Writer's Butt Does Not Apply To Me

Favorite Books Read in 2011

2011-12-30T23:15:00.000-08:00

Not all of these books were published in 2011. This is just a list of books I enjoyed this year. I read lots more of course, but these were my favorites. I'm very excited that some of my friends books were published this year. So fun to be apart of the writing community.

Contemporary:
With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith
Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Paranormal/Fantasy:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Dystopian/Speculative:
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Possession by Elana Johnson
Variant by Robison Wells
Crossed by Ally Condie
Legend by Marie Lu

Audio Books:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

What about you - what are some of your favorites? Did any of mine make your list?

Addicted to Everneath - Review

2011-12-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

"History books call it the Underworld. Or even hell. But I know it's neither. It is really called the Everneath, and it's not a place for the dead. It's a place for the Everliving--beings who have discovered the secret to eternal life. It's a place for their Forfeits--the humans who give up everything to nourish the Everliving. It's a world caught between this one and the next, a layer between Earth and hell. I know because I was a Forfeit.

I would give anything to change this."

~ Everneath by Brodi Ashton

When Nikki Beckett returns home, after disappearing without a trace, she's emaciated and so weak she can barely lift a spoon. Everyone believes she's a drug addict, finally coming off of a six month high. The reality is not that far from the rumor.

Nikki found life so unbearably painful that all she wanted was to feel nothing. She allowed herself to be enticed into a world she hoped would numb her to the pain, but instead she ended up forfeiting everything that ever meant anything to her and allowed an Everliving to suck her dry.

Only something went wrong, or maybe Nikki was stronger than she thought, because when the super hot Everliving, Cole is finally through with her, Nikki has not been completely destroyed. She gets a second chance at life and finds something worth living for.

As someone who comes from a family where addiction is rampant, I've seen firsthand what a drug addict looks like and the way they behave during recovery. Brodi captured the essence of that perfectly.

I expected to like this book, I mean the cover alone is drool worthy and the idea of the Persephone myth reworked into a modern day setting intrigued me, but I did not expect the depth. It's incredible how many layers this book has.

And the something that Nikki finds worth living for? He's Amazing.

Brodi Ashton writes Young Adult novels. She eats cinnamon bears. She loves Diet Coke. Her debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) comes out January 24, 2012 with Balzer and Bray (HarperCollins).
To learn more about Brodi go here.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

2011-11-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

MMGM is a meme hosted by Shannon Messenger. To participate or read others go here.

"I've always loved hollyhocks," Ollie said, pulling a blossom from the soda-bottle vase. "See? When you turn one upside down, it looks like a dancing lady." The round petals of the pink flower flitted in the breeze like a delicate ball gown."

~ With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Summary: When Ollie’s daddy, the Reverend Everlasting Love, pulls their travel trailer into Binder to lead a three-day revival, Ollie knows that this town will be like all the others they visit— it is exactly the kind of nothing Ollie has come to expect. But on their first day in town, Ollie meets Jimmy Koppel, whose mother is in jail for murdering his father. Jimmy insists that his mother is innocent, and Ollie believes him. Still, even if Ollie convinces her daddy to stay in town, how can two kids free a grown woman who has signed a confession? Ollie’s longing for a friend and her daddy’s penchant for searching out lost souls prove to be a formidable force in this tiny town where everyone seems bent on judging and jailing without a trial. ~ Goodreads

My Take: I love books with beautiful writing, strong characters and interesting plot. With a Name Like Love has it all. From the very beginning I felt fully immersed in the world of Olivene(Ollie) Love with the help of her endearing, authentic voice.
Loved the mystery and the overall sweet message.
I recommend With a Name Like Love to anyone 10 and up.

Tess Hilmo is a writer and an amateur composer who lives in Highland, Utah. With a Name Like Love is her first novel. For more information visit her website here.

JK Rowling - You Did it Again

2011-11-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

You got another reluctant reader to read. I'm so happy about this I'm almost giddy. My son, yes my son who won't pick up a book without coercion and would only read Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, actually asked me where Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is today.
He's been reading it all morning. He's on chapter 4 now. It's a miracle.

JK Rowling

You. Are. A. Genius.

Now, I'm not the type of person who thinks that any reading is good. I'd rather my kids never read a word than read some of the garbage out there. I'll admit there was even a time that I wasn't sure I wanted them to read the Harry Potter books (even as I was devouring them.) But I came to discover that's the genius of JK Rowling. She created a story that is so engrossing that almost anyone would like them, but there is also so much to learn from them.

Since I'm currently feeling warm and fuzzy towards all things Harry, I thought I'd share which movies and books are my favorite. Please don't misunderstand - I like all the books and the movies - but these are my favorite.

I really enjoyed the beginning with the car and the whomping willow. Very intrigued by the diary and Tom Riddle and the mystery of who had opened the Chamber of Secrets. This book was full of whimsy and yet very creepy at the same time.

While the book is mostly a blur to me this movie is one of my favorites. It was the first one that didn't feel cheesy. Adore the beginning when the kids are singing "Something Wicked This Way Comes." Loved the turning back time aspects. Loved the creepiness of the forest when their hiding from the werewolf. Good Stuff.

I think this book is my favorite. Mostly what I love about this book is the back story. I was fascinated by the story of Tom Riddle's parents. Also loved the struggle that was going on with Draco as he desperately tries to prove himself. Loved the romance in the book. So shocked by the end scene.

This may be my favorite movie as well. So much to love about this movie. Loved the cinematography. I wish they hadn't taken out all the stuff about Tom Riddle's parents, but I understand why they did. There were some things that they changed from the book as there always is, but a few of those changes I actually thought were better. One of those changes is the scene in Hagrid's hut where Harry is trying to get information out of Horace Slughorn. Loved the part with the fish turning into a flower. So touched by the story he tells about Harry's mother. So powerful how Harry tells him to be brave. Awesome scene. Again I enjoyed the romance in this one. I could watch this movie over and over.

While I enjoyed this book a lot and I think there were some things left out of the movie that I wish were there - I still thoroughly enjoyed Part 1. Part 2 was good, but Part 1 was fantastic.

Some people were probably bored by this, but I loved the time they spent in the tent. All that time away from their family - hiding and hunting for they knew not what. Loved the scene when Fenrir Greyback smells Hermione in the woods. Love the scene where Hemione and Harry dance. Love when Ron comes back. Loved, loved the Deathly Hallows story. There were a lot of things that would be hard to understand, though if you hadn't read the book. For example I didn't remember who Fenrir Greyback was until I went back and read the book.

So what about you? Which books or movies are your favorite?

There Is No Dana, Only Zuul

2011-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahah

It still makes me laugh

Happy Halloween Everybody

Monarch Winner and Teaser Tuesday - The Night Circus

2011-10-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

And the winner of Monarch is...

Michelle McLean

Congratulations Michelle - hope you enjoy it.

Now onto this weeks Teaser Tuesday:

"Marco Lifts his hand to brush a stray curl away from Celia's face, tucking it behind her ear and stroking her cheek with his fingertips. Her eyelids flutter closed and the rose petals around their feet begin to stir.

"I've missed you," he whispers softly.

The air between them is electric as he leans in, gently brushing his lips against her neck."

~ The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Loved this book. It's the kind of book that is so wholly unique and beautifully written that it makes you want to either give up writing because you'll never create anything that good, or you'll want to keep writing in the hopes that someday, you too will create something so amazing.

Monarch Teaser Review and Giveaway

2011-10-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

"The blood pooling on the floor under the assassin's back reminded Nick of butterfly wings. It spread from the twin wounds and sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the kitchen window."

~ Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle - pg. 1

A few years ago, this striking image of butterfly wings created from blood seeping out of a dead man's wound, was an entry in one of Nathan Bransford's first paragraph contests. It was this paragraph that first caught my fancy and made me want to read more of Michelle's beautiful and literary prose.

Because there are already several reviews of Monarch floating around the blogosphere, I'm going to just share a few teasers and allow Monarch to speak for itself.

"Blood meant death and death reminded him of Annabelle." - hmm, intriguing - who's Annabelle?

"Lillian had made everything unpleasant melt into something sweet, like the frosting she'd let him taste from her slender finger." - ooh, now we meet Lillian - all thoughts of death have vanished.

"Nick's shoulders fell. It always came to that--the truth--with everybody he'd ever loved. Why couldn't they understand there were layers to the truth? That he could be honest and lie at the same time?" - wow--who is Nick? A compulsive liar or a spy for the CIA? Why yes, yes he is.

"Devan watched them out of the corner of his eye. Their kissing reminded him of the wedding earlier that day, of flowers, cakes, girls in frilly dresses talking about boys and love and marriage. It was all so superficial. Marriages never lasted." - poor Devan - Lillian's son is full of disillusionment.

"Devan watched the shadows on the road, sharp and jagged from the headlights. He didn't know how old Nick's daughters were, but he guessed around his own age. Surprised by how worried he was about two girls he didn't know, he glanced at Nick in the rear view mirror.

"How much danger are they in?"

Nick stared straight ahead, his lips pinched into a thin line."

So, what do you think? Interested in reading more?

Well here's your chance. Please leave a comment below if you'd like to win an ARC of Monarch.

Spread the word and earn some extra points:
already a follower +3
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Giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canada residents.

Winner will be chosen Monday, Oct. 17th

Michelle is a mother, artist, and writer who lives in the Rocky Mountains with her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She writes contemporary, literary, and fantasy fiction. Cinders and Monarch are two of her published novels. The Breakaway will be released in 2012 by Rhemalda Publishing, and Bonded (which includes Cinders) will be released in 2013 by Rhemalda Publishing, as well.

To learn more about the lovely Michelle Davidson Argyle, go here.

Teaser Tuesday - What If Love Was Considered A Disease

2011-09-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

"Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't."
— Delirium by Lauren Oliver

If love were a disease, would you take the cure? -- check out this cool interactive book trailer.

I just finished this book last night. So good. Vivid dystopian world, romance, strong characters and beautiful writing - this book has it all.

Content Warning: This book does have the F-bomb a couple of times, but other than that it is tame.

One Sentence a Day

2011-09-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's funny how when I first started writing, I learned that a good routine is to write 1000 words a day. For awhile I stuck to that. I wrote everyday but Sunday. This was a doable goal and I felt good about it and myself when I accomplished it.

Then, as I took some writing classes, read some blogs and attended some writing conferences - my word count went down to 500 words a day or less. Mostly less.

The more I learned the better writer I became, but that's when the fear set in. I learned the difference between bad writing and good writing and the fear of bad writing paralyzed me.

I joined a blog called One Page A Day with a few writers where we pledge to write...you guessed it - one page a day. I stuck to that for a long time and then...I stopped writing.

I haven't written much of anything this whole summer. Fear and laziness and something ugly has gripped me and I just can't bring myself to write. I want to change that though. I'm trying to break out of whatever the nasty thing is that has me caught in its claws. I want to lose my fear, well maybe not lose it...maybe just embrace or ignore the fear and write.

I want to enter a short story contest, hosted by The Literary Lab called Variations on a Theme. The short story can be no longer than 3000 words. I know what you're thinking. I know you're thinking that 3000 words is nothing. Mentally, I know that you're right. Emotionally? It feels like a million. One sentence a day is all I can manage right now. I'm hoping that will change, but as of Friday I have written exactly four sentences. Oh, and I have a title.

That's progress isn't it. One sentence is better than nothing. The deadline for this contest is December 31st. Math isn't my thing, so maybe one of you can tell me if writing one sentence a day is going to be enough to meet that deadline.

So, how is you're writing going? Does fear ever stop you?

Don't forget to check out The Literary Lab Contest:

Teaser Tuesday - This Book Still Haunts Me

2011-09-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

"'No, not them,' said Bruno. 'The people I see from the window. In the huts, in the distance. They're all dressed the same.'
'Ah, those people,' said Father, nodding his head and smiling slightly. 'Those people... well, they're not people at all, Bruno.'"

~ The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - pg. 53

I love the fairytale feel of this book and that it's told from the point of view of a little boy who doesn't understand what's going on around him. I recommend listening to it on audiobook - the man who does the reading is fantastic.

Book Trailer:

Movie Trailer:

I didn't realize there was a movie until I looked for the book trailer. Have any of you seen it?

The Spark Blogfest

2011-08-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

"When I read that the flash came, and I took a sheet of paper. . .and I wrote on it: I, Emily Byrd Starr, do solemnly vow this day that I will climb the Alpine Path and write my name on the scroll of fame." — Emily of New Moon by LM. Montgomery

It's Sparkfest time. I almost forgot or more like the days just crept up on me. Sparkfest is hosted by Christine Tyler and if you'd like to participate you can answer one of three questions and link back to her blog here.

Here are the questions:

What book made you realize you were doomed to be a writer?

What author set off that spark of inspiration for your current Work in Progress?

Or, Is there a book or author that changed your world view?

To begin with what sparked me to write I'm going to admit something that might shock some of you. I don't like to write. I have never liked to write. I didn't grow up dreaming about being a famous author.

Are you shocked yet?

But, guess what I do like...no love to do. Read. I love books. I read in the bathroom, in the tub, in bed, in the car, on the couch. I listen to audiobooks while I'm cleaning and making dinner. I. Love. To. Read.

Here's something else I'm going to admit that might shock you. I thought the author that sparked me to want to write was boring when I was young. I think the same reason that I didn't like that author was the same reason I didn't know I wanted to write. I needed to grow up. Not everyone needs to do this, but I did. Have you guessed who that author might be?

L.M. Montgomery

And can you guess what book I actually thought was boring?

I can't believe I thought Anne of Green Gables was boring, but I did and now it's one of my favorite books and L.M. Montgomery is one of my favorite authors. I think I've read every fiction book she's written now including her collections of short stories. Because I loved her books so much I began to study her and what she had to say about writing. Montgomery wrote journals that have been published into five volumes - they are amazing. They read just like her novels, but they give incredible insight into her writing career.

Montgomery also wrote a book about her writing journey called:

I love the insights she gives on how and when she wrote, the challenges she faced and how she never gave up.

I said before that I don't like to write. I don't. It's hard for me, but to paraphrase Gloria Steinem..."I like to have written." I love to read over something that I wrote and be in awe that those words or phrases or ideas actually came from me. I've lost some of that spark recently. The Alpine path seems too steep right now, but I'm trying to overcome it. Hmm, maybe I need to go back and read what sparked me in the first place.

Teaser Tuesday - Divergent by Veronica Roth

2011-08-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

"Human reason can excuse any evil; that is why it's so important that we don't rely on it." - pg. 102

Possession Winner and Teaser Tuesday

2011-07-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

And the winner is:

Riv Re - Yay!!!

E-mail me your address and I'll get the book out to you ASAP.

Thank you to all who entered and spread the word. Welcome to all my new followers.

And now for the Teaser Tuesday:

"I figured out how to cure mama. Take her to the voodoo priestess!"

Flash Fiction Blog Hop

2011-07-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ali Cross from the Ali's Dojo blog is hosting a blog hop in honor of Independence day. The theme is "It's Independence Day and Anything Can Happen..."
To join in the fun or read other entries go here.

Flash Fiction is hard for me so it's a little bit longer than 250 words. I wrote it this morning so be kind. Here's my entry:

BOOM

“Gah! Get out of here you cursed birds.” Justin waved his spatula at the noisy black beasts, but one of them still managed to snatch a salmon fillet off the grill.

Erica stifled a laugh when Justin swore and brandished the spatula about like he was a knight fighting a great foe.

“I think a full-on scarecrow outfit is required,” Erica said, as she walked past the grill with the last of the dinner dishes. “You know, desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“You're laughing now, but it was your fillet that nasty crow made off with,” Justin said. Erica glanced back at him just before entering The Salmon Bake. Justin's cocky wink turned her feet to jelly and she nearly tripped on the rug.

The clean-up crew groaned when Erica came into the kitchen with more dishes.

“This is the last I promise,” she said waving a used napkin like a white flag. It was nearly midnight when Erica finally pulled off her red visor and apron. She'd just allowed her dark hair to fall freely to her shoulders when she felt a warm body behind her.

“You going to watch the fireworks?” Justin asked. Tingles ran down her neck when his breath whispered across her ear.

“I planned on it, but it's too late now. I'm sure my friends have left already.”

“Come with me. I've got front row seats in my motor boat.” He must have seen the hesitation on her face because he rushed on and said, “Live a little Erica. You've been here over a month and have yet to fraternize with the natives.”

Erica had been in Haines, Alaska long enough to know that the natives left much to be desired. But she'd also been here long enough to know that Justin was...different.

“All right.” A funny pressure squeezed her heart when Justin smiled down at her.

They climbed into Justin's boat just as the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the mountains. Erica still hadn't got used to the sunsets at midnight nor the sunrises three hours later, but tonight she was grateful—extremely grateful that she hadn't missed the fireworks or this moment.

It was cold on the water, but Justin was prepared with jackets and blankets. Erica gasped when the first bursts of color glittered over their heads and showered the water with sparks. She sighed when Justin took hold of her hand. She felt heat building up inside her when he reached across her to tuck the blankets beneath her. She thought her heart might explode when he gazed into her eyes. His lips touched hers. Boom.

Don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of Possession by Elana Johnson. To Enter go here.

Enter To Win a Signed Copy of Possession By Elana Johnson

2011-07-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

"Jag and I broke apart like we'd been caught making out by my mother."

~ Vi from Possession by Elana Johnson

First of all, I love the first person voice of Vi. Love it. She's so real and funny. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and I honestly spent a lot of time feeling confused as I read it. Just when I thought I was about to understand something, the bottom fell out and I was left in confusion again. But then I realized that the confusion is the brilliance of the story. Elana does a brilliant job of putting us right in Vi's head. Vi doesn't know what's going on or who to trust so neither should we.

Second, loved Jag. Love him. Still don't know if he should be trusted, but I really, really hope he can be.

Thirdly, the world-building is very creative and well done. I wanted to know more about certain areas, but I get a feeling we will in the next book.

Lastly, the end gave me mixed feelings of horror and confusion, but it is still brilliantly executed. Vi doesn't know what's going on and neither should we.

Possession reminded me of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield and Candor by Pam Bachorz, but Elana did an excellent job of melding these elements together to create something completely different. I'm really, really hoping that her next book, Fugitive, which will be a companion book to Possession, will have some answers. Please don't leave Vi and us hanging Elana.

If you'd like to enter to win a signed, hardback copy of Possession please leave a comment below and let me know you want it.

To earn extra points you could:

become a follower +2

already a follower +3

Tweet, blog, or facebook about the giveaway +1 each time you do it.

I'll randomly choose a winner on Monday, July 18th. This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents and Canada.

Hope ya'll have an awesome day.

Finisher Spotlight: Guest Post by Elana Johnson

2011-07-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I started a series of posts titled Finishers Wanted to help give me some motivation to finish my novel.

Elana Johnson is one of the most awesome people I'm lucky enough to know. One of the things that makes Elana awesome is that she is a finisher.

In her own words Elana was kind enough to share with us what she thinks makes her a finisher:

Okay, so Mary asked me to talk a little bit about quitting, and why that’s simply not an option.

I think sometimes it’s just something deep within us. Sure, I’ve quit things before. Things like dieting and jobs and whatnot.

But when it comes to writing, I didn’t quit. Let me give you a quick background, in case you’re not familiar with my journey.

December 2007: Begin writing creatively.

May 2008: Begin querying first novel.

May – December 2008: Realize querying is really hard and/or the novel isn’t good enough. Keep querying anyway, because hey! You never know. (Hundreds of agents saying no apparently DO know. So yeah.)

January 2009: Smarten up. Revise new manuscript. Figure out how to write a query. Get ready to enter the trenches again.

I just want to pause right here and say that you need to give yourself time to see how the publishing industry works. I didn’t do that, as is pretty obvious in the fact that I queried a novel 5 months after I started writing.

So for this second round, I was geared up. I counted my first querying experience as just practice, just like my first novel was just for practice (as I know now).

So this time was for real. Could I do it? Would it be just as hard? I mean, my book was better; I knew more.

Aaand, yep, it was just as hard. Harder, actually, because I did know more. I queried POSSESSION for 8 months (April 2009 – November 2009), and sent 189 query letters and over 50 partials/fulls.

Were there times I wanted to quit? Absolutely. In fact, I think I IM’ed a friend last week and told her I wanted to quit. This publishing-a-book think isn’t for the weak, that’s for sure.

So why didn’t I?

I think it comes down to one thing: Life experience. I’d worked for something hard before—and gotten it. I knew from experience that if I worked at improving my writing, if I wrote another, better novel, and I didn’t give up, I’d achieve my goal.

I mean, I drove with my four-month-old infant son 100 miles round-trip 5 days a week to attend college. I could query another agent.

I worked out 9 times a week, only skipping Wednesday mornings to “sleep in.” I could handle another rejection.

I taught elementary school right up until my scheduled C-section. I could send a follow-up email.

I have worked for things in my life. I have gotten those things I work for, so I know that if I work hard enough and don’t quit, I’ll get what I seek.

And I think that’s why through those miserable 8 months, I was able to keep going. That, and having a friend to whine to really helps. *wink*

Wow - can you see why I think Elana is awesome? I feel so unworthy after reading this. Like I need a swift kick in the butt or the head to just get something done already.

Come back Wednesday and enter to win a signed copy of the book Elana never gave up on, Possession.

Elana Johnson thinks bacon should be eaten for every meal and chews bubble gum every single day. She is a founding author of the QueryTracker blog. She currently blogs for the League of Extraordinary Writers and helped to organize WriteOnCon. Elana also teaches, watches reality TV and drives too fast.
When she's not doing any of that, she writes young adult novels. Her debut YA novel, Possession was released in June 2011.

Finishers Wanted - Churchill and Lincoln

2011-07-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense." ~ Winston Churchill

"I expect to maintain this contest until successful, or till I die, or am conquered, or my term expires, or Congress or the country forsakes me." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Both Lincoln and Churchill faced insurmountable odds as war threatened to tear their countries apart. Just imagine what the United States and England would be like today if these great men had not stayed the course.

Right Makes Might

2011-07-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it. ~ Abraham Lincoln

God Bless America!!!

Happy 4th Everyone

Today's My Birthday and I'm...

2011-07-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

...going gray. I've been getting gray hairs for awhile now, and I've pulled out quite a few of them. But they just keep coming and it's getting way out of control now. I've tried dying it, but I don't know if I'm using the wrong stuff because my gray hairs won't hold color for very long. Add to this the fact that I'm kind of lazy and I don't want to have to color my hair all the time, I'm thinking of letting it just go gray. Graying with style though.

I looked up some gray hair styles and celebrities with gray hair and I have to admit some of them look stunning - take a look:

Only Nichole's roots are gray here

The thing to understand is, not all of those gray haired beauties are wearing the natural gray hair mother nature has given them. Even gray hair can be greatly enhanced with rinses, color and bluing agents to give a brighter, more silvery shimmer!

But these women are a lot older than I am, and I only have a little bit of gray showing - most of my hair is still brown, so I'm not sure I'm ready to flaunt the gray yet.

But think about this - I read where one woman calculated that she had spent, over the 25 years that she'd dyed her gray hair, $65,000. I could really use a $65,000.

Some say the key to going gray is to not sport the granny look. Check out these hairstyles:

In London, silver hair is all the rage for the under 25 crowd.

I personally believe all these women look stunning, almost like angels. So, what do you think? Should I gray gracefully, or should I fight it as long as I can?

To gray, or not to gray: that is the question.

Living in the Now

2011-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

"Forever is composed of nows." ~ Emily Dickinson

My niece and nephew graduated from high school recently and I wanted to share with them some of my wisdom that I've gleaned in my 35 years of life on this earth. But as I began to write a message on their cards I suddenly felt inadequate. When I was a kid 35 looked so old, but now that I'm here I don't feel that much older than the teenage me (in mind that is - how I feel in body is another story.)

I did manage to come up with a tiny bit of wisdom though and the more I think on it, the more I believe I did hit on some very wise advice after all. The advice I gave is to Live in the now.

I've spent most of my life waiting for the future. I actually believed that when I reached a certain milestone my life would begin. As a kid I couldn't wait until I could drive. I just knew that the moment I could drive my life would begin and I would be happy. Then I couldn't wait to graduate from high school, then graduate from college, then find the one, then get married, then have kids.

Life passed by while I was still waiting for it to begin. Waiting for my happiness to begin. After I had children I no longer looked to my future. My children's milestones became so much more important than my own and I began to look to the past. The past that I didn't enjoy while I was there suddenly looked so appealing and I again couldn't enjoy the now like I should have.

I'm trying to change that now. While I do think it's important to plan and hope for the future, the now is what I think I need to focus on to be happy. Every moment is so fleeting. Enjoy the journey and choose to be happy now. Oh yes, it is a choice whether we want to believe that or not.

So what about you? Do you enjoy the now? Or does your past or your future look brightest?

"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." ~ The Music Man

Finisher Spotlight: The Dauntless Cliff Young Story

2011-06-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

Every year, top athletes gather in Sydney, Australia to run what is considered to be the longest and toughest marathon in the world. The race lasts around 6-7 days as the racers run from Sydney to Melbourne (875-Kilometers or 543 miles.)

In 1983, everyone experienced a shock when a 61 year old man, in overalls and galoshes, stepped up to the table to get his racing number.

At first, everybody thought it was just a publicity stunt. But the press was curious, so as he took his number and moved into the pack of runners in their specially designed, expensive racing outfits, the camera focused on him and reporters asked:

“Who are you and what are you doing?”

“I’m Cliff Young. I’m from a large ranch where we run sheep outside of Melbourne.”

They said, “You’re really going to run in this race?”

“Yeah,” Cliff nodded.

“Got any backers?”

“No.”

“Then you can’t run.”

“Yeah I can.” Cliff said.

“See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn’t afford horses or four wheel drives, and the whole time I was growing up – until about four years ago when we finally made some money and got a four wheeler – whenever the storms would roll in, I’d have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 head, and we have 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I’d catch them. I believe I can run this race; it’s only two more days. Five days. I’ve run sheep for three.”

There were many who thought Cliff shouldn't be allowed to run. What if he died?

When the marathon started, the pros left Cliff behind in his galoshes. The crowds smiled because he didn’t even run correctly. Instead of running, he appeared to run leisurely, shuffling like an amateur.

Every professional athlete knew for certain that it took about 7 days to finish this race, and that in order to compete, you would need to run 18 hours and sleep 6 hours. The thing is, old Cliff Young did not know that.

When the morning news of the race was aired, people were in for another big surprise. Cliff was still in the race and had jogged all night down to a city called Mittagong.
Apparently, Cliff did not stop after the first day. Although he was still far behind the world-class athletes, he kept on running. He even had the time to wave to spectators who watched the event by the highways.

Every night he got just a little bit closer to the leading pack. By the last night, he passed all of the world-class athletes. By the last day, he was way in front of them. Not only did he run the Melbourne to Sydney race at age 61, without dying; he won first place, breaking the race record by 9 hours and became a national hero. The nation fell in love with the 61-year-old potato farmer who came out of nowhere to defeat the world’s best long distance runners.

He finished the 875-kilometer race in 5 days,15 hours and 4 minutes. Not knowing that he was supposed to sleep during the race, he said when running throughout the race, he imagined that he was chasing sheep and trying to outrun a storm.

When Cliff was awarded the first prize of $10,000, he said he did not know there was a prize and insisted that he had not entered for the money. He said, “There’re five other runners still out there doing it tougher than me,” and he gave them $2,000 each. He did not keep a single cent for himself and endeared himself to all of Australia.

Because Cliff Young set the bar so high, many athletes have now adopted The Young-Shuffle, which has been found to be more aerodynamic and expends less energy. Also if you want to be competitive you can't sleep, you must run all day and all night.

*Story courtesy of my friend and neighbor, Lisa Anjewierden*

Finishers Wanted - 6 Attributes of a Finisher

2011-06-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders are few.

Honor, power, place and praise

Will always come to the one who stays. Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile

Will come life’s victories after a while.

—Author Unknown

Are you a finisher? Sometimes I am, but most of the time I'm not. I begin strong and often times get bored, frustrated, distracted etc., and I don't finish.
At church this past Sunday a woman gave a talk on finishers and I felt like she was speaking directly to me.

In the next month or so my blog will be changing. I've been trying to decide which direction I want to take it so I haven't been blogging much. I think I've hit on it now. I've decided that I want my blog to be about inspiration. To finish my novel I need to feel inspired and I hope to inspire others along the way.

Some things to look forward to on this blog are inspiring stories of finishers. Spotlights and interviews of awesome finishers. My progress reports on finishing and whatever else comes to mind.

And now, without further ado - Six Attributes Of A Finisher:

1. Vision - It has been said that the door of history turns on small hinges, and so do people’s lives. We are constantly making small decisions. The outcome determines the success or failure of our lives. That is why it is worthwhile to look ahead, to set a course, and at least be partly ready when the moment of decision comes. True finishers have the capacity to visualize their objective.

2. Effort - Vision without effort is daydreaming; effort without vision is drudgery; but vision, coupled with effort, will obtain the prize.

3. Faith - Recognize that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.

4. Virtue - It will provide staying power in the race we run.

5. Courage - Have the courage and you will become a finisher.

6. Prayer - "Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention." - This quote is taken from my crit partner's blog and I love it. It reminds me that with God, nothing is impossible, but without Him I am destined to fail.

These attributes were taken from a talk given by the LDS Prophet, President Monson, so they may not all apply to everyone. But for me, I think they'll be the key to reaching the finish of whatever I want to accomplish.

What about you? Is there any attributes you'd like to add? Are you a finisher, or do you struggle like me?

Winner And My Go-to Books For Voice

2011-06-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...

Kasie West!!! Yay!!!

Congratulations Kasie. I love this book and hope you love it too. E-mail me your address and I'll get the book out to you ASAP.

Thank you to all who entered and I hope those of you who didn't win will still check out Back When You Were Easier to Love and Emily Wing Smith's other book, The Way He Lived. Both books are incredible examples of Voice. I study her books often, hoping to learn how she does it so well.

Do you have books that you study? Voice is one of those intangibles of writing that is difficult to explain how and why it's good, but we know a well written Voice when we see it.

My other go-to books for Voice are:
The Hunger Games (of course)
Sara Zarr's books (incredibly raw 1st person voice)
Shannon Hale's Books (awesome 3rd person voice)
Carrie Ryan's Zombie books (yes really a zombie book, but the writing is beautiful)
Janette Rallison's books (love her humor)

What about You? Do you have go-to books for capturing Voice?

Last Day to Enter Giveaway and Brainstorming Gave Me a Boost

2011-06-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday. Today is the last day to enter the Back When You Were Easier To Love Giveaway - to enter go here.

Today is also the second to last day of school for my kids. They have field day today. Do you remember field day? I broke my arm once on field day. Yeah - we didn't have the namby pamby field activities like my kids do now (just kidding).

Yesterday I talked to a friend about my book. I've been stuck and haven't been able to move forward, but when I talked to my friend and reluctantly began telling her about my story, she got excited and then I got excited again. She kept coming up with different scenarios and so did I and a few of them clicked and suddenly I could hear conversations going on in my head again. My story came alive to me again.

So grateful for my friend and for brainstorming. Have you had any brainstorming break through moments lately?

Teaser Tuesday and Giveaway - Back When You Were Easier To Love

2011-05-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

"Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure."
~ Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

Love this book. Love the writing. Love the cover.

Emily Wing Smith is awesome.

Here's the book trailer:

Here's a video of Emily and her crit group The Six singing a Barry Manilow Song

I told you Emily's awesome.

I'm giving away a hardback copy of Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith. Please leave a comment below and let me know if you'd like to enter. To earn extra points you could spread the word about the giveaway:

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This giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents and you don't have to be a follower to enter, but it would be nice to have you as a follower anyway. Winner will be chosen by random drawing this Friday.

Freedom Ain't Free and Missing You

2011-05-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.

~Joseph Campbell

Loved Ones I'm Missing Today:

My sweet dog, Keeshka

Grandma Hattie - so pretty when she was young

Grandpa Roy - so handsome in a tux

Raleigh - miss you bro

Never Forget

I'm Incubating and I LOVE this SONG

2011-05-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been around lately and I feel bad about that. I haven't been doing a lot of writing on my book either and I'm worried that I'm running out of words. Two years ago, it was writing that pulled me out of a depression that was so engulfing I didn't even realize I was in one, until I wrote my way out of its depths. Now it's writing or the lack of writing that's depressing me.

I want to write and I want to be a different person. The want is there, but the will hasn't quite caught up yet. I'm hoping this is just a temporary thing. Like I'm incubating or ruminating on my thoughts and dreams and when I'm through with my incubation the me that emerges will be something different, dazzling maybe. Or, just better than I am now.

On this Friday when the kids are home on holiday from school, this song and video is a reflection of my mood. Hope you like it.

The Winners Are...

2011-05-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

Sara Larson - Lock and Key

and

Lori Walker - Along for the Ride

Yay!!! Congrats to the winners!!!

Sara: I'll probably see you soon and I'll bring you the book.

Lori: e-mail me your address and I'll get the book out ASAP.

Thank you so much to all of you who entered and welcome to my new followers.

Hope ya'll have an awesome weekend!!!

Teaser Tuesday and Giveaway - Sarah Dessen

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

"It's never something huge that changes everything, but instead the tiniest details, irrevocably tweaking the balance of the universe while you're busy focusing on the big picture."

~ Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

For a moment, neither of us said anything, and I realized that it was the first time in a long while that I'd felt nervous and uncomfortable around Eli. All those crazy nights, doing so many crazy things. And yet this, a simple phone conversation, was hard.

~ Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Two lucky people could win Lock and Key or Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. Please leave a comment and let me know if you want a book. I will randomly choose a winner on Friday. U.S. and Canadian residents only.

To up your chances of winning you could become a follower of my blog or spread the word through facebook and twitter.

Hope you all have an awesome day!

Hiatus

2011-03-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like blogging right now, so I'm not going to. When I feel like blogging again, I will return. I'll miss you all.

I'll leave you with a little bit of motivation

If You Aren't Fired With Enthusiasm. You Will Be Fired With Enthusiasm

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Hazzardous Universe

2011-03-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Shannon O'Donnell and Shannon Messenger host this Meme and I thought I'd like to join in once in awhile and share some fab mid-grade. You're welcome to join in as well.

This weeks pick is:

Synopsis:

A guy who works in his grandfather's magic shop expects weird things to happen. But Hap Hazzard has never had a day like this. First, a freaky old man in a cape who calls himself "Torval" visits the shop and somehow makes a trash can explode. Then Torval delivers an ominous message to Hap's grandfather, upsetting the old man so badly that he yells at Hap for the first time ever. Next, this girl Tara shows up to apply for a job, and for reasons Hap can't understand, his cool magic tricks send her away in tears. But that's nothing compared to what happens next. Under orders to apologize to Tara, Hap searches for the girl. But he can barely say he's sorry before three spaceships appear, the biggest of the three looking like a burnt slice of pizza.

The weirdness only ramps up as Hap and Tara soon find themselves aboard the pizza-shaped ship piloted by a pair of aliens. Even though they were accidentally abducted, the two humans are now forced to join an out-of-this-world mission that includes razor-toothed multilingual beetles, a psychic queen bee, manic ape frogs, a coveted crystal, and a hundred other bizarre things that just might make sense-if Hap could only remember and understand Torval's cryptic message. Join Hap and Tara as they begin a fantastic journey into the far reaches of the universe. - Good Reads

Julie Wright is one of my favorite authors so I was very excited to be able to share her writing with my son. My 9yo and I went to Julie's release party and she signed the book to him. Unless your child is a super reader I think this book is definitely for the older mid-grader. We've been reading it together and my son bonded with the main character as soon as he learned that Hap hates tomatoes too.

We haven't finished it yet, but we're enjoying the ride.

Check out the book trailer - it shows off some of the fab illustrations:

This Movie Was Actually Better Than The Book Friday

2011-03-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yay it's time for another: This Movie Was Actually Better Than the Book.

Today's book and movie are:

Oh man - I love this movie so much. I could watch it over and over again - and I have. Because I love this movie so much I decided to read the book.

For those who haven't read or seen About A Boy by Nick Hornby - here is a brief synopsis:

Will is thirty-six, comfortable and child-free. And he's discovered a brilliant new way of meeting women - through single-parent groups. Marcus is twelve and a little bit nerdish: he's got the kind of mother who made him listen to Joni Mitchell rather than Nirvana. Perhaps they can help each other out a little bit, and both can start to act their age. - Goodreads

One of the issues I had with the book is the language. There was a lot of it. If a book is really good I can handle an F-bomb or two, but this book was full of F-bombs and the only reason I kept reading was because I loved the movie and I kept hoping it would surpass the emotional peak I experienced from the movie.
While I understand language is a subjective thing - the book never even came close to what the movie did.

Hugh Grant as Will is fantastic. The humor and wit, pitch perfect. The book was amusing at times, but never quite reached the movie. The characters were so much richer in the movie as well - more substance - which really seems strange, because books are usually where we find the real meat of the characters, but in this instance the book let me down.

The main reason I liked the movie more than the book was the ending. The movie has an incredible ending. The book ends differently and was somewhat disappointing.

Maybe I'm being unfair to the book though. With Hugh Grant singing Killing Me Softly in the movie - the book just didn't stand a chance.

I couldn't embed this awesome scene so follow the link and check it out - you won't regret it.

So, what say you. In your opinion was This Movie Actually Better Than The Book?

I Would Have Given Anything To be Like...

2011-03-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

In honor of Kristen Hubbard's Like Mandarin release a non-blogfest is taking place called:

For more information or to win some fab prizes go to Kristen's blog here.

When I was little I wanted to be:

I don't think I actually wanted to live in that time period, but I did want to be Laura Ingalls. Loved Little House on the Prairie.

As a teenager I wanted to be:

What is it with me and period pieces? Anyway I wanted to be Anne Shirley and I did want to live in that time period. I wanted to live at Green Gables with Mathew and Marilla. I wanted Diana for my best friend and I wanted Gilbert to love me from afar. Actually I think I still want to be Anne.

When I grew up, for a really long period I wanted to be one of the:

Loved Friends - I watched them several times a day on reruns. I don't think I wanted to be any friend in particular - I just wanted to be one of them. I must have been lonely or something because I would even dream I was one of them.

So, who do I want to be now? Very hard to pick. There's so many people I admire. I wish I could be sweet and kind like Carolyn V and L.T. Elliot.

I wish I could be blogger extraordinaire like Elana Johnson.

I wish I had my crit partner, Kelly Lyman's determination.

I want to be amazing like my sisters and mom and my super talented and sweet hubs who'll do anything for me.

There are some very awesome ladies in my neighborhood who I wish I could be like for so many different reasons - yes I'm talking about you, you and you, etc.

There's so many people, but mostly I want to be me. The best me that I know must be inside...somewhere.

Anyway - Who would you have given anything to be?

This Movie Was Actually Better Than The Book Friday

2011-03-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new Meme called This Movie Was Actually Better Than The Book.

As a writer I think this is a worthwhile subject because I enjoy seeing the books I love in a different way. I understand that they're different mediums and I no longer expect movies to be exactly like the book. Usually I think the movie doesn't quite capture the book, but on rare occasions I've found the book actually fell short. If you've seen the movie and read the book and you don't agree with me - please feel free to voice your opinion - in a polite way of course. Same thing if you do agree.

So every Friday join me for a discussion on why This Movie Was Actually Better Than The Book. If you'd like to take part in this Meme on your own blog - please leave me a link in comments and I'll come check it out.

The first book and movie I've chosen to discuss is:

For those who aren't familiar with Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson - here's a brief synopsis:

Miss Pettigrew (Francis McDormand) is a down-on-her-luck, middle-aged governess sent by her employment agency to work for a nightclub singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) rather than a household of unruly children. Over a period of 24 hours her life is changed -- forever.
This delightful, funny, light-hearted 1938 novel was a bestseller on its first appearance and has been reprinted many times since Persephone Books first reissued it, complete with its original illustrations, for a new generation of readers. - Goodreads.

I had never heard of this book until I saw the movie. I enjoyed the movie so much I decided to read the book, but to my amazement the book just wasn't as good.

Here's why I think that is:

The book was a fun, light read, but in my opinion it lacked heart. It felt superficial and the characters lacked depth. The year this was written World War II had not yet begun, but the fear of it loomed in the background. The book doesn't mention this at all - which is fine - there's plenty of books that are beautifully written during times of war without mentioning the war, but the movie does add this element and it changes a frothy book into something with substance. I was very moved by the way Delysia LeFosse comes to realize there's more to life than the frivolous one she's been living. The passions and humor are stronger in the movie and the characters leap off the screen.

I recently read a review where the reviewer had the opposite viewpoint. She felt the movie added too much gravity to something that was meant to be a whimsical fairytale. It's possible that she's right, and maybe I would have felt the same if I'd read the book first. But since I didn't, I'm sticking by my opinion that - This Movie Was Actually Better Than The Book.

So, what do you think? Have you seen the movie or read the book? What's your opinion? Do you think this Meme is lame?

Check Out My New 'About Me' Page

2011-03-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

This is me:

I'm a Wife:

A Mom:

A Bookworm:

A Writer:

Good writing is hard work.

I like to genre hop. Genres I'm currently writing in:

Fairytale Retelling/Fantasy

Dystopian

Middle Grade

And

I live in:

Yes:

This Is My Butt:

The Butt I Wish I had:

The Story Behind the Blog Name

So, what do you think?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Every Soul A Star

2011-03-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a bit more middle grade lately since one of the projects I'm working on is a mid-grade/magical realism/boy book -- wow that was a mouthful.
Anyway Shannon O'Donnell and Shannon Messenger host this Meme and I thought I'd like to join in once in awhile and share some fab mid-grade.

My sister is a junior high librarian so she knows what's hot right now among the mid-grade crowd. She gave me a few books for Christmas and Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass was one of them.

First of all - love the cover and the title. It's written in 3 POV's - two girls and one boy and all three characters were interesting and unique.

Here's a brief rundown of the characters taken from the book jacket:

Ally: Ally likes the simple things in life--labryinths, stargazing, and comet hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is. She refuses to imagine it any other way.

Bree: Popular, gorgeous (everybody says so), and a future homecoming queen for sure, Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide?

Jack: Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined.

All three characters are from different worlds, but they all come together one special night when the moon eclipses the sun above the Moon Shadow lodge.

Loved this book. Loved the uniqueness of each character and the bond they come to share. And I love the astronomy aspect of it.

So, how was y'alls weekend and have you read any good mid-grade lately?

Teaser Tuesday - The Girl With Glass Feet

2011-03-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

"It was the touch that made him realize he loved her. Warmth from her scalp. Grease from her locks. He entwined his hand in her hair. It shrank through his moving fingers like sand. They lay together for a long time. Somewhere outside, a dog barked. He could barely believe he had lived so long without wanting to touch. Photography had made him forget the necessity of this feeling."

I haven't read this yet, so I don't know if it's good or not, but the premise sounds intriguing and I love the cover. I read about it on Laini Taylor's blog and decided to get it from the library. I have a feeling it doesn't end completely happy though. So if you don't like to read books like that than maybe this one isn't for you.

Here's what Laini had to say about it: "I've actually read this, but I got it from the library, and am happy to now own a copy! It's beautiful."

Laini Taylor is the author of the Dreamdark series and if you haven't read any of her writing, you're missing out. Her prose is beautiful and literary.

A Little Bit Of Funny For Your Monday

2011-02-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

This is a conversation that took place yesterday between me and my 9yo and it left me unsure whether I should laugh or cry. From here on out I will refer to my 9yo as Artful Dodger.

Artful Dodger: Mom, I think I'd rather be a criminal than a cop.

Me: Oh yeah -- why's that?

Artful Dodger: Because it's basically a game of tag -- it sucks to be the one who's it.

Me: *walks off shaking head*

Speaking of cops chasing criminals - this joke is kind of funny...or not:

There was a blonde, a redhead, and a robber who escaped from jail together. The redhead hid in a dog house, the robber hid in a cat house, and the blonde hid in a potato sack. The cops came to the dog house and listened. The redhead said “Woof!” The cops then moved on to the cat house. The robber said “Meow!” The cops checked the area around the potato sack and heard “Potatoes!” The cops chased them further and they all climbed up trees. The cops pulled out their guns and prepared. “Ready, aim…” “TORNADO!” said the redhead. The cops were startled, looked around a bit, and the redhead escaped. They continued toward the robber’s tree. “Ready, aim…” “HURRICANE!!!” yelled the robber. Again they were frightened by the outburst and looked around. The robber escaped also. They finally proceeded to the tree with the blonde. “Ready, aim…” “FIRE!!!!!” screamed the blonde.

And now for something completely ridiculous:

Bumper Car Police Chase

Alrighty then. Hope ya'll have a good Monday and if you know any good jokes feel free to leave them in comments - I could use a laugh.

LTUE Writers Conference One-Liners

2011-02-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

I had a great time at the LTUE conference on Saturday. Great advice and awesome writer friends - what could be better?

I wrote down a few one-liner gems from the conference and I want to share them with you.

These one-liners come from Elana Johnson's Pitching/Querying class(she was awesome by the way):

We're all people.

You are the talent.

Practice before you pitch.

When you're nervous, put on your Jerry Seinfeld skin and pretend that you're not.

Fake it till you make it.

You don't have to know how, just tell them that you can.

You're a valuable part of the agent/client relationship.

Memorize five sentence pitch.

Memorize elevator pitch.

These next gems come from the keynote speaker - James Dashner:

If you want to go as far as possible in this business, you must have an agent.

Not all agents are created equal.

Networking is a must.

Everything is about the characters.

Rewrite and revise.

Make your own luck.

Anyone who's successful worked really hard to get there.

Never give up.

Here's a few one-liners that stemmed from the question - What do editors do anyway?

Crush your dreams. - Lisa Mangum

We get you to the point where your dreams won't be crushed. - Tristi Pinkston.

There were so many great one-liners I think I'll save the rest for another post.

So, how was y'alls weekend?

It's LTUE Time - Will You Be There?

2011-02-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

The Life, the Universe & Everything(LTUE) conference is starting today and runs through Saturday. Sadly I won't be able to attend until Saturday. But I'm excited. LTUE is a lot of fun and inexpensive - so if you're in Utah come check it out. You don't even have to register beforehand - it's only $10 a day at the door.

I'm excited to see my writer friends and there's going to be some awesome authors teaching and attending this year.

James Dashner author of The Maze Runner series will be the keynote address on Saturday.

The sweetheart of the blogging world Elana Johnson will be teaching. And other fab authors like Lisa Mangum, Dan Wells, Dave Wolverton/Farland, Jessica Day George, and Bree Despain will be presenting as well.

My favorite thing last year was watching Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells and Howard Taylor record their Writing Excuses Podcast - so hilarious.

Hope I see you there.

Congratulations Are In Order and Joy In The Journey

2011-02-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

"We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

There's been big news around the blogosphere lately. Three blogger friends that I've known - pretty much from the beginning of my blogging career - have had incredible news.

All three have become agented authors. Yay! And since no two journeys are alike - I'm posting a link to their stories.

First there's Renee Collins - I met pretty Renee about a year ago and she was struggling to finish editing her books at the time but a few months ago - she received not one, but two offers of agent representation for two different books. Awesome. Now she and her twin sister are a blogging duo - Go here to read Renee's story.

Just yesterday I had the privilege of congratulating Kasie West, another beautiful author I met a year ago. At that time Kasie was already agented. Unfortunately that fell through, but now Kasie has found new representation. Yay Kasie! To read Kasie's story go here.

Last but certainly not least - Wendy Sparrow - the most prolific writer I know around the blogospere - just announced that she has been offered representation. Yay - I'm so excited for her. If you don't know about Wendy - you must go check out her blog. She's incredible. We haven't met yet, but I feel certain that one day we will. Check out her long list of books written - I'm so jealous of that list (wish I could finish a book.) To read Wendy's incredibly touching story go here.

It's so exciting and awesome that this is happening to people I know. Is there anyone else that has recently been offered representation that I missed? Or been offered a book deal - that's even bigger news. Let me know in comments and we'll celebrate together.

I Know I'm In The Minority - But I Thought Inception Sucked

2011-02-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

Maybe I was just tired when I watched it, but the whole dream, within a dream, within a dream scenario was not only annoying but confusing. I was never sure what was supposed to be real and what wasn't so I never felt attached to any of the characters.

And what's with the ambiguous ending. The possible - 'It was all a dream' - ending.

Another thing I can't figure out is: When exactly did Cobb and his wife have kids?

If they were supposed to be in a dream state for many years - where were their kids? Did they have kids after they escaped the dream? And if it wasn't all a dream than how come his kids don't age?

Besides all the plot holes and emotional detachment issues the plain truth is: I was bored. The special effects were great, but I need more than special effects to enjoy a movie.

So, am I crazy or did you hate it too?

Check this parody out, it's pretty funny.

Alpha Your Way To THE END

2011-02-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

There are those who like to rush through a rough draft, breathlessly writing until they reach the end. Not me.

As some of you may have noticed - I have a problem with finishing things. I need encouragement. I need accountability. I needed an Alpha Reader.

Last month I made a deal with one of my on-line crit partners. The deal was, every Friday we'd exchange a new chapter of our rough drafts.

This isn't an easy thing to do. Allowing someone to read the unedited first ramblings of our story is intimidating. But for me - it's been awesome.
We've been exchanging for about a month now and this week I'm working on chapter 5.

I can hear some of you scoffing: "One month and you've only written 4 chapters? I can write a whole novel in that time period."

To those people I say: "That's awesome. I wish I could be more like you."

But I'm not. I write slow and very often I don't write at all. Throughout this month there's been many times when I just wanted to quit because a scene was difficult to write or I just didn't feel like writing.
Knowing that my Alpha was expecting me to send her something kept me writing. And now instead of nothing - I have 4 whole chapters. Yay!!! If I continue on at this rate in around six months I'll have a finished rough draft. Thank you Alpha - you're awesome.

So if you're someone who's having trouble finishing your rough draft - get yourself an Alpha.

Here are some key characteristics of an Alpha reader:

They read your stuff - chapter by chapter(or any amount of your choosing) and give quick feedback.
They don't do line edits.
They look at the overall elements - pacing, tension, plot arcs, characters etc.
They'll let you know if a scene worked for them or if it fell flat.
They let you know of spots that are confusing.
They can also be a sounding board - someone to bounce ideas off of.
An Alpha is a cheerleader. They encourage you to keep writing.

And most importantly: Take care of your Alpha and your Alpha will take care of you.

Big Book VS Small Book and Genre Hopping

2011-02-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

I write in many genres. I'm currently working on a fairytale retelling, a dystopian, a middle grade, and a contemporary YA for the LDS market. I also have ideas for a chick lit and a thriller.
Yes, I know I bounce around a lot, but I have lots of ideas and my taste in books is eclectic.

I'm hoping that a couple of those books will be bestsellers(wishful thinking) one day, but what would that mean for the other books I want to write. Once you've made the bestseller list will it be a bad thing to write a smaller book. You know a book that probably won't be a bestseller?

Ally Condie author of Matched was originally published through a smaller press in the LDS market. They are nice, sweet books, but definitely not national best sellers. But they may have been bestsellers in the LDS market.
I wanted Ally's opinion on the subject so I e-mailed her and asked her opinion on whether or not she thinks it was better to publish in a small press first and if she planned on writing more books for the LDS market now that she is a national best seller. I was also concerned over whether or not her publisher or agent would try to talk her out of publishing any more books for the LDS market.

Here's her response:

"I can tell you that it seems to have made no difference to have published in a smaller market. They just look at the work on hand--whatever you're querying--not really at anything else. At least, that's how it's been in my experience. Publishing with a smaller company wasn't a negative, nor was it a positive. Also, my current publisher has not tried to stop me from writing for the LDS market, but I have stopped because I only seem to have time to work on one book at once."

I've also had concerns about genre hopping. I've heard it's important to brand ourselves, but I'm not a brand and I do what I want, but will that hurt my writing career?(if I ever have one)

Natalie Whipple recently did a great post on genre hopping and how that will affect your writing career - to read that go here.

Michelle Argyle(Lady Glamis) recently did a series on publishing with a small press - check that out here.

Dave Wolverton/Farland has had bestsellers in the science fiction and fantasy genres along with the LDS market. He's also currently doing some work in the movie industry. Dave claims that in today's market an author needs to be as diversified as possible. Sometimes fantasy or science fiction or whatever genre, doesn't do well and at other times it's hot. So to keep your career alive it's best to branch out.

So, what do you think? Do you genre hop or are you branding yourself? Have you written a book or are you currently writing a book that you know won't be a bestseller, but you want to write it anyway? If you've published in different genres(like YA vs Adult) did you have to find different agents?

Don't Interrupt Me - I'm Reading A Book

2011-02-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

I totally stole this from my friend Carolyn V. - but it's too good. It must be shared.

I know I must sound this way when my hubby and kids interrupt me in the middle of a good book. What about you? Read any good books lately?

Say It With A Kiss

2011-02-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

Over at Miss Snark's First Victim - Authoress is holding a first kiss critique session. Mine is one of the entries. Have any of you ever tried to enter one of the critique sessions or secret agent contests? It's incredible how fast the entries fill up. At exactly 5pm eastern we could begin e-mailing our entries. 1 minute later submissions were full - WOWZA.

When I went to send my e-mail I hesitated briefly because I was afraid my clock might be fast and I didn't want to be denied. Here's some advice - don't hesitate. I ended up being #17 out of 30.

Anyway go check out the submissions and maybe critique a few. Can you guess which one is mine? I'll give you another hint: my characters are nueroscientists. Read submissions here.

Teaser Tuesday - Across The Universe

2011-02-01T05:46:00.000-08:00

"I WANT TO SEE THEM.

I want to trace Mom's laugh lines with my eyes. I want to touch Daddy's scruffy beard with my smooth cheek.

I want to see them.

But I don't want to see them as frozen meat."

The above quote actually makes up one whole chapter in Across the Universe, but that's one of the many aspects I like about this book. Revis does an incredible job of saying so much with few words.

I'm still reading it so I don't know how the book ends, but so far it's intriguing. The characters are traveling through space in a vast, elaborate ship and I just discovered that you can explore the ship here.

99th Page Blogfest

2011-01-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

I just learned about this interesting blogfest hosted by Alicia. The idea is that we post the 99th page of our WIP's. I had no idea what was on page 99 so I took a look. I think it's interesting - how about you?

When reading my page and all the others, keep in mind these three questions:

1. Would you turn to page 100?
2. Why or why not?
3. Is this a book you might want to buy.

My 99th Page:

Lissa awoke with a start. A bone thin, black cat with long straggly fur had curled up next to her while she slept. The doll laid face down within reach of her fingertips. She snatched it and hid it in her pocket.

Gently she got up so as not to disturb the cat's slumber. The witch was also still asleep when Lissa went to the window, intent on viewing the hut's surroundings. The white horseman rode through the clearing, and soon the red horseman followed. Light streamed in through the windows of the hut. The day had dawned.

The witch opened her cold, black eyes. Her bones lurched and cracked as she made her way to the door. Before stepping outside, she whistled for her mortar and pestle. In an instant they appeared with her faithful broom. She climbed into the mortar and gave Lissa a smile, revealing two rows of long, sharp teeth.

“I leave you to your work, my dear,” she said and was gone.

“Where should I begin?” Lissa wondered aloud. She was no stranger to hard work, but accomplishing all of the tasks was going to be impossible.

“All I can do is my best,” she said with a shrug. She decided to begin with the hardest task first – sorting the chaff from the wheat.

The skulls lurking on the fence were far less menacing in the light, but their eyeless glare and her thoughts of how they came to be there caused an involuntary shudder. Forcing her mind back to the task at hand she looked around the yard for the bushels of wheat.

Nathan Bransford's First Paragraph Contest: My Paragraph

2011-01-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Nathan Bransford is holding his first paragraph contest again this year. If you wish to enter go here - contest ends Thursday.

For fun I entered last year and I decided to enter this year as well. Even if you don't want to enter it's still very interesting to read all the beginnings. You soon get a feel for what an agent's slushpile looks like and the good beginnings really start to stand out.

Anyway I'm posting my first paragraph to get some feed back from all of you. When I submitted the first chapter of my current WIP to my CP's they all really liked it, but they had issue with this first paragraph.

Let me know what you think and be honest - I really want to make it better:

The ambient lighting companioned with the reclining sofa and a holoviewer, immediately made Tina crave popcorn. Wishful thinking. Even if she hadn't been there to view an ultrasound, popcorn had been banned for years. More precisely, butter and salt had been banned and who wants popcorn without butter?

Teaser Tuesday - Save The Cat

2011-01-25T05:01:00.000-08:00

"If you can learn to tell me(everyone) "What is it?" better, faster, and with more creativity, you'll keep me interested. And incidentally, by doing so before you start writing your script(novel) you'll make the story better, too."

I learned about this book from Elana Johnson and as she pointed out - this book isn't just helpful for screenwriters. To read more of what Elana says about the book and how it helped her go here.

I've only just begun reading this book, but already it has me working on the logline or one-liner for my book that will let agents know what it is about in one quick sentence. The one-liner isn't a new concept for me, but this book has convinced me of its importance when pitching your story.

Recyle Monday: Voice Face-Off

2011-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm drafting a new novel right now and all my focus is going to that. So I'm recycling some of my old posts. This one originally posted on Dec. 2, 2009

There are no original ideas, only original people.

- Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

Which versions do you prefer? Why?

Do you know of other versions of these fairytales?

My review of Ice and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow can be found here.

My review of Wildwood Dancing can be found here.

Isn't it amazing how an author can take the same story and make it their own. Don't ever forget that your Voice matters.

Tuesday Teaser - I Admit it - I Loved This Book

2011-01-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

"I know what they will realize when they return, the monsters who look like a nice couple in their early fifties. They will know exactly what I am, and the search will begin at once.
I need to be far away. I really hope they are going out for a night on the town. I think it’s Friday. They keep our habits so perfectly, it’s
hard to see any difference. Which is how they won in the first place."

Say what you want about Stephanie Meyer and her books, but you have to admit she knows how to make us turn the page. I'm not a fan of the Twilight series, but I loved The Host. I've read it twice and I'm thinking about reading it again.

Have you read it? Did you love it too?

What If You Couldn't Write Anymore

2011-01-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

The lies we live will always be confessed in the stories that we tell.

~ Orson Scott Card

This is probably old news to everyone else, but I just learned that Orson Scott Card had a stroke on New Years day. Fortunately, aside from some slurred speech and trouble with his left hand, he's supposed to make a full recovery.

I've only become a Card fan in the last few years and I haven't liked everything that I've read of his, but since I've recently been listening to the Ender series on cd I feel bad that this happened to him. I was stunned by how good his novel Speaker For the Dead is. I'm so glad he'll be able to continue writing.

Imagine if you couldn't write anymore though. I've only been writing for two years and sometimes I've felt like quitting, but now I don't think I can quit. It's addicting. What if something happened to you where you no longer could put words to paper and all your characters and stories were locked in your brain and there was no way to set them free.

There once was a time when it was against the law for blacks to read or write. Just imagine.

Suddenly I feel more appreciative that I can do it. Since I can do it, I'm ending this blog post and I'm going to start writing right now.

If you've never read any of Orson Scott Card's work you're missing out.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everybody.

Let Freedom Ring!

Walking Your Way To Clarity

2011-01-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

The sovereign invigorator of the body
is exercise, and of all the
exercises walking is the best."

~ Thomas Jefferson

I think there might be a correlation between how much walking I do and my writing.

I went through a period over the summer and into the fall where I didn't do much walking and my writing output dropped way down.

For Christmas my in-laws gave my husband and I a gym membership and I've been walking again. The clarity of mind and the flow of ideas that have been coming lately is awesome.

I began a new story recently with only the first inklings of a cool idea, but I wasn't sure where to take that idea. The time I spent walking has supplied me with so many plot lines, I have to rush home and write them down before I forget them all. And maybe my butt will go down a few sizes as well.

Walking helps me when I'm stuck. What helps you?

Blog Stats, The Motivation Shark and a Giveaway

2011-01-11T06:25:00.000-08:00

My fab CP, Tiana Smith wrote a very interesting post on how to increase the number of people who view your website and how to track who is reading it. For more info please go to Tiana's website Spilled Ink.

Speaking of tracking blogs stats, I just realized blogger has a stats tracker. It tracks how many people have looked at your blog in the last day, week, month, and all time. It lets you know what posts were your most popular and it shows you which ones are still being viewed now. It does more than that so go explore and see what you can find.

According to the Stats my most popular blog post ever is Feeling The Motivation Shark. It's so funny that it's my most popular because it's so random, but it is an amusing post - check it out here if you'd like.

I'm feeling a little bit of the motivation shark this week. I've arranged with one of my CP's to submit a chapter a week to her and if I don't get it done she'll get after me and I'm doing the same for her. It's still true -- without some kind of motivation shark on my tail I don't write.

Also want to let everyone know that the book Across The Universe by Beth Revis is debuting today and one of my fav blog friends, Lori Walker is giving away an Arc of Across the Universe - go to Lori's website here. Read first chapter of Across the Universe here.

We All Have To Start Somewhere

2011-01-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

"You will never win if you never begin."

~Helen Rowland

I love books and because I love books, I had a growing urge to write books. Sounds easy enough, but five years went by where all I did was want. I was too afraid to try. I didn't know where to start and I didn't know how to find out how to start.

Then I reconnected with an old friend. Guess what -- she was writing a book. I never knew anyone who was actually writing a book with the intention of getting published before. Suddenly writing seemed a little bit more possible. She told me that writers write.

So I took that first step. I wrote a first chapter to a story. I reread it a few times, did some editing and sent it off to her for some feedback. I didn't believe it was a masterpiece or anything, but deep down I thought it was pretty good.

This is what my friend had to say about my first attempt at writing:

"First off. In my humble unpublished opinion, you have a lot of natural ability. I've been to several writers workshops and your stuff is better than 90% of the slush out there. You have a lot of potential with your story. It's not a genre I'm too familiar with, writing for children has different rules. But your writing is very readable. Everything made sense and I could follow you're organization clearly.

You can write my friend, You have tension, you have vivid descriptions, the beginnings of complex characters, reality and most importantly a piece of yourself.

Don't stop. I could give you a line by line critique but I'm not going to, because you need to finish the first draft."

Isn't that great feedback. I was on cloud nine after reading that. I had natural ability and good instincts. Yay, I could write. So, I pressed forward. I took some writing classes where I learned some basic tools for writing. I read lots of writing blogs. I attended writing workshops and conferences. I learned and applied what I learned to my writing and I knew I was getting better.

A year went by and I decided to reread that original first chapter, curious to see how far I had come. Guess what I learned. While my friend was truthful in saying I had natural ability, she was being very, very kind to me. That first attempt was bad. I was embarrassed at how bad it was. I'm so grateful that she didn't do a line-by-line edit, because my humble little chapter would have been covered in red ink.

I'm so grateful for my friend who was kind enough to leave me with some hope. Sometimes I read over my writing and get discouraged that it's not what I want it to be, but then I think back on that first chapter and I remember - We all have to start somewhere and I've come a long way.

So, how far have you come?

The Goals And Friends I Made in 2010

2011-01-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." ~ C.S. Lewis

I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post. Thank you for your encouragement. I think I made it sound like I didn't meet any of my goals and that 2010 was a failure and that is most definitely not true. Some really awesome things happened last year and some of my goals were met.

I don't look like Catherine-Zeta Jones, but my hair is long and in my opinion quite pretty and I do look a lot less like the frumpy lady. My fab in-laws also just gave my husband and I a gym membership, so maybe I'll get a little closer to having Catherine-Zeta Jones' body this year.

I didn't get to ride motorcycles but I did spend some time pondering over campfires with my family.

I didn't make it to Bryce Canyon, but I did have an awesome mini-vacation with family at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah.

I didn't do as much writing as I wanted, but I did do some and one of my short stories won honorable mention. I came up with three awesome story ideas that I hope to finish rough drafts on this year. I also joined an on-line crit group and an in person crit group.

I did make lots of writer friends and even though I didn't post this as one of my goals last year, it was something I wanted to work on. Not only did I meet that goal, I surpassed it.

Check out all the awesome friends I made this year:

Suzette Saxton: http://suzettesaxton.blogspot.com

Elana Johnson: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com

Angie Lofthouse:
http://notesfromthewritingchair.blogspot.com/

Tess Hilmo: http://tesshilmo.blogspot.com

Ali Cross: http://alicross.blogspot.com/

Jenn Wilks:
http://lifelongbookworm.blogspot.com/

Windy Aphayrath:
http://windyaphayrath.blogspot.com/

Carolyn Vawdrey:
http://checkerboardsquares.blogspot.com/

Natalie Whipple:
http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/

Michelle Argyle:
http://theinnocentflower.blogspot.com/

Nichole Giles:
http://nicholegiles.blogspot.com/

L.T. Elliot: http://lexiconluvr.blogspot.com/

Danyelle Leafty: http://danyelleleafty.com/
Stephanie McGee: http://novicewriterchronicles.blogspot.com/
Sara B. Larson: http://sarablarson.blogspot.com/
Janyece(Nisa) Swineford: http://wordplayswordplay.blogspot.com/
Stacy Henrie: http://stacyhenrie.blogspot.com/

Renee Collins, Me, Candice Kennington

Kimberly Job, Elizabeth Mueller and Me

One of my favorite Authors - Emily Wing Smith, Me, Brodi Ashton and Alaina Evans

Emily Wing Smith came to my book club - so awesome

I also attended a few book launches:

Paranormalcy book launch

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Alaina Evans, Me, One of my favorite authors - Sara Zarr, Natalie Whipple and Jenn Johansson at The Dark Divine book launch

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Matched by Ally Condie

I also met one of my favorite authors - Shannon Hale

I attended 3 Writer Conferences:

My class at the WIFYR Conference

All awesome writers - taught by the super awesome Dave Wolverton

And I attended my first Murder Mystery Party -

Bachelorettes and Bullets:

All in all - a pretty good year.

Maybe This Year

2011-01-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.

- Anne of Green Gables

In 2011 I want to look like this:

Well, at least look a little less like this:

I want to spend more time in places like this:

While I write of a place that looks like this:

I want to do more of this:

and maybe a little of this:

Surrounded by beauty like this:

Where I can ponder over this:

I want my house to look like this:

And no longer like this:

But mostly, I want to do more of this:

This was my New Year's resolution post from 2010 and I don't think I met any of my goals - so glad I have another year to try again.

Welcome to 2011 Everyone!

A Little Bit More

2010-12-22T06:43:00.000-08:00

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
~ Dr Seuss

Great little One! whose all-embracing birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to Earth.
~ Richard Crashaw

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas or a wonderful holiday season.

My 2010 List of Fave Books

2010-12-09T05:13:00.000-08:00

This is a list of books I enjoyed reading in 2010 - not all of them came out in 2010 though.

I read a lot of Dystopian this year. I read more than this list, but these were the ones I liked:
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Matched - Ally Condie
Scorched Trials - James Dashner
The Adoration Of Jenna Fox - Mary Pearson
Life As We Knew It - The Moon Series - Susan Beth Pfeffer
Birthmarked - Caragh M. O'Brian
Candor - Pam Bachorz
Incarceron - Catherine Fisher

These books are a mixture of Contemporary, Fantasy and Paranormal, but they all have a magical feel to them:
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
Cinders - Michelle Argyle
Spells - Aprillyne Pike
Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves - Carrie Ryan
Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson
The Way He Lived - Emily Wing Smith
I Am Not A Serial Killer - Dan Wells
The Girl Who Chased The Moon - Sarah Addison Allen
The Sky Is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
The Miles Between - Mary Pearson
The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
Prayers For Sale - Sandra Dallas
Wrong Number - Rachelle Christensen
Eyes Like Mine - Julie Wright
My Double Life - Janette Rallison
Marcelo In the Real World - Francisco Stork

This year I discovered Audio-books:
Leviathan - Scott Westerfield
Heist Society - Ally Carter
Speaker For the Dead and Xenocide - Orson Scott Card

Hope you enjoy my list. Did any of you read some of these books - how did you feel about them? What are some of your favorite books read this year?

Winner and Giving Good Voice

2010-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

And the Winner of Matched is:

Lindsey from Dangerous With A Pen

Yay!!! E-mail me your address Lindsey and I'll get that out to you.

I'm totally stealing this video and the title of the post from my friend Kristi from the Hoontah blog, but it's so funny I decided it needed to be shared.

Does Anyone Want An ARC of MATCHED and An Extraordinary Contest

2010-12-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

The League of Extraordinary Writers are having an awesome contest with all kinds of swag and a giveaway of all five of their books.

Spread the word and you could win:

XVI

Across the Universe

Memento Nora

Possession

The Eleventh Plague

and this:

On Saturday I had an awesome time at the Matched signing. Ally Condie is so gracious and her book is fab. Have you read it yet? I was lucky enough to win an ARC of Matched, but I liked it so much I decided I wanted it in hardback. So if anyone would like to win a signed ARC of Matched, please leave a comment. I'll announce a winner Wednesday.

<<<

Here I am at the book signing. Can you see me?

So how was your weekend?

Layers

2010-11-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

Great novels are diamonds mined from layered rewrites." — Piers Paul Read

Ann Mortimer was kind enough to post pictures of ongoing stages of her painting. Not being an artist myself, I find it fascinating to see how, layer by layer, the painting gets more depth and detail and more and more interesting.

I like to think that I'm a painter as I create a character. I first start with an outline of who I think the character is and what they should look like. Than layer by layer that character goes from a vague outline to a person with detail and real depth.

To give you an example of what I mean, I'm sharing three stages of building a character from my own writing. I hope you'll be able to see a big improvement from the beginning stage to the last.

Stage 1:

She had hastily put on a white headscarf to cover her untidy plaited hair. An old black shawl was draped around her shoulders. Her wool sarafan jumper was thin and worn. Colorful layers of embroidered trim had been added through the years to compensate for her growth. At least her white linen shirt and apron were nicely pressed and embellished with lovely embroidery. Her old brown leather boots were a definite embarrassment; luckily they were hidden beneath her long jumper.

Stage 2:

She hastily put on a crisp, white linen blouse, she'd embroidered herself with red thread. Her loose-fitting, sleeveless dress, laced up the front with black ribbon. She hadn't worn the light green dress for some time since she rarely left home anymore. There was no time to sigh over how drab and threadbare the material had become. Several layers of colorful trim had been added through the years to compensate for her growth, and it relieved her to see the hem still covered her brown, work worn boots.

Stage 3:

Lissa hastily put on a crisp, white linen blouse she'd embroidered herself with red thread. Her loose-fitting, sleeveless dress, laced up the front with black ribbon. There was no time to sigh over how drab and threadbare the light green material of her skirt had become. Several layers of colorful trim had been added through the years to compensate for her growth, and it relieved her to see the hem still covered her brown, work worn boots. She placed her best scarf around her sheared head, and tied it firmly. Lissa did not want to know how she looked. Less hair will make it easier to get ready, she told herself, biting her bottom lip. She slid an old black shawl around her shoulders and rushed back down the stairs.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

“All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person.” - Dennis Prager

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

You Tell Me: What Are Your Writing Strengths?

2010-11-19T05:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to all of you who put up with my whining yesterday and thank you for your comments and support.

In one of the comments yesterday, Marian Allen asked: What do you LIKE to write? What do you really get lost writing?
Marian said she liked to write conversations - dialogue.

Dialogue is not one of my strengths. But what I am good at is story. I'm really good at coming up with ideas that will make the story interesting. I'm really good at plot, tension and pacing. And something I didn't think I would be good at is description. When I first started writing I thought my descriptions were weak so I'd throw in a lot of adjectives and things that weren't needed. One of my crit partners(Tiana) pointed out to me that I was overwriting and her advice along with Elana Johnson's advice: "It's all about the verbs" - really helped me a lot.

So what about you? What do you like to write? What are your strengths?

NaNoMyWayo Fail and What's Going On With Me?

2010-11-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

Okay - I tried to do NaNo my way and I still failed. I can't figure out what's wrong with me. The more goals I set for myself the less I accomplish. It's like I'm so afraid of failure lately - I can't even try.

I did write three chapters and then a bright and shiny new idea came to me and I started brainstorming it and now it's the one I want to write. But when I actually sat down to write the first chapter I couldn't get it out. Intellectually I know that the first time I write something it's not going to be good. That's why it's called a rough draft. I also know from experience that as I edit and rewrite the scene gets better and better, but emotionally I can't seem to grasp that. If the scene doesn't come out the way I see it in my head the first time I lose patience with myself and stop writing.

I know we probably all go through this, but I've never been a very disciplined person and writing requires a little bit of talent and a whole lot of focus and discipline.

I believe I have that little bit of talent, but right now I'm sadly lacking in the other part. I'm not sure what to do about it. It's not just writing that I'm lacking discipline, it's in all aspects of my life. Anyway this is just a rambling post. A little bit of self-evaluation. Why does Mary want to run and hide right now instead of living life? There's something going on with me and I want to figure it out.

I'm afraid I'm going to get to the end of my life and all that people are going to be able to say about me is: She had big dreams, but she lacked the discipline to attain them.

Retro Teaser Tuesday - Wherein I Learn My English Accent Sounds Strangly Latino

2010-11-16T05:16:00.000-08:00

Mary looked at it, not really knowing why the hole was there, and as she looked she saw something like a ring of rusty iron or brass, and when the robin flew up into a tree nearby she put out her hand and picked the ring up. It had been buried a long time.

Mistress Mary stood up and looked at it with an almost frightened face as it hung from her finger.

"Perhaps it has been buried for ten years," she said in a whisper. "Perhaps it is the key to the garden!"

Yesterday I realized I hadn't read a novel to my children in a while and I decided it was time to start again. I was worried about reading The Secret Garden to my 9yo son, but I loved it when I was young and I hoped he would love it too.

We're on chapter 5 now and despite the fact that it's written in omniscient point-of-view and the head-hopping confuses him, he begged me to keep reading. We only stopped because it was past his bedtime.

I tried really hard to do an English, Yorkshire accent as I read and sometimes I think I almost got it, but sometimes the accent came out sounding oddly Latino. My son didn't seem to mind though.

What about all of you - have you read The Secret Garden? Did you love it? When you read to your children do you try to do the accents or voices too?

Teaser Tuesday - Audiobooks

2010-11-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

"This is how humans are: We question all our beliefs, except for the ones that we really believe in, and those we never think to question." ~ Andrew "Ender" Wiggin"

"...But when it comes to human beings, the only type of cause that matters is final cause, the purpose. What a person had in mind. Once you understand what people really want, you can't hate them anymore. You can fear them, but you can't hate them, because you can always find the same desires in your own heart."~ Speaker for the Dead

I've recently discovered audiobooks and I love them. I always feel like there's so many books and so little time to read them, but audiobooks have added a whole new dimension to my love of books. I can listen to them as I clean and cook dinner. Yay! My current audiobook is Speaker For the Dead and I'm enjoying it so far. If you haven't read the awesome Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card then you really need to get on that. Speaker For the Dead is a continuation of Ender's story.

So what about all of you -- do any of you listen to audiobooks? What are some of your favorites that you've listened to.

Fun and Games

2010-11-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

How about this one: It's all fun and games until someone gets an eye infection.

Yes I have an eye infection of some sort and my right eye hurts and itches. But I'm still writing. Yesterday was slow, but I have renewed commitment today.

How about this: It's all fun and games until the kids shave the cat. This might or might not have happened while I was writing. hee hee - it didn't happen, but it could've. The little darlings are capable of anything when left to their own devices.

Off And Rolling

2010-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

NaNo has begun and I am off to a great start. I was going to use a picture of horses racing, but I ride motorcycles and there are motorcycle scenes in my book so I think it's fitting.

Anyway, so far I've written 4 handwritten pages which was my goal and since I did it so early I think I'll be doing some more writing later. I'm so glad I worked on my outline or I would be spending a lot of wasted time trying to decide what happens next. I know many of you are pantsers, but I must have an outline or I'm lost. The areas that I don't have an outline for are the hardest for me to write. Surprises still come up and if my outline isn't working I'm flexible enough to change it.

An annoying thing keeps happening as I write though. I'm trying to write this story in first person, but I usually write in third and I keep switching back forth between them. I don't really like first person, but I think this story will work better in it. Oh well - that's what edits are for.

So, how is NaNo going for all of you? Are you a pantser or an outliner? Which POV do you prefer writing in?

NaNoMyWayo

2010-10-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in NaNo this year, but I'm doing it a little differently than everyone else. I'm not going to actually sign up and I'm writing the whole thing by hand. I know - crazy. After I'm finished with the whole thing I will then type it up. I've found that 4 pages of my handwritten work equals 1000 words so that will be my goal -- 4 pages a day. I don't write on Sundays so I won't actually be beginning until Monday, but most of my first chapter is already written so I think I'll be okay.

So I'm excited about this. I've never actually finished a novel yet and I'm looking forward to having one done. I plan on having the whole thing outlined by Saturday. The working title is Chasing Shadows and I've been doing some research on the setting and some integral parts of my story.

I need lots of encouragement so please check out my page counter daily and get mad at me if I haven't met my 4 page goal.

So what about you - are you doing NaNo? Are you changing things up too? Those of you who've done it in years passed - do you have any advice for me?

Early Morning Uglies Turned Upside Down

2010-10-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Empty

Hollow

Failure

Old

Tired

Embarrassed

Shame

He smiles, eyes shining with two happy dents in his cheeks

The Darkness Fades

Teaser Tuesday - WARBREAKER

2010-10-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

"The fire crackled, throwing a flicker of light across a large, thronelike chair sitting beside the bed. It was occupied by a figure wearing black, bathed in darkness. He watched her, eyes twinkling, unblinking in the firelight.

Siri gasped, casting her eyes downward, her heartbeat surging as she remembered Bluefingers's warnings (Do nothing to offend the King.) Vivenna should be here instead of me, Siri thought desperately. I can't deal with this! Father was wrong to send me!

She squeezed her eyes shut, her breathing coming more quickly. She worked shaking fingers and pulled nervously at the strings on the side of her dress. Her hands were slick with sweat. Was she taking too long to undress? Would he be angered? Would she be killed before even the first night was out?

Would she, perhaps, prefer that?"

I don't usually read epic fantasy. I usually find the worlds to be confusing and hard to get into. Also the number of pages can be daunting, but I was determined to read a book by Brandon Sanderson, basically because I've met him and I listen to his excellent podcast Writing Excuses every week. I also decided I need to read more in the fantasy genre since the book I'm writing is fantasy.

After the first chapter I was hooked. The worldbuilding is fantastic. The story is compelling and the characters are well written. I read 588 pages in two days. I couldn't put it down. This book is worth your time. Now I'm looking forward to reading more books by Brandon Sanderson and their size no longer frightens me.

Brandon Sanderson talks about Warbreaker

The Time Has Come...

2010-10-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings."

~ Through The Looking Glass - Lewis Carrol

I'm unplugging this week. Talk amongst yourselves.

Can We Go Too Far In Our Opinions?

2010-10-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly." ~ Albert Einstein

I'm opinionated. Often I'm outspoken in my opinions. Sometimes I think I might go too far, but I'm nowhere near as outspoken as some - so how much is too much? Mostly I'm referring to on-line opinions.

I like to post book reviews, but I usually only post reviews on books I like because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, nor do I want to bring attention to a book that I don't like. But I do comment on other blogs that review books and I do give my opinion if it's a book I've read -- if I didn't like it I say so and why. I completely forget that the author may see the review and read people's comments.

The other day I left a comment on someone's blog about a book. The review was sort of negative and I agreed with the reviewers opinion. Guess what happened - The author commented(UHG) - here is my comment:

I felt the same way about it. I read it because someone said it was so good, but I thought it was predictable and boring. The changing view point so often was annoying too. I did like the two leads, but you're right - it was forgettable.(I'm embarrassed to admit how many grammatical and spelling errors I needed to fix in this comment)

Here is the author's comment:

How fun to find a review of Miss D so long after it has come out! Thank you for reading it and reviewing it. I do have to speak up and say that the point of view changes only once per chapter--I was very cognizant of that. If you or Mary can find a place where it changes more often, could you please point it out to me? I would really appreciate that! Thanks!

Was I too mean? I really never expected her to see the comment or I probably would have been nicer. But should I have been? I should give my honest opinion, right?

I'm not sure what the answer is, but I will say this: I love that the author defended her book and literary choices. I also think that if the perception is that the book changes viewpoint a lot, it doesn't matter how often it actually does. I also think I was a little too harsh in my comment. The book was a pleasant diversion and I did finish reading it - which is saying a lot when there are so many books that I don't finish these days.

So what do you think? Can we go too far in our opinions? Since most of us are hoping to be published one day - should we be careful what we say about others books?

Retro Teaser Tuesday

2010-10-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

"She did not think herself a genius by any means; but when the writing fit came on, she gave herself up to it with entire abandon, and led a blissful life, unconscious of want, care, or bad weather, while she sat safe and happy in an imaginary world, full of friends almost as real and dear to her as any in the flesh." ~ Little Women

This is a book that I think every young girl should read even though they probably won't appreciate it until they're adults. I say this because I didn't read Little Women until I was 19 and then again when I was 25. I loved it at 19, but adored it at 25. This is the book that I believe first awoke my yearning to write.

What about you - have you read Little Women? Did you love it? Who was your favorite character? Were you in love with Laurie too?

Oh! Were We Supposed To Discuss The Book?

2010-10-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. ~ Elbert Hubbard

Are you apart of a book group? I am. I've been meeting with a group of woman on the first Thursday of the month for the past 6 years and I love it. I enjoy getting out away from my kids and I get to talk about my favorite things - books. But do you know what's even better? I get to visit with other woman. We have dessert and then we chat and laugh, then we talk a little about the book and then we chat and laugh some more.

A variety of subjects are often covered. Last night we talked about piano lessons, cross dressing, breast feeding, reincarnation, raising teenagers, raising kids, husbands who used to break dance, mind reading and so much more. I love these woman. They help keep me sane.

My book club - some faces are missing.

Some books that we read promote more discussion than others, but we always take time to visit. I've kept a record of the books we've read so if anyone would like a list I'd be happy to e-mail it to you.

So what about you -- are you in a book group? What kinds of things do you talk about?

To The Ones Who Hold My Hand

2010-10-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those, who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear, which is inherent in a human condition." ~ Graham Greene

Months went by where I hardly wrote anything and I have to tell you it was rough. My self worth plummeted. I didn't care about anything. How did I ever get by before I started writing? Whatever the reason I seem to need it now.

As I said in my last post I've been writing again and it's so great. I'm excited about my story again and the words are flowing. My day is so much more productive now too. For so long I've just been going through the motions and now I'm feeling so much better about everything.

I just wanted to thank all of you who've encouraged me not to give up. Some of you have encouraged me in person and some on this blog and I really appreciate it. Thank you for holding my hand through the rough times. I hope that I've done a little bit of the same for you.

Do any of you watch Glee? Yesterday's episode was surprisingly deep and this song was quite beautiful and moving. I'm dedicating it to all of you.

I can't seem to get it to embed, but it's worth listening to -- go here to watch.

Is It Worth It?

2010-10-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

"Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life." ~ Lawrence Kasdan

Do you ever wonder if writing is worth it? I'm sure you must, I can't be that different than everyone else. Some people live to write and I'm not one of them. I like writing only when I read what I have written. It's like what Gloria Steinem says: "I do not like to write - I like to have written." That's how I feel about writing.

Writing is so much work and the book that I've been writing requires a ton of research and for awhile now I've been wondering if it's worth it. Well, this weekend I discovered that my story is worth it. As I was doing some research I came across some information that I felt must go into my book and then I watched some amazing news on T.V. that made me realize that my story has relevance for today.

So guess what? I've been writing. I've written 2000 new words and I'm reworking some stuff that I've already written but hadn't been typed yet and I'm excited. Do you see that little button on the side of the screen that shows my word count? Pay attention. It's rising.

Leave The Reader Some Hope

2010-09-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Matched last night. It's not a thin book and I read it in one day so that should tell you something. Matched has been compared to the Hunger Games, but I think it's more like the book 1984, but not so horrible. In fact life in Matched seems almost ideal and perfect until the facade is torn away bit by bit.

Matched is actually quite tame compared to the Hunger Games and 1984, but Condie does an incredible job of building the tension as more and more of what's lying beneath the idyllic surface is revealed. Unlike 1984 though, that leaves us completely without hope of beating the system, Matched leaves us some hope.

I'm the type of person who loves happy endings, but if I don't get a happy ending I need to feel that there is some hope that happiness is on the horizon. When I finished reading 1984 I was so bereft of hope I felt icky and hollow for days. I suppose the book is worth reading once, but I had to get the book out of my house and I never want to read it again. Have you ever felt that way about a book?

Matched is a trilogy so it's far from finished, but Condie has left me with hope and I can't wait to read the rest. Thank you Jennifer from the YA Audiobook Addict blog for matching this book to me in her book giveaway.

On a side note: one of my beta readers gave me some really positive feedback after reading some of my WIP and since I hadn't read my story in awhile I went back and read the beginning. It's been months since I've even looked at my story, so it felt fresh and new and even though I had received Matched in the mail and had even read a few pages of it - my WIP kept calling me to finish reading. It's not perfect - it needs lots of work, but now I have hope and faith that finishing my WIP is not a complete waste of time. I guess I just needed some validation because I'm itching to get writing it again. Thank you L.T.

Also I've turned comments back on. It was an interesting experiment and I felt more free in what I wrote about, but I've missed hearing from all of you.

Teaser Tuesday - Society Matched Them, But Love Set Them Free

2010-09-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

"It is easy to identify those of us being Matched; not only are we younger than all the others, but we also float along in beautiful dresses and tailored suits while our parents and older siblings walk around in plain clothes, a background against which we bloom. The City Officials smile proudly at us, and my heart swells as we enter the Rotunda."

An ARC of Matched arrived in the mail yesterday and I'm so excited to read it. I love dystopians and romance, so a book where romance is the dystopian has got to be awesome. I'll let you know. Matched by Allyson Condie debuts November 30, 2010.

Grit, Wit and It - Writing Compelling Characters

2010-09-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yay it's time for The Great Blogging Experiment brought to you by - Elana Johnson, Jen Daiker and Alex Cavanaugh. I'm really excited for this because it's going to be not only informative, but an interesting experiment in voice. Today over 150 bloggers will be posting about the same thing - Writing Compelling Characters. To read what others have to say on the subject please go here.

Writing Compelling Characters:

According to mystery writer, James Scott Bell, compelling characters need to have at least one of these three attributes:

Grit

A character with grit gives us something to care about and root for. A wimpy character is a boring character.

Wit

A character that points out the humor in the people and world around them while also poking fun at themselves, is very appealing and can keep us reading even through slower parts.

Characters with it - are those characters that we admire because of their magnetism(charisma), sex appeal, or power

Here's a few tips on how to write characters that compel:

1. Interview your character. Allowing our characters to spill their guts is a great way to know them better and helps us to know their - hopes, dreams, secrets, background, embarrassing moments, etc. The better we know the character the better we are able to write them.

2. Let the character define themselves by their actions. Create situations or scenes that will show a characters strengths and weaknesses. When we allow characters to act instead of just react - they become more vibrant and memorable.

3. Give us something to care about. Show us the characters needs, desires or what they long for. They need to have a goal - a problem or challenge to overcome that will test them.

4. Give your characters duality. Characters need to be multifaceted. Show us their good qualities and their flaws. Give them interesting quirks.

"You can never know enough about your characters."
~ W. Somerset Maugham

Teaser Tuesday - The Sky Is Everywhere

2010-09-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

"This is northern Northern California after all -- the final frontier of freakerdom. Just in the eleventh grade we have a girl named Electricity, a guy named Magic Bus, and countless flowers: Tulip, Begonia, and Poppy -- all parent-given-on-the-birth-certificate names. Tulip is a two-ton bruiser of a guy who would be the star of our football team if we were the kind of school that had a football team. We're not. We're the kind of school that has optional morning medication in the gym."

When I read the above paragraph, I laughed out loud and my husband said, "You're laughing all ready? You just started." "Yes," I said. "Isn't it awesome."

I love when I can connect with a book early on. I haven't read all of this book yet, but I've heard good things about it.

On a side note -- Don't you hate it when people ask you what's funny when you laugh at something in a book?

An Unpopular Opinion BUT I'm SPEAKing It Anyway

2010-09-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

All around the blogosphere people are speaking out about the man who wants to remove the book Speak from a school library. I've never even heard of this book before now so I don't really care what's in it, but I'm going to say something that is going to get people upset. I think if a community decides that they don't want a book in a school library they have the right to choose that.

Now, before you all start seeing red please keep in mind that I said Community and School library not Public library. I firmly believe in the first amendment and I do not condone the banning of books from the public library. But, I do believe that a community has the right to decide what they want to have in their school libraries. A school library is small - it can't hold every book in the world and so the school and community must pick and choose what they will have in their school libraries.

I do not believe that one person has the right to choose for everyone, but I do think that if a community decides to have certain books over other books that is their right. They do not, however, have the right to ban the book from the public library, and kids who want to read a particular book will still have access to it. There is a difference between banning a book and not condoning a book.

This is an unpopular opinion so I will allow comments today. I welcome discussion and free flow of ideas, but I do expect everyone to express their opinions in a respectful manner.

Creating Quirky Characters

2010-09-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Quirky characters in a book or movie are usually the ones we end up remembering and quoting. When we say quirky we mean the eccentric or unique characters that stand out. To write a character like this it's important to understand what makes them interesting and what it is you want them to achieve.

1. Humor - Quirky characters are often everyday people with a few outlandish character traits that make us laugh. These are usually side characters.

Cameron Frye from Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a great example of a quirky character used for comedic effect. Cameron is a best friend, but he's far from average. Instead of just making him the poor rich kid cliche - Cameron is a hypochondriac. He deals with his unhappiness by hoping that he's going to die soon. This characteristic could be sad, but taken to the extreme it's hilarious. Cameron is very quoteable - more so even than the main character Ferris.

Tip & Warning: Overemphasing a character trait or flaw that you might have or one that someone else you know has is a great way to bring humor to a story. You're familiar with these traits so they are easier to write, but you have to be careful to not let a side character overshadow the main character or plot.

2. Relatable and Interesting: A main character with some quirky character traits is a great way to make them more interesting and unique. Their quirky traits could even be the main plot or could create some great plots for your story. We're also able to relate to them more. People in general are quirky - we love to read or watch characters that surprise us and show depth by being different than we expected.

Remy from the Disney movie Ratatouille is a great example of a main character being and doing things we don't expect. Remy is a rat who wants to cook. He feels there is more to life than rummaging through and eating garbage. His love of good food and cooking is what drives the plot. He's interesting because he has a trait we don't expect and this trait makes him more relatable. Even if cooking isn't our thing, we can all understand his feelings of not quite fitting in with his family and following our dreams even when others don't understand.

Warning: It's best to only emphasize one or two traits at most in a quirky character. The more bizarre habits or elements they have, the less people will be able to connect with them.

3. Humanize the Antagonist - Antagonists who are just evil can be boring and cliche. But if you have an evil character who loves birds and often helps wounded birds, they suddenly become more human and more interesting.

Darth Vader is the ultimate bad guy. Dark and menacing and so evil he kills his own men and entire planets without batting an eye. But then we find out he was once a hero and someone loved him. He had children with that someone. He's Luke's father. Whoa. Even if the original episodes of Star Wars were all we ever saw, Darth Vader is not your average bad guy. We start to wonder what made him become evil and is there a chance we could do the same?

Julia Roberts' character in My Best Friend's Wedding is an excellent example of a quirky antagonist. In spite of all her evil plotting to destroy her best friend's wedding we love her, we even root for her. She is not your average boring antagonist - she's a beautiful, intelligent food critic and she's the main character. We relate to this character - we can see ourselves being this character.

For some more awesome info on writing quirky characters you can go here and listen to a recent podcast on character quirks from the Writing Excuses crew - Bree Despain author of The Dark Divine is a guest host this week.

I'm turning on comments for this post - so if you have something you'd like to add on character quirks or anything else that comes to mind, please do so.

Teaser Tuesday - Paranormalcy

2010-09-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

"And then I had a thought. A horrible, horrible thought. What if I had been sucking life and energy from Lend? What if I was killing him? I finally got a boyfriend, I was pretty sure I loved him, and here I was, stealing his soul."

As some of you may remember, I won a copy of Paranormalcy in a contest and I was hoping it would do this for me:

But, now that I've read the book I understand that looks are irrelevant. The soul is what really matters. I'm so glad that I'm working on becoming a better person and Paranormalcy encouraged me with that.

The author of Paranormalcy, Kiersten White came to Utah last Saturday and I went to her book signing. Kiersten is bleeping awesome. Read the book and you'll get what I mean by bleeping.

Oh - in case you're wondering, I am getting more sleep and I did some writing this morning.