Things To Be Grateful For

Last week was a pain in my bum, with Blogger issues, work issues, having to do nasty yard work... I was cranky.  And I hate being cranky.  Which then made me crankier.


So, I thought I'd start this week off right by listing some things that made me really happy over the last few days :).


1)  I got a seriously awesome review for my short story WRITE OR DIE from a total stranger!  It's title was "Remove one note, and there is diminishment, Salieri," so already I was excited because I LOVE the movie Amadeus.  Mozart rocks.  Seriously.


This kind gentleman wrote:  "A great read. It leaves you wanting more but you realize it's perfect. You want more detail but realize if you close your eyes and just wander around the room it's all there, neat, nothing out of place. Highly recommended."


Wow.  


The great thing about this review is that this is a short story that I've worked on for literally years.  I'd write most of it, give up, then finish, then give up, then re-write, then quit, then try to find a market for it, then get confused because it's a modern day ghost story and where the heck do you even send that?


This review made all of that confusion completely worthwhile.  The reviews for that story are the first feedback I've gotten, and fill my heart with something akin to... purpose?  Like, all of that worrying and work finally paid off in something people enjoy :).  That makes me incredibly happy.


2)  I set a goal, and I met it!  I wanted to add another, longer short story called "Heartless" to the short story collection NO REST FOR THE WICKED by this weekend.  I worked on new cover art (pictured above), edited my story, ran it by some betas, formatted, obsessed, uploaded, and finally the new two-story version is up for sale on Amazon and Smashwords. 


I'm proud of myself for creating something I believe in, in a a timeframe I set for myself :).  Small victories are sometimes the sweetest.


3)  I've found a group of book lovers who are incredibly kind, generous, and helpful on the Kindle Boards.  Whether you are a traditionally published author, and indie publisher, or just a book lover, this group will take you under their wings and steer you toward wonderful reads.  They helped me with cover art, my descriptions on Amazon, and frankly, just have fascinating discussions about some of my favorite books.


Whenever I find a group of people online who act like a small town, I want to share.  It's rare for a forum to be full to the brim with such lovely people who care so much about books.  Thank you, Kindle Boards!


So, my question to you is:  What made your week?  What turned an ok day around and made it great? 

What Makes You Put a Book Down?

Recently, I bought a book that I was extremely excited about. I'd see pictures of it at various book events, posters, read interviews with the author, and got all twitchy waiting to lay my paws on it and have a good read.

It's now several months later, and I'm less than halfway through.

It seems that every time I try to read this book before bed my eyes close and I fall asleep before I can get past a page or two. Other books have beeen known to keep me up for all hours, so.... what the heck, book?? Why are you making this so difficult?!

When do you finally decide to throw in the towel on a book you're just not that into?

What finally puts you over the edge? What moves the book from bedside table only to be covered in cobwebs, forgotten in a corner?

For me, the usual culprits are these:

1) Unbelievable dialogue. And I don't mean in the sense of "Whoa! That dialogue is so amazing, it's UNBELIEVABLE!" Rather, dialogue that is just so silly or unreal that it takes me out of the story and makes me cock an eyebrow.

2) Characters repeatedly doing something stupid. No, you idiot! You can't save the world if you keep wandering off by yourself, losing the Sword of Awesomeness, and putting yourself foot-first into traps a cub scout could spot. Also, the female lead likes you. Pull your head out of your ass, already!

3) The writer loves the sound of their own keyboard. Every clickity clack is PURE POETRY and absolutely cannot be cut from the manuscript. Descriptions are long, usually unnecessar, and always snooze-inducing.

However, this book had none of these usual suspects :(. I'm just (and I hate to say it) ... bored.

What do you do when this happens to you?

Do you give the author the benefit of the doubt, or do you pitch it in the Good Will pile at page 10?

5 Things Writers Can Learn From Doctor Who

I just finished watching the first season of the new Doctor Who series, and I have to say... I'm in love :).

Not just with the Doctor himself (though, that is also true), but with the whole shebang! It was truly love at first episode.

I tried to analyze why this show enthralled me so much when other shows are constantly disappointing, and came up with a few pearls of wisdom that can help us in our writing as well.

Top 5 Lessons For Writers From Doctor Who:

1) Keep the mystery alive! No one likes a 2 Dimensional protagonist, antagonist, sidekick, you name it. Make sure there is a little mystery in your characters to keep us intrigued. The main character in "Doctor Who" is known simply as The Doctor, and his background unravels piece by piece, keeping us wanting more. The man doesn't even have a name, and we love it!

2) Don't be afraid to get silly! Change things up once in a while by throwing a little humor into your dark, dramatic scenes. What do people do when things get tense? COPE. And they usually do it with a little bit of weirdness, nervous laughter, etc. Don't be afraid to mix up your drama with a splash of humor.

3) Work your villains! So what if your main villains look like a pepper grinder had a baby with R2-D2? Make them scary by adding some motivation--make us feel for the evil pepper grinders, and they'll be all the more terrifying because they remind us of ourselves.

4) Be a tease! Hold out on your audience until the last possible second. Make us beg for a little romance to blossom and then withold it. Make us believe that one character is really truly dead until we give up all possible hope, then wait a little bit longer still before revealing they're okay. We'll thank you for the suspense and come back for more!

5) Don't be afraid to rock a good thing! Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction series ever, and is still going strong. Is there something you're fantastic at writing? Are you amazing at dialogue? Is your worldbuilding extraordinary? Don't be afraid to squeeze every last ounce of that mojo out onto the paper. Keep a good thing going!

What about you guys? Does anyone else love Doctor Who and have any lessons to add?

Blog Chain: Writer's Voice!

Oh, hey, guys, I didn't see you there!


I was just staring off into the distance thinking about how awesome it was when I saved all of Earthlandia from the evil, dragon flying wizards, all with one sweep of my Fell Blade of Agmarr.


That was pretty schweet.


I do stuff like that all the time.


Oh, this?


This is my War Bikini.


The chainmail keeps the goods protected, but leaves me the agility I need on the battlefield.


The boots are there because it's a wee bit cold out today.


Don't want to catch my death, after all...



***


This round of the Blog Chain, the sorcerous Sarah posed the question:


How did you discover your particular voice as a writer?

I don't think it's much of a secret to anyone who knows me that I'm a huge geek. I've always loved dressing up and having make-believe adventures, reading Tolkien, day-dreaming about the day the robots take over civilization and enslave us, and playing games involving more dice than a back alley in Vegas.

Because of my Incredible Geekdom, I've always loved science fiction and fantasy, but have had very particular tastes. I think I found my "voice" in my writing by thinking about what I liked about the genres and what made me put books down.

Likes:

Awesome adventures!

Maps in the front of the book!

The apocalypse!

Mythical beasties!

Super cool magic!

Pet Peeves:

Weak, whiny bitches!

Chain mail bikinis! (Cause, seriously... who is trying to stab you in the crotch? Why not just wear armor or go naked? MAKE A CHOICE!)

Magic systems that are explained in so much detail they cease to be magical! (See: Midichlorians)

Trying too to speaketh liketh it's Ye Olden Timez!

Not trying hard enough to speak like it's the old times, dawg!

Mystical nomadic races that are actually just black people with arm bands.

Basically, while writing Legacy of the Empress, I was thinking that I wanted it to be the kind of awesome old school fantasy I loved, but without the things that made my brain itch. I wanted to be magical but realistic; medieval but accessible; action-packed but with girls having some cool roles, etc.

Luckily for me as a reader, a lot of contemporary is like this, whether it's urban or classic :). I guess I could say, I write the kind of book I'd want to read, pure and simple!

How did you find your voice as a writer?

As a reader, what kind of things make you love a book, or put it down for good?

Please check out the chainmail-clad Cole before me, and the karkadaan-slaying Kate posting tomorrow!

Book Review: LOST MISSION by Athol Dickson

Agent Rachelle Gardner recently asked her blog followers if anyone would be willing to read and review one of her client's new books. Even though I usually don't read Christian fiction, I thought this might be a great opportunity to branch out.


Disclaimer: This book was totally free, and I'm either keeping it, or donating it to someone, so yeah. Take that as you will :).


Disclaimer for my Disclaimer: Considering this book was free, I didn't feel bad about potentially disliking it and took a risk on something I usually wouldn't buy.

LOST MISSION by Athol Dickson surprised me. I've been reading a lot of faced-paced YA lately, so I'm used to prose being concise and action-packed. LOST MISSION was different. It was contemplative and wasn't afraid to build the characterization and tension layer by layer.

The book is an epic tale taking place over two centuries, chock full of magical realism and cleverly interwoven storylines. It takes place in California, and follows the story of an 18th century Spanish friar on a mission to save the native people, blending together with the modern day story of Lupe, a woman on a mission from God to cross the border illegally in order to save the gringos.

The story is about the testing of faith, the subtle lures of hypocrisy, and the question of when it's okay to break the law to follow a higher calling. The story is challenging to the reader--thought provoking. It took me a while to read it because I kept dropping it down into my lap and staring off into the distance, thinking about the questions it raised about morality. "What would I do? What is right in this situation?"

I think what I appreciated the most (even though I'm a Christian), is that Dickson didn't preach. He told a real story, and let the character's lives and emotions speak for themselves. I actually started dog-earing pages toward the end of the book because the writing was so powerful. Two of my favorite quotes:

"He heaved raw prayers up from his belly like a retching dog."

"We walk upon our past; with every step we drive it deeper."

Needless to say, I loved it.

My one warning is that when I began the book, it was a very slow starter. Dickson jumps through time and from character to character building the story and the world from the ground up. It takes time to get started, and I think if I'd borrowed the book or bought it for myself, I might have put it down in those first 30 pages.

I'm glad I didn't.

I've already recommended this book to two family members, and I recommend it to you. No matter your belief system, if you like your morals challenged, or just love a richly told story, LOST MISSION will not disappoint :).

Has anyone else read this book? Thoughts? Comments?

Author Interview: Lisa Dale

I have a special treat for you today: An interview with contemporary romance author, Lisa Dale!

I recently read her book, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, loved it, and thought I'd ask her to share her journey to publication with us.

She graciously agreed!

Becca: Can you please tell us about your road to publication? How did you meet your agent?

Lisa: I met my agent while I was working at another literary agency; she and I sat on a panel together at a conference in Toronto. At the time, I hadn't really had any ideas about writing books in the near future. Then, later on while I was in school getting my MFA and was working on my first book Simple Wishes, I got to thinking of her again and thought she would like it.

She didn't accept the book right away--she asked for some pretty significant revisions. Her critique was dead on, and I find myself thankful for her excellent editorial advice again and again. Once we sent Simple Wishes out, we got the first offer in less then two weeks and a second offer just a few days after that. I always thought I'd be the type who would take the news with cool aplomb, but instead I screamed like a little kid on the Fourth of July!

Becca: I would definitely have screamed, too :)! Did you ever think about giving up along the way? If so, what kept you going?

Lisa: Oh yes. A hundred times. A thousand. Sometimes I still flirt with the idea (a writer's life is never easy), but the fact is I know I never ever will quit. Writing is a fundamental instinct. I'm ALWAYS writing. So what keeps me going is mostly the fact that there are no other options that will work for me. When there's no plan B, plan A can't be allowed to fail.

Becca: I love that philosophy!

I'm a fan of your blog, and follow you on Twitter as well. Can you tell us about what you did to promote the launch of your book? How much social networking do you do? Any advice for newbie authors on building a readership?

Lisa: Promoting my second book, It Happened One Night, has proven to be a bit easier than promoting the first book, Simple Wishes. I'd say I do middle of the road social networking. Some do more than me, others do much less.

My favorite social networking tool is easily Twitter because it's so easy to meet new people who are into the same things. Twitter-folk are there because they want to talk to and meet new people (strangers), while Facebookers tend to be a bit more private. There are lots of people who tell me "I don't get Twitter," and all I can say is that I didn't either, at first. But there is something special about it as a networking tool, and the advice I would give to people who don't get it is "Start getting it." Read up. Learn. Push yourself. There's a reason everyone is saying how awesome Twitter is.

Becca: That’s so true. I didn’t get Twitter at first, either, but now I’m officially addicted :). Can you tell us what it's like to work with an editor and go through the revisions process? Is there anything that surprised you when you first sold Simple Wishes that you'd wish you'd known as a newbie?


Lisa: Revisions take a lot of patience and humility--when you work with an editor it's no longer about writing to please yourself. It's about writing to meet another person's requests. That's kind of a hurdle to get around. As to the second part of your question--what surprised me--I wasn't prepared for how nervous I would be to learn that the book would come out. I was excited, sure. But I was also scared out of my mind. With the second book the jitters calmed down a bit and I had a lot more fun.

Becca: I’d never thought about being nervous when your book is actually coming out! I’m loving the insight here ;).

That's fascinating that you worked in a literary agency before getting published. Did anything in that experience give you a leg up when you first reached out to your agent? Any query advice for us?

Lisa: Well, I don't want to overstate my role at the agency--I was an intern then a junior agent. Actually, I wasn't really able to write well while I was working at the agency because I was so overwhelmed by technique, rules, marketing, etc. It wasn't until I left that I could "hear" the sound of my own writing voice again.

As for query advice, the best advice I can give is to just be quietly confident in your query letters. If you know your stuff, it will show without your needing to flaunt your knowledge. The biggest mistake I've seen in the eight or ten thousand query letters I've read is "trying too hard."

Becca: Did you find writing It Happened One Night easier or more difficult than your first book? What's it like working under a deadline for a publisher?

Lisa: I have a feeling that every book is going to prove difficult in its own unique way--and that's how I like it. If I started getting too good at what I was doing--if the stories came too easily--I'd probably suspect myself of relying too much on formula and losing my passion for what I'm doing. As for working under deadline, it hasn't proved to be a problem--knock on wood!

Becca: Good point! Sometimes the effort is what makes it fun, as well.

Lastly, if you could go back in time and give Past Lisa any advice, what would it be? Are there any pearls of wisdom you've gained through experience that you'd want to share with yourself?

Lisa: I love that you said "Past Lisa." I say "Past Lisa" and "Future Lisa" to myself all the time. :-) If I could go back and tell myself something, it would be to stay positive and also to go more slowly. To listen harder to the quietest part of my own voice and to hold on to that whisper even when everything else in life gets loud. It's easy to get distracted and sidetracked--but then again, I don't know. Maybe that's part of it, too--all the detours on the way to finding the right path.

So much for my sage wisdom. Obviously, I'm still learning as I go!

A big THANK YOU to Lisa Dale for sharing her insight with us :).

Please go check out her books, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and SIMPLE WISHES, or visit her at http://www.lisadalebooks.com/.

Contest & Ways to Give this Year!

That time is approaching, my friends!

Time for Christmas decorating, picking out that perfect book for grandma, and of course, awesome contests!

There is a contest happening at The Enchanted Inkpot that would make even the biggest scrooge giggle with delight. Seriously. This is one major contest. They are giving away over 20 books in three huge prize packages!

The Enchanted Inkpot are a group of young adult and middle grade writers who brought you books like SILVER PHOENIX (Cindy Pon), FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER (R. J. Anderson), and ASH (Malinda Lo), to only name a few. Go check out the contest, and good luck!

Also, this is a great time of year to think about ways you can give back to your community, or do something kind for people across the globe.

Fabulous blogger JennyMac posted a list of ways you can help out, including a huge list of stuff you can do for FREE! Please check it out. It is such a blessing to give a bit of time or a donation to someone in need.

So, get yourselves over to those blogs and enjoy the goodness!

Any blog contests or lists you're checking out this month? :) Please share!

Giving Books for Christmas!

You'll never guess what I got you :D.

Okay, guess! You'll never get it.

It's... A SWEATER!

Okay, just kidding. It's a book.

How'd you know??

_________

Mysterious editor Moonrat is on a mission! She's on a mission to get everyone to buy books as Christmas gifts, and save the publishing industry. I'm all for it!

She has helpful book-buying lists on her blog to help you with your shopping endeavors.

My questions for you are threefold:

1) Are you going to jump on the bandwagon and buy books for the family?

2) What kind of book do you get a non-reading family member? Palin's memoir ;)? *rim shot*

3) What recommendations do you have for various age groups/genres? What books do you LOVE and think would make great gifts?

And since I'm asking you, I might as well start things off with a list of good books:

For Kids:

--Bruce Coville's JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER, THE MONSTER'S RING, and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE. These are some of my all time favorite books, and I'll still pick them up from time to time and read them :). You can't go wrong w/ Bruce Coville!

For Young Adults:

--Cindy Pon's SILVER PHOENIX (My Review Here), Kristin Cashore's GRACELING (one of my new all-time favorite books!)

For Adult Fantasy readers:

--Barry Hughart's BRIDGE OF BIRDS (a tale of ancient China that never was), Raymond E. Feist's MAGICIAN (awesome sword & sorcery), and Susanna Clarke's JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL (one of the oddest, most delightful things I've ever read.)

For Adult Sci-Fi readers:

--Orson Scott Card's ENDERS GAME (one of my favorite books ever), Dan Simmons' HYPERION (gorgeous writing/fascinating plot), and Joan Slonczewski's A DOOR INTO OCEAN (My Review Here).

For Adult Paranormal Romance readers:

--Kerry A. Jones' CAST IN STONE (My Review Here), and Lori Handeland's BLUE MOON (it's got sexy Native Americans and werewolves!)

Now it's your turn: I'd love to hear what you'd recommend :)!

Everyone's Got a Story

Have you ever people watched? Just sat and stared at strangers and imagined what their life is like?

Today being the day before Halloween at work, I got to do a lot of awesome people watching :). I realized as I was watching a lady from the call center walk by as a Klingon that there might just be some great story material here!

1) The lady in accounting who is mean all year long, and then does the best decorating and puts out the most candy on Halloween.

2) The shy guy who puts on a mask and runs around scaring the HR ladies because he feels free when he's in disguise.

3) The loud guy pretending to be Billy Mays while everyone raises and eyebrow and says "Whoa, dude. Too soon."

4) The tiny Spiderman grabbing a candy out of the dish, dropping it on the floor, and then unable to pick it up because his foam muscles make it hard to move his arms. Awwww. Little help there, Spidey? :)

The great thing about people is that everyone has a story. People have eccentricities you just can't make up, and some have that kind of golden heart that make you want to be a better person. There are heroes, villians, adorable babies dressed up like chickens--the whole gamut!

So next time you're stuck on a character trait, go to Walmart or sit on a park bench to people watch. Just remember to take your notebook with you!

*Halloween costume picks coming soon ;).

I just finished reading CATCHING FIRE...

And I'm FREAKING OUT...



When is the next book? Give it to me now, Suzanne Collins. NOW! And no one gets hurt...



Also, I'm on Team Peeta :).



For the record.



That is all.

Things I've Learned This Week

Hi, All!

I can't stop reading CATCHING FIRE because it's consuming my delicous brain meats like a ravenous zombie. You know... figuratively speaking...

So, without further ado, here are some of the things I've learned this week:

1) CATCHING FIRE is consuming my delicous brain meats. I can't stop reading it, and going to work for 8 hours and not reading it is a horrible, horrible torture. Please, bring on the bamboo under the fingernails! As long as I can read while you do it, I'm good!

2) My husband is crazy. But in a GREAT way! Yesterday he informed that he bought a birthday present for himself. Then he dropped a huge stack of mythology books on me and beamed. He bought me books to help me with my writing... as a birthday present to himself. Apparently making me happy and smarter brings him joy :). Seriously, what kind of a twisted freak gets joy from the happiness of others??? I have a nagging suspicion that I don't deserve him. And I think I like it.

3) I love Avatar the Last Airbender! I know the show looks like cheesy anime. I know it was on Nickelodeon and I am a growned up person and shouldn't be watching Nick cartoons. BUT IT'S AWESOME. It's one of my favorite shows of all time now. If you at all enjoy fantasy, you'll enjoy Avatar.

4) It's impossible for me to do my own work when I have a good book waiting to be read (See point #1.) I think this is a lesson for the future. If I have edits to do, I must save the good book for after I'm done as a reward.

How were your weeks? Anything juicy that you've learned about yourselves? :D

Now, off to read CATCHING FIRE and drink some Chardonnay. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Author Interview: Cindy Pon of SILVER PHOENIX!

Today, I have a special treat for you guys: an interview with author Cindy Pon of SILVER PHOENIX (that's Cindy w/ the alien on the left)!

I did a review of SILVER PHOENIX a while back and really enjoyed it--it's a YA fantasy set in ancient China. Anyone who is a fan of fantasy will really enjoy the mythical creatures and adventures in this debut novel.

I follow Cindy's blog, and she is also one of the nicest, most approachable authors out there. I suggest you stop on by at http://www.cindypon.com/ and say "hi!"

Now, on with the interview!

1) Can you please tell us about your road to publication? How did you meet your agent?

i queried from end of january 2008 through april 2008. i hit 121 agents and was still sending out queries on the weekend that agent bill contard i emailed regarding his interest. i didn't "know anyone". i simply did my research online and sent out queries to any and all agents i felt might be interested in my debut. they weren't especially personalized either.

how could you with 121 queries?

we went on sub within two days and silver phoenix went to auction and sold five weeks later.

it was an absolute whirlwind and utterly surreal and thrilling. also terrifying! i always say it takes a lot of courage to pursue your dreams, but it takes even more courage to live it.

2) Wow, that is amazing. I totally agree that it takes courage to make it happen! Did you ever think about giving up along the way? If so, what kept you going?

i didn't. i was considering going directly to publishers if i couldn't find an agentto represent me.
what kept me going was the love i had forthis novel. i did get feedback, but many agents were saying "great writing and story, not sure i cansell this", because there simply wasn't very much out there that's similar to Silver Phoenix within the YA genre.
so i chose not to believe them and kept going. =D

that someone *will* be willing to take the risk and love the story as much as i do. i was blessed that this is exactly what happened.

3) I'm a fan of your blog, and notice that you're on several social networking sites. Can you tell us about what you did to promote the launch of your book? Any advice for newbie authors on building a readership?

i did most of my promotion online. i'm so fortunate in that the blog and writing community have been nothing but supportive. readers like you are kind enough to share the news of my debut and interview me. i spent a lot of time doing interviews which i love to do--only with sequel deadlines and travel, it's been more difficult these past months.

i love my blog. i'm not sure if i have advice but i can tell you what i do. i write posts about things i enjoy sharing, and i try to blog fairly consistently. there's nothing worse thanvisiting a blog that hasn't been updated in weeks.

i'm sad to say i haven't been able to visit all my favorite blogs consistently since a month before publication. =( but this give and take is key. find other blogs you enjoyto read and contribute to their comments section! it's allabout community.

4) Great advice! What is it like to be writing the sequel to Silver Phoenix now that you're working with an editor and a dealine? Is it more difficult than writing the first book? Easier? Why or why not?

there are pros and cons. the deadline really forced me to focus. at the same time, i did find it much more challenging due to the time crunch. it's like learningto write a novel all over again!

5) If you could go back in time, what advice would you give Past Cindy about the road to publication?

i don't think i would have done anything differently?
my advice to other writers is to keep reading and keep writing. believe in yourself and your story and never forget your passion for it. that's what truly matters.

6) Well said! Anything you can tell us about the sequel? We're excited!! :D

it's a pre-sequel! two story lines (silver phoenix & zhong ye, ai ling & chen yong) intertwined.

____________

A big THANK YOU! to Cindy Pon for the interview :). I learn so much from hearing about other's journeys to publication. It's invigorating to hear the success stories and glean courage from them.

If you haven't read SILVER PHOENIX yet, I suggest you check it out at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Phoenix-Beyond-Kingdom-Xia/dp/0061730211/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250563178&sr=8-1).

Read it with your favorite Chinese food at the ready, though. Cindy writes about food throughout, and I was never wanted dumplings and noodles so much in my life!

Consider yourselves warned.

Has anyone else read Silver Phoenix?

Read any other good books lately? :) I'd love to hear what's on your reading list!

What Characters Do You Love to Write?

We all have them. Characters that we just can't get enough of, whether we're reading about them, or writing their stories. But what makes us love these characters so damn much?

I was wondering this week what makes us writers tick when we choose the characters we do. Are they people we want to be? People we are? People we could never be but want to test drive? What's the story?

As for me, I want to be Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica. I've always been a sucker for a tough chick who says all the things I want to say, but am too darn nice to actually let fly from my lips. I like tough gals who don't have to wear thigh high leather boots and a corsett to fight bad guys, but can do it in sweat pants and a hoody and be just as awesome.

In real life, I try to be badass as often as possible just for the fun of it. I lift weights, drink Scotch and whiskey *neat*, and have bungee jumped ( discount bungee no less.) This bleeds into some of my characters because a normal chick who becomes an awesome tough chick relates to my inner fantasy of being that chick. Minus the cigar smoke, because eww.

On the flip side I also love writing really evil people, because I'll never actually get to be evil. I don't actually want to murder anyone, but it is sort of morbidly fascinating to don a murderer's skin for awhile and write them out. I like it when my characters are super bitchy, because I myself try really hard not to be bitchy on a day-to-day basis.

Is that wrong? I'm not sure.

You tell me! How do YOU write your characters? Why do you love them?

Are they are a part of you, or just something you like to try on for an hour?

What people do you love to write and why?

Fantastic Reads: Book Recommendations

Happy Friday!


This week I finished two amazing books, and have to share in case you haven't read one or either. As you may know, I love science fiction and fantasy. Those are my favorite genres to read and write in.


Recently, thanks to Christine F's love of the book, I picked up THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collines. I was already in the middle of reading the fabulous book, A DOOR INTO OCEAN by Joan Slonczewski, but got horribly distracted and devoured Hunger Games in its entirety before I could pick A Door Into Ocean back up.


The Hunger Games is about a dystopian future America where 12 Districts revolted against the Capitol, were stamped down, and are now forced each year to select "tributes" to battle it out to the death on national television to remind them of their subservience. The tributes are children, and are selected by a lottery called the "reaping."


In case you haven't read it, you have to put it into your eyeballs immediately. Seriously. It's amazing.


Once I glanced casually at the first page, I couldn't put it down, and it definitely delivered. Tense, fantastic writing and plotting all the way through.

A Door Into Ocean is a science fiction novel that, at first glance, is about a race of lesbian space mermaids, but at second glance is an intricate and beautifully wrought world where the author leads us to question not only what makes us human, but what makes humanity free. It is a slower read than Hunger Games, but absolutely worth it. It's incredibly well thought out, and the world the author builds is emmersive and breathtaking. I struggled with questions while I read this, which is a fantastic feeling. This book will challenge you while telling a great story.

I'd love to hear what books you've been reading. Any recommendations for my Summer reading list :)?

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Tonight, I was checking out my new WIP and got to wondering, how do you guys come up with the ideas for your writing, be it novel-length or otherwise?

Mine, of course, come from Cthulu sending nightmare images straight into my mind while I sleep. (Just kidding. Thank God...)

However, I do get a lot of awesome ideas right as I'm drifting off to sleep and my brain is all sleepy and (debatably) crazy. I also keep a tiny notebook in my purse and write down random thoughts, and odd or funny things people say throughout the week. When I'm really feeling stuck, I talk things out with my wonderful and creative husband. He's almost as sick as I am :).

I want to know, how do you guys do it? This is the part of writing that I find the most baffling.

How does this happen for you? Where do you get the thoughts that lead to "Hey, I can make this into 95,000 words. Woo hoo!"

Are we all just nuts? Should we blame Cthulu after all?

I'd love to know how you guys tick!

Book Review: SILVER PHOENIX by Cindy Pon

I was going to post this yesterday, but instead I played hooky and went and watched the new STAR TREK! Needless to say, I was spasming with waves of geek pleasure as the credits were rolling, so please go see it if you remotely like Star Trek. IT ROCKS!

ANYWAY, now that my tangent is over, I wanted to tell you about this highly enjoyable book I read: SILVER PHOENIX by Cindy Pon :).

Here is the book trailer (it's gorgeous!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihJ1xy009bk.

This book is a sweeping epic fantasy set in a China-like world. A young girl goes in search of her missing father at the imperial palace, but faces dozens of monsters and demons along the way, trying to stop her. As the mystery unfolds, we learn things are definitely not what they seem, and the threat is very real for our heroine, Ai Ling.

Apparently, Cindy Pon originally wrote this novel for adults and then it becamse YA during the publishing process. This means that even though it's YA there are some risque and dark moments, which I really enjoyed. It has one of the most messed-up monsters I've ever read about (which is saying something!), and breaks the mold of the usual suspects in fantasy novels. The monsters are rooted in Chinese mythology, which makes everything fascinating and new for those of us who are used to more British-inspired fantasy. Yes, there was a dragon, but even this was made new because it was an awesome serpent-like blue-and-green sea dragon, like you see in old silk paintings.

Also, the main hero, Chen Yong, is smokin' hot and sexy, and doesn't even know it, which, of course, makes him all the more delightful. The book ends well, and I felt myself pretty emotional on the last page, absolutely desperate for more. If you can hear me, Cindy, there better be a sequel!

There was an odd moment in the middle of the book where we learned the "real" conflict where I sat up in my bubble bath and went "Wait, what?" However, even though the twist may seem out of place in the moment, it resolves itself into a truly enjoyable read. After the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down.

My favorite part, I'm ashamed to admit, were Cindy's descriptions of the food. Ai Ling is like me in that she loves a good meal, and by the end I was desperate for some Chinese food like you wouldn't believe. I grabbed my husband and told him that I needed some noodles and buns with pork filling STAT. So yes, I'm sure this book will be responsible for me eating out a lot in the near future.

I definitely recommend this book, so go to Amazon and help support a debut author!

Have any of you read it? I'd love to know what you thought.

Dare to Say What Others Can't

Today, I read a fascinating article on my favorite fitness blog, Stumptuous.com, that got me thinking.

It basically said that telling others the things you are ashamed of, or that are difficult for you to deal with, gives you power over those those same things.

Shame thrives on being kept secret. When you talk about the dark moments, you suddenly realize that you're not alone, and that others share them, too.
This made me think about writing because one of my favorite writing quotes is "The role of a writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say." --Anais Nin

We have the freedom in our stories to talk about the shameful thoughts we all have, or relive experiences that are difficult to deal with in real life. I feel like this is freeing for both myself and the reader.

I heard a woman read from her book (I, of course, forget who) and relay a story of dropping soup she made for a church function into a gutter, and for a single moment, thinking about scooping it back into the tourine. No one would know, right?

Well, when she read that passage we all laughed because we got it. We've all experienced those same awful inner moments where we realize that maybe we're not good people. When we read about it, we're free to admit it, and realize it's not so different after all.

We're all just human, and these things are part of the experience.

What do you guys think? As writers, or readers, do you find it helpful to throw light onto those darker moments?

Blog Chain: Short Story Time!

Elana J threw down today and challenged us to write some short stories based on flowers (hooray for May Day!).

Elana's blog & story: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/2009/05/call-for-shorts.html.


I happen to love a challenge, so here we go! Enjoy, my party people:

Plant Life


As Gabby shook coffee grounds into the filter, she noticed that the air smelled different. Moist. Like a storm is coming. The hairs on her arms stood up as she flicked the switch on her Mr. Coffee. She shuddered.

A sound caught her attention, at the edge of her hearing; a slow rip rip, rip rip from outside the window. She pulled aside the yellow curtains and gasped. Her smiley-face coffee mug dropped from her hand and shattered on the tile.

“What? Oh… my…”

Her hand leapt to her mouth. Outside, vines were creeping, wrapping around the drain spout, climbing the shingles like snakes. The lawn was a sea of twitching, seething green; the car a featureless mound of foliage. The kiddie pool lay burst and leaking, vines puncturing and ripping at its seams.

Trembling, she backed away, crunching through the shards of porcelain in her slippers. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. Wake up, Gabby! A crash sounded from the living room, the sound of glass breaking.

She rushed through the hallway and screamed as a vines burst through another window, pelting her with glass shards. They were inside now, snaking across the carpet, overturning the coffee and end tables, wrapping around lamps with greedy tendrils. She screamed again as one brushed her ankle.

I need something. Anything. What do you do when your house is being overtaken by plants? A knife glinted from the block. Good for burglars, bad for vines. Not enough to stop them. The oven. Fire! Perfect. I’ll scare them off with a little fire…

She lit the pilot as the kitchen window burst, green fingers groping, shredding the curtains to ribbons. A rolled up Victoria Secret catalog caught her eye, and she thrust it into the flame. Brandishing it like a torch she approached the vines creeping slowly down her sink and over the cupboard.

“ Back!” she said, waving the flame in a wide arch. “Get back! Back to the yard, damn you!”

The vines slowed, then stopped in their tracks, drooping onto the floor at her feet. Gabby let out a sharp laugh that was half a sob. Nothing stirred. She prodded it with her toe. Nothing. All was still.

She sighed, wiping her hand over her brow, and stamped the magazine out. Before she could move, a vine rose like a genie from the bottle and unfurled a pink flower as large as a dinner plate. It looks almost like that fluffy dress I wore to the prom, she thought, and giggled nervously. It inched toward her, leaning in. With a puff like angel’s breath, it misted venom into her open mouth.

When Gabby woke, the light was different, slanting across the floor. The floor was different. It was a writhing mass of green ropes and tendrils twisting up the walls, obscuring everything from view. She realized she couldn’t feel her legs, and looked down. Her body was enshrouded in plant life, coiling around her like a lover’s embrace, squeezing her to numbness. A tendril curled up to wrap gently around her throat, looping and swirling at the edge of her vision.

As pink spots danced before her eyes, she thought of the empty bag in the garage and her best laid plans for her spring garden.

I knew I used too much Miracle Gro. She fell backward into darkness and knew no more.


So.... what YOU got? Please link to your blog if you're participating :). I'd love to read your stories!

Happy Friday!

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8.





I think whether you are a believer or not, everyone can gain something from the story of Jesus' life and death. It is the ultimate story of sacrifice and redemption; a call for all of us to think about how we can lay down our lives for our brothers and love more unconditionally from day to day.



For Christians, this should be our biggest party of the year. This is bigger even than Christmas--this is the reason why we have our salvation. This is when we celebrate Christ's sacrifice for us. Often, I think we let ourselves get bogged down planning Easter egg hunts and dressing up fancy for Grandma, and forget to be excited. This year, let's take a moment to remember why Good Friday is so good :). Don't forget to shout "HE IS RISEN!" as soon as you wake up and scare the other members of your household who are still asleep. It's funny every time!

For others, the story of Jesus can still hold meaning this holiday weekend. Even if the stories and events in the Bible didn't actually take place, the messages can still hold power. "Love your neighbor" is helpful for people of all faiths, as is the financial advice Jesus doles out (extra handy nowadays). Plus, it's a great story. Tension galore!

I hope all of you have a wonderful time this holiday weekend, if you're getting together with family, friends, or flying solo, tucking into a large plate of deviled eggs and watching Charleton Heston movies.



May all of you be blessed this Easter, no matter how you celebrate! :)

Party on, my friends. Party on.