfest

2011-10-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

Juliemybird has put together a blogfest on the early work of our writing lives. You can find out about it here.

Well, first thing's first. Julie asked that we include a picture of a dinosaur or wolf in our blog post (well, we get an extra entry, and that's easy enough). Snaps if you know this awesome movie:

In first and second grade we had these writing journals and that's where I started to actually write my stories. There's not too much from first grade, except I wrote an awesome one where a princess wanted a pet (me...I always wanted one but didn't get one until I was 13) so she runs away from her family (are you hearing me Mom and Dad?) and has a pet lion that doesn't eat her, a pet monkey, and doves that send messages to her family. She's very happy with her pets and her treehouse.

Then in third grade I branched out and wrote my first chapter book. It was about a mermaid princess who had to marry a prince she didn't like, and she fell in love with a common merman who was so handsome and cool. And of course in the end she gets to marry the awesome merguy that she loves.

My mermaid princess had a seashell bra, but this one's otherwise close to mine.

I wrote some other stuff through my other elementary years, and then come seventh grade Lord of the Rings was in. So I wrote about elves and human relationships, and how a king had taken a half-elf, half-human girl as his daughter because he loved her mother, who died. Then the princess is rescued by three elves who take her to the elvish lands where she finds out that her dad is an elf. Naturally, she falls in love with one of the elves who journeyed with her, while the other two were more comic relief characters. There's lots of archery in it, of course. So yes, thank you Legolas for that inspiration.

Look at him. He was the most attractive one to a 13-year-old girl.

I did try a bit in the contemporary genre. I played volleyball since sixth grade, and so in high school (freshman year) I wrote In It For the Spandex, which featured preppy girls joining the volleyball team to get out of P.E. and their clashing with the jock girls. Lots of teenage drama in a very Disney channel-esque fashion with plenty of cute boys and homecoming dances to go around.


Spandex was always my least favorite part of volleyball. Too short, too much bunching!

So...now we're pretty much up to where I am today, at least, as recent as 5 years. So what about you? What was some of your early work about?

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

2011-10-08T11:21:00.001-06:00

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Young Adult (???)
Why I read it/how I found it: Michelle Hodkin is coming to my local library.

Description: Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than walking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

Review: Usually when a book I read is young adult, I put the genre it is in parenthesis. As you can tell, for this book I didn't. I only put question marks. Because really, anything else would be almost insulting; it's one of those fabulous books that you can't just put in one category. It's so creepy, so would it go under horror? Because of Mara's PTSD that makes her hallucinate would it be a psychological book? Or is there something beyond, that means Mara isn't crazy and it's paranormal? And of course there's the romance of the novel to tie in as well. This book has everything. Sometimes a scene would be so funny or similar to something in a contemporary novel that I'd forget about the underlying question of what really happened that night Mara's friends were killed, and what does she have to do with it. And then the next page I'd be getting that wonderful sensation of getting creeped out. I loved trying to go through Mara's mind and seeing what she sees, wondering if she's crazy or if there's something more to her. It's something that I really want to go back and read more in-depth and maybe get a little English major on it and analyze. The rest of the characters were a breath of fresh air. They weren't typical stereotypes. Her entire family was unique and I could see them all as a person, not a name on print. And Noah. Oh, Noah, how could I not talk about you? Admittedly, when first introduced I thought, "Great. Another one of those bad boys that only our heroine can make fall in love with her and forsake his heartbreak ways." But Noah has so much more to him than that. He's not a perfect person, he's done bad things in the past, but he has reason to care for Mara. It's a wonderful romance.
And oh my heck, I need to get to the next book (which isn't out yet). The ending is killer!

Other information: There is at least one more book, I don't know if there'll be more, and I couldn't find any information on that. You can find Michelle Hodkin's website here.

My first book club!

2011-10-04T18:23:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited because tomorrow I'll be going to my first book club meeting. Hooray! I've never had a book club before, so usually I turn to the internet to talk about books I've read and adored (or disliked...but let's focus on adored). I'll always turn online to get more opinions, but I'm really excited to have a whole group of people to talk books with.

This all started a few weeks ago at the English Society opening social. Amongst the English Society, you can break off into interest groups. They had a table of already-existing groups and blank sheets to start your own, if it could gather enough interest. I was looking around at the groups, and some of them were subjects such as Shakespeare, Poe, C.S. Lewis, poetry, all things that make you think of classics.

Now, I love Shakespeare and C.S. Lewis, and Poe and poetry are things I can enjoy, too. But that's the stuff I read and talk about in my classes. I spend homework analyzing all of that. If I was going to spend my free time in a club, I wanted it to be something I read outside of a class.

So, amongst the Shakespeares and poetry, I took a blank sheet and made the group, Young Adult. Bam. I'll admit, I was anxious people would just want to show off and be smart and not join my group, but they did. The initial interest sheet was filled, and there are probably at least 15 people still interested in it. I'm pretty happy with myself.

It's taken the English Society a while to get us all organized, but I met with a girl I'll be co-leading the group with today and I'm so excited for this. It's gonna be totally awesome!

Have you ever been in a book club? Ever start one? And, do you have any suggestions for what we should read this upcoming year?

Book Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

2011-10-01T10:02:00.001-06:00

First off...my blog's passed 100 followers! Whoohoo!! I'm in the triple digits now! Thank you all so much for following me. :) I'll have a 100 follower give-away soon, I promise. I just need a little more time so it'll be awesome. Now, the review:

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Turtleback Books
Genre: Young Adult (paranormal)
Why I read it/how I found it: Andrea Cremer was at a book signing I went to with Kiersten White and Stephenie Perkins.

Description:
Calla is the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack, destined to marry the pack's alpha male. When she saves a beautiful human boy, Calla begins to question everything—her fate, her existence, her world, and the orders the keepers have asked her to follow.

Review:
Obviously there's a TRIANGLE going on here. I'm pretty sure whenever there is one in a book you'll be hearing it from me because I'm pretty exhausted from reading them. I guess two people falling in love isn't complicated enough these days. On the up side, it wasn't the worst triangle I've ever read about. If I wasn't so tired of them I might have actually enjoyed it. But as it is...meh. When first beginning the book, I thought that Calla's character was a little forced. You know, strong, tough girls are popular so let's just make her strong and tough. Eventually, getting to know her world and read more, her tough-girl personality made a lot more sense to me and her character was natural. I suppose here it was a strong this is her character beginning without giving me reason why, and making it in the beginning feel too forced, however eventually she started to feel more real to me. In relation also to Calla's world, I loved it. I loved the mythology and the unique spin on werewolves. I wish that things had been cleared up at first instead of 150 pages in, but I was able to follow the storyline, so I guess that's what's important.

Other information: This is a trilogy. Wolfsbane is out now and the third, Bloodrose, will be out February of 2012. A companion novel is also in the works. You can find Andrea Cremer's website here.

A Very Important Revelation

2011-09-29T08:26:00.000-06:00

This blog post will be inspired by school yet again. It's kind of sad how in the few blog posts I've put up since coming back to school, a lot of them have been about or inspired by school. But I promise, this one won't be boring...or at least I hope it won't.

In case you didn't know/forgot, for one class we're working exclusively with Jane Austen's Persuasion which is not only by one of my favorite authors, it's my favorite book by her. So, in case you've never been to a college-level English class working with a text, you tear that thing apart. You learn more than you ever could reading it on your own. I've basically been plummeted on the head every day with how brilliant Austen is (like I didn't already know). So in all of this and being overwhelmed by one of my favorite books yet again, I began to despair.

Why? Jane Austen is so brilliant. She has the best narrative voice I've ever read, she's so witty I can't even handle it, and on top of that she makes entertaining stories that also enlighten her audience. I could never produce something half as witty as she wrote. Then of course I thought of other books/authors that put me to shame. How could I ever plot and world-build like J.K. Rowling? How could I ever write action and characterization like Suzanne Collins? How could I ever write something so meaningful like Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? How could I be funny like Kiersten White? I can't do it. I can't do it!

Then, in the midst of my darkness, a small trickle of light came. I don't have to be like them. Think about all of the real greats out there. None of them is the same. Each author has different strengths. Sure, overall they make the elements of style, plot, characters, setting, etc. work together. But they all do it differently, and one area is clearer than others. Why pressure myself to be like them? I need to be me and find what I do best. I need to find what's important for me to share, not try to copy my favorite authors. Somewhere, at the edge of my fingertips, my voice and purpose as a writer is there, waiting to break free. I need to search and find it.

Plus, if you've ever read Love and Freindship, a collection of stories Jane Austen wrote as a teenager, you start to feel better about yourself. Because if she started out like that and ended up as she did, then there's hope for all of us.

One to Follow Blog Award!

2011-09-27T10:34:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Sara Biren at Crow River Writer for this blog award, One to Follow!

And here are 5 blogs that you should all follow!

1. Krista M at The Jelly Beans of Writing
2. Gracie at I Am Writer...Hear Me Roar!
3. Angela Brown in Pursuit of Publishness
4. Ann at Inkpots and Quills
5. Madeleine at Scribble and Edit

I'm still busy at school, but loving it and hoping to get some writing in after midterms this week. How are you all doing this last week in September?

Book Review: White Cat by Holly Black

2011-09-24T09:24:00.000-06:00

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult (urban fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: It was a title I recognized from browsing the web, so when I saw it in the library I picked it up.

Description:
Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago. But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas— and a plan to con the conmen.

Review:
Despite the bad that Cassel does, he's such a likeable protagonist. Black portrays him and why he is the way ihe is so perfectly it's impossible not to root for him. Cassel isn't the only rich character. All of them, especially Cassel's family, is interesting and pretty complex people. The plot is full of exciting twists and turns. I'll try to review this part without giving away spoilers, but there is a very main plot point that I couldn't buy. It really disappointed me, because of the way that Cassel's character had been set up, and just how unbelievable it was. In that way, it affected the way that I viewed the rest of the plot since it's central to the entire storyline. But other than that one disappointment, it was a fascinating book to delve into.

Other information: This is a trilogy, with the next book being Red Glove and the third untitled. The Curse Worker website is here and Holly Black's website is here.

He's tall, dark, and...

2011-09-22T09:26:00.000-06:00

Open up a book and read the description of the male lead.

Let me take a guess: he's tall, muscular, handsome, and with piercing eyes that can see through the heroine's soul. He could be dark complexioned, or a golden boy. But either way, just one stare at him makes the heroine melt into a puddle because he is so freaking hot.

Nothing really is wrong with having a handsome male lead, it's something that's been done since storytelling began. But maybe, just maybe, it's time to be different.

Let me introduce you to a few people:

It's a beast! He's got fangs, razor sharp ones!
How many of us watched Beauty and the Beast and fell in love with this guy? He's tall, sure, and muscular, and maybe his eyes make Belle weak in the knees (it is what makes her realize it's him when he transforms), but the rest of him...not your typical lead. Of course he turns into the handsome prince at the end, but we and Belle fell in love with him before all of that.

A face which earned a mother's fear and loathing.
Now, for the record, I thought Christine made the right choice by going with Raoul, but I'm in the minority. I think most people fell for the Phantom in the musical. You can have an deformed murderer for a male lead and presented correctly with a heart-wrenching backstory, and people will love him.

There's the less-attractive side, but what about the average guy?

"Medium height, stocky build, ashy blonde hair that falls in waves over his forehead...you can see his struggle to remain emotionless, but his blue eyes show the alarm I've seen so often in prey." The Hunger Games, pages 25-26, US hardback edition.
That's right. Peeta Mellark.
Notice Katniss doesn't say he has the face that belongs to a god, or even that Peeta's handsome. Knowing Katniss' character, it's no secret she doesn't really think about boys much. But that doesn't mean she's oblivious. She notes that Gale is handsome, and that Finnick is undeniably good-looking. Other characters also point out that these two are handsome. Peeta? The closest we get is at the end of The Hunger Games **spoiler**when they come out for their interviews and she says he looks "so clean and healthy and beautiful" (page 361). But at that point, they've gone through the Games together and he was practically dead. The sight of him well and whole was probably what tipped her over to this description, because we never get it again, not in the other two books or anywhere in the first. **end spoiler**
So Peeta isn't a Phantom, nor is he an Edward Cullen. He's Peeta, your average baker's son. But guess what? People love Peeta. He's one of the most popular male leads in YA right now. He didn't get there by having an angelic face and a Michelangelo body. He got there from his personality.

Some other male leads of note that don't fall in the gorgeous category: David from Uglies and Four from Divergent. I love both of these guys, and a lot of other readers do, too. And the MC's they win over don't spend half of their thoughts obsessing over how hot they are.

So, all in all: personality trumps looks. It's okay to make your male lead ugly, average, or handsome. Just give him something for your heroine and readers to love regardless of his looks. And if your male lead falls into the super-mega-foxy-awesome-hawt category, don't obsess over how gorgeous he is. Readers will get it the first time around.

Those little things you never notice

2011-09-15T19:53:00.000-06:00

In case you couldn't tell by a lot of "My Top Tens," I love Jane Austen to pieces. If anyone says anything negative about her I pounce to her defense. And my all-time favorite book of hers is Persuasion. I've read it four times, seen both versions of the movie at least once, and even studied it in a British Literature class last winter.

Now I'm taking a class on writing literary criticism. So of course we need a book to read so that we can criticize it. And what does my professor choose, but Persuasion. Not only one of my favorite books, but I also already own a copy with notes in it. Score!

Last week we started talking about it (if you haven't read it: Anne broke her engagement with Wentworth, who later became rich and a captain in the navy. Due to various circumstances the two are thrown back in the same social circle, where he has the eye of all the ladies especially the Musgrove sisters, Louisa and Henrietta). My professor was lecturing, and talked about the first dinner scene when Captain Wentworth comes back. In it, he describes his first ship, the Asp, as "worn out and broken up...hardly fit for service." He doesn't have very nice things to say about the Asp. His brother-in-law, Admiral Croft, and his sister chastise him, saying how amazing the ship was and how many would have loved to command her. Then they talk a bit about Captain Wentworth's time with his ship the Laconia.

Now, I've read this scene over a lot. And many of you who have read it probably didn't notice the parallels. Anne (the Asp) was Captain Wentworth's first. In his return, Louisa Musgrove (the Laconia) becomes his new interest. This scene is in parallel to Captain Wentworth's career and love life. It's so simple, for the Asp and Anne, the Laconia and Louisa. But I'd never even noticed it.

Do you like to put little parallels and connections in your writing? Have you noticed any in a book you've read?

My kind of adrenaline rush

2011-09-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

Getting back to school has been hectic. It's been almost impossible to find time to write, but on top of that, I've been getting blockage.

Ugh. The bane of the writer's world.

But a few days ago my groove came back. Personally, I think that's the best feeling in the world (or at least up there with stuff like love and all that). To be so totally stuck, to be near giving up, and then coming back and having your fingers fly across the keyboard with all of the words coming out of you. It's exhilarating and my kind of adrenaline rush.

So I keep marching on, completing my WIP slowly but surely, with halts and speeding starts and lots of speed bumps. It's a crazy journey for never even leaving my room.

The Grimm Fairy Tales

2011-09-10T10:04:00.000-06:00

I didn't read a full book this week (unless you'd like a review on Beowulf, which I don't). But I did read some of the Grimm's fairy tales. I was quite proud of myself when I found that I knew some of the lesser-known stories. And wow, I really learned a lot about what Disney and society changed! I guess parents in the 20th century didn't want to read about how Rapunzel gave birth to twins after she got out of the tower, and Disney didn't take too well to Cinderella's stepsisters chopping off their toes and heels. I'd also heard that the stories were dark, much darker than how we perceive fairy tales today. Some of them are a lot darker than the rose-tinted way we see the tales now, but some of them I'd read to a five-year-old and so far all of them I'd let a nine or ten year old read.
And of these tales, I've learned a few things:

Kings will marry peasants. They don't care about treaties or anything like that. She just needs to be beautiful.
If you're industrious, you're beautiful. But if you're lazy, you're ugly.
Fathers always take their new wife's side over their children's.
You can fall in love on-sight.

I'm only about 1/4 of the way through (I never realized how many tales there were!) but I look forward to keeping reading them.

I gotta get back to school...

2011-09-08T17:45:00.000-06:00

This week has been so crazy! I started school last week, but now I work, go to school, study, eat, and sleep. I forgot how exhausting school can be, although I think most of it has to do with the fact that I'm working 20 hours a week now, on top of taking 15 hours of classes, and then studying.

As I type this now I'm in the library at school because I'm waiting for an English society social to begin later on this evening. The draw of free pizza (and thus one less night to cook a pitiful college meal) is only part of the reason why I'm going (although undoubtedly a large one). I've also decided it might be good to socialize a bit more outside of my apartments. Last year, my freshman year, I had to settle into school, get used to it. Now is when I really want to get involved. And, as so far my plan is to graduate next spring (in 2013) I've been hit with the fact that I don't have much time left in college and these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

So, whirlwind of a year is upcoming for me! I'm doing my best to keep up with writing, blogging, and reading (outside of class) but if I put study, school, work, and a bit of fun (outside of the computer) ahead of that...you'll have to forgive me.

On a side note: Borders going out of business sale? 70-90% off? I know I should be mourning the loss of the chain as well as the book-lover jobs, but my scrimping college student is doing a bit of a happy dance at the prices these books should be.

(P.S. Did you notice I used a lot of parenthesis in this post? I think I have a love affair with them--don't tell the dashes!)

Book Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

2011-09-03T11:23:00.000-06:00

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: Been having a love for Greek mythology lately.

Description:
It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

Review:
What do you think of when you think of Greek gods? Jealous-prone, power-hungry, lusting, and arrogant, right? You won't find any of that in this book. Henry (aka Hades) has decided to give up his seat as lord of the Underworld because Persephone has decided to die because she loved a mortal, who also died, and he can't rule on his own, especially with a broken heart. But the council of gods make him stick around for another 100 years to find Persephone's replacement, and if he can't, only then will another god step in and take his place. Now, think a minute here. Do you really think that Hades would give up his throne? Or that the other gods would stop him if he did want to do that? Really now. Really? All of the qualities that make Greek gods Greek gods are completely lost. Henry is more of a chaste English gent with a Byronic streak than the god of the Underworld. Overall, the story was good enough if you could ignore this overlook of general character qualities (which was hard for me to do). Kate was admirable, although a bit too perfect. If (again) you can ignore the lack of mythological qualities, then it does have its strengths. In a different plot, I would have enjoyed seeing Henry and Kate fall for one another gradually instead of hitting the reader over the head with the passion.

Other information: The sequel, Goddess Interrupted is due out January 2012. Aimee Carter's website is here.

My Top Ten: Settings

2011-09-01T18:27:00.000-06:00

To make a story feel real, really real, then there needs to be some awesome setting, details that make the world uniquely its own. And so, here's another one of my top tens. Again, this isn't ranked.

1. Hogwarts/The Wizarding World, Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I think that J.K. Rowling has convinced many people that Hogwarts and the Wizarding World actually exist. The precision of details is astounding. And I think that the strongest suit that Harry's world has is that there are parallels to the Muggle world (the Ministry, sports, banks, shops, etc) that it feels natural to us, but so much more magical at the same time.

2. Avonlea, Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
After reading these books, I wanted to go and live in a place just like Avonlea. The description is so beautiful, and it almost seems magical. There's a real special feel that Montgomery gives Avonlea, a quiet but fun town that's home.

3. Panem, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Now this is a place that you wouldn't want to live in. But the world and all of its chilling circumstances creates a vivid world to the readers.

4. Narnia, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The fact that this series focuses around the events in one setting means it really had to come alive, and it did. Whenever I read one of these books, the land and its inhabitants, the very soil of it, is so fantastic, and yet I never felt that it could be too far from truth.

5. Inkworld, Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
This Inkworld seems to incorporate all of the elements of fantasy; from the creatures, to the countries and political divides. Everything is marvelous, but at times also deadly, and amazingly described.

6. Uglies world, Uglies series by Scott Westerfield
This was the first dystopian I'd ever read. The inventions, the rules, the philosophy, all of this became a possible future for us. When Tally goes to the Rusty ruins, that part always chills me, to think that's what we could become.

7. The Moors, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The moors become like its own character in Wuthering Heights it's astounding. The wildness, the unpredictability of it, it's the only place that Cathy, Heathcliff, and their children's story could have been told, as it reflects the mood of it perfectly.

8. Venice, The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
I've never been to Venice (unfortunately) but after reading The Thief Lord I almost feel that I have. The description of the city is thorough, and I can just imagine the kids running through the streets and into the movie theater, and all of the boats around it.

9. Wonderland, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Just another one of those fun, quirky type of settings that's interesting to read about and discover. I love all of the twists on reality that Carroll brings to the (tea) party.

10. Paris, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
While this had a tourist-y feel to it, it's appropriate since Anna essentially is a tourist in this town. But Perkins describes a lot more of Paris than just the sight-seeing locations. They're really beautiful descriptions, and makes me want to go to Paris even more.

In which my prof rocks

2011-08-30T19:18:00.000-06:00

Today was, as my friends and I have dubbed it, "the second first day of school." School started yesterday, but we still had new classes to go to today (which is also the reason I've been sparse online--sorry fellow campaigners. I'll get commenting soon.)

In my last class of the day, English 291, my professor went over the syllabus. We're starting off the year with Beowulf. And so my professor asks, "Why are we reading Beowulf?" We give him some decent answers, but none of them really fulfill his question. So he dives further. "Why read Beowulf? Why read Shakespeare? Why read Charles Dickens? Why read Twilight?"

Now, I don't know if you've ever been in a college English class when the title Twilight was dared uttered. But you get an explosion of groans at the mention of the word. I think the English classes I go to have extra contempt about it, because our university's name is on the back flap of all the books, so in order to compensate, students need to be ultra-hateful and superior toward it.
So, now you can imagine it, a room of 30 students verbally declaring their superior intellect through moaning while I stay silent since, yes, I once loved the books and I do admit I have a guilty pleasure in them.

Now of course I realize that my prof had set this all up. Hearing us, he asked, "What? What's so bad about Twilight?"
The rest of this really just has to be told in script form.

Twilight hater: It has no substance! Bella doesn't even do anything!
Prof: You realize that we'll be reading about guys sitting around, drinking mead, and boasting about how he swam against another guy for 13 days? How is that substance?
Twilight hater: Ugh, I just hate Bella, she's annoying!
Sensible student: Whether or not we like Twilight, it's had a huge cultural impact. Before Twilight, vampires were unpopular. Now authors are spitting out vampire books, and there's movies and TV shows about them.
[We have some more discussion about cultural impact]
Prof: A lot of you mentioned Harry Potter earlier and how much you like those books. What makes it better than Twilight?
Harry Potter fan: Harry Potter has a lot more depth to it and layers, like references to the Holocaust and WWII.
Prof: How do you know Twilight doesn't have a meaning between the vampires and werewolves as outcasts from society, but still can't work together?
[More of the Twilight hater. She was very vocal]
Prof: Okay, but you guys know that Pride and Prejudice has no depth or substance, either. The "novel" was considered to be trash when it was written.
[All of the girls (97% of the class) breaks out in protest. Prof quickly assures us he likes Pride and Prejudice, but he hates the 2005 Kiera Knightley movie, gains approval again, and discusses the awesome 6-hour version]
Twilight hater: Bella's annoying. She doesn't do anything. She can't even choose!
Prof: You know, in the 1950s thru the 1970s, Hamlet was seen as the man who couldn't decide--it's even a line in the Lawrence Olivier version. And that's Shakespeare. Besides, do you guys know why Shakespeare wrote? He wanted to make money. He wanted a coat of arms, to become a gentleman, and he made money off of his plays. Very few of them published in his time. He didn't care about writing [cue snooty English accent] literature. But now Shakespeare practically has his own religion. So what is substance in literature? Is it there already, or do we put it there?

Then class was over.
This was a really amazing experience for me. I mean, you take something that is now currently mocked by all of those in scholarship, and you argue that it could be as great as Shakespeare.
Now, I don't really believe that. As much as I can bring out the fan in me, I'm not going that far. But it still made me consider more possibilities, and why things are put into the canon we study as English majors. Maybe it doesn't need the symbolism and deeper meaning. Maybe it just needs to be culturally impacting, and that's what really makes it literature.

Book Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

2011-08-27T10:37:00.000-06:00

Title: Fire
Author: Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Penguin Group
Why I read it/how I found it: It's the companion novel to Graceling.

Description:
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Review:
I really enjoyed this concept of the "monster" beings. In Fire every species has their monsters, ones with brightly colored hair and extremely beautiful, who can manipulate others around them. They then reproduce with other creatures of their same species and pass on the monster gene. Fire is the last of the human monsters. Her emotional struggle with her father, Archer, and her own identity is very interesting. In this book there is one character from the companion novel Graceling. Unfortunately, this tie-in came out way too forced to me. The side of it had nothing to do with Fire or the characters around her, it was just a plug to call Fire a companion novel rather than a separate book on its own. I also felt a lack of action at the end of the book, but it was bearable to get through even without it.

Other information: A third companion novel, tentatively titled Bitterblue is in the process of being written. Kristin Cashore's website is here.

Sparkfest: My Inspiration

2011-08-25T09:16:00.000-06:00

Over on Christine Tyler's blog The Writer Coaster, she has a blogfest featuring the books and authors who have really inspired us as writers. These are the questions she asked:

What book made you realize you were doomed as a writer?
What author set off that spark of inspiration for your current Work in Progress?
Or, is there a book or author that changed your world view?

And so here are my responses:
1. When I read Harry Potter the first (couple dozen) time, I was a young, young writer. I loved, loved, loved the series. But it wasn't really until this past year I realized I was doomed. I mean, obviously J.K. Rowling has made millions (or more) off of HP, and we can't expect her type of success. But the way she weaves mythology, magic, religion, alchemy, and so many different threads into her larger tale is so astounding. And not only that, but her work with HP is just magical. I'll never produce anything half so amazing as HP.

2. Well, my WIP features a princess as the MC, so I might be able to trace this back to my Disney and Swan Princess days. But, if anything, I would really attribute it to Gail Carson Levine and her books, especially Ella Enchanted and The Two Princess of Bamarre as well as the short Princess Tales she wrote. While my WIP is intended for an older YA audience opposed to an MG one, these books that I grew up with definitely set me up for my current WIP.

3. Jane Austen changed my views on day-to-day activities, and taught me about balance. C.S. Lewis taught me how the spiritual can be in anything. Jay Asher made me stop and think about how one of my actions could affect someone else. But I have to ultimately give this one to Suzanne Collins for her work with The Hunger Games. I kind of thought about war before, but not to the extent that Collins made me. I came to face with all of the gray areas of war, life, and government after Mockingjay. I'd never stepped back from a book and asked myself, "What would I do if I were in this situation?" I've never self-evaluated myself more than when I read this series.

Join in on the blogfest! There's still two more days to post!

The Campaign

2011-08-23T17:17:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Rachel Harrie is hosting a Campaign meant to build writer's platform. It's going to be a great way to get connected with other writers online. You can find out more about it on Rachel's blog Rach Writes.

Music for Writing

2011-08-23T07:37:00.000-06:00

I'm not talking about music that reminds you of your book, or music you listen to while writing. Sometimes, hearing a song just reminds me of what I'm feeling about my writing. These are the songs for me, not my book or characters or setting. Just for me.

The fabulous Regina Spektor's song Eet reminds me of those times I'm in despair and wondering why the heck am I doing this again?

A song that always reminds why it is that I write is Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.

And if I ever feel like just giving up, Josh Groban's You Are Loved always puts me in a better mood.

Do you have any "you" songs for writing, or life, that you feel are just meant for you?

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-08-20T14:20:00.000-06:00

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Why I read it/how I found it: Stephanie Perkins was at a book signing that I went to.

Description:
Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all... including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Review:
Usually, contemporary books aren't my favorite. Nothing against that genre, it's just not really my thing. But this book was a lot of fun. It was so much fun exploring Paris with Anna and waiting for that French kiss to come around. I really loved how Perkins creates her characters. They all have unique personalities and quirks about them that just make them feel so alive and real. They all have their flaws, which I really appreciated. Because even though Anna is crushing on an American-British-French guy, he's not perfect, and neither is Anna. And through these flaws that help them grow as characters, I felt like even though this was a light read, I still got something out of it without being bogged down by some Great Big Message.

Other information: Stephanie Perkins' website is here.

The One You'd Never Suspect

2011-08-16T10:38:00.000-06:00

First, I want to thank Laura Josephsen for giving me the Liebster blog award. I've already gotten this one, and I'm busy right now getting ready to head back up to school (going there today!) so I'm passing on the rest of it. But check out Laura's blog and follow! Thanks again Laura!

My mom and I have really been getting into 24. We never watched it when it was on TV, so we've been renting it. We've gotten through the second season and holy cow is it intense!

Warning: I will now start spoiling 24, and Harry Potter. Just in case anyone still cares.

In the second season, there is a jaw-dropping, oh-my-gosh-did-that-really-happen moment that pointed out something really obvious to me that's used when crafting a story. It's something that's done so much, you don't really even think about it anymore. Or, at least, I'd never thought about it.

First, for background on the story, there has been a discovery of a nuclear bomb planted in LA by a terrorist organizations called Second Wave. The audience is introduced to the Warners. Kate's little sister Marie is getting married that day to Reza Naiyeer, a English man of middle eastern descent that works for their father. Mr. Warner is a financial consultant of some kind. Kate is suspicious of Reza, and has a P.I. investigate him. It turns out, money from Mr. Warner's company went through to Second Wave by Reza. Kate hides this from Marie, wanting to protect her baby sister. But then the federal agency CTU (made up for the show) comes and investigates Reza, who swears he has nothing to do with it. Marie is furious with the agents for suspecting her fiance, and even more mad at Kate for investigating him without her knowledge. Reza comes to the conclusion that Mr. Warner must have sent the money. They are both questioned, brought into CTU, and in the end, Reza realizes it wasn't Mr. Warner who sent the money.

It was Marie.

Turns out, she's the one helping the bad guys plant a nuclear bomb in LA. She's presented as someone who has no idea what's going on, and while not stupid, just not really intelligent. At one point, my mom suggested that Marie might take a gun and find a way to help her fiance escape from questioning. I laughed and asked, "Do you really think that Marie could shoot?"

She can.

Under these observations, I examined Harry Potter and some of those who ended up being the person that caused the madness.
Quirrell: P-poor, st-tuttering Professor Quirrell. He's hardly there, and when he is, he's so weak and pitiful Harry and the readers would never guessed he could attempt to steal the Stone.
Ginny: While Voldemort was behind it the whole time, no one (that I know of, at least) guessed that Ron's sweet, crushing-on-Harry sister could open the Chamber and do something so horrible (even though she didn't mean to).
Peter Pettigrew: All right, so we think he's dead most of the book, and who would blame the rat? But still, no one saw it coming that Wormtail betrayed the Potters. No one thought maybe Sirius killed him because Wormtail was the one who gave the location of their friends. By McGonagall's description, he was a inept little thing who could have never done it, and on top of that, he was fiercely loyal to James and Sirius, always following them around as a school boy.

Catch any similarities here? They all seem (or are) weak. Quirrell let people believe he's more weak than he was with his stuttering and fainting. Ginny was only eleven and naive. And why do you think Peter blamed Sirius? Because with how bold Sirius was, and how unhinged he became after Lily and James' death, people easily believed he betrayed the Potters. Then we have Marie, who drags you through the first few episodes of 24 with a clueless, happy bride-to-be facade.

The person you'd never suspect seems weak, or at least, not threatening. There are times in 24 where you could see in Marie a hint of the mad woman, like when she gets furious at the government agents interrogating her fiance and father, and demanding her sister not be part of the wedding for being suspicious of the fiance. Before, I thought she was just being a brat. Overall, she seemed inept and unable to help terrorists. But boy, did her other side come out!

For whatever reason, the "bad" people or the more outgoing are always suspected. Malfoy, Snape, Sirius, Reza, and Mr. Warner. And in real life, it's oftentimes true that these type of people would be the ones to do it. But in stories, we don't want it to be obvious. We want to surprise them with the Marie. And I think part of that is the disguise of weakness and inability to do the horrible crime.

Now that I look at it, it's obvious that this is what you need to do. Call me slow, but I'm glad I've got it now.

Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2011-08-13T17:04:00.000-06:00

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Young Adult (paranormal)
Why I read it/how I found it: It was at the library, and I realized I hadn't read anything on angels yet, so I went for it.

Description:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Review:
There's an angel on the cover. The description says that Nora's in the middle of battle between immortals and fallen. The reader has got to pick up that Patch is a fallen angel before even reading it. But no, we're dragged through most of the book before Nora can figure it out (by a Google search. First website she clicked on, too. Anyone who's done a Google search has to know the first link rarely gets you all the info you need). If the publishers had kept it a secret that Patch is a fallen angel, then maybe it would have been more intriguing to figure out what he is. But it isn't a secret, so it's annoying having to be dragged through the poor plotline to get to that conclusion. Nora isn't a very interesting MC, not to mention incredibly stupid. Patch was a flat character, except for this bad-boyness, which is really just awful relationship-wise. Want to give your daughter, sister, cousin, an example of who not to go out with? Point out Patch to them. Just hope they have more common sense than Nora. It is actually ridiculous that this is pulled off as a romance--something for girls to aspire to. And on top of that, it isn't even a good romance. There is absolutely no reason for Patch to love Nora or vice versa, but we're just supposed to go along with it. Sometimes the best friend can make up for the awful MC and love interest, but Vee couldn't. She was even more stupid than Nora. At the end, Fitzpatrick tries to redeem Patch, make him into a good person, but he isn't. He's still selfish. His original motives were unforgivable, but Nora forgives him anyway.

Other info: There is a sequel, Crescendo and a third book, Silence which comes out in October. Becca Fitzpatrick's website is here.

50-page edit

2011-08-11T12:19:00.000-06:00

A while ago on K.M. Weiland's blog Wordplay, she has a post up on the 50-page edit. In it she suggests that every 50 pages or 20,000 words to go over and edit what you've written so far. I stored it away as something I might try. About a week ago I came to a big change in my WIP and I was having trouble finding the characters and story again from this big change.

Then I remembered the suggestion of a 50-page edit. I'd gone a bit over the suggested word count with over 30,000 words, but I still buckled down and decided to try an edit-as-I-go strategy. And I think it really helped. Not only do I recognize things I should bring up as I continue writing, but I also felt re-established with my characters. Since I decided to edit on paper, I'm still making the changes onto my computer, but after today I should be rearing and ready to write through again.

This WIP I have going is really tricky, it's like nothing I've ever written before. It's challenging and making me switch strategy of how I write. But I'm loving it. I'm loving the challenge of it and learning new ways and adapting in my writing.

Do you edit as you go? Have you ever needed to switch around how you write?

Dream Team: The Office edition

2011-08-09T13:34:00.000-06:00

We all know that writing a book, and then publishing is a lot of work that expands beyond just the author. So, if I could choose my team for my book from the character in NBC's The Office, this is who I would choose for what job:

Pam Halpert would be my critique partner. She's already given the world her idea for her own YA series, and so we're both going down the same path. I think she could be honest with me, but still be nice and supportive.

Dwight K. Schrute for my agent. He's the top salesman at Dunder Mifflin, and I think that the sign says everything there is to say about him. He'd get my book sold.

Oscar Martinez for my editor. As a member of the Finer Things Club, he already has an appreciation for literature. Given his level head, I think he'd be best suited for this job in the office.

Kelly Kapoor as the cover designer. Now, my first choice would have been Pam, but she's already my critique partner. Kelly has style sense already, so I think out of all the people in the office, she would be able to most adapt to that role.

For my marketing manager, I'd choose Michael Scott. Now, some of his ideas are crazy. But some of his ideas turn out pretty amazing, like his proposal to Holly:

So, if this cast of characters is what I had for a publishing team, this is who I would choose.
Thank goodness there are other options, though.

Book Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

2011-08-06T22:00:00.001-06:00

Title: Graceling
Author: Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
How I found it/why I read it: This is one of those reads I just kept hearing about and had to get my hands on.

Description:
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Review:
What I enjoyed most about this book was the character growth in Katsa, especially the growth in the first part. Above everything else, I think that this book focuses on Katsa and as she comes to find her true self, and not what others have made her to be. Po (despite the name that always made me think of Mulan and Teletubbies) also made a swoon-worthy love interest. Cashore also describes details of setting so well, I could just picture the type of location they would shoot for a movie. Around the middle, however, it starts to slow, and for quite a few pages. Overall though, there was always something interesting going on.

Other information: There is a companion novel Fire to Graceling and another companion novel is in progess, tenatively titled Bitterblue. Kristin Cashore's website is here.

I love the library

2011-08-04T12:52:00.000-06:00

When I came back home from college for the summer, I brought home 32 books (and that's not school books). I went to school last year in the fall with only 5 books but accumulated 27 more along the way.
As you might imagine, this created a lot of problems with finding a place for these books. They cluttered my room and I was just stacking them up. So, to make room for my new shiny books, I went through and looked at what books I hadn't read in a long time, and I knew I wouldn't read again. So I gave them a new life at my local branch of the library.

But then again, I suppose I owed it to the library to donate those books, considering I took eight books out today, and that's pretty standard for me. But hey, I have a long weekend ahead of me with my family vacation up in Big Bear mountains. The books should be back in no time.

Novel Films Blogfest

2011-08-02T09:51:00.000-06:00

Madeleine from Scribble and Edit is hosting this blogfest, to name all of the works of fiction that you have seen the movie/TV show, and read the original book, play, or comic story.

I've marked the particularly great adaptations in aqua and the particularly awful adaptations in red.

Pride and Prejudice (1995 version, of course. Not the 2005 joke)
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion
Emma
Mansfield Park
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Othello
The Taming of the Shrew
Harry Potter series
The Fellowship of the Ring
Ella Enchanted
Flipped
Twilight Series
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Wuthering Heights
Anne of Green Gables
The Wizard of Oz
Gone With the Wind
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Thief Lord
Inkheart
A Walk to Remember
Great Expectations
A Christmas Carol
Little House on the Prairie
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (one and two)
The Importance of Being Earnest
Lord of the Flies
Little Women
Charly
The Polar Express
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Charlotte's Web
That Summer/Someone Like You (combined to make How to Deal)
My Sister's Keeper
The Scarlett Letter
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Great Gatsby
Alice in Wonderland
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Bridge to Terebithia
Animal Farm
The Princess Bride
Tuck Everlasting
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Peter Pan

There's a lot of books I'm anxiously waiting to become movies. Obviously there's The Hunger Games to look forward to that's in filming right now. And a new Romeo and Juliet is being filmed, which I dare to hope will actually capture their lust, rather than trying to convince people they were actually in love. Several books are in the pre-production stage (The Giver, Uglies, Paranormalcy, Divergent) that I'm crossing my fingers get made, and made well.

Book Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

2011-07-30T15:54:00.000-06:00

Title: Supernaturally
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Why I read it/how I found it: This is the sequel to Paranormalcy.

Description:
Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.
But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.
So much for normal.

Review:
Just as funny and entertaining as its predecessor, I can say that I really enjoyed Supernaturally. This book has a lot of great character development and exploration. Obviously, as this is Evie's story she discovers the most about herself, but I think that other characters were presented full-fleshed. We find out more about Arianna in this one, and we meet Jack, who isn't just a this-is-how-he-is character. I'd read a whole other book on Jack, I'd love to explore more of his complexities. Sometimes I did feel like I was just being tossed from one situation to another, but looking back it all came back together in Evie's growth more than for a plotline. And while there is a plot, this book is very much a character-driven book.

Other information: The last book in the trilogy is Endlessly and will be coming out next summer. Paranormalcy is also opted for a film. Kiersten White's website is here.

The Liebster Blog Award

2011-07-28T14:48:00.000-06:00

I want to thank magpiewrites for this awesome blog award! It's so pretty! Thank you!

The goal of the award is to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers. The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

And so here are my five picks to pass the award onto. Be sure to check them out (their blogs of course, not in the other way, that might be awkward).

1. Lucy V. Morgan, who gives great writing advice.

2. The fun Rachel Searles with her awesome blog, Awkward Girl.

3. I'm excited for Ghenet Myrthil's blog, All About Them Words, and its new schedule.

4. Jenna Blake Morris and her blog Literally YA, which always has great insights.

5. Finally, the talented Kristin Lynn Thetford and her great blog, The Journey.

There you have it! Be sure to go on and spread the follower love! :)

Grammar Nazi

2011-07-26T11:31:00.000-06:00

I found this hilarious video on youtube called Grammar Nazis. Unfortunately, the video won't show on anywhere but youtube so I can only link you to it.

Being an English major, I come across the Grammar Nazi a lot. Sometimes, I think it's a little bit ridiculous how intense some people can be. Of course I support using correct grammar, but there are some really obscure rules and people don't adhere to them in speech (among them...who can really tell me when to use who and when to use whom? I never understood that).

However, I admit to having one not-very-well-known grammar rule that I'm a stickler about. That is the difference between using "good" and "well". It's come to the point where my younger brother mocks me and purposely uses the wrong word just to annoy me.

Are you a Grammar Nazi? Know any? Do you have one grammar rule you follow religiously?

Book Review: Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier

2011-07-23T11:47:00.000-06:00

Title: Cybele's Secret
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher: Alfred K. Knopf, imprint of Random House
Genre: Young Adult (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: Came across it at the library and thought it sounded good.

Description:
For Paula, accompanying her merchant father on a trading voyage to Istanbul is a dream come true. They have come to this city of trade on a special mission to purchase a most rare artifact—a gift from the ancient goddess, Cybele, to her followers. It’s the only remnant of a lost, pagan cult.
But no sooner have they arrived when it becomes clear they may be playing at a dangerous game. A colleague and friend of Paula’s father is found murdered. There are rumors of Cybele’s cult reviving within the very walls of Istanbul. And most telling of all, signs have begun to appear to Paula, urging her to unlock Cybele’s secret.
Meanwhile, Paula doesn’t know who she can trust in Istanbul, and finds herself drawn to two very different men. As time begins to run out, Paula realizes they may all be tied up in the destiny of Cybele’ s Gift, and she must solve the puzzle before unknown but deadly enemies catch up to her.

Review: I feel apathetic toward this book. I read it, and it didn't intrigue me or bore me. I didn't realize it when I picked it up, but this is a companion novel to Wildwood Dancing, which I haven't read. Perhaps if I read that I might have more of an interest in the world and the characters. I still understood everything, but still having that extra book might have helped to set up my interest. It was enjoyable going through Istanbul as Paula did, both during the Ottoman rule and as a woman. The social customs were interesting to discover. Many of the characters were also interesting, revealing different layers and pasts to them as the story went on, and many times the interactions between them was cleverly played out. However, once the climax was reached, there was still many, many pages to read of falling action, some of which I felt could have been cut or condensed. It was as if I read an extra twenty pages to what I really needed to read to feel satisfied.

Other information: As I said above, this is a companion to Wildwood Dancing. And although nothing else has come out yet, with a certain door open in Cybele's Secret I think more might be coming. Juliet Marillier's website is here.

Symbols for Strength

2011-07-19T12:49:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday Jaycee Dugard gave her first interview on TV with Diane Sawyer. In case you don't know who Jaycee Dugard is, she was kidnapped at eleven years old by a convicted sex offender and his wife, Phillip and Nancy Garrido. She was held captive in their backyard, raped, and gave birth to two girls without any proper medical care. After eighteen years, she was finally found and reunited with her mother.

In the interview Jaycee talks about the last thing she touched before being taken was a pinecone, the last thing that reminded her of her life before and who she was. Now she keeps a charm of a pinecone around her neck as a symbol of hope.

Jaycee said that in the shed she spent the first of several nights of captivity in, she could see moonlight streaming in through the window. Before, at her home, she would spend nights on the porch with her mom, and they would debate on which moon was better, the full moon or the crescent moon. There in the shed, kidnapped and bound, she saw the moonlight and held onto it as strength. When she later could leave the shed, at night she would stare at the moon and remember her mom, and hope she would see her again.

Besides just being human and having this story touch me, it also hit my inner writer. I think that it's common for humans, when going through a hard time, to find something that reminds them of better days, or someone they love, or the possibility of escape from the pain they're going through. Since it's our job as writers to put our characters through struggle and hard times, I really started to like the idea of giving a character something tangible to give them hope, as Jaycee had. Not only does it keep the situation more hopeful for the character, but the reader will also have some light to go by as well, instead of wallowing in suffering.

Have you used any symbols to give your characters strength? Do you have any in your own life?

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

2011-07-16T12:09:00.000-06:00

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Young Adult (dystopia)
Why I read it/how I found it: Once again, just heard a lot about it, and heard a lot of good things about it.

Description:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review: Holy. Freaking. Moley. I told myself before that I needed a break from dystopian, but I heard so much buzz about this book I had to read it, and I am so glad I did! This books is an incredibly unique dystopia, without all of the stereotypes that you often find in that genre. The characters were all fresh, individual, and realistic. Not one of them were flat, and so having them interact made for an engaging story. I loved Tris' character, because she was brave and selfless, but it wasn't done in a way that said, "Hey! Bam! Look at how awesome I am!" Of course, Tris was awesome, but it wasn't in a way that overdid anything or made it out as if she's a goddess but doesn't realize how great she is. Also, this book balanced action, social issues, internal conflict, and romance all very well. With everything in the mix, with the right amount of it, there were so many factors that made me keep on reading. And, please just rejoice with me for a moment, because you see THERE WAS NO LOVE TRIANGLE. *cue hallelujah chorus* That's right folks, you can make an intriguing YA book with romance, and keep it between two people. And it was an amazing romance. It didn't overpower the book, it was sweet, but not so much you feel nauseated. The end had me in tears, and so this book is very powerful emotionally.

Other information: The next book, Insurgent, is due out around May 2012, although nothing on that date is final yet. Divergent is also going to be on the big screen some time from Summit Entertainment. Evan Daughtery will be writing the script, and Pouya Shabazian, Doug Wick, and Lucy Fisher are producing it. Veronica Roth's website is here.

Possession Giveaway Winner and more Harry Potter

2011-07-14T11:38:00.000-06:00

First item of the day, the winner of the signed copy of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson goes to...Kristin Lynn Thetford. Congratulations! I'll be emailing you, and you have 48 hours to respond.

Now for a little bit more Harry Potter. Since last post was on the more serious side, I thought today I'd bring you some interesting Harry Potter facts, which I got from Harry Potter Secrets on twitter. These are just some of the cool bits of Harry Potter information you can find on this twitter.

The costume department tried in vain to produce Luna's radish-like earrings. Evanna Lynch (Luna) then made it by herself.
The Death Eaters was originally named The Knights of Walpurgis.
When Harry talked to Dumbledore in Deathly Hallows, the creature in limbo was actually Voldemort's piece of soul that used to be in Harry's body.
In order to acquaint himself with the trio, director Alfonso Cuaron had each of them write an essay about their characters. Emma Watson wrote a 16-page essay, Daniel Radcliffe wrote a simple one page paper, and Rupert Grint never even turned his in.
The Elder Wand was the only wand in existence that has Thestral tail hair as its core.
J.K Rowling once declined the offer to play Lily Potter.
Bellatrix has the distinction of being the only person in the series to duel all of the trio on separate occasions. She attacked Harry during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, she fought Ron in the sky during the Battle over Little Whinging, and she duelled with Hermione during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Muggle-borns are descended from Squibs who have married Muggles and whose families had lost the knowledge of their wizarding legacy.
Beside Molly Weasley, J.K. Rowling considered Neville might be the one to kill Bellatrix as revenge for torturing his parents.
Snape's portrait wasn't put into Headmaster office since he had abandoned his post. However, Harry made sure his portrait was placed there.
If you spell "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" backwards, it becomes: I show not your face but your heart's desire.
Harry is very distantly related to Salazar Slytherin, but is not a descendant of him.
Voldemort can't love because he was conceived under the effects of love potion.

Just another Harry Potter post...

2011-07-12T15:15:00.000-06:00

I know everyone's going crazy about the fact that the last movie is coming out and writing blog posts about it. I wanted to as well.

But I couldn't.

I tried to think of something to blog about. Whether I should talk about some of my favorite characters (how do you even choose?) or background information on the myths J.K. Rowling put in the series, or perhaps writing techniques to pick up from the books.

I tried all of these, and I couldn't put my heart into it.

It's not because I don't love the series and I don't have anything to say about it (sometimes I think people would wish I'd just shut up about them). It's because despite how exciting this is, it's the end of an era. Of course, as Rowling said at the London premiere, Hogwarts will always welcome us back home, but there's no denying it's not the same now. And it's not because the books or movies have changed, or that the magic has faded. It's that with the completion of Harry Potter comes the completion of my childhood.

My generation had a very unique experience with Harry Potter. We always waited for that next book, that next movie, we grew up with the characters. I don't know if adults can really grasp how much this made our childhood, even as parents. The experience of a child and an adult are so different, even watching a child's excitement isn't the same as feeling it. My mom never blew out her birthday candles wishing for that Hogwarts letter even though she read the books. I did wish that, with all my eleven-year-old heart.

I've always been a huge bookworm. I've counted down the days for several books, bought them the day of their release, and waited for many movies that had been adapted from a favorite book. Yet Harry Potter stretched out for much of my childhood, opposed to any other book series I read before. Seven book, eight movies. Everything was a surprise, more than Christmas. When would they release the next book? When would we see a trailer for the next movie? What kinds of twists will be thrown at Harry and his friends? Who will survive the war? This occupied more than half of my life, and as I can't remember the first few very well, it feels like nearly all of my life. I've known little else, other than waiting for the next thing in Harry Potter.

Waiting is coming to an end. The final battle is near. Harry and his friends will all be grown. I've stepped with them through my entire childhood. They face the last evil in this movie, and childhood is done and over; Hogwarts is done. I'm done. I'm not a child.

But just as Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, all send their children off to Hogwarts in the epilogue, I hope to do the same with my future children (someday far, far in the future). Just as James, Al, and Lily, Hugo and Rose, will have a different experience from their parents, so will my children. They won't know midnight releases and years of patience (if I'm lucky, they'll pick up the next book as soon as they finish), just as the Potter and Weasley kids won't know Triwizard Tournaments and Albus Dumbledore firsthand. But they'll experience Hogwarts as well, in a different way.

I'm sorry if this post was scattered, but it's a strange time and I can't seem to organize my thoughts.
Last thing though, a little something from BYU's Divine Comedy, which I think sums up the Potter generation to perfection.

2/2 Book Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

2011-07-09T16:52:00.000-06:00

First half of the review here.

Second half of the review: I'm in a puzzle over what to make of this book exactly. I'm impressed with Martin's world-building skills. With a high fantasy like this one, world-building is crucial and Martin introduces ideas and setting effortlessly. And the characters are as vivid and real as the people I know in life, with all sorts of interesting strengths and weaknesses. There are some pretty disturbing plot elements that I really could have done without, and could have been modified to be less disgusting but still do the job it needed for the plot. There are three more books, and I'm unsure yet if I'll continue reading, mostly because these books take up so much time I feel I've lost reading a few books in my life because of how long it takes to read one of these. But, dang that Martin, he made me attached to a few characters that I want to see live and succeed.

Other information: As said before, there are three more books to this saga (with more forthcoming), and HBO has a series of it on TV. George R.R. Martin's website is here.

Signed Possession Giveaway!

2011-07-07T09:50:00.000-06:00

Last month with Elana Johnson's book signing of Possession only a ten-minute drive from BYU campus, I was able to go and get an extra copy signed to giveaway here. If you haven't heard of this awesome dystopian yet, here's the synopsis:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Just fill out this form and you'll be entered into the giveaway. Once again, it's not necessary to follow the blog, but you get an extra entry if you do. Also, this is once again US-only. Get your information filled in by July 14, and I'll be announcing the winner one week from now.
Good luck!

Traditions

2011-07-05T16:13:00.000-06:00

A late happy Fourth of July to you! I love this holiday. And I can predict pretty well what's going to happen on the Fourth of July every year, because of the tradition my family has followed for longer than I've been alive.

My grandfather was in the Navy, and so he was stationed in San Diego, and so my dad grew up in Coronado, which back then was a real Navy-based town. My grandparents stayed there all of this time, and so for years now, my family on my dad's side have always gone down to Coronado for the Fourth of July. In the morning we go to the parade, then during lunch into the afternoon we'd all go onto the military base and skip the crowds and go to the pool or the beach. From there we'd go back to my grandparents, have a barbeque, and then head out for the fireworks. Afterwards, we'd all go home and wait for next year when we'd all get together again.

Some things have changed. My sister has her own family now, and she lives too far away to come down with two little kids. My uncle has moved back to California from Minnesota, and so we get to see some of his family now. Pretty much all of the grandkids are older now, and a new generation has come up. And this year, my aunt's family couldn't make it. It's definitely changed, but still a lot of it is the same.

As I've been going through the process of watching my family get older and grow up, I've enjoyed our traditions even more than when I was younger. It gives us something to adapt and share with the new ones coming up, and to see that same child excitement I lost as a teenager.

1/2 of a Book Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

2011-07-02T09:38:00.000-06:00

Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R.R. Martin
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Fantasy
Why I read it/how I found it: A lot of people talked about it since HBO launched it as a new TV series.

Review (so far): Well, this book is about 800 pages long. And they aren't even Harry Potter 800 pages. This is tiny type, and pretty close together, so I'm around page 450 now. With that said, I still feel like I could be tearing through the pages of this, but I'm not. I'm guessing it's the writing, because I do enjoy the plot and I love the dimensions of all the characters. Like real life, this book has very few "good" and "bad" people in them straight out. I don't feel that I can give much of an in-depth review with a little less than half the book to go, so we'll see how I feel next week.

How we get going

2011-06-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

A week ago I got stuck about where to go in my W.I.P. I procrastinated, of course, but nothing I did helped me. So I thought about what I did that would always give me ideas. Then I remembered when I was younger, I'd always go out to our backyard and jump on our trampoline. I'd spin all types of stories about fairies with flower names fighting off evil, and girls baking muffins in their cottages that attracted the princes to their door, resulting in their royal marriage.

Wondering if it worked again, I went out to the trampoline and started jumping. Sure enough, within minutes I had the next chapter all lined up in my head and ready to be written. Now, I go outside nearly every day to start thinking about what I'll be writing that day. I'd always heard that exercise gets the creative ideas flowing, but I never really believed it until now.

Is there anything you do before you write to get going?

Fixed vs. Growth

2011-06-28T12:34:00.000-06:00

For the upcoming fall, I'm going to be a peer mentor for the freshman coming into BYU. I've been doing training for the past few weeks where they give all the peer mentors articles to read and sometimes a video to watch. Last week we had to read an excerpt from Dr. Carol S. Dweck's book Mind.

In this excerpt she talks about success and how our mindset about it can determine how far we go in life. Dr. Dweck says that there are two kinds of mindsets: fixed and growth. In a fixed mindset, one believes that the first results are the final ones. If you're smart, you're smart, and if not, nothing will change that. They will often stay at a level they're comfortable with, play it safe. Rather than go into a class with more rigorous curriculum, they'll stay where they know that they'll succeed. They don't want to look stupid in front of others. The other mindset is the growth mindset. These people believe that everyone has the capability to grow and become better. They strive for what's difficult in order to become excellent at what they do. They don't see a failure as their set path in life. They look for the solution to make them better. As a result, they grow.

This really made me consider what kind of mindset I have. Dr. Dweck says that most people have a mix of mindsets, and I believe that I do. But now that I'm aware of this, I want to adapt a mindset of growth. Because, we all know it, writing is a tough business to get into. I haven't heard of one person who wrote a book in one draft, sent a query letter to their top agent of choice, and was signed on the next day as a client, then in eighteen months became a NYT bestselling author. More often authors talk about that first book that couldn't get an agent, and the dozens of agents that rejected their work, and the book that got published, but was never made into a blockbuster movie.

I want a growth mindset. I want to be able to look at all of these challenges in the eye and stare them down. I want to be able to hone my craft, take on the rejections, and get better from them. I feel like I'm just barely putting my foot on this path, but at least now I know how I want to walk down it.

Book Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

2011-06-25T15:49:00.000-06:00

Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Young Adult (fantasy)
Why I read it/how I found it: Jessica Day George had been to a few of events I'd gone to as well, so I thought it was about time I read something of hers. Plus, I love fairy tales.

Description:
Returning home from the war, young Galen finds work with his mother’s family in the royal gardens. There he learns that the king’s twelve daughters have a secret: every night they dance their shoes to tatters, but no one knows how or why. When prince after prince tries and fails to find the answer, and the family is haunted by accusations of witchcraft, Galen decides to help. Armed with a pair of silver knitting needles and an invisibility cloak given to him by a strange old woman, he follows the princesses and unlocks the secret of their curse.

Review: I really loved the fact that this is based on a fairy tale you don't hear too much about, especially in retellings. There are oodles of Cinderella retellings out there, but a book dedicated to the Twelve Dancing Princesses you don't hear much about. From what I do know about the fairy tale, this stuck to it pretty well--the twelve dancing princesses with worn out shoes, the evil king/sorcerer, the princes who failed in discovering the secret and the common man who succeeded. It stuck much more closely than the works of Gail Carson Levine. Yet it's more than just a telling of the story. Each character is given depth, and the stakes are higher with the country just coming back from war, and the world is built so very fully. I did wish for a bit more background on the war and why they went at it for so long anyway to give the king a bit more sympathy. But overall, this is a magical read. I'm planning on suggesting it to my younger cousin.

Other information: You can find Jessica Day George's website here.

Minor Characters

2011-06-23T13:32:00.000-06:00

I started making up my post for my Top Ten minor characters, only I came to a halt after a while because I found myself wanting to repeat a lot of books with my favorite minor characters. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice, these were pretty much the only books that my favorite minor characters are in. Perhaps not coincidentally, these books are also a few of my all-time favorites.

It's pretty easy for writers to flesh out the few main people we spend the book with. But for J.K. Rowling to have our hearts torn out at Dobby's death, or Suzanne Collins to have our sympathy reached for Finnick when we hear his past, or Jane Austen to have us anxiously waiting for Mr. Bennet's next humorous line--this is real talent, and what separates a good book from a great one. When every character, no matter how small, is as meaningful and alive as the protagonist and their close sidekicks, mentors, enemies, and love interests, I think that is a huge sign that this book will be memorable.

I wish I had a formula for making a minor character memorable and beloved, but I'm still searching for it myself. One thing I do think about it, though, is that stereotypes for meaningful minor characters (not just the old man on the bus without a name) is not the way to go. Make them as fresh and interesting as the main characters, with something just as unique about them as the protagonist.

What's there to love?

2011-06-21T09:51:00.000-06:00

The other day I was having a conversation with my friend about Tangled. Now please don't take this the wrong way, because I love Tangled. But I said the reason why I enjoyed other Disney movies more was because I couldn't comprehend why Flynn and Rapunzel fell for each other. I mean, Flynn seems pretty unimpressed with Rapunzel and even she's not swept off her feet right away by him. I know they have that conversation after the big chase with the near-drowning, but it still didn't stick with me why they would fall in love because of that. I found no basis to their love. Of course, maybe now I'm just an older English major with way too much time to analyze movies meant for children fifteen years younger than me.

But this leads me to ask, what's there to love?

I think, when it comes to attraction of couples and making them realistically fall in love, these basic points are crucial:

Humor. I haven't met one person who hasn't said they want to marry someone who can make them laugh, or that their significant other makes them laugh. Even in an angsty romance, there has to be some light times when they can just laugh, otherwise they'll end up miserable together in the end.
Similarity. As much as they say "opposites attract" you don't get a devout Fundamentalist Christian and a hard-core Wiccan dating. There has to be some sort of common ground or trait in order for the couple to really have a basis for their relationship. It doesn't have to be huge, just something.
Opposites. Because contrary to the point above, opposites do attract. I just have to look at my parents for that kind of confirmation. I think that the opposite part is more that they complete one another, as cheesy as that sounds. But if one lacks a trait, with the other person filling it, they make more compatible together in the long run.
Standing out. They need to do something that makes the other notice them. My roommate's boyfriend actually shared with her a list of things that made her stand out from other girls, and they were little things, but they were enough for him.

What do you think? What points are important to developing a great literary couple?

Scrapping it

2011-06-16T11:12:00.000-06:00

This weekend I reviewed my W.I.P. and realized that of what I have down so far, I'm not going to be keeping. I believe in the story, the characters, the plot. I love it and I want to continue it, I don't want to give up. So I'm storing away what I have so far and starting new.

At first, I was discouraged about the prospect of starting over again. But then I remembered that back at the Utah Festival of Books when Kiersten White spoke, she brought up a new manuscript she has and how she wrote 100 pages in, and started over twice because the first two times she wasn't telling it right. I figured if a published author has done this, then it's probably not such a terrible thing that I am, too.

That's how I feel about my W.I.P. I don't think I wrote it the right way at first. I wrote it straight through as it'll read in its finished form, when as I actually write it, I need to write *gulp* out of order. That's going to be a fun adventure for me, since I've always written linearly.

So today I finish up my finals, and packing, and cleaning, and tomorrow I start heading home for summer break, where I fully intend to make my dad worry about how much time I'm spending in my room writing.

Have you ever had to completely restart a manuscript?

Versitile Blogger Award

2011-06-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

Thank you Kristin Lynn Thetford for my second blog award!

The rules for this award are:

Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
Share seven random facts about myself.
Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

Number one--check. Now for number two. You get seven more random facts about me.

My mom only made homemade frosting when I was growing up, so I hate the stuff from the can.
I hardly ever take pictures and I avoid being in them.
I read through The Little House on the Prairie for the first time with my mom.
I played volleyball from the time I was 12, but I never learned to serve under-hand because my coaches would never teach me.
I have an older sister, and older brother, and a younger brother.
I can bend my fingers back to a 90 degree angle, which I just found out is actually kinda freaky.
I say "like" more than I care to admit--it's the Californian girl in me.

Ok, so now 5 of my new-found blogger friends that I pass this award along to:

Thanks again Kristin for the awesome award! :D

Winner of The Maze Runner

2011-06-12T09:34:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Marissa for winning the signed copy of The Maze Runner! I'm sending you an email with information. You have 48 hours to reply.

Thanks everyone who participated! I have a few more giveaways planned that are just as awesome, so be sure to hang on the next couple of weeks for more chances to win some sweet stuff.