Writers' Chasm

New Releases -- Partials, The Vanishing Game, and Scarlet

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Partials
by Dan Wells
Release date: February 28th

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

The Vanishing Game
by Kate Kae Myers

Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in?

Scarlet
by A.C. Vaughen

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

RTW: Hated and Loved Words

2012-02-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
What words do you absolutely hate? Which ones do you adore?

Like Kody, I also hate the word "panties." I'm not a big fan of the word "moist" either. I don't even like thinking it as I'm writing this post. I also hate the word "loins." I flinch whenever someone says it in a movie or on TV.

I love the word "merge." Say it out loud; it sounds funny. When I was younger, my favorite word was "antidisestablishmentarianism" (which I just finally managed to spell correctly for the first time ever without looking). Part of it's appeal was at the time I believed it to be the longest word in the world (it's not by a long shot).

Footloose: The Old and the New

2012-02-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend my campus did a screening of the original Footloose and the new one and I watched both of them in a row. I've seen the original before but this was my first time seeing the new version.

SPOILER WARNING: There are spoilers for both movies. Though I'm not sure why you wouldn't have seen them yet.

I expected the new version to be terrible, to say the least. The original was one of my favorite movies of all time and I didn't expect the remake to be able to hold a candle to it.

I was surprised. The new version is actually really good. Though in most cases I prefer the original songs better, I'm glad that they just remade most of the songs instead of making entirely new music.

I actually preferred some of the new scenes to the originals. For example, the fight scene before the dance. Ariel was awesome in that scene. I also love the part with the car from the original movie. That scene was great.

On the other hand, I didn't like some of the changes. I didn't like that Wren plays football in the new version. Is there some kind of law that says a guy has to dress up in tight pants and jump on other guys to be hot? I preferred Wren on the gymnast team. I also didn't like the new scene in the warehouse. The dancing part was good but I didn't like how destructive he was. Wren wouldn't go running around smashing windows and knocking stuff over because he was upset. He danced to get the anger out.

The biggest problem I had with the new movie was the removal of the censorship/book burning element because that still happens. To me, one of the best character-building parts for Wren is the scene in the original where they're talking about removing Slaughterhouse-Five from the school library and Wren says that he's read it and it's a classic. I'm also not sure how I feel about Wren's mom dying of leukemia. I loved Wren's mom.

Also, one of my favorite scenes in the original was where the preacher stops the book burning and says "The devil isn't in these books. It's in here. It's in our hearts."

That being said, I love both movies and I can't stop listening to the songs from both movies. I really need to buy the soundtracks. I've had "Footloose" stuck in my head for two days now.

New Releases -- In Too Deep; Dead to You; Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

In Too Deep
by Amanda Grace

I never meant for anyone to get hurt. All I wanted to do that night was make a play for Carter Wellesley. His heartless rejection was mortifying, but people got the wrong idea when they saw me leaving his bedroom, crying. That's how rumors of rape started.

Now girls at school are pouring out their sympathy to me. Guys too. But not everyone's on my side. The school has become a war zone and the threats are getting scary. What began as poetic justice has morphed into something bigger--forcing me to make a terrible choice.

Dead to You
by Lisa McMann

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am
by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

Ben has always had it pretty easy--with no acting experience, he landed the lead in his high school musical, and he's dating the prettiest girl in school. Haunted by memories of 9/11, he makes the decision to enlist in the army--with devastating consequences. Somehow nobody ever thought Ben would be one of the soldiers affected, but after his convoy gets caught in an explosion, Ben is in a coma for two months. When he wakes up, he doesn't know where he is, and he doesn't remember anything about his old life. His family and friends mourn what they see as a loss, but Ben perseveres. Although he will never be the person he once was, this is the story of his struggle and transformation.

RTW: Unfortunate similarities

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This week's topic:

What SNI were you psyched to work on, but discovered it was too close to something already done?

I started one novel awhile ago with the working title of Guardian. It revolved around the idea of a school where teenagers were trained to become either Guardians or Fighters. I got the idea before I got sick of the large number of YA novels dealing with paranormal and fantasy schools.

My first novel was finished two weeks before I found out about a startlingly similar movie, Push. I've rewritten the novel enough times that now only parts of the concept match, but it's still trunked for various reasons.

I also had an idea revolving around a city of thieves. It started partly as a short story from a prompt and partly as a story to cheer up a friend. I wanted to turn it into a novel but decided not to because of my love for The Thief Lord.

Asking Friends to Beta Read

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm seriously reconsidering my policy of accepting beta projects from friends that I know in real life. The thing with beta reading for friends is they see you all the time. The excitement causes them to ask "Have you started yet? How far are you?"

Which is fine. Sometimes. If you're asking every five minutes, you're causing me to take time away from your WiP to answer your questions on how far along I am.

Five guidelines for asking friends to beta read:

Don't constantly ask about progress/what they're thinking right then
If they don't have time to beta read for you, accept it.
Books are subjective. Remember that.
If you're looking for specific feedback, tell them that.
Give them adequate time.

Beta reading takes time. I've done projects in anywhere from a few hours to a month. It all depends on the depth of the critique, my personal schedule, and (frankly) how much the project sucks me in.

Do you ask friends to beta read for you? If a friend came to you with a novel, would you read it?

Love Story Review

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Love Story
by Jennifer Echols

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions -- it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a local coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter...so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero in her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter...except this story could come true.

This book was a quick read, but in retrospect I didn't really like it. I enjoyed some of the twists of the story, especially when Hunter's desire to be a doctor is revealed. The idea of them writing stories back and forth was a great concept and I loved that the story took place in college.

My biggest problem was the lack of resolution to the story. The conflict of Erin and her father, and Erin and her grandmother continue. On that note, I still can't believe after all Erin's father did to her and her mother, that she was ready to go running back into his arms when Hunter lied to her. Where is her motivation? Didn't she feel any doubts?

The conflict between Hunter and Erin feels unresolved as well. I mean, she writes that terrible story, finds out he's using her to get to medical school, uses him just to "get him out of her system," and then one morning she finds him in her room packing her stuff for a trip to Louisville? I don't really understand where either one of them was coming from when it came to their relationship.

Overall: 6/10 Not only does it feel unresolved but I really have no idea where it was supposed to be going.

RTW - Best Book in January

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

This Week's Topic:
What was the best book you read in January?

Sadly, I didn't get to read very many books last month and even fewer that I really loved. But the clear-cut best book of the month was...

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

This book made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me think about life in a whole new way. It wasn't my favorite John Green book but it's still one of the best books I've read.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been to three bookstores since this came out and every time I see a copy with the "Signed copy" sticker on it I have to open it up to that page and see if there's a Hanklerfish.

5 Tips for Finding Time to be a Writer in College

2012-01-30T09:31:00.000-08:00

My first semester here I didn't touch a WIP after the first two weeks. I was too busy with classes, clubs, student government, friends, a boyfriend, and volunteering. It's hard to find time for writing when you're already struggling to find time to sleep.

This semester I resolved to find time to write, even if it's only a half hour a day. Here are five tips that are helping me find time to write while still experiencing the college life.

1. Write during breakfast/lunch/dinner. Every day I have an hour set aside for lunch. I head to a dining location that most of my friends don't frequent (mostly because it's closer to my classes than theirs) and open my laptop while I eat. Just be careful not to spill anything!

2. Read between classes. If you're like me and have a stack of books that only keeps growing that you need to read but not a lot of time to read them, carry a book with you to all your classes. If you find yourself sitting outside the classroom for fifteen minutes waiting for the professor to show up, you can pull it out and read a little bit. This morning I arrived twenty minutes early for my psychology class and so I read the first couple chapters of Twenty Boy Summer.

Note: Use proper judgment when choosing a book to read. Don't read The Fault in Our Stars or The Book Thief or Deathly Hallows or any other book that is liable to make you tear up if you're not comfortable doing that in public.

3. Don't have time during the day? Set aside a half hour before bed or in the morning for writing. If that's still too much, go for a fifteen or twenty minute period. You can even use writing as a break from studying.

4. Hit the library or another location between classes. I have a two or three hour period between classes every day of the week. Instead of going back to my dorm, I head to Starbucks, get settled, and try to get as much done as I can.

5. Use your weekends wisely. Weekends are prime time for social events, volunteering, and catching up on sleep, but they can also be prime time for writing and reading as well. I don't have any classes on Fridays so when I'm done with my last class on Thursday, I'm done for the day. I take that entire afternoon off and hang out with friends, relax, and write. Sunday is another good day for a free day.

Whether you're in college or not, how do you find time for writing?

Wildefire Review

2012-01-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

Wildefire
by Karsten Knight

Ashline Wild is having a rough sophomore year. She's struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve's violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California's redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her.

But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn't go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy her new school -- being capitain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot local park ranger -- she discovers that a group of gods and goddesses has been unknowingly summoned to Blackwood...and she's one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she's got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire within her before she clashes with her sister one more time...

And when warm and cold fronts collide, there's guaranteed to be a storm.

I spent a very long time looking forward to reading this book and honestly I'm not really sure what I think about it. It took me a long time to get through simply because I just didn't feel like reading it. I even stopped for awhile when TFIOS arrived.

A part of it had to do with the dark and -- at times -- slightly disturbing feel to the book. I mean, really, how many people died without anyone feeling any remorse whatsoever? Related to that was the flippant way that Ashline dealt with the horrifying stuff that happens. For example, when Serena almost gets kidnapped and Ashline's comforting her thinking to herself that Serena should be comforting her since she's the one that's more likely to get in trouble when they get back to school. Also after Ashline finally found out who she was and then every time something terrible would happen she would just kind of stand there instead of actually using her powers as a volcano goddess.

I loved Colt a lot but I could not figure out why him -- a college student -- would have any interest in a high school sophomore. I still feel like he has some sort of secret agenda, but it makes a lot more sense now. I almost wasn't going to read the next one but with that ending I'm not sure if I can stay away.

Overall: 7/10 Good book but I felt a little mislead by the jacket copy. It wasn't quite what I expected. It started off slow but I liked it a lot more towards the ending.

New Releases -- The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight; May B; and Never Eighteen

2012-01-23T07:49:00.001-08:00

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

May B
by Caroline Starr Rose

I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again.

Never Eighteen
by Megan Bostic

Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

The Fault in Our Stars Review

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

This is one of those books that I waited years for without realizing it. Ever since I read Paper Towns a few years ago, I've hoped that Green would write a book featuring a female character. When I found out that my wish was coming true, I was so excited. Then when I found out it would be signed, I actually screamed. I couldn't stop smiling when I opened the package and the book was in my hands.

And I will say, it was well worth the wait. I expected pure brilliance and that is what I got.

Blackout

2012-01-18T09:03:00.001-08:00

YAHighway has cancelled Road Trip Wednesday this week in protest of SOPA and PIPA and in agreement, I will not be making a regular post today.

Piracy is a problem but this is not the answer.

The Son of Neptune Review

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a campt for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother as possessed by greed. But that was the problem -- when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wishes she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery -- although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. he trusts her completely -- enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

I love Riordan, but this was not one of my favorites. This is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus trilogy and it read like it. The beginning blew my mind but after that the book just started to drag on and on.

One thing that I hate about Riordan novels -- this one in particular -- is the way the characters think about their own backstory and how it affects them and usually how terrible it is...but it takes them forever to explain what happened. Subtlety is not a strong suit for this book.

Overall: 9/10 This one was just average for Riordan.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The fact that Hazel's brother is Nico absolutely blew my mind. I feel so bad for him with Bianca going for another life so now he can't even visit her. I feel bad for Hazel but I wish she wouldn't blame herself all the time for raising the giant. It wasn't her fault she was forced into doing it and she didn't know what it was she was raising.

I'm still really confused by Frank. I love the whole thing with the firewood and I think I know what part he's going to play in the prophecy, but I don't understand his ancestry. They're always talking about how he's going to bring his family full-circle. Does that mean he has to go to China?

Percy was amazing in this one. I love having him back. It broke my heart when all he could remember was Annabeth's name. His plans to beat Phineas and the giant...risky, dangerous, and completely brilliant.

I still prefer the Hunters, but I loved the Amazons, especially their plan for world domination through Amazon.com. I hated Hylla when she first comes into the story but when she was giving Hazel the plan I really started to love her and I have a whole new respect for her beating Otrera twice even though she couldn't die. I. Love. Arion. I wish he was my horse.

RTW: Pen Names

2012-01-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

This Week's Topic:
If you couldn't use your own name, what would your pseudonym or penname be?

This is a really tough one for me. I've thought about the possibility of having a pen name, but one of the things I most look forward to if I'm ever published is holding a book with my name on the cover in my hands.

I've thought about shortening my last name to Kirk (except then it would be a constant reminder of Captain Kirk). I've thought about taking my mother's maiden name. I don't know what I would choose if I had to change my whole name. Maybe something like Blaire Stevens since my current WIP has two male main characters. Or Rachael Grace so I can at least keep my first name.

The Scorpio Races Review

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition -- the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

I was so excited when I finally managed to get my hands on this book. The concept sounded original and intriguing, and of course I want to get my hands on anything that has horses. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.

True to her style in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, the story is told from both Puck and Sean's points of view. While I enjoyed being in both of their heads, at the beginning of the story I was far more interested in Sean. I actually started to wonder if I would enjoy the story more if it was only about Sean when I first started. It was almost anti-climactic when Puck decided to ride Dove instead of an actual capall uisce.

Some of the character's motivations didn't sit right with me especially Gabe's. I'm still not entirely clear on his motives for leaving. I understand that he wanted to get away from the island, but I don't understand why he would -- as the largest earner in the family -- just up and leave his sister and brother with a house that they couldn't afford between the three of them. It would have made sense to me if Gabe wanted to get a higher paying job and send money back to them, but that isn't even mentioned until the end of the book and Gabe isn't the one that mentions it. Towards the beginning of the book when he first announced that he was leaving, it felt more like a ploy for Puck to be forced into entering the race so that he would stay.

That being said, my favorite character by far was Sean. He was the most rounded in the story and I loved his motivations and his personality. I loved the way he trained and loved the horses like they were his own, even though they weren't.

I thought the race would be a much larger part of the story. I almost skipped to the last page to see if there was going to be a sequel with the race because the build-up was so drawn out. I expected something like Hidalgo so it was kind of a let-down when it was only a two-and-a-half mile race that took up a tiny portion of the book. With the long build-up to the race, the part during the race and afterward felt rushed. I wish there'd been a little less build-up and a little more of what happened after the race. I want to know what happens to Corr and Sean and Puck and Finn and Gabe.

That being said, the actual ending broke my heart, but I absolutely loved it.

Overall: 7/10 Loved the concept and the ending, but some of the characters were a little flat and the build-up to the race was very drawn-out

Week in Short

2012-01-06T13:28:00.001-08:00

The first week of 2012 is almost over! I hope all of you have had a better start to the year than I have. I got all caught up on Burn Notice finally. All five seasons in three weeks. The season five finale killed me. I haven't been nearly this depressed over a show since Doctor Who's Doomsday. In better news, Once Upon a Time starts again on Sunday!

Song of the Week: I Don't Want This Night to End by Luke Bryan

Blood-Red Pencil:
Using characters and scenes to trim the fat from your story: part one

Janice Hardy:
Making backstory work for you

Queryshark:
#217 - YA query

Querytracker:
Show and tell

Wordplay:
12 writing resolutions for 12 months

YAHighway:
On responding graciously

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Most Anticipated Releases of 2012

2012-01-04T11:20:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of great books coming out this year. Here are some of the ones I'm most looking forward to...

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - December
I am dying for this one. I just read Clockwork Prince a few weeks ago and I'm already anxious to get my hands on the finale. It's going to be a big one, I can feel it.

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak - September
It's about a boy.
His name is Clay.
He's building a bridge.
And he wants that bridge to be something truly great and miraculous.
It's Markus Zusak! His books (The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger) are the kind that change my life. I can't wait to read another.

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz - April
It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge, trying to make sense of the random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.

Craig's crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he'll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.

Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable, and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.
I've been looking forward to this one for quite awhile.

In Too Deep by Amanda Grace - February
I never meant for anyone to get hurt. All I wanted to do that night was make a play for Carter Davis. His heartless rejection was mortifying, but people got the wrong idea when they saw me leaving his bedroom, crying. That’s how rumors of rape started.

Now girls at school are pouring out their sympathy to me. Guys too. But not everyone’s on my side. The school has become a war zone and the threats are getting scary. What began as poetic justice has morphed into something bigger-forcing me to make a terrible choice.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - January
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.
This is one of those books that I've been waiting on since before I knew it was being written. I mean, I've been hoping John would write a female character since I read Paper Towns. And it's SIGNED.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - May
While I have to admit that City of Fallen Angels was probably my least favorite Clare book, I'm still excited to get my hands on this one. Especially after that cover was unveiled today. It's GORGEOUS.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - May
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
I almost screamed when I looked up the dates for finals week this semester and the release date of this book because they're both the same week. I'm having it sent to my house so I won't be tempted but you can bet that the first night I'm home, if you need me I'll be barricaded in my room with this book.

What books are you most excited about this year?

Resolutions: 2011 and 2012

2012-01-02T09:27:00.001-08:00

I'm going to continue my tradition of looking back on my New Year's resolutions from last year and setting my new ones.

One year ago, I resolved to...
For 2011, I resolve to have no regrets. I will do everything that I've always wanted to do and I won't let fear get in my way. I will live every day so at the end of the year I don't look back and wish I'd done this or wonder what might've been.

This has been my mantra all year and it's doing well. I've gone rock climbing (on a wall and for real). I went ice skating. I went cliff jumping. I graduated from high school and choose to attend the college that turned out to be the one of my dreams. I won't say that I don't have any regrets from the year, but I'm glad for the things that I tried despite my fears.

Now my resolutions for 2012.

1. Continue to strive to live without regrets

2. Revise Cardinal Three

3. Get a 4.0 this winter semester

4. Start riding again (this was a resolution from 2010 that didn't come true, but I'm hoping will this summer)

5. Read 50 books

Year in Short

2011-12-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

Note: This is going to be an abbreviated Year in Short because I didn't do Week in Shorts all last semester.

Looking back over the last year, I realized that so much has changed. My life now is so different from my life this time last year, in so many ways. In some ways its for the better and in others, it's not but it's been a very good -- if not crazy -- year.

The writing and publishing world has also seen some major changes in the last year. E-books are growing in popularity and piracy is becoming an increasingly larger topic of conversation. We also saw the bankruptcy of Borders (I still can't drive past their empty storefronts). Rowling also contributed with the creation of Pottermore which I have to say is probably the best thing since Harry Potter itself.

Writing:
The truth about the Mary Sue
How to dig out of the Pit of Despair
When it's okay to quit

Querying:
Too many agents, not enough gin: the truth about multiple offer situations
Still your itchy trigger finger: why you should wait before hitting send
Choosing the wrong agent
Handling revisions from an agent
Thrashing in revisions
Agent edits
Reminder to always follow up

Publishing:
Rejection insights from an editor
"Free" books aren't free: the implications of illegal downloading
How book-based movies happen

Social networking:
10 things authors should know about Twitter

Other:
The power to choose
Sexual politics, women's rights, and becoming an adult
Sex vs relationships in YA
Phoebe North on Sex Positive YA
False memories: source confusion and suggestion
Hannah Moskowitz calls for more characters like you
Why the n-word matters

Hope everyone had a great 2011 and that 2012 is even better! Have a great weekend and Happy New Year!

RTW: Best Books of the Year

2011-12-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

This Week's Topic:
What were your top five favorite books of 2011?

This was a great year for books for me. I read 53 books this year and had a lot of trouble narrowing it down to five favorites. Here are my top five, in no particular order, and excluding those books that I read in previous years and reread this year.

1. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
I was a little late getting to this series. So far this is the only one that I've read but I have Demon's Covenant in my "Must Read Over Break" pile. It was a fantastic start to a trilogy and despite the fact that I had the largest plot twist spoiled for me, I absolutely loved it.

2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
This is one of those books that I wish I'd read years ago. It's a fantastic book with beautiful writing. Every teenager should it -- not in spite of the subject matter -- but because of it.

3. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green
This is one of my favorite books. I tore through it in a few hours and I can't wait to read it again. It was a different experience reading a book written by two fantastic authors and I really enjoyed it.

4. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.
Thanks to WG, WG I decided to check out more of Levithan's books and this was the only one I was able to track down in the library. I have to admit it did not let me down. This is a great book that even cured my post-Potter depression (this is the first book I read after seeing the final movie).

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Usually it takes me some time to read a book of this size, but this one I absolutely tore through because I couldn't stop reading. I can't wait for Insurgent!

Week in Short

2011-12-23T15:18:00.001-08:00

Song of the Week: Holdin' Onto Heaven by Nickelback

Must Read:
10 things authors should know about Twitter

News:
Barnes & Noble accidentally shipped out copies of The Fault in Our Stars
Spanish novelist Lucia Etxbarria quits writing in protest of piracy

Elana Johnson:
Give yourself permission

Janice Hardy:
How kids' games can make revisions fun
3 tips for writing romance in YA by Kody Keplinger

Laura:
In defense of libraries

Querytracker:
Dissociative amnesia/fugue

Romance University:
Sara Megibow talks about the newbie mistakes she made as an agent

Merry Christmas! I'll see you on Monday.

IF I LIE Cover Revealed!

2011-12-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson has a cover and an official release date!

**drum roll**

Isn't it beautiful?! I love the roughened edges and the black and white picture. Can't wait to have this one in my hands!

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

If I Lie debuts on August 28, 2012.

For more information check out Corrine Jackson's website.

Clockwork Prince Review

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

***WARNING: There will be spoilers from Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Angel in this review***

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare
#2 in Infernal Devices series

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

First things first: I love this book. I never thought a book could top City of Glass in my heart as a Clare finale, but I have a feeling that Clockwork Princess could be that book. This one is probably my second favorite Clare book ever.

Typically, Clare's books start a little slow and then turn into the world's largest rollercoaster in about the last third, but this one definitely broke that trend. The last third was still a rollercoaster, but I'm happy to say that it didn't start slow. I was hooked from the first chapter and I would have read it all in one night if I could have.

Usually it's easy for me to pick sides in love triangles, but this is definitely one of those series when that's impossible for me. Officially, I am Team Will but I love both of them so much. My heart almost broke when I found out that the reason why Will is so mean to everyone is because he's afraid that if he lets them love him, they'll die. I wasn't expecting that. Now that his fears about "the curse" have been lifted, I absolutely love the new Will. On the other hand, Jem is the sweetest boy ever. I love when Jem spoke Chinese to Tessa and then told her it meant her hair is coming undone when it really meant "You are beautiful." The kisses in this book (those with Jem and those with Will) were definitely some of my favorites. I still can't believe Jem and Tessa are engaged. That was a twist I definitely wasn't expecting. I feel so bad for Will...

I'm still in shock over the concept of Tessa being a child of a demon and a Shadowhunter, but it does make sense. The offspring of a demon and a Shadowhunter is death. If Tessa really is immortal, then she's the opposite of death. One thing that I still don't understand is someone said that because Nate died that they can't learn anything more from him. If they need to know more, why couldn't they just ask Tessa to turn into him? She's done it before so she doesn't even need to be touching anything of his in order to do it.

Overall: 9.5/10 I'm dying to get my hands on Clockwork Princess.

I'm Back!

2011-12-16T08:24:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the long dry spell of posts everyone. College turned out to be a lot more of a time suck than I expected, but my first semester is officially over and I'm at home. Hopefully this means I'll have plenty of time and inspiration so I can start blogging again. I'm going to start by resuming Week in Short posts starting next week. For now, I'll probably continue posting three times a week and if I have enough inspiration I'll try to up it back to five times.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I'll see you on Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2011-11-24T08:49:00.001-08:00

College Tip: Be Early, It's Okay

2011-11-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

In college it's perfectly okay to be a nerd. In high school it was an art form to be able to show up exactly before the bell rang for class to start. If you were there even a few minutes early, you could be teased for "being a nerd."

In college (at least mine), everyone is at class early. It's not uncommon for people to be sitting outside of a classroom as early as twenty minutes before the class even starts. My sociology class does this every time because we like to sit around and talk before class starts.

I highly recommend showing up early for class the first week, at least. It only takes me five minutes to walk from the dorms to the academic halls, but for the first week I left the dorms a half hour early to go to class just because I was terrified of getting lost and being late to class.

If you have the opportunity to explore the academic halls prior to classes starting, take it and find all your classes ahead of time. Don't be afraid to try alternate routes to class once you have the layouts of the buildings hammered out or to ask for directions if you need them.

NaNo Tip: Write When You Can

2011-11-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

As a college student participating in NaNoWriMo, this tip is twice as important for me. You'd be surprised where you can pound out a couple hundreds words.

I write...
- To give myself a break between study sessions
- At meals if I'm eating alone
- While I'm waiting for class to start
- During class (highly not recommended)
- During commercial breaks for my favorite shows
- When my homework is done in the evenings
- During the weekends

Take a look at your day and if there is any time when you have a few extra minutes in writing-distance to a laptop or notebook, take that as an opportunity to write a bit. All those little bits and pieces will add up quickly and soon you'll be well on your way to 50,000 words.

RTW -- Writing Coaches

2011-11-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

This week's topic:
What kind of writing coach do you need? When you have to coach friends, what kind of coach are you?

NaNoWriMo is in full-swing and, for the first time ever, I am participating along with some real life friends. I love college! What I really need is a writing coach that will make sure that I keep up with things besides writing. Like, you know, homework. If I have everything else done, then I'll have more time and freedom for writing. I also need a writing coach that I can bounce ideas of off when I get stuck and one that won't let me quit because I can't figure out where to go next.

I'm a very encouraging writing coach. I'll be cheering all my friends this year on to that 50,000 word goal while making sure that they don't fall behind on their homework.

NaNoWriMo 2011 Has Begun!

2011-11-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! National Novel Writing Month has started and all over the world people are racing towards the 50,000-word goal.

I won in 2009 and completely failed at even trying last year so this year I'm back and going for it once again. NaNo is a lot of fun and a great opportunity to meet other novelists. If you don't know what it's about, I suggest checking out the NaNo website and considering joining in.

I have a feeling this month is going to be the ultimate lesson in time management for me. I haven't been able to sit down and write since I got to college so this could be very interesting. I'm about twelve hours in and already considering changing my idea because the one I have just isn't working out at the moment.

Are you participating in NaNo? How is it going so far?

RTW -- Best Book in October

2011-10-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

This week's topic:
What was the best book you read in October?

My pick for this month is a classic, Forever by Judy Blume. Though I strongly wish that I'd read this in high school, this was my first time reading it. This is a great book and I highly recommend it to everyone, especially teenagers. If you're like me and you haven't read this book yet, you definitely should.

College Adventures: Dancing in the Rain

2011-10-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, I am now a college student. Last night, a lot of the people in my hall went to a bonfire. And it rained. And when they got back, they were soaked so they decided to go dance in the rain.

I had spent the night in my dorm doing homework listening to them. So they came inside and said, "You should come dance in the rain with us."

And I said, "Okay."

There were six or seven of us (all girls) running around in the dark and the cold and the rain jumping in puddles and splashing each other and standing in the waterfalls of rain that are pouring off the roof.

And then we found a particularly large puddle and one of my housemates decided to lay down in it. So she did. And then we turned it into a house initiation where we all had to lay down in it. It was cold. And wet. But so much fun.

There was one guy that saw us and walked by and said, "You girls are all crazy" (we're an all-girl house). We kept trying to convince random people to come jump in the puddles with us but none of them would do it. When we were done, we tramped into the building, up the elevator, and stood in the hall until our RA came out and took a picture of us all standing there soaking wet.

Some days you just have to dance in the rain.

RTW: My Writing Journey

2011-10-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Happy 100th RTW, YA Highway!

This Week's Topic:
What has your writing road trip looked like so far? Excitement? Traffic jams and detours? Where are you going next?

My writing journey so far is the typical meandering road littered with unfinished manuscripts, forgotten ideas, and trunked novels. My most recent projects are currently on hold while I try to figure out how to revise them. I've had some great ideas recently on how to proceed, but college has kind of put everything on hold. I can't wait to start work on CT.

I'm hoping for inspiration for a new work in progress soon. I've had a couple of new ideas recently but nothing that's grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the computer. It's just hard for me to think of something that doesn't take place at college.

Shadow Kiss Review

2011-10-07T11:16:00.001-07:00

Shadow Kiss
by Richelle Mead

Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret .... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

I'm not quite sure what I think about this book. The action is great and the romance is smoking, but just so much happens. This is both my favorite and least favorite book of the series. On one hand, the ending is probably the most powerful so far. On the other, I can't believe what happened to Dimitri.

I love the advancement of Dimitri and Rose's relationship. The fight scene and the cabin scene are two of my favorite romance scenes of all time. Especially the latter. I just can't believe that Dimitri is a Strigoi and Rose just left to go after him. I felt like my heart got ripped out.

Overall: 8.5/10. I loved it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to move on with the series too soon.

Pick Two...the Art of College Life

2011-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw this picture, I laughed. I would find some way to fit in everything. How hard could it be?

I've been at college for a month and I'm not laughing anymore.

When I was in high school, I didn't have to study at all before tests until I started taking AP classes. I spent eight hours a day in school, went home, and sat on the computer until bed (usually about midnight or two on the weekends). "Sleeping in" meant nine, maybe ten if I had a particularly late night. Homework took a few hours at most. I was only involved in one club and I didn't really go out much.

Take the complete opposite of that and you have my college life. I go to class a few hours a day, but study for so much more. I'm rarely on the computer for something unrelated to class. Progress is going to bed before midnight instead of two in the morning. If allowed, I will easily sleep in until almost noon. I'm involved in house and hall government, and two clubs on top of that. Plus I'm always doing things with my friends, especially on the weekends.

College is the ultimate teacher in time management. Sometimes you will have to decide between hanging out with friends and studying for an exam the next day. You'll have to learn how much you can handle. There will be times when sleep is more important than homework. You will have to figure out how much studying is required for each class and when you can get away with taking a night off.

Add a relationship, writing time, pleasure reading, or hobbies to that list and you have even more of a balancing act. I've been averaging about one book every two or three weeks and I consider that very good. I told myself back home that I was going to take riding lessons at least once a month while I was up here...and so far I haven't even had time to look into the riding stable that I plan to go to.

The best advice I can give is just learn to prioritize. It might take a few weeks for you to get everything straight. You will have to make sacrifices. For me, I have to sacrifice sleep, writing time, and reading for fun. When I do have time for those things, it makes it that much more precious.

Frostbite Review

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Frostbite
by Richelle Mead
Second book in the Vampire Academy series

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

I didn't think it was possible for me to love the Vampire Academy series any more than I already did, but Frostbite proved me wrong. When I finished it, I was about ready to run to the nearest bookstore for Shadow Kiss if I had to (I've since bought and started reading it). The characters were all just as great as ever and I adored the voice once again.

I enjoyed getting a closer look at Rose's relationship with her mother. Rose has always talked about how she feels about her mother, but this was our first chance to see it first-hand.

I also loved the development of Rose and Dimitri's relationship. I can't believe how long it took for Rose to realize that there was something more than friendship between Dimitri and Tasha. I'm a very firm Dimitri/Rose shipper (probably more invested in their relationship than I should be) but I wouldn't have minded seeing Dimitri and Tasha together for a little while.

Before Mason died, I kind of wished it was easier for me to ship Rose/Mason but they lacked the passion that Rose and Dimitri have. I absolutely loved the scene where Rose and Dimitri kiss. I might have screamed out loud. Also the roof scene where Rose tells Dimitri that she just wants him to be happy. SO CUTE. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried over Mason's death. I still haven't come to terms with it.

I liked the additions of Tasha and Adrian. Tasha's speech was so amazing. I loved it when she set the guy's sweater on fire. I'm not really sure what I think about Adrian. On one hand, he's a jerk but on the other, I'm intrigued by the fact that he's another spirit user. I just can't believe it took Rose so long to figure it out.

Overall: 9.5/10 Great second installment to the series and I can't wait to continue!

RTW -- Best Book in September

2011-09-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
What was the best book you read in September?

Unfortunately college didn't leave much time for reading for fun in the last month. However, I did manage to fit a couple books in.

I'm very late to the Anna and the French Kiss party, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. St. Clair is a great love interest and the romantic tension is crackling throughout the entire book. After all the wonderful things I heard about this book, it kind of let me down but I think I'll enjoy it much more when I read it again. I can't wait for Lola and the Boy Next Door!

Full review here

Disadvantages of E-Textbooks

2011-09-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, I should mention that I don't have any e-textbooks. All of these points are inspired by a friend of mine that bought all of the textbooks she could on her Kindle.

1. No resale
This is the main disadvantage that I didn't even think about until she mentioned it. If you buy hard copies of your textbooks, you can sell them somewhere and get some or most of that money back. But if you buy the e-book versions, you can't sell that anywhere.

2. No highlighting
I'm not positive but I think there are some e-readers that have highlight capabilities. But if you don't own one of those, then you lose the ability to highlight and make notes as you read the chapters in your hard copy textbook. I highlight a lot when I'm reading because I find it helps me focus rather than constantly zoning out.

3. Pages can be messed up
One of my friends with e-textbooks found out that, for one of her books, if she needs to get to another page she has to flip through the section titles rather than just finding the right page number. Also, if you need a certain page and you're not sure what the number (or section title) is, you can't just flip through them real quick looking for it like you can with a hard copy.

What do you think? Would you buy hard copy or e-textbooks? If you've bought e-textbooks, what are the advantages and disadvantages?

RTW: Recurring Elements

2011-09-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
What themes, settings, motifs, scenes, or other elements do you find recurring in your work?

I made a list of things that I realized were recurring in my works, but it's quite old. My recent works have been so different in nature that I'm having trouble thinking of something for this post.

A few things that are on the old list are business owner parents, white rooms, and characters that can't pick out clothes on their own (I've had two main characters whose best friends helped them pick out outfits at least once over the course of the story). I think the majority of my early main characters also had brown hair and brown eyes. I was an unimaginative person when it comes to character appearances.

Most of my books have some sort of "coming of age" or "finding yourself" theme most likely because that is the stage of life that I am currently in. I also think it's a fascinating and turbulent time that all teenagers go through at some point and I enjoy writing about different characters' journeys through it.

Anna and the French Kiss

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is 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. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

I did just read this book now after hearing people rave about it so long. I kind of wish I'd read it months ago. Don't get me wrong, I loved this book. But after hearing people talk about how it was such an awesome book, my expectations got too high and I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. Though I did want to read it again immediately after finishing it so that's a good sign.

It started a little slow for me. I started and stopped reading quite a lot through the first third. Then I was using it as a reward for doing homework and I ended up doing more reading than homework because I couldn't force myself to stop. I also felt like the ending was a little rushed.

The romantic tension was definitely hot. I spent about half the book screaming "WILL YOU TWO JUST KISS ALREADY." I want to read this book a second time to just to focus on that.

Overall: 10/10. Fantastic book regardless of my impossibly high expectations.

Road Trip Wednesday...Wait, What?

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

So...I blame Labor Day for my completely lack of ability to remember what day it is. I told myself I was going to do RTW and then I forgot it was Wednesday (I also had classes from one until seven in the afternoon so that didn't help). But because this week's topic was so AWESOME, I decided to do it two days late.

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
What non-YA character would you love to see star in a YA book as themselves?
I'm going to cheat and do a couple because I'll be sitting here all night if I try to pick just one.

Numair Salmalin

If you don't know who this is, you need to go read Tamora Pierce's Immortals series right away. Meaning NOW. I think he was my first fictional love way back in middle school when I first read these books and he's still one of my favorite male characters. I'm not even entirely sure if I should include him on this list because according to Tamora Pierce's website, my dream is becoming a reality.

2013 TBD: NUMAIR: THE EARLY YEARS 1 (very tentative title), in which we learn of Numair's last years at the university of Carthak, the beginning of his conflict with the newly-made Emperor Ozorne (Numair's best friend), his quick departure from Carthak, and how he survives afterward, in Random House hardcover in the U.S. and Canada

I am so excited! I haven't been this excited for a book since Harry Potter. Is it 2013 yet?

Severus Snape

It would make my year if Rowling wrote a book (or a few) from Snape's point of view. I think that would be so incredible just to see everything that he went through and everything that went on that isn't shown. His memories are some of my favorite scenes in the books. I just love his character and I think it would be incredible to see things from behind his eyes and explore him in more depth.

College-Age Main Characters

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry about my complete lack of blogging on Monday and Wednesday. College has me a whole lot busier than I expected.

I have now been at college for over a week and it's giving me a whole new perspective on the debate about college-age main characters. I feel kind of lonely knowing that there aren't many main characters out there that are my age. I didn't enjoy the adult books I've read enough to want to read more, but I feel kind of out of place reading YA (not that I intend to stop any time soon).

Why do you think there aren't many college-age MCs? Is it because we're kept so busy that there isn't enough time for interesting things to happen (not true)? Is it because the differences between college campuses (in contrast to the fact that most high schools are relatively the same) make it a difficult task? Is it because there's a stigma attached to college kids that says we don't read (which my hall has repeatedly disproved)?

Does anyone have any recommendations of books with college-age main characters?

Change is Coming...

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

I watched Soul Surfer yesterday. It's now one of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, I would definitely rent it when you can. It's an amazing story.

Now...

On Wednesday, I'm officially leaving for college. Because this is my freshman year, I'm not sure how things are really going to work. Instead of stopping blogging completely, I'm going to cut back.

I'll be posting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Because of their time consuming nature (and the fact that, unlike normal posts, I can't just schedule them when I have an idea for a post), I'm discontinuing Week in Shorts, at least until I get an idea of my workload. Querytracker and YA Highway both do a fantastic job of weekly link round-ups.

I will, however, attempt to continue participating in Road Trip Wednesday. Except for this Wednesday because I will literally be on the road and without computer access all day.

Once I have an idea of my workload, I may up my posting or bring back Week in Shorts depending on how things go.

Week in Short

2011-08-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Song of the Week: Somewhere Only We Know by the Glee cast (Warblers). I'm going through a Glee phase today. I can't seem to listen to anything else.

Must Read:
Too many agents, not enough gin: the truth about multiple offer situations
First draft syndrome symptoms

News:
The Republic School District (which you may remember as the same school district that challenged Speak, Twenty Boy Summer, and Slaughterhouse-Five and banned the latter two) has now had a lawsuit filed against them after failing to protect a middle school girl after she was raped. Laurie Halse Anderson talks about it and provides several awesome links to coverage.

In an apparently long-line of offers to take books to famous names, PA set up a promotion where people could pay for them to show their books to J.K. Rowling and she knows. Here is PA's full response. Talk of the events ranges from Twitter, Galleycat, The Associated Press, and Publishers Weekly.

WriteOnCon:
Here are some of the highlights from WOC. If you missed it, check it out! The blog posts and vlogs are still available and there are transcripts of all of the live chats.
Here are recaps of day 1, day 2, and day 3

Janice Hardy:
Describing your first-person narrator

Pimp My Novel:
Keeping your butt in chair

Querytracker:
Don't sweat the small stuff
War of the genres

Rachelle Gardner:
Poor sales can affect your future

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson Review

2011-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I was glancing through my post drafts and I realized that I never posted my review of this amazing book.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson
by John Green and David Levithan

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

I adore this book. It's been several months since I've read and I'm still raving about it. I devoured it in twenty-four hours. It wouldn't have taken that long but I needed sleep and then I had to go to school. I wanted to read it again within a few hours of finishing and I'm dying to buy it so I can. Especially because there were a few lines that were so profoundly made of awesome that I want to write them down on my "favorite quotes" sheet.

The voice of both Wills was amazing. I think David's will was my favorite, but it was a very, very close vote. I loved them both so much. In addition, no one knows how to make completely and totally awesome and original side characters like these two. When I first saw that will grayson's sections are entirely lower case, I thought it would bother me. But it worked so well that I wasn't bothered at all.

Overall: 10/10 I can't recommend this book enough

RTW: Inspirational Places

2011-08-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

This week's topic:
What is the most inspiring setting you've ever visited in real life?

Most of my books take place in imagined towns or even countries. However, I recently went to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (which we call "the U.P.") and I'm dying to write a story set there. I'm a little biased, but I think it's the most gorgeous place in the world. There's nothing quite like standing on the rocks overlooking Lake Superior and watching the sun go down.

I tried to download pictures from my phone, but my phone apparently doesn't like this laptop so I just went to Google.

Gemma Doyle Trilogy Review

2011-08-16T12:40:00.001-07:00

***WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS***

After reading the entire trilogy I decided instead of reviewing each book individually like I normally do, I'd just review them all together.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

This was my first Libba Bray book ever and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. This was also my favorite book in the series, which I don't think I can say about any other first book. I did feel like the characters were a little flat. They all had their set personalities and they never really did anything outside of them.

I hated that Gemma thought she could touch the crystals despite her mom's warnings and everything would be fine and dandy. I loved the twist ending that I didn't see coming.

Overall: 10/10 Good book with a great premise and voice

Rebel Angels

This is the book where the characters really started to drive me insane. I hated that Felicity always wanted to go into the realms and have fun without a care to what would happen if something went wrong. I also knew right away Pippa had been corrupted so it drove me insane that it took them all of this book and most of the third to finally get it through their heads.

I love the introduction of the anagrams. Very clever.

I loved the twist that Miss Moore is Circe. I always felt like there was something strange about her, but I couldn't figure out what it was. The only thing about the ending that bothered me was Gemma worrying about having Nell's blood on her hands. Nell told her to "save an arrow for me." She knew it would end like this. Gemma's about as guilty for killing Nell as Snape is guilty of killing Dumbledore. Gemma's guilt made sense, but I would have liked it if she'd just once thought back to Nell's words.

Overall: 9/10

The Sweet Far Thing

This book took me two weeks to read, probably because of the large amount of time I spent yelling at it. If it wasn't a library book, I would have thrown it against the wall at least three times. I kept waiting for the main characters to evolve, but they didn't until the very end. For example, it bothered me when the river boy says "She's no beauty" in reference to Gemma and it bothers her while she's disguised as a boy. If she's supposed to look like a boy, of course she's not going to be a beauty. Despite her annoying qualities, Gemma does have her awesome moments of cleverness. I love when she punches out Tom.

There were only two reasons I made it to the end of this book: 1) I had to know how it ended, and 2) Kartik. I love Kartik. The scene in the Caves of Sighs somehow made the entire book worth reading. I still can't believe the only character I loved becomes the Tree of All Souls. I started sobbing when Gemma goes to visit the tree and she hears her name in the breeze blowing through the leaves.

Overall: 7.5 I honestly don't know what I think about the conclusion.

Series Overall

I enjoyed it and I'm glad that I read it. I'll be looking for more of Libba Bray's work soon. I just wish that her characters hadn't gotten on my nerves this much.

Following Agents on Twitter

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

In the age of social networking, agents are now more accessible to aspiring writers than ever. A lot of them have Twitter, Facebook, blogs, or other ways of social networking. General advice tells you to get to know the agents you want to query. Personalize your queries to them and target your agent hunt for agents that you think that your book suits the best.

But is it a good idea to follow an agent beyond the typical information search? I don't mean stalking them to their house. I mean, for example, following them on Twitter. Oftentimes writers who follow the agents they're querying find themselves analyzing every harmless tweet the agent makes. An agent mentions an amazing partial that they're reading and you immediately begin to panic, wondering if it's yours and worrying that if it isn't, yours will pale in comparison.

On the other hand, some agents tweet when they've caught up with queries. This is great with both non-responders and responders. With a non-responder, the writer knows that they can cross the agent off their list if they didn't receive a response. On the other side, with a responder the writer knows that their query may have been lost in the interwebs if they didn't receive a response.

What do you guys think? Should querying writers follow agents? Or should they only follow the agents that they don't have a submission out with?

Week in Short

2011-08-12T12:09:00.001-07:00

Song of the Week: Searching for a Heart by Luke Olson (this isn't a well-known song, but I heard it on Pandora and immediately fell in love with it. Must. Have. Album.)

Must Read:
The power to choose

News:
Prayers to everyone in London and everywhere else affected by the riots. Stay safe. I hope you're all okay. I'm thinking of you all.

WriteOnCon:
Just a few more days!

Mary Sues:
There's been a lot of discussion about Mary Sues on the blogosphere lately. Zoe Marriot began with her post on what a Mary Sue truly is. Sarah Rees Brennan talked about insecurity in fiction and real life. Holly Black makes the great point that female characters are at the center of the story because they are the protagonist and suggests that the intentions of the writer should be left out. Cora Buhlert discusses Mary Sues in-depth and suggests that it's normal for beginning writers.

BookEnds:
Workshop Wednesday

ktLiterary:
What not to tell an agent in a query

Literary Rambles:
Paint chip storytelling

Querytracker:
Figuring out your strengths and weaknesses

Rachelle Gardner:
What to bring to a conference
Questionable practices by literary agents

YAHighway:
5 tips on writing outside your gender

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

RTW: Tick Tock Time to Write

2011-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
What time do you prefer to do your writing?

I write anytime inspiration strikes and I have time and access to a computer. I've never really had a set writing schedule. However, I am typically a night owl. I've been known to not write a single word all day and then stay up until three in the morning because inspiration struck and I couldn't stop writing.

Psychologically, night has always kind of been my "play" time and day has always been my "work" time. Because of that, I write more during the night and revise more during the day. I have a lot of work that needs to get done during the day so when night hits, my brain knows it's time to settle in and have some free time.

I've tried to set aside a specific time for writing, but it hasn't really worked out. I'm probably going to try again once I'm at college because I don't know how easy it'll be to find time to write when there's so much else to do.

My absolute favorite time to write is oddly specific: after dinner during a thunderstorm. I'm not sure what I find so inspirational about thunderstorms but I hate watching the truly fantastic ones we've had the past few weeks go by knowing I can't write.

Book Buying Tally Analysis

2011-08-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted a list of the books I've bought or borrowed from the library recently and why I picked those books. Today I wanted to talk about the results. I also wanted to compare this year's results from last year's.

2010 tally results

My results from August 2, 2010:
23% Word of mouth
15% Liked author
15% Book in a series
15% Cover/book trailer
8% Similar to another author
8% Referenced elsewhere
8% Similar to a WiP
8% Back summary only

My results from this year:
35% Book in a series
20% Liked author (10% read author before, 5% heard good things about author, 5% author's internet presence)
20% Word of mouth
10% Already read and wanted to own
5% Being made into movie
5% Summary

I'm not surprised that my purchase of books in a series went up 20%. A lot of the books from series I'm reading came out in the last couple months. There are also more series on the market and more that I'm reading.

Liking the author and word of mouth both increased from last year. I'm not really surprised by either of the increases. The more books I read, the more authors I find that I enjoy reading and I want to find more of their work. Also, as I become more active in social networking and become friends with more and more writers/readers, I'm getting more recommendations. It can be hard to keep up at times.

I'm surprised that summary went down three percent. A few years ago, these stats would look very different. Summary probably would've been closer to seventy-five percent with maybe five going to word of mouth and the last twenty going to books in series. This is probably related to the fact that most of my new release posts are coming from my Goodreads instead of my typical searches of Amazon's and Borders' new release lists.

I predict that if I do this next year, books in a series will go down (I'm avoiding series as much as possible for the exact reason that I don't want to have to constantly be buying the next book) and liking the author will increase.

What do you think? Is there anything that surprises you about your recent buying habits? What's your biggest factor when choosing a book?

Book Buying Tally Results

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I decided to do a little experiment to see why I buy the books that I do. Over the course of a few trips to the bookstore, I came home and wrote down the reasons why I bought those particular books over all the others. I thought it would be fun to do this again, to see if my habits have changed.

2010 tally results

Note: This also includes books I checked out of the library.

Already Read, Wanted to Own

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Bought because it was the only book in the series that I still didn't own.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -- I actually read this some time ago, but I bought it recently because I loved it so much.

Book in Series

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares. Bought because it's the last book in the series and I have to know how everything ends now.

Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan. Bought because it's the second book in the series and the first one was amazing.

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray. From library because it's the second book in a trilogy.

The Sweet, Far Thing by Libba Bray. From library because it's the third book in a trilogy.

Forever by Maggie Steifvater -- Final book in the series. As scared as I am to read it, I couldn't not buy it.

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers -- Second book in the series and I needed it ASAP. Not to mention that awesome cover.

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund -- Second book in the series. I couldn't wait any longer.

Author

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. From library because it was the only Levithan book they had and I wanted to read something by him because of Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

White Cat by Holly Black -- I'm not actually sure how I heard about this book first. It was either author or summary that caught my eye. I've never read anything about Holly Black, but I've heard great things about her.

Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz -- I love Hannah, I love Break, the summary sounded good.

Wildfire by Karsten Knight -- I found out about this book through the YARebels of which Karsten is a part of. The summary sounded awesome so I had to buy it.

Word of Mouth

The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle. From library because I heard amazing things about it from a fellow writer.

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer. From library because I've heard good things about the series and it looked like a short, fun read.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I haven't heard one bad thing about this book and the summary sounds great.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins -- I've been wanting to read this for so long because of all the wonderful things I've heard about it.

Being Made Into Movie

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. From library because I heard about the movie and I have a habit of reading the book before seeing the movie.

Summary

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler -- I originally found this book soon after it's release while looking for books to feature on a new release post. Recently, I was reminded of it through great things readers were saying and also because it's being banned from a school library. That tipped the scales for me.

Tomorrow I'm going to analyze my results.

Week in Short

2011-08-05T11:13:00.001-07:00

Song of the Week: Bad Day by Daniel Powter

College is three weeks away and I'm overwhelmed with how much stuff I have to get done before I go. I NEED MORE HOURS IN THE DAY. The bright spot of my week: I got into Pottermore! After three days of sleeping through the clues and the alarm that was supposed to wake me up for them, I finally managed to catch one.

I also spent an extraordinarily large amount of time watching vlogbrothers videos starting with the very first Brotherhood 2.0 ones back in 2007. It's like traveling back in time.

Must Read:
Zoe provides a new perspective on the term "Mary-Sue"
Kody's post on sexual politics, women's rights, and becoming an adult
Rejection insights -- Tweets by Angela James, executive editor of Carina Press, covering snippets from a rejection report she was working on collected by Juliana Haygert

News:
The YARebels are auditioning vloggers

WriteOnCon:
Live forum events and how they work
Ninja agents!
More faculty announcements

BookEnds:
Perception vs reality
Workshop Wednesday -- cozy query

Janet Reid:
Imitation is the highest form of flattery?

Janice Hardy:
Staying organized during revisions

Mandy Hubbard:
"Message boards are not your living room" -- the dangers of venting online

Rachelle Gardner:
Explains high-concept

Queryshark:
#207

Querytracker:
Pre-revision: before you break out the red pen

Veronica Roth:
Book to movie process + ComicCon

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

The Balancing Act of Life: 7 Time Management Tips

2011-08-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Two things have happened in the last couple weeks: I turned eighteen and my mom started working second shift. In less than a week, I went from being a teenager to an adult and I've learned a few things about time management.

1. Switch when something's not working.
If you're stuck on a scene or a revision point, do a load of dishes, take the dog for a walk, or do some cleaning. I find this helps to loosen up my mind and help me get past blocks.

2. Allocate time to certain tasks.
For example, during the day is my "work" time. This is the time I use to do stuff around the house, work on revisions, beta-read, and do other things on my to-do list. Night is my relax time. This is the time I just hang out, watch Netflix, read for pleasure, write, and sometimes do things that I didn't finish during the day.

3. Use rewards
Give yourself a reward for each task you complete. This can be a TV show you have recorded, a movie that you want to watch, or some time to relax. My reward at the moment is for every task on my to-do list I complete or every five pages I edit, I can watch one vlogbrothers video.

4. Prioritize
There will be days when you can't get everything done. There will be days when something comes up and you won't be able to do everything you thought. This where prioritizing comes in. You have to be able to decide what has to be done and what can be put off for another day.

5. Learn to multi-task.
Yesterday I watched episodes of Star Trek while I did the dishes. If you like audiobooks, you can listen to them while you do housework or take the dog for a walk. Read while you're waiting at the doctor's office.

6. Make unpleasant tasks more enjoyable.
Watching Star Trek while I did the dishes made it more fun. Play music and dance around the house while you do housework.

7. Keep a to do list and stick to it.
I have two of them. One has the list of things that I must do today and the other one has things that I need to do, but can be put off for another day. If there's something you're really looking forward to such as an episode of your favorite show on DVR or that great new movie that just arrived from Netflix, don't let yourself have it until everything on your list is done. (I've been withholding the season finale of Covert Affairs since Tuesday).

New Releases -- The Near Witch; Epic Fail; Chain Reaction

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Epic Fail
by Claire LaZebnik

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Chain Reaction
by Simone Elkeles

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

[After reading Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction I am so excited for this one!]

RTW: The Five Senses

2011-08-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
The Five Senses. How you use them in your writing, how you are inspired by them, pictorial essays, that character with smelly socks, books that have used them well, the ones that are currently missing from your work, etc.

This is a really hard topic for me because description is definitely my writing weakness. I've been actively concentrating on making sure I get the right amount of description and it uses all of the five senses.

I think the most commonly used senses are sight, sound, and smell. Sight is definitely the most common because it's the easiest to use in description. The two most under-used are taste and touch. Those last two are definitely the ones missing the most from my work.

In Where There's Smoke, I tend to lean more towards the smell side of the five senses because the story takes place on a ranch. And the first thing I think of when I think "horse barn" are the mixture of scents of horses, hay, and leather. Here are some examples of the five senses appearing in my story:

Sight of the dirt road leading from the ranch into town

Sounds of trees rustling and crickets chirping in the dark

Smell of smoke

Taste of a kiss

The feel of a horse's coat

Sisterhood Everlasting Review

2011-08-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sisterhood Everlasting
by Ann Brashares

Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn't take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can't seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever -- but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

***WARNING: There will be spoilers throughout the review***

When I found out that Ann Brashares was returning to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in an installment taking place ten years after the last one, I was ecstatic. I've always wondered what happened between Lena and Kostos after the final book and I finally got my answer.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the book as a whole. I was both disappointed, satisfied, and torn to pieces. I probably spent about eighty percent of this book in tears. It took me about ten minutes after turning the final page to stop crying. And those weren't tears of joy. I described the feeling as "like my heart's been ripped out. Stomped on. And then run over by a truck."

I had a lot of trouble getting into this installment and I didn't enjoy the characters as much as I used to. Bridget and Carmen stood on my nerves a lot. I still can't believe what Bridget did to Eric running away like that. I'm glad Carmen broke off her engagement with Jones. I don't know if I would have been able to stand it if they got married.

Lena was my favorite character. She's always been the one that I've been able to relate to the most and I've always rooted for her and Kostos. While I'm not sure how I feel about Kostos having other girlfriends when he promised her "Someday," I'm glad they got together in the end.

As for Tibby...Oh, God. Tibby. She drowns in the Caldera before the other three arrive in Greece. At first it's believed to be an accident, then a suicide, and then it's revealed that she had Huntington's disease and it had taken her sooner than she'd thought. Her death destroyed me. I kept hoping and praying that the girl who drowned would turn out to be someone, anyone, else. It was quite awhile before I finally accepted that Tibby was gone. My heart ached for Brian. I started crying again when Bridget meets Tibby's daughter, Bailey. I loved Bailey.

Overall: 8.5 It was a good book and I'm glad I read it, but...I don't know. I don't feel like I've had total closure yet.

Why I Love Real Bookstores

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I said goodbye to my Borders this weekend. I'll admit I almost cried when I got home. I've shopped at Borders for as long as I can remember. I just can't believe this was the last time I'll walk through those doors. We had to wait awhile for our ride to come back from CVS where he'd gone while we were shopping so while my mom waited for him outside I actually went back in the store and just walked around the YA section for awhile.

Goodbye, Borders.

Today, I want to talk about why I love brick and mortar bookstores so much.

First of all, there's the smell. That beautiful, crisp smell of books. If they could bottle that smell, I would spray it around my room like crazy. I love to just walk into a bookstore and take a deep breath.

(Stop looking at me like I'm crazy.)

Another thing I love to do in bookstores is walk around the shelves and run my fingers along the spines. I love the feeling of the smooth book spines under my fingers as I take in the different titles.

There are actual people there who are willing to help you find a book and would be glad to give recommendations, if you need them. I also love watching the people buying books and looking to see what they have.

The immediate gratitude. If I buy a book in a real bookstore, I don't have to wait several days/weeks for it to arrive. It's there in my hands right away. I can go straight home and open it up right away if I want to. I don't even have to wait that long if I don't want to.

And finally, that feeling of finding a book that wasn't on your list but you just had to have it. That happens to me a lot. Oftentimes I go into a bookstore with a complete list of books to look for in my phone and when I walk out, half the books in my arms aren't on that list.

What do you love about real (brick and mortar) bookstores?

Week in Short

2011-07-29T13:05:00.001-07:00

Song of the Week: Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. I can't stop listening to this song.

Must Read:
Still your itchy trigger finger -- Why you should wait before hitting send

News:
Borders has officially gone under and is selling all of its stores. I feel like I just lost my home.

Janet Reid is taking a break from queries

Peeta and Gale from Hunger Games are on the cover of Entertainment Weekly What do you think? I'm hoping Gale and Peeta's looks are different in the movie than the are on the cover. IMO both of them look too old and I've always imagined Peeta as looking younger and softer than that. Katniss looks okay.

The publication date for The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has been moved up from to January 10th from May. My first thought: IS IT JANUARY 10TH YET?

Omnivore Books live-tweeted in-store surprise marriage proposal

WriteOnCon:
It's almost time for WriteOnCon 2011!
How the live events work
Faculty announcements

BookEnds:
Workshop Wednesday -- YA query

Caroline in Space:
Editorial rejections: To read or not to read?

Rachelle Gardner:
Elevator pitch critiques

Writer Beware:
Offer of representation and book deal hoax

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Happy Birthday

2011-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from blogging today to celebrate my birthday. I'll return to my regular blogging schedule tomorrow.

RTW: Best Book of July

2011-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

I spent a large portion of July rereading this book in preparation for the movie. This was the third time I've read it, the first time I've read it since I started writing seriously, and I'm happy to say that it has not lost it's magic. This book is still one of my favorites of all time.

And yes, I cried.

The best book I read for the first time was...

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

I love this book with a passion. It's actually overdue at the library by about a week and I don't want to take it back. You can read my full review of it here.

What was the best book you read this month? Have you ever loved a book so much you didn't want to take it back to the library?

Legacy Review

2011-07-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Legacy
by Cayla Kluver
#1 in Legacy trilogy

In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.

When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.

In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it either. I wanted so badly to love it, but I couldn't. Through the first half of the book I was constantly waiting for the "real" action to start. When it did, I got caught up in the story a little bit more but by the time I got to the end, I felt like I had just read an entire novel of backstory.

London and Narian were the best characters, though I'm still confused as to what both really want. I wasn't surprised when Alera asked London to marry her. I was more shocked that she didn't consider that sooner. I can't believe Narian fled to the mountains, though. He doesn't seem the fleeing kind.

Temerson was also an excellent character and I hope we see more of him. Steldor is the stereotypical arrogant son of a very powerful man who has it all (except the wife) and insists on charming everyone around him. The King is flat and I'm having trouble believing that he would be so adamant about someone with as quick a temper as Steldor being King.

I love the self-defense scenes, the bedroom scene, and the sneaking out scene. Though I'm a little confused as to why Narian would teach Alera how to handle a sword when he's supposed to be teaching her self-defense. In the event where she needed self-defense, the odds of her getting her hands on a sword in time to defend herself are long.

The Cokyrian weaponry was genius. I particularly loved the poison darts hidden in the threads of his clothes. I was a little confused, though, that Narian doesn't show proficiency at hand-to-hand combat. I figured when he said that no Cokyrian is ever without a weapon, he meant his body was a weapon. And yet it seemed like he meant the daggers hidden in his boots and the poison darts in his clothes.

Overall: 5/10. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. If I spotted the next book in the library, I might pick it up, but I'm not in any hurry to get my hands on it.

Mom, Where Do Ideas Come From?

2011-07-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's probably the most common question any writer gets asked after "Are you published?"

"Where do you get your ideas?"

Like a writer is suddenly going to answer with the location of an Idea Store where beautiful ideas line the shelves and we can just walk in and pick up a likely looking one. The real answer tends to be a lot more complicated. My answer is always the same:

Everywhere.

It's the best answer I can give and it's 100% true. I've had ideas hit me while I was sitting in a car driving down the road. I've had ideas hit me at track meets. I've had ideas hit me while I'm sleeping. Here are the stories behind some of my novels.

Destiny
The original story (called Andra) came from a dream I had. I know there was more to it, but the only part that I can remember with full-clarity now is an actual scene in the book. My dream self woke up on a stretch of grass and looked up to see a barbed wire fence surrounding her. She screamed and ran at the fence and clutched at it like she was going to rip it apart to escape. Men in black robes came up behind her and dragged her away into a building. When I woke up, the full story bloomed inside my head. I let it simmer for a year or two before I finally set down and wrote it out.

Black Diamond
Inspired by Parker in Joanna Campbell's Thoroughbreds series, I wanted to write a series of books about a girl and her eventing horse.

Jump
I was sitting at a track meet and looking up at the top of the bleachers when I started to wonder what would happen if someone jumped off there and ended up in a coma. Then I started to wonder why a girl would want to do that. And Hannah was born. I held the idea in my head for an hour until I was able to get to the car and write it down.

Aliens Ruined My Life
This one was inspired by my constant thoughts about what it would be like after someone "normal" saved the world. In my mind there were so many stories about someone normal getting special powers and then saving the world from certain destruction, but very little about what happened after the world was saved. And so the story of Kate, a girl that saved the world from aliens, was born.

Where There's Smoke
The idea that kicked off WTS only vaguely resembles the draft that is here today. It was born when I was sitting in a car contemplating ranches for troubled teens and got the itch to write a love story with this setting. WTS is no longer set on a ranch for troubled teens, but the premise is the same.

Cardinal Three
This one was born from a news article about how scientists believed they had discovered the gene that causes people to cheat on their significant others. I went off on a tangent over this and CT was born.

Where do your ideas come from? Have you ever written a story from a dream? What's your usual answer to the infamous question?

Series Syndromes

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

With trilogies and series becoming so popular, I've been noticing certain problems that arise as the result of this trend. The first three syndromes are going to refer specifically to trilogies, though they can occur in series as well.

First Book Syndrome:
This occurs in a series where the first book is build-up for the rest of the series. Done well, a first book has a strong arc but leaves enough threads so that the series can continue. A book with this syndrome, on the other hand, might read like an exposition for the series or backstory that the author feels she needs to get through in order to lead into the rest of the series.

Examples of good first books: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Middle Book Syndrome:
This is probably the most prevalent. MBS occurs when the middle book in a series acts as a bridge between the previous book and the next. This book is there only to get through certain events that have to occur before the series can end. A great middle book has its own arc that ties in aspects from the previous book but rackets up the tension in preparation for the finale.

Examples of good middle books: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Fade by Lisa McMann

Last Book Syndrome:
This one's exceedingly rare. Sometimes, the tension by the previous books gets so high that the final book can offer a disappointing ending. It might end in a way that no one expects, but in an unsatisfying way. A good last book ties up all the loose ends in an explosive and satisfying conclusion.

Examples of good last books: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare, The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan, Gone by Lisa McMann, Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

JUST END IT ALREADY Syndrome:
I've been reading a lot of this one lately. With the Era of Series upon us, more and more books are being turned into series. For some that's a good thing. For others, it's not. Some books do not need to be turned into series and making them one results in an extremely drawn out series that feels like it's going to drag on forever. Off the top of my head, I can think of two such series that caused me to completely stop reading them simply because I couldn't take the pointless drama for the sake of continuing a series. One of those series I'm just going to wait for my best friend to read and then ask her to tell me what happens.

Boy Meets Boy Review

2011-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Boy Meets Boy
by David Levithan

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: the cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a gay named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he's found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12 to 1 against getting Noah back, but Paul's not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be driving away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon...but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

I picked this book up after reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson because I'd never read a Levithan book before. When I started to read, I was in the midst of a post-Potter depression and couldn't seem to concentrate on anything for more than a couple minutes. However, this book sucked me in and I absorbed it in a single afternoon. I. Loved. It.

The characters were all very believable and I almost felt like they were my best friends. I especially loved Noah. I love the originality and concept of a character that paints music. That scene made me want to try it right away. The romance between him and Paul was beautiful. I love the scene with the flowers and the scene with the candles.

Even as Paul starts to make mistakes and screw everything up, it feels right. Not right as in, it was the right thing to do, but right as in right for the story.

Also, I want a team of cheerleaders on motorcycles.

Overall: 10/10 I wasn't even finished with it yet and I already wanted to read it again.

Tell Me: What Do YOU Want More Of?

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm asking for your opinions. What do you want to see more of on this blog? More new releases? More opinion posts? More posts about writing, revisions, or querying? Do you have any specific topics or questions that you would like me to cover?

I'm planning on continuing participating in Road Trip Wednesday and continue my Week in Short posts (at least until September when classes start).

If there's anything you've ever wanted me to cover or any question you've ever wanted me to answer, now is the time to tell me.

Deathly Hallows-2

2011-07-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

****WARNING LOTS OF SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT****

I'm going to be completely honest here. Deathly Hallows was great, but it could have been incredible. The book is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, it was definitely worth seeing, and I will watch it again when it comes out on DVD. I just think it could have been better.

Things I Liked:

The added scene in Snape's memories where Snape is holding Lily after she died. It tore my heart apart.
Neville's speech. It was amazing.
Snape's memories.
Molly killing Bellatrix. It was everything I could have hoped for and more.
Helena Bonham Carter. She is amazing. The part where Hermione is disguised as Bellatrix is BRILLIANT.
The epilogue. Though I wish they'd shown Teddy!
Neville saying that he needs to go tell Luna he loves her because he could die before he gets another chance.
The Slytherins being sent to the dungeons. I'm a little undecided on this point, but it was kind of awesome.
The part where Harry tells Snape to tell everyone how he looked Dumbledore in the eye and killed him
Filch. I loved Filch.
The "Still. After all this time?" "Always." lines.

Things I Didn't Like:

Neville and the snake. Harry never even told him to kill the snake and it took him forever to do it. I was so looking forward to seeing him pull the sword out of the flaming Sorting Hat and slicing the snake's head off.
The battle with Voldemort and Harry. It would have been incredible in the Great Hall. I wish they hadn't attempted to make it more cinematic.They also cut out most of the dialogue between the two of them. I LOVE the dialogue in that scene.
The fact that Harry doesn't fix his own wand before he snaps the Elder Wand in half.
Harry telling Aberforth about the search for Horcruxes. Harry doesn't tell anyone but Ron and Hermione. Not even Lupin! He wouldn't go around telling people he just met, not even if they are Dumbledore's brother.
The things in Bellatrix's vault were supposed to burn, not just multiply.
The Gray Lady scene. Helena never wanted the diadem destroyed. I also wish they'd talked about how Voldemort had happened upon it.
Ron and Hermione's kiss. I couldn't quite decide if I should put this in Like or Dislike. I have to admit, I did love it, but I liked the book kiss better.
They just randomly announce that Lupin has a son. There's no mention of him prior to Lupin's death and no mention of Harry being Teddy's godfather.
There's no Percy.
Fred's death isn't really shown. That scene is one that I cry the hardest over in the book, but it's also one of the best.
Voldemort was in some random boathouse instead of the Shrieking Shack
Harry seeing Hermione and Ron before walking to his death. The only person Harry talked to in the book was Neville and that was to tell him to kill the snake. Harry didn't want to see anyone else because he was afraid of losing his nerve and what they would say.
No Grawp.
Where are the Carrows during the entire Battle of Hogwarts?

Harry Potter Week: Favorite Movies/Books

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *runs around in circles* I'll definitely be there at midnight tonight (wouldn't miss it for the world). Tomorrow I'm going to post my customary review. There will be LOTS AND LOTS of spoilers. If you don't like spoilers, don't read the review. I'll put another warning on the review as a reminder, but this is just a head's up.

Today I wanted to talk favorite movies and books out of the Harry Potter series. They're all amazing so it's kind of difficult for me to judge.

Books

1. Deathly Hallows
I'm not quite sure why this one is my favorite. It certainly made me cry the hardest. I just think it was the most incredible. The end was explosive and I loved the end of the character arcs, especially when it comes to Neville.

2. Prisoner of Azkaban
This one was my reigning favorite until DH came out. Personally, I think my middle school self loved it so much because of Buckbeak. Though now it's more because of the introduction of Sirius and Lupin. I loved both of them to death.

3. Half-Blood Prince
This one took a bit of thinking. Still, despite the murderous rage and crying that I went through at the ending, this one was my third favorite. I loved the shock that Snape's the Half-Blood Prince and learning more about Voldemort's past and what made him what he is.

Movies

1. Half-Blood Prince
I won't lie. A big part of this movie getting the top spot is Tom Felton. The Sectumsempra scene was so powerful. Felton made me feel sorry for Draco (I felt sorry for him in the book too, but not quite as much). I also adore the Felix Felicis scene. This movie was just an overall solid movie. I ended up seeing it twice in theaters.

2. Deathly Hallows
When part 2 comes out, I'm going to put them both together as one and there's a good chance that this could overtake HBP. It's almost there already, but I'm withholding judgment until I see the rest of it. So far, the build-up to the next part hasn't been enough to take the number one spot.

3. Prisoner of Azkaban
Even though this was the first movie that I felt the need to criticize for deviating from the books, this one's still my third favorite. You can't beat the scene where Hermione punches Draco in the face.

I know that both lists are the same, just in a different order. I'm pretty sure there's a reason for that. What's your favorite movie and book?

RTW: My Biggest Mistake

2011-07-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

I need to interrupt this regularly scheduled post for a special announcement.

HANNAH MOSKOWITZ HAS SOLD ANOTHER BOOK. I CAN'T WAIT.

*clears throat* Okay, now it's time for Road Trip Wednesday.

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
What's the biggest writing / querying / publishing mistake you've made?

My biggest mistake was querying too soon. It's hard when you have a completed novel in your hands and a list of agents in front of you to hold off but do it until something tells you that you're ready. It wasn't until after the third novel that I looked back and realized that the problem wasn't my book, it was me.

The first time it was because I was a young and naiive writer. I knew just enough about the business to know how to write a query and send it to agents. I had a vague idea that I was supposed to do more in-depth revisions than the grammar and spelling ones, but had no idea how to go about them. So I started querying.

Eventually I realized that Novel #1 wasn't working out. So I completely rewrote it. I did actual revisions this time and sent it to actual betas. One beta told me that I had major plot issues involving a meandering plot based on what she knew from my synopsis. I decided to query anyway.

Some time later, Novel #2 came along. This one had plot issues similar to #1 among other things, but I thought it would be fine. Instead of having double climaxes like #1 up there, this one had a plot that meandered so much there wasn't much of an arc at all.

While a part of me does regret the energy wasted on querying those three novels, they did teach me a few valuable lessons.

1. If you feel like there is a problem with a novel, there is. With those last two novels, I had a gut feeling that they weren't ready. I knew there were problems. My betas had told me there were problems. But I chose to ignore that feeling.

2. Don't query until you know the biz. Study agent blogs, visit writer forums (Absolute Write is a good place to start), talk to other writers, follow agents on Twitter, do whatever you can to learn about the business. Don't even look at your inbox until you have a query, synopsis, and a finished novel that you know are ready to go out there.

3. Don't skip a step just because you're anxious to get your novel out there. It's better to take things slow and make your novel, query, and synopsis the best they can be. If you go out too soon, you risk querying every agent on your list before admitting your book has a problem.

Harry Potter Week: Favorite Characters

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

THREE DAYS! Today I wanted to talk about my favorite characters. These are in some particular order, but I love these characters so much that it's hard for me to pick favorites.

Hermione.
She will always be my favorite character. When I first started reading the series, I dreamed about playing her in the movies. I had the hair, I had the teeth, I shared Hermione's passion for reading. As far as I was concerned, Hermione was me. Which is why Hermione is and will always be my favorite character. I know exactly how it feels to be teased for not having any friends. I know exactly how it feels to be laughed at for your bushy hair.

Lupin.
He's been in my heart since the moment he walked into the series. I would have given anything for him to be my teacher. His death was one I cried the hardest for and the only one that I still haven't accepted. His compassion, willing to teach, and love for Harry despite his circumstances were unmatched.

Tonks.
She was another incredibly awesome character. I may or may not have cried when I finally realized that the reason for her distress was because she was in love with Lupin. I cheered for several minutes when they got married.

Snape.
My attitude towards Snape went through an entirely Harry-like transformation throughout the book. From Sorcerer's Stone to Order of the Phoenix, I hated him. When he killed Dumbledore, I actually ran from my room in a murderous rage and ranted incoherently to my mom for about five minutes. And yet, when he died, I cried for him. When I realized why he had done all the things he did, it all made sense, even if it was a little twisted. Snape is quite possibly the greatest character in the entire series. The scene where he casts his Patronus and Dumbledore says, "Still? After all this time?" and Snape says, "Always" is one of my favorite scenes from the series.

Harry.
I think this one goes without saying. His development throughout the series was excellent. He goes from being a small boy hiding in a broom cupboard to a boy willing to lay down his own life to save everyone he loves.

Neville.
He has the greatest character arc of all. He goes from being a short boy who's constantly losing her toad and always being bullied to a man that stands up to Voldemort. Neville is an inspiration for anyone who's ever been bullied. I can't wait for the scene where he pulls the sword out of the hat. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

Sirius.
I think he's one for everyone's lists. He was a great man and reminds me somewhat of Harry. He was a true Gryffindor caught in a family of Slytherin's.

Who are your favorite characters?

Harry Potter Week: Childhood Stories

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

FOUR DAYS! In honor of the final Harry Potter movie (*sniffle*), I'm declaring this week Official Harry Potter Week on this blog. I did indeed watch the red carpet in London and cried through everyone's speeches.

If you missed the red carpet, here are Emma's , Rupert's, Daniel's, and Queen Rowling's speeches. At the very least, watch Rowling's.

Best quotes (both by Queen Rowling):
"Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."
"No stories live unless someone wants to listen."

Now...for the real topic of this blog post.

Harry Potter is my childhood. I still remember the exact day so many years ago when I read the first book. I was seven years old and my mom and I were living in an apartment at the time. My male cousin had read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and, knowing that I was a huge reader, passed it on to me. My mom decreed that she would read it first and then, if she deemed it appropriate for me, I would be allowed to read it.

She read it, thought it was "okay," and said it was acceptable for me to read. I remember walking into the living room and seeing that battered copy sitting on the glass coffee table. I remember picking it up and feeling the pages underneath my fingers. I tore through the whole thing and that was the beginning of a long and happy relationship.

Over the years, I grew up on the rest of the series. The first book was quickly followed by Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban (my favorite in the series for the longest time), and Goblet of Fire. The details are a little fuzzy on whether or not it Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix was the first book that I had to wait for. I'm relatively sure that it was the former. I do, however, remember coming out of school one day and my mom holding Order of the Phoenix up against the window as she picked me up.

Half-Blood Prince was my first -- and only -- midnight book release. I remember hugging it against my chest as we stood in line and curling up in bed the moment we got home to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't make it through the first chapter because I had an anti-reading six-year-old staying over in my room and she wanted to go to bed.

Deathly Hallows is the book I remember reading the best. I remember the hours of begging for my mom to take me to the midnight release (she refused and the next day told me that if she'd known there was going to be a party at the bookstore for the release, she would have taken me. I'm still ticked). I remember bouncing on my heels as we went into the bookstore weeks before and put it on pre-order. I remember the excitement as we made the twenty-minute drive to the nearest bookstore first thing in the morning on the day of the release.

I walked out of the bookstore with Deathly Hallows in a bag in my hand. My mom joked that I should read it walking out of the store and believe me, I wanted to. I pulled the book out of the bag and started to read the moment we got into the car. I snapped at my mom when she interrupted my reading. At noon on July 21, 2007, I began to read the final Harry Potter book. At midnight that same night, I turned the final page.

For twelve straight hours, the book consumed me. I stretched out in my bed. And read. I took the book in the bathroom with me. I read while I was eating. I think the only time that book left my hand was the couple minutes it took me to walk to the kitchen, get dinner, and walk back to it. No book has ever made me cry harder. There were times when I was sobbing so hard I stopped reading because I couldn't see the words and pushed my head in the blankets of my bed.

As a girl who's been to the last two midnight movie releases, you can bet your life one way or another, I'll be at this one. My ticket's already in my wallet. I already have plans to watch all seven movies with my best friend and then drive together to the release. I already have plans to dress up as Hermione. I've already started rereading the entire book in preparation.

I'm sad that it's over. I'm sad that I'm never going to get to feel this anticipation to meet my favorite characters again. I know that I'm going to shed more tears this week (heck, I started crying just writing this post). I know I'm going to sob so hard I can't breathe watching the movie.

But I also know that J.K. Rowling's right. Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.

Blogfest: Q&A

2011-07-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews is holding a blogfest from July 1st through the 9th. Head over there to check out the other participants!

Day 9: Ask the Teens Q&A

1. Middle grade novels are defined as books for the 8-12 age range. Do teens still read middle grade fiction as they get older (for example, Harry Potter is an example of middle grade that's read by teens and adults) or are they naturally attracted to books with older themes and characters? Is it uncool to still read middle grade as you enter your teens?

Most of the teenagers I know are either moving completely to adult books or are half young adult, half adult. I stick pretty solidly with young adult books. I do read some middle grade, but I tend to be incredibly picky about it. The majority of middle grade on my shelves are from authors that I already know and love. For example, Harry Potter, and anything by Rick Riordan or Tamora Pierce. I think teens are naturally attracted to books about people their own age or older. We've already been through that period of our lives and most of us don't really want to go back.

2. This is arguable, but it's been said that the teen years see a decrease in boy readership. Can you mention some books that you know male teenagers seem to be attracted to? Obviously, this depends on the reader, but are there books/themes that male teens connect to more than others?

I think this is a question that is more easily answered by our male participants. I'm a girl that goes to a school where I can count the number of boys I know read on one hand. I know of one sophomore boy who reads anything by Rick Riordan and also the Inheritance Cycle. Those seem to be popular picks with boys. I also knew one boy that was never without a Twilight book in his hand. I almost fell over when I asked if his girlfriend was forcing him to read them and he told me he was actually reading them again. For fun. Thankfully, my cousin's no longer dating him.

3. So many books and book series are being turned into films for the teen audience. Are you satisfied with the movie versions that you've seen recently? Can you comment on a few, both good and bad?

I am a firm believer that the book is always better than the movie with very few rare exceptions. Recently, it seems screenwriters are running out of their own ideas because there are more and more books being adapted into movies. I'm really excited about the Hunger Games and Mortal Instruments movies, though I'm a little wary of the casting for Jace.

Some good movie adaptations are all the Harry Potter movies (the first two are the truest to the books, the sixth is my favorite despite some gaping holes), the three Chronicles of Narnia movies, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (even though they tried to compress the whole series into two movies), and the Golden Compass (I saw the movie before reading the book). I also watched Beastly last night. The dialogue could have been better, but I liked the romance a little better than I did for the book.

Then there are some bad movie adaptations. Eragon is probably the worst movie adaptation of a book I have ever seen. I will admit, I have never actually seen the entire movie, but I have heard about it. Another example is Twilight, which I think speaks for itself.

There are a few adaptations that are so different from the books, it's kind of difficult to compare them. Ella Enchanted is like that. I adore the movie and saw it several times before tracking down the book. When I finally read the book, I was surprised how different the two were. Another example is Lightning Thief. I saw it twice in theaters and I'm on the fence by how much I like it as an adaptation of the book. The movie itself is decent, but I love the book so much more. I'm curious to see how the sequel is going to pan out.

So often in movie adaptations that involve a series, when the first movie is made, details and events are left out that are vital to the rest of the story. For example, in Half-Blood Prince the movie, Harry and Dumbledore never talk about what the other Horcruxes might be. This is extremely vital information. And yet it's left out. I'm always interested to see how they manage to work that vital information into the sequels when it becomes a huge part of the story.

4. I would like to know how you go about choosing a book to read. Is it the cover? The title? Word of mouth?

I wish I could give a more concrete answer, but it truly depends on the book. I actually wrote a blog post awhile back where I kept a tally of the reasons why I bought the books that I did and then added them all up. Here's a link if you're curious. No matter what catches my attention and makes me pick up a book, the back summary is always what makes me buy it. A book can have every other factor (title, word of mouth, cover, loved author), but if the summary doesn't interest me, I'm not buying it.

The title is usually what catches my interest first, mostly because it's the first thing I see when the books are sticking spine-out on the shelves. Sometimes when I'm looking at books online, a beautiful cover is what catches my eye. It's rare for me to want a book based on the cover, but it's been known to happen (Halo and Legacy were both like that).

A few years ago, word of mouth didn't matter to me at all. More recently, as I began to talk more to other readers and writers, word of mouth has influenced my reading habits a lot more. However, ever since Twilight I've become turned off by books that have a lot of hype. There's a difference between hype and following and I vastly prefer books that have an amazing following (one example being Anna and the French Kiss, a book that I haven't heard a single word against and one that I'm about ready to give anything for).

Of the last nine books that I bought or checked out of the library, five of them were part of a series that I'm reading. That list includes Hunger Games which, for some reason, was the only book in the trilogy that I did not own even though I've read them all. Two were because of word of mouth. One was because I liked the author and wanted to read more of his books. And the last one was because the book is being made into a movie and I always read the book first if there's any possibility of me seeing the movie.

Thank you Elizabeth and Jess for the great questions! If you have a question about my responses today (or anything really), you can email it to me (email's to the right in the sidebar) or post it below in the comments. A big round of applause to Brittany for organizing this great blogfest! It's been a lot of fun.

Blogfest: On Writing

2011-07-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews is holding a blogfest from July 1st through the 9th. Head over there to check out the other participants!

Day 7: On Writing

I've been writing literally for as long as I can remember. Somewhere in the world there are binders containing sheets of notebook paper where I hand-wrote my first stories. The only ones I remember were both about cats. Each story was ten chapters long, each chapter about half a page in the length.

Over the course of middle school I graduated from short stories to attempting novels. There was one called Mystica about a unicorn fighting in an ancient tournament to decide the ruler of their world, one about a stallion that lived on the sun, and one about a hunter that gets lost in the woods and has to find his way home. I still have Mystica but unfortunately the last two were lost to an ancient computer.

I didn't start writing seriously until November 2008 when I started writing a novel that I later called Andra. I didn't know it then, but Andra was destined to be the first novel that I ever finished, queried, and trunked. Several other novels followed, most of which will never see the light of day, bringing me to my current works in progress. Where There's Smoke is a YA romance currently with betas and will hopefully be my next novel to query. In the meantime, I'm writing a dystopian named Cardinal Three.

There are a lot of things I wish I knew when I first started writing seriously, but the top three are:

1. Be patient when querying. Rushing into it when your book/query/synopsis isn't ready is not doing you or your book any favors.

2. If you feel there's a problem with your book, there probably is. Don't ignore that feeling. If you're struggling with a smaller problem and you think there might be something much larger underneath it, don't slap a patch over the hole and call it good. The crater will still be there underneath.

3. Queries and outlines are your friends. They can help keep you on track so that you don't go wandering off into the bush with that plot and realize too late that you spent so much time meandering, you don't even have a plot anymore.

RTW: Pictures are Worth a Thousand Inspirations

2011-07-06T09:31:00.001-07:00

This Week's Topic:

Share some images that inspire your WIP(s).

Some of these are for Where There's Smoke (previously known as Burning Bridges) and some are for Cardinal Three.

Blogfest: Blurb Critiques

2011-07-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews is holding a blogfest from July 1st through the 9th. Head over there to check out the other participants!

Day 5: Blurb Critiques

I'm critiquing these like I would final draft queries. Everything below in white is a submission courtesy of a brave writer. Everything in pink is my comments.

Working Title: TRIPP PARKER VS. THE WORLD: THE AFRICAN KIBOKO LEGEND

Genre: Upper Middle Grade Adventure

Blurb:

Eccentric debate club champ Tripplehorn Parker is certain he’ll be dead by next week, his body rolling around the stomach of an African beastie. He might be right. While his wildlife-researcher parents are thrilled to be entering the field again, Tripp can only mourn the inevitable loss of his limbs. Unfortunately, nobody will listen to reason from a friendless twelve-year-old, even one with a large vocabulary. The night before leaving home, Tripp receives a cryptic message ending with: Only you can stop them. Where exactly is Parker going? Why is Parker being forced to go along? Why can't his parents just leave him back at home? This is all backstory. Slim it down to a couple concise lines that get the point across.

An eight-fingered woman and her eyepatched sidekick appear to follow the Parkers from America to the Ugandan bush. The guide is a suspicious meanie. The support workers are twitchy. These last two sentences can be cut. Don't mention characters unless they're important. Warnings and symbols continue to appear in Tripp’s backpack, finally prompting him to do a very scary thing. What kind of warnings and symbols are appearing in Tripp's backpack? What does he do about them? He teams up with a Ugandan girl to determine why hippo territory is so popular. This seems extremely random. Clues and village folklore point to a hidden hippo shrine containing power and gold galore. Unfortunately, ancient legend calls for a human sacrifice (or three) to access the treasure. If the shrine is found, the research trip may become a rather uncivilized hunting expedition, with the Parkers as prey. With no podium or moderator in sight, Your voice really shows through in that last bit. I like it. Tripp faces the toughest competitive duo he’s ever encountered: Mother Nature and a herd of really, really bad guys.

There's a good story here. Unfortunately, this is also extremely wordy and you tend to jump from point to point. There's a mysterious eight-fingered woman and her sidekick that is only mentioned once and then never again. It's the same for the guide, the support workers, and the Ugandan girl. What's the very scary thing that the warnings and symbols prompt him to do? Team up with a Ugandan girl to figure out why there are so many people in hippo territory? That doesn't seem like a scary thing. If I saw this in the bookstore, I might add it to be reading list, but I wouldn't buy it right away.

Title: Bix: Son of a (Hired) Gun

Genre: YA Contemp

Bix is just like Percy Jackson except:

He doesn’t have godly powers, although he’s a precision sharp-shooter which works well in the paintball league.

He’s shorter and smaller than the rest of the kids at Steroid High. You know the type, Amazons, CroMags, and Titans. Oh never mind, just like Percy.

He gets the girl—but that could be a problem because her mom might be a double-agent mayor.

His best friend is a lesbian pixie—although that could be same. Jury’s out on Annabeth. Just saying she’s kind of butch and kick-ass. I’m not wholly convinced.

His father’s not a god, but as an assassin he decides who lives or dies.

Cypher isn’t Camp Halfblood although they train kids to shoot straight (Target Zone Paintball Park), discourage computers (no internet), and encourage one-on-one combat (Harvest Paintball Challenge).

He doesn’t have daddy issues because he’s never met his dad. Oh yeah, that’s just like Percy. And finally, when he does meet him, its’ a brief—blink and it’s over moment. Oh yeah, that’s like Percy too.

Never mind, Bix is just like Percy minus the demi-god thing.

This is not a query, this is a comparison of your book to Percy Jackson (which I happen to adore by the way). All I know is that his best friend is a lesbian pixie and his dad's an assassin. Tell me what the book is about. If you want to compare it to Percy Jackson, do it in one line at the end.

At this point, if I was trying to decide if I want to read this or not, I'd be wondering if it's a Percy Jackson clone and pass.

Happy Fourth of July

2011-07-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Independence Day, I'm taking today off blogging. Happy Fourth of July!

And remember: Today is not about fireworks, or cookouts, or parties (though, those things are nice). It's about celebrating our independence and the people who committed high treason and risked their lives to fight for what they believed in. They gave their lives to get something that we so easily take for granted and give away these days:

Our freedom.

Blogfest: On Reading

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews is holding a blogfest from July 1st through the 9th. Head over there to check out the other participants!

Day 2: On Reading

The majority of my books are young adult. I also read a little middle grade and occasionally an adult book, usually one that's being made into a movie. I'll read all subgenres, but my favorites are romance, contemporary, dystopian, and fantasy. I'm extremely selective with (which is just a nice way of saying I don't really like) science fiction, horror, and paranormal.

Some of my favorite authors:
J.K. Rowling -- I'm a major Harry Potter geek. I read Deathly Hallows in twelve hours the day it came out and cried so hard I had to stop reading for a couple minutes because I couldn't see well enough.

Tamora Pierce -- In middle school I picked up Wild Magic because of the gray horse on the cover. That was the beginning of a beautiful addiction to everything she writes. I prefer her Tortall books to her other series. My favorite book by her is Realms of the Gods, the fourth book in the Immortals quartet.

Libba Bray -- After a long period of resistance, I finally picked up A Great and Terrible Beauty and adored it. The next two books in the trilogy are next up on my reading shelf.

Markus Zusak -- The Book Thief is one of my favorite books of all time. Seriously, if you've never read it, go get it now.

Cassandra Clare -- I always feel like I'm going to get whiplash from reading one of her books someday. I've read every book she's written, but my favorite is City of Glass, the third installment in the Mortal Instruments series.

Suzanne Collins -- Hunger Games trilogy was too amazing for words. Catching Fire is still my favorite book of the trilogy while I'm still conflicted over Mockingjay.

John Green -- As far as I know, I've read every book he's released including Will Grayson, Will Grayson which he co-authored with David Levithan. Paper Towns was my first and favorite.

Laurie Halse Anderson -- Her writing is beautiful. I think every teenager, especially girls, should read Speak at least once.

Lisa McMann -- The Wake trilogy is amazing. My favorite book is Fade, but it's a very close race between all three books. I think I read Gone in like two hours because I refused to put it down for a second.

Rick Riordan -- I've read all of his books, but the Percy Jackson series is still my favorite. My favorite book of his is The Last Olympian, the last book in that series. I've read it a few times and it never gets old.

Veronica Roth -- Divergent is probably my favorite dystopian after Hunger Games. Can't wait for Insurgent!

Richelle Mead -- I swore off vampire books after Twilight, but she forced me to make an exception with Vampire Academy. I'm about ready to explode on whoever has Frostbite overdue by over a month from the library.

Who are your favorite authors? Anyone that you think should be added to the list?

Blogfest: Introductions

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews is holding a blogfest from July 1st through the 9th.

Day 1: Introductions

For those of you who don't know who I am, I'm Rachael. I'm also known as Horserider across a lot of the web (though I'm not the only Horserider out there). I love to read anything young adult. My favorite subgenres are fantasy, contemporarym and -- more recently -- dystopian. I'm extremely selective about the paranormal and horror that I read. The last book I read was Water for Elephants. It was a good book, but I like my young adult genre better.

I don't have television at home, but there are a few shows that I love to watch. My favorite currently running shows are Glee, Doctor Who, and NCIS. I am a very avid Gleek and Whovian. My favorite Glee characters are Kurt and Blaine. Ten and Eleven are both tied as my favorite Doctors. In my mind their versions of the Doctor are so different that they can't really be compared. Captain Jack, Rory, and Rose are all tied as my favorite companions. Rose will always be my favorite female companion. As far as River Song is concerned, she's off in another class of her own.

My favorite non-running television shows are The Nanny, Veronica Mars, Everwood, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched all six seasons of the Nanny in three days last summer. Veronica Mars took me a few weeks to whip through because of school. As far as I'm concerned, season three doesn't exist. Everwood I've never watched past season one because I read episode summaries and found out that it turns into a giant soap opera (same reason I don't watch Secret Life of the American Teenager or Ugly Betty anymore). Buffy is my latest addiction. I saw my first episode a couple weeks ago and have been hooked ever since. I just finished season one last Friday.

This fall I'll be going away to college and majoring in Business Management and minoring in Psychology. I plan to write as much as I can in whatever free time I have left. My dream job is either a copyeditor or a psychologist. If you're now wondering why neither of those has anything to do with my major, it's kind of a long story.

Any day now I'm going to the theater to buy my Deathly Hallows midnight premiere tickets. Despite the fact that I'm a Ravenclaw all the way, I'm dressing up as Hermione for the premiere. Yes, I am a major geek and proud of it.

The Magic and the Healing Review

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Magic and the Healing
by Nick O'Donohoe

BJ Vaughan is in her last year of vet school--and in the first year of mourning her mother's death. Her grades have slipped, and she wonders if she really is capable of working with animals after all. Then her mentor, Dr. Sugar Dobbs, asks if she will join a few other select students to treat some very unusual animals. They go offsite, to Crossroads, a world where the creatures of imagination live and breathe--and hurt. And where BJ, tending to centaurs and griffins and magical cats, will discover the joy of healing and the wonder of magic.

This book could've been so much better than it was. The premise showed so much promise, but everything else was off. The vet parts were interesting, but felt like a fantasy-version of a James Herriot book and were weighted down with terminology. I almost stopped reading this one several times.

The narrator, BJ, really got under my skin. She was so obsessed with the fact that she might be losing her motor skills due to her Huntington's Chorea that she pushed everyone away. I might have liked her more if she at least gave Stefan an explanation, but instead she just pushed him away and let him think that she wouldn't get with him because he was a faun.

Brandal's story actually intrigued me more than BJ's through the first half of the book, but by the second half I was wondering why he was even king. My favorite character by far was Stefan. He was very well done and I almost wish the book had been about him instead. I loved Morgan and the Griffin. Morgan was an excellent villain.

Overall: 5/10. This book had so much potential but it fell flat for me.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

I didn't really buy Stefan and BJ's first kiss. I didn't feel any chemistry between them prior to it. In fact, I had no idea they even liked each other like that. Despite that, I wish we'd found out whether they ever end up together.

I don't understand why Morgan doesn't just get one of the Wyr to show her the way to Crossroads and draw her own map and then lead the armies through on her own. I know the roads change, but it doesn't seem like they would be able to change within a couple days or even a few hours if she could do it that fast.

I can't believe how long it took them to realize the Griffin was the Inspector General. I knew it after the sheep attack when justice was written on the truck in blood. It was obvious no one else was around to do it so it had to have been Griffin.

Writing is like a Journey

2011-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

***Quick Note: I won't be participating in RTW this week because I'm currently at college orientation and won't be back until sometime late tonight.***

The need for adventure hits you. You pack your things, load up the car, and head off into the sunset. Some jerk flips you off while you try to get onto the highway. There's twelve miles of construction. Halfway there and your car blows a tire and you have to pull over and figure out how to change it. While you're standing on the side of the road wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea, families in minivans and guys in sportscars rush by.

You find your courage and get back on the road. You get off at your exit, but there's a detour that takes you several miles out of your way. You finally into the parking lot of your hotel, rent a room, and collapse in bed, too exhausted to do anything else until you at least get a nap.

The decision to take the trip is like getting an idea. It sounds fantastic at first but once you buckle down and start packing you wonder if you'll be able to pull it off and maybe you should just stay home. You buck up and write those first words anyway and off you go.

You'll have rough patches where you're moving so slow that it seems you'll never get there or you'll be trucking along and all of a sudden a plot problem will blow up and you'll have to pause and figure out how to get around it. New ideas will drag you in whole other directions that you never planned on taking through places that you never knew existed. But in the end, through it all, you'll make it to the end. You'll take some time to relax and look back on that journey and smile. Because despite all those hardships, you made it.

New Releases -- Ten Things We Did; Sisterhood Everlasting; Paper Covers Rock

2011-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Sisterhood Everlasting
by Ann Brashares

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

Paper Covers Rock
by Jenny Hubbard

At the beginning of his junior year at a boys' boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there's more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex's writing for class. She also sees poetic talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them.

Writer and Beta Reader Etiquette

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Guidelines for The Writer

Do...

Objectively discuss critique points.
Wait a couple of days between reading the critique and doing anything besides thinking about it. Give it time to soak in first. If you have any ideas of how to fix some of the points addressed, jot them down so you don't forget, but do not start.
Ask politely for clarification on a point
Thank them for their time, even if you don't like some of the points they make
Ask for a certain kind of critique if that's what you want. If you want someone to be gentle, ask them. If you want a through line-by-line critique, ask for it. Unless what you're looking for is just straight praise.
Consider all advice and disregard what you don't agree with

Do not...

Get defensive after reading a critique
Insult your beta reader's writing ability
Ask a beta reader to read something of yours and then not listen to any of their points
Email your beta and tell them exactly why they're wrong
Use published books as an excuse for a criticism.

Guidelines for The Reader

Do...

Provide the type of critique that the writer asks for to the best of your ability and decline projects if you can't provide that. If a writer asks you for a detailed line-by-line critique and you're best at doing big picture critiques, say so.
Be as tactful as possible
Let the writer know if a critique is taking longer than expected
Offer to critique a couple of chapters before agreeing to take on the entire thing (unless you know for sure that your critiquing style matches the writer's wants)

Don't...

Get into an argument with the writer. Even if they start it. It's just not worth it.

Accept a beta read you can't handle. If you are so busy that you barely have time for your own writing, say so.

Promise to have a beta read back by a certain date and not carry through within a reasonable amount of time

In short: Writers take your critique in good grace, take what you can use, leave what you can't, and move on. Readers, be tactful but thorough.

Week in Short

2011-06-24T07:10:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this week went by. I managed to pick up a new show addiction: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Why did I wait so long to start watching this show?? I'm only on episode seven of season one (revisions got in the way), but I'm already in love with it. Especially Angel.

Song of the Week: Play On -- Carrie Underwood

Must Read:How to dig out of the Pit of Despair

Adventures in Agentland:
Everything you wanted to know about conferences and Natalie's NY trip

BookEnds:
Meeting an agent at a conference

GLA:
Advantages of keeping your day job

Nathan Bransford:
Five openings to avoid

Queryshark:
#205 -- commercial fiction

Querytracker:
Signing with the wrong agent

Tea & Biscuits:
What's in a name?

Everyone have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Pottermore Unveiled!

2011-06-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

After many days of speculation and waiting, J.K. Rowling has officially announced Pottermore! The Pottermore site itself is finally open as well! The site doesn't actually open until October, but Rowling says there will be a chance for a lucky few to enter the site early.

I don't know about you guys, but I know I'll be there on the 31st of July and, if I'm not lucky that day, definitely in October.

I know there was a part of me that was seriously hoping for a new book (even though I had a feeling that wasn't going to be the news), but I'm excited about the Pottermore game too. What do you guys think?

RTW -- 5 Things to Save

2011-06-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
The house is on fire and you've only got time to grab five things. What are they?

I am operating under the assumption that my mom and all of my cats are out of the house.

The first thing I would take is my Grandma's nativity scene. My grandma sculpted it out of clay and painted it by hand when I was young. A relative thought I should have it and gave it to me as a graduation present.

My Stacy Westfall poster. A couple years ago, Stacy Westfall was at an event here in Michigan and I managed to talk my grandpa into driving three hours one-way to see her. While I was there, I got a poster of her famous bareback and bridleless performance. She wrote "Chase your dreams!" and signed it. For those of you who don't know who she is, she's an amazing horse trainer and reining competitor. She was the first woman to compete and win the Road to the Horse.

Lady's western bridle. A few years ago, I had a gray Quarter Horse mare named Lady. We only had her for about a year when she colicked and had to be euthanized. I still have her beautiful, western show bridle in my closet.

My Bible. It was gift by my godparents for my first communion. It's been with me almost for as long as I can remember. It's actually laying on my bed right next to me at the moment. And if my house burned down, I imagine I would need it.

Spock. He is my grandpa's laptop that I'm using until I go away to college. There's no way I could leave him behind.

Pets in Fiction

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I noticed recently while reading a book and hanging out with my cat that there aren't a lot of pets in fiction. In fact, I'm having trouble naming one book that includes a pet not central to the main plot (example: books like Black Stallion, Pony Pals, and other books where a key point to the plot is that the MCs have horses).

I mean I can understand it in a fantasy where the main character goes tearing off on a six-month journey to find the Golden Teapot because then the poor little animal would be left starving at home. But what about in a nice contemporary when no one goes off on a long, harrowing journey?

Pets are great. How a person treats animals says a lot about them. The person that throws a gym bag full of kittens out the window of a moving car obviously doesn't care that animals are living creatures too. The person that hears the mewing while jogging by and stops to investigate and then takes the kittens home is loving and nurturing.

Why do you think there aren't more pets in novels? Do you have a novel that includes animals?

Horse Dreams Review

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Horse Dreams
by Dandi Daley Mackall
Tyndall House Publishers, Inc
ARC Review
Release date: September 1, 2011

Fourth-grader Ellie James has a great imagination. She spends a lot of time daydreaming of owning a black stallion show horse and winning trophies in the horse show. But when the answer to all her dreams and prayers gallops into her life, will Ellie be able to recognize it?

Overall, this was a cute book and I think younger readers will really enjoy it. It's a fast-paced adventure that I think any horse-loving girl can relate to. I mean, what little girl bitten by the horse bug doesn't dream about owning their own beautiful horse?

I loved the horsey comparisons that she used for description. For instance, in the beginning scene when she compares her teacher to a racehorse. That definitely added a distinct feel to the voice.

Ellie's mom was a little confusing sometimes with her random sayings, but that was part of her character and it added to her personality. I've never met a character like her and I enjoyed that. I really liked Ashley. Usually the girls with the expensive hunters are stuck-up brats that don't even ride their own horses except for show. She was a nice break from that stereotype.

I did have a lot of trouble suspending disbelief through the first half. For example, the fact that the cat farm didn't realize their new arrival was a horse and didn't bother to inform the volunteer that would be taking care of the horse that it was, in fact, a horse.

Another thing for me was the fact that out of all those people around the horse, including animal control and several people that owned horses, only Ellie was the one who was able to catch her. I have trouble believing that out of all those people Ellie was the only one who realized that chasing a scared horse around and attempting to hit it with a stun gun was a bad idea. I don't understand why animal control didn't get out a tranquilizer gun or, if they didn't have one, call out a vet.

I did really enjoy the concept of God working in mysterious ways. She spent all that time praying for a black stallion and got a paint mare instead. It took her awhile to recognize it, but I liked it when she did.

Overall: 6/10. Really sweet story and it took me back to the days when I used to curl up with Pony Pals and dream about owning a black Friesian.

Week in Short

2011-06-17T10:48:00.001-07:00

Song of the Week: If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away by Justin Moore

Must Read:
When it's okay to quit
Choosing the wrong agent
Sex vs relationships in YA -- This is a definite must-read for any YA reader or writer

News:
Biggest news of the week came from J.K. Rowling when her street view search led to Pottermore. The website links to a Youtube page counting down the days until J.K. Rowling's announcement. What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine! Could the long hoped for confirmation of more books be in the near future? Only five days to go until we find out!

The sequel to Veronica Roth's Divergent has a title! And I LOVE it!

Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews is running a blogfest specifically for teen writers this summer. The deadline for signing up is June 22 and the blogfest runs from July 1st to the 9th.

Adventures in Space:
After the Call: interview with Katy Upperman

BookEnds:
Email etiquette
Query Workshop Wednesday

Kt Literary:
Comparing yourself to others

Querytracker:
Your protagonist's strengths
Questions to ask when you get "The Call"

Rachelle Gardner:
The gift of insecurity

Everyone have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

New Releases -- Ashes, Ashes; Forgotten; Possession

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ashes, Ashes
by Jo Treggiari

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

Forgotten
by Cat Patrick

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Possession
by Elana Johnson

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 brainwashing 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.

RTW -- Off-the-Cuff Blurb

2011-06-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:

You're re-reading one of your favs when someone asks the dreaded question: "What's that book about?" Give us your best off-the-cuff blurb of any book, any genre, and have your readers try to guess the title in the comments!

One girl goes on the run after taking revenge on the bandits that killed her mother and destroyed their farm. Along the way she meets a handsome and powerful mage who takes her under his wing. With him, she travels all the way to the courts of royalty where she discovers that she has more magic than she ever dreamed.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. What is it?

Almost Perfect Review

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Almost Perfect
by Brian Katcher

Eighteen-year-old Logan Witherspoon has just discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student enrolls in his small-town high school. Tall, unconventionally pretty, and a bit awkward, Sage Hendricks appeals to Logan at a time when he trusts no one. And as Logan learns more about Sage, he realizes that she needs a friend as much as he does, if not more. One day, he acts on his growing attraction and kisses her. Moments later, he wishes he hadn't. Sage discloses a secret: biologically, she's a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes at at Sage. Once his anger has cooled, however, his regrets lead him to attempt to rekindle their friendship. Impressed that Logan is even trying to understand, Sage agrees to give him a second chance. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be, or how many unexpected, exciting, and painful places he and Sage will visit along the way.

This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you finish reading it. I finished it quite awhile ago and I still can't stop thinking about it.

The voice was perfectly realistic and I really enjoyed it. The characters were very well done. I wanted to punch Logan in the face on a regular basis, but that's the way his character was. Sage was by far my favorite character. I empathized with her so much. Her sister was very round and well done as well.

Overall: 6.5/10

***SPOILERS***

I have to admit, I did not enjoy the ending. I hate that Sage makes the decision to go back to being a boy and then picks up leaves town with her family. I hate that you never find out what happened to her. I hate that she resigned herself to pretending that she's a boy when she's worked so hard and given up so much to become a woman. After everything that she went through it just doesn't seem right to me.

Divergent Review

2011-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Divergent
by Veronica Roth

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.

I would not suggest starting this book if you have things to do that require you to be productive. I would've finished it in one sitting if it wasn't for the fact that I had to go to school the next morning. I had a dream about this book. I can't remember that ever happening before, unless I had a dream about Harry Potter that I don't recall off the top of my head. I actually dragged on reading it for a bit because I didn't want it to be over so fast. I also afraid that there was going to be a big cliffhanger before the next book.

Before the Choosing Ceremony, I was wondering which faction Tris would choose. She didn't really seem to fit perfectly into any of them. I was actually surprised by her choice, but when she got there I realized it was exactly the right faction for her.

I love Four and his relationship with Tris. It's a very nice break from the typical "knight in shining armor/damsel in distress" couples. I just really, really love Four. And then there's Eric. I don't think I've ever hated a character so much. Not because he's a badly written character, exactly the opposite. He's evil. Also Jeanine. And Marcus.

Overall: 10/10 I can't wait for the next installment so I can find out what's happening to Tris and Four next. Also, I think I'd be in Erudite if I had to choose.

****SPOILER WARNING****

Just a couple spoilery things I wanted to talk about. First, I feel like I should have seen it coming that Four is Tobias, but I was surprised. I liked it.

And there was one thing that bothered me in the whole story. I had trouble suspending disbelief that Tris was able to run around doing all that stuff after she got shot, lost a lot of blood, and almost drowned.

RTW -- Strange Google Searches

2011-06-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
What is the strangest/weirdest thing you've ever researched?

This was a long one for me. I was almost surprised when I realized how many strange things I've researched over the years. I couldn't narrow it down to just one so here are some of the strangest things I've ever researched.

What would happen during a drug bust of a teen party
Damage caused by falling out a two-story window
French curse words
French nursery rhymes
Agoraphobia
Post-traumatic stress disorder
How a girl can help a cast horse by herself
How long someone could be in a coma without significant damage
Whether or not smoking weed stains the walls
Whether a brand or tattoo would last longer
What would happen if the entire royal family died (of a make-believe nation)
Possibility of buying an island
What would happen if someone ate several poisonous insects
Pranks on a deserted island
Gasoline or gunpowder when lighting an entire building on fire
Can you still use matches after they've been soaked in seawater

Glee Season Two Review

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

The season two finale of Glee was last Tuesday. It feels strange knowing that after this weekend both of the shows that I look forward to each week will be on break.

Overall, the season was okay. Unlike season one which was consistently good from episode to episode, this one had truly great episodes spaced out between lackluster ones. However the great ones made the entire season worth watching so I guess it balances out. I'm not going to lie, I almost stopped watching in the first few episodes. Though I'm glad I didn't because episode six more than made up for the first five and after that the show really picked up to its former quality.

My top three favorites for this season (in order) were: New York, Original Songs, and Furt. I'd try to pick a favorite song, but I don't think I can.

Episode reviews: (Keep in mind that I wrote these as I went through the season)

Auditions -- Rachel annoyed the crap out of me in this episode, but I loved Sam. Good, but not up to season one standards.
Britney/Brittany -- This is probably my least favorite Glee episode ever. I almost quit watching ten minutes in. The only redeeming factor was ~~Jessie~~ Carl and even he couldn't even come close to making up for it.
Grilled Cheesus -- Okay, but still not up to season one standards. It was Finn's turn to annoy the crap out of me and he doesn't usually do that. He's one of two redeeming characters for the show for me so it's really bad when he turns me off it.
Duets -- Sam and Quinn made this one all worth it for me. The rest of the time I just wanted to smack Rachel.
The Rocky Horror Glee Show -- A little better. Having never seen Rocky Horror (travesty, I know) I couldn't really judge it against that. Will and Sam somehow made it worthwhile.
Never Been Kissed -- This episode made up for every horrible moment of season two and then some. It also produced one of my favorite songs, Teenage Dream remake by Darren Criss.
The Substitute -- Didn't live up to NBK, but it was good. I really liked the sub. I hated having Terri back though.
Furt -- Even better than NBK. I have seen the scene with Finn singing "Just the Way You Are" to Kurt several times now and every time I cry and grin like an idiot. I. Love. This. Episode.
Special Education -- the first half was meh, the second half made me hyperventilate. Now that Emma's married and Rachel and Finn have broken up, the only reasons I'm watching the show are Blaine/Kurt and Quinn/Sam. The only really redeeming quality of this episode for me was Quinn and Sam's duet of The Time of My Life.
A Very Glee Christmas -- Holding to Glee tradition, the first half of the episode was a little slow and I didn't like what did happen. As for the second half, AWWW. Not the best Glee episode ever, but it was still pretty awesome. I'm particularly fond of Rachel and Finn's duet of Last Christmas, and Blaine and Kurt's duet of Baby It's Cold Outside. When I watched Kurt's duet, all I wanted for Christmas was for them to be a couple.
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle -- Happy 2011 premiere of Glee! This episode was meh. I did like the Rachel/Puck rendition of "Need You Now." I still can't believe Finn and Quinn kissed.
Silly Love Songs -- Third favorite episode of this season (so far). I can't believe Kurt finally told Blaine he loved him and Blaine won't do anything about it because he's too scared of messing it up. But was it just me or was Blaine looking at Kurt while he was singing "I love you?"
Comeback -- I thought this episode was going to be a lot worse than it was, but I actually liked it. I can't believe Sue. I also can't believe that Glee actually made me like a Bieber song.
Blame It On the Alcohol -- Decent episode. I can't believe Blaine and Rachel though. I'm not happy with that strange arc at all.
Sexy -- This episode was amazing. I loved everyone in it and I really loved seeing Holly back and getting together with Will. Though I'm curious to see how his new relationship with Holly is going to affect Emma.
Original Songs -- BEST. EPISODE. EVER. Seriously. I'm so happy that Kurt and Blaine are finally together! Also, the two original songs that New Directions performed at regionals were incredible. I want to buy them right now. I felt kind of bad for Blaine and Kurt losing regionals but like they said...at least now they have each other. :D
A Night of Neglect -- this one was okay. The only redeeming factors were Holly leaving, Will's scene with Emma, and the scene with Kurt, Blaine, Santana, and Karofsky.
Born This Way -- OMG I really hoped they would do that song!! YES! AND KURT'S BACK!!!!! OMG THE GOODBYE SONG FROM THE WARBLERS. I almost cried. So. Awesome. And Born This Way was everything I could've hoped for.
Rumors -- That was possibly one of the cutest episodes ever. I'm glad they fleshed out Sam a lot more. He's always felt like a flat character for me. I may have almost started crying when Finn brought in Sam's guitar. Also, I love that they made an entire episode for Fleetwood Mac. Rachel's version of Go Your Own Way was well worth the wait (I heard they were doing a Fleetwood Mac episode at least a month ago).
Prom Queen -- Love this episode. Kurt was AWESOME. I loved him and Blaine together. I also loved how Kurt went back to prom and got crowned prom queen even though it was a cruel joke. I do, however, still have a constant urge to strangle Jesse.
Funeral -- I spent way too much time screaming at this episode to enjoy it. For one thing, I want Jesse off the show. Forever. I feel horrible for Finn right now. I can't believe he broke up with Quinn and then saw Rachel kissing Jesse. I also still can't believe Will's leaving. How could he do that to Emma? Something has to happen to make him stay... I just hope it involves Emma. And an extremely hot kiss.
New York -- Favorite Glee of the season hands down, no contest. I can't believe they didn't at least get in the top ten at Nationals, though. But seriously... The songs they sang at Nationals? Finn and Rachel's stage kiss? Them getting back together? Blaine telling Kurt he loved him? Mercedes and Sam dating? Will agreeing to stay? WIN! Pure brilliance.

Write What You Know?

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm the last one to tell you to write what you know. Does J.K. Rowling know what it's like to go to Hogwarts and battle the most evil dark wizard in history? Does Stephenie Meyer know what it's like to fall in love with a vampire? Does Lisa McMann know what it's like to be sucked into people's dreams? Does Tamora Pierce know what it's like to be a lady knight in Tortall?

No.

I've never put much store into the advice to "write what you know." Lately, however, I've been having second thoughts. What happened to cause this change?

I don't believe the phrase "write what you know" is meant to be taken literally. It doesn't mean to write only what you already know and not explore other avenues. It means to use your experiences as a foundation for your writing. And sometimes a lack of experiences really can impair your writing.

Example: In every one of my novels there is at least one kiss scene. These scenes were based on what I'd heard from friends, seen in movies, and read in books.

Then I got my first kiss and everything changed. I realized that kissing wasn't anything like I thought it would be. I've been going back through BB and revising all the kiss scenes and I don't intend to ever write a kiss scene the same way again.

I never thought I had a problem with writing kissing scenes until I gained some knowledge and realized that I wasn't giving a realistic picture.

Does this mean you should only write what you know?

Of course not! That's boring. But keep in mind that many novels have an anchor in the author's experiences. Perhaps the phrase shouldn't be "write what you know" but "know what you write."

RTW -- First Kiss

2011-04-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

This Week's Topic:
Compare your first kiss with your favorite characters first kiss?

My favorite character's first kiss was the one between Daine and Numair in Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce. Technically it wasn't either character "first" kiss but it was their first together. It's desperate and passionate and revealing and raw. It's the first time Daine finally faces the truth that Numair is in love with her even though it's been obvious since the third book. I read that scene more than any other as a middle schooler and I'm still in love with it.

It was the exact opposite of my real first kiss. Mine was with my boyfriend of a month sitting on the floor watching a movie at a lock-in. When he went in for it, I thought he would never kiss me. It was short and sweet when he finally did.

Annexed Review

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Until I get my laptop back, I'm going to try to blog three times a week and then I can go back to doing RTW and Week in Shorts.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

What was it like hiding in the Annex with Anne Frank? To be with Anne every day while she wrote so passionately in her diary? To be in a secret world within a world at war -- alive on the inside, everything dying on the outside.

Peter Van Pels and his family have lost their country, their home, and their freedom, and now they are fighting desperately to remain alive.

Look through Peter's eyes. He has a story to tell, too. Are you listening?

I've been a World War 2 historical kick lately. Now, I haven't read Anne Frank's diary yet so I can't compare Peter's experiences in Annexed to her actual diary. I just found it in the library a couple days ago and intend to check it out once I finish my current round of books.

I absolutely loved the book at first, but as time went on I felt more and more indifferent towards it. The story was intriguing and I enjoyed the peek into what Peter might have felt, but the entire time it felt like something was missing and I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I think it was either due to Peter felt restricted because he was based on actual person or because he didn't seem anything like what one would think.

There were entire parts of Peter's personality that I didn't understand why he did it. Like the whistling scene at the beginning. I seriously started to question whether he was actually sixteen at that point.

I did find the concept that things happened in the Annex with Peter than Anne didn't put in her diary intriguing.

Overall: 6.5 This was a solid book, but there was just something missing for me.

Another Laptop Crash

2011-04-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

My laptop has (once again) crashed which means my only online access is through my mom's laptop which she uses as much as I use mine. I have no idea how long it's going to take me to get a new laptop and I highly doubt mine is going to spontaneously start working again as it has sometimes been known to do. This means that for at least the next month or so my blogging is going to be incredibly sporadic. I promise that I will blog when I can.

Veronica Mars Season Three Review

2011-03-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

As far as I'm concerned, this season never happened. Compared to the pure awesomeness of seasons one and two, this season sucked. The first two seasons I would watch three or four episodes at a time and I could barely go two days without watching one. My record was six days when I told myself I couldn't watch another episode until I finished everything on my to do list. This season, on the other hand, it wasn't uncommon for me to watch one episode and then easily go two or three weeks before watching the next.

For me, season three felt like they tried to force two seasons of the show into one because they thought it would be canceled. Apparently the last five episodes were made after a hiatus and it definitely feels that way. Also the final episode ends on a slightly painful cliffhanger that's probably going to drive me insane for a few days.

I spent the majority of this season screaming at the characters. If Veronica wasn't driving me insane, it was Logan, Parker, Piz, Wallace, or Mac. I wanted so badly for Logan and Veronica to stay together. I was already planning on going back and watching the episodes where they first start dating in season one, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

I think I knew the whole time in my heart that Veronica would end up with Piz. I even wrote in my notes, "Come on V…you can’t break up with Logan again. If you end up with Pizz, I’ll FREAK." I didn't freak when they did finally start dating because I actually did enjoy seeing the two of them together. I can't believe Logan's with Parker now, though.

I hated that Mac broke up with Bronson for Max. I hated that Logan was starting to go the way of his psychotic father. I hated that Veronica broke into the Kane house and pretty much lost her father the election (again). I didn't like that this season didn't have as many surprises for me as the last two. Trying to figure out who did it was half the fun for me and this season I was able to figure it out easier.

Overall, this season was "meh" at best.I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it, but there is a part of me that wishes I hadn't.

10 of my Favorite Quotes

2011-03-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to do another quotes post this week because I found some awesome ones looking for a senior quote to put in the yearbook.

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic."

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

"Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least."

"You couldn't get a clue during the clue mating season in a field full of horny clues if you smeared your body with clue musk and did the clue mating dance." ~ Edward Flaherty

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"We probably shouldn't have done that, but hey, we lived." ~ My mom

"Screw the path less traveled, I'm going trailblazing."

"Some guy hit my fender and I said 'be fruitful and multiply' but not in those words."

"You could get your heart broken or you could have the greatest love affair the world has ever known. You never know until you try." ~ When in Rome

"The universe is big, vast, complicated and ridiculous and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles and mass theory. Nine hundred years and never seen one yet. But this would do me." ~ Doctor Who, Pandorica Opens