Precy Larkins--YA Author

Monday News, Book Giveaway, and Author Feature! Woot!

Hello Monday!

We are going to have a very exciting week! My friend and writer extraordinaire, T.S. Welti, is being featured here for the whole entire week. She is an amazingly talented woman and I'm very proud to present her awesomeness to you. Her debut novel, The Fifth Specter: Book One of the Parker Chance series is OUT and ready for your reading pleasure! I had the good fortune of snagging a signed copy from Ms. Welti herself, so I'll be sharing my review soon.

So! Let's get this started.

To start off, we have a BOOK GIVEAWAY, courtesy of Ms. Welti. All you need to do is answer this simple question:

If you could have a SUPERPOWER, what would it be?

Leave your answer in the comment section below. The contest runs for a week and will end on Monday, August 15th. After the contest ends, the winner will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday, August 16th.

The prize? A COPY OF THE FIFTH SPECTER BY T.S. WELTI! So go wrack your brain for superpower ideas!

On Wednesday, I'll be posting my review of The Fifth Specter.

On Friday, Ms. Welti answers my prodding questions in an interview (ala Barbara Walters, or...possibly Rita Skeeter-style.)

So stay tuned and show some love!

Bio:

T.S. Welti is a single mother living in Southern California. She writes books for kids and teens and bakes in her spare time. In 2005, she began writing the Parker Chance series while sitting in the shade of a weeping willow on a sweltering summer day. Five years later, she lost her job and book one was still not finished. After many sleepless nights spent slaving away at her keyboard, she was finally able to finish The Fifth Specter and has never looked back. You can find out more about T.S. Welti and the Parker Chance series on her website at http://tswelti.com/.

Check out her blog The Smoking Quill. You can also follow her on Twitter: @TS_Welti.

Not a Twitterer? Check out her FB Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/tswelti.author

Also, her FB Book Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheFifthSpecter

**************

Chapter 10 of the Skeleton Key Round Robin Blogvel is now up by Laura of Laura's Universe.

Have a great day, everyone!

How "Pretty in Pink" Made Me Cry

Disclaimer: This may or may not be writing-related. We'll see.

Vintage Pretty in Pink Movie (Group) Poster Print

Yes, you may have noticed my John Hughes obsession this week. Two days ago I talked about The Breakfast Club and now I'm going to tackle the film "Pretty in Pink". So bear with me because I absolutely LOVE this movie and it's probably my favorite out of all the John Hughes' films.

High School senior Andie Walsh lives on the "wrong side of the tracks" with her unemployed father who is still devastated by his broken marriage. Phil "Duckie" Dale is Andie's bestfriend, who happens to be in love with her but plays this off as a joke in front of Andie because he doesn't know how to tell her of his feelings. But Andie falls in love with Blane Donough, who is one of the rich, preppy kids in her school, and in turn, Blane falls for Andie. The "richie" kids (Blane's friends) discourage Blane from dating Andie, and Duckie gets mad with Andie for dating Blane. Classic West Side Story front, though no one dies in this one.

When Blane starts believing his friends and begins avoiding Andie, even going as far as breaking off their prom date, Andie grieves for awhile, knowing full well that the reason for Blane's distance was due to her economic circumstance. Nevertheless, she goes to the prom with a dress she made herself to show them "that they can't break me". Duckie escorts her in, and Blane realizes what a fool he'd been all along. He tells her that he'd always love her, that he believed in her but didn't believe in himself, and then he walks away. Andie finds him in the parking lot and they kiss.

So.

Wai-i-i-t... you thought I cried over the part where Blane broke up with Andie? Uh, no. See, I'm the kind of person who roots for the underdogs. The brokenhearted. The downtrodden. If I could wield a hammer (ala Thor style), I could totally be their champion. So, I cried for DUCKIE.

Yep, you read that right. When Duckie was in Andie's room talking to himself, about how much he loved "this woman" and then he started singing, I mean...gosh darn it. The poor kid had always been devoted to Andie. I mean, sure he's cheesy, and a tad bit annoying, and though I knew...I KNEW...that it ~~wasn't~~ was NEVER going to turn into an Andie-Duckie love story, I still felt for the boy. Ahhhh...so much for unrequited love.

I also cried at the scene between Andie and her father, when Andie realized that her dad never got the job and yet there he was, giving her this pink dress so she could make something out of it to wear to the prom. When Andie confronted her dad, it came out how he was still mourning his marriage. How he loved Andie's mom who didn't love him enough to stay with them. And how this was affecting his life--part of the reason why he wouldn't go and get a job. He'd been hoping that life would somehow go back to the way it was before, only it wasn't going to. Ever. Sigh, sigh. So much for betrayed love.

And then there's Blane. I really DISLIKED him when he listened to his rich friend what's-his-name and began to ignore Andie's phone calls. Good thing I didn't have Thor's hammer or I probably would have accidentally thrown it at him. Or more precisely, at the TV. Which wouldn't have been good at all. (Um, honey, yeah...I'm really sorry for breaking your HD Plasma Widescreen 60" TV...) He was a guy who , at first glance, seemed to have nothing to lose. He could've been a jerk and walked away from the relationship and it wouldn't have been as devastating for him as it would have been for Andie. So yeah, boo! But he redeemed himself, and he really did love Andie, so it's ok. :)

The best thing about the movie (and I think I can relate this to writing *high five!*) is Andie's character. She is a strong but sympathetic protagonist. She knows what she wants, she has morals, and she values the important things. I loved her relationship with her father, how she took care of him and loved him unconditionally. Andie was a girl who could think for herself. No pansy-schmancy here.

And this makes her a well-developed character. I'm not saying that protagonists have to be all butt-kicking, warrior-like Xenas to prove that they are made of tough stuff. It's the inner growth that counts. When Andie, despite her heartbreak, went to the prom to show them that the richie kids haven't broken down her spirit, I was applauding for her.

As you can tell, I really got emotionally invested in the film. If your book or characters can do that to me too, then you're doing something right. ;)

Let your characters grow, give them depth, and make them relatable. Give them spirit, give them life. And yes, they don't have to wield a hammer, they can be pretty in pink.

;)

The Breakfast Club: YA in a Nutshell

I know most of you have seen The Breakfast Club, an 80's film by the late John Hughes (apparently, according to rookieriter, I'm the only person who hadn't seen any of John Hughes movies. If that assumption is correct, then you'd all should be able to follow this post with no deer-in-the-headlights moment.)

The Breakfast Club: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Five teens found themselves serving detention together on a Saturday for doing stupid things: Claire Standish "The Princess" for skipping school to go shopping; Andrew Clark "The Athlete" for playing a prank on one of his teammates; Brian Johnson "The Brain" for keeping a flare gun in his locker; John Bender "The Criminal" for setting off a false fire alarm; and Allison Reynolds "The Basketcase" who actually didn't do anything to be sent to detention--she came because she had nothing better to do. They are all separated by their stereotypes, their cliques, but by the show's end, they come to realize they're not all that different after all.

This is YA in a nutshell. I know it seems cliché when we talk about stereotyping in high school, but even though this movie is more than two decades old there is some truth to this story, a truth that still exists in our society today.

Labels. We're all fond of putting labels on each other.

I've read a lot of YA books--not as extensive as I would like, but enough to know that writers often box their characters into cliched labels. We have the girl who is beautiful but clueless, and is the quintessential damsel in distress albeit in modern surroundings. The brooding, unapproachable hero who has magical powers. The sidekick who buoys the hero's or heroine's self-esteem--a sort of comic relief at times, or possibly a foil for the main character. A villain who exists for the purpose of creating conflict. And many, many more....

In The Breakfast Club, these labels were clearly printed on these teens' foreheads, at least that's how they were seen by the principal who gave them detention. The kids themselves lived by these labels because it was what expected of them. When Brian asked the question (me paraphrasing it), After today, what happens next? Will you say hi to me if we see each other in the hallway? And the heartbreaking truth was that, neither one of them would. Claire aka the popular, rich girl responded: You don't understand. It's not that easy.

And why not? Why is it so hard to break the social barrier?

It's because real life is the way it is. We are simply too fond of labeling each other.

So you read a YA book and you see the peppy blond cheerleader giving the heroine a hard time...yes, it does happen. You see the good-looking quarterback going for the flat-chested nerdy sophomore...yes, it can happen.

The thing is, if we're going to write cliche characters, it's okay AS LONG AS THERE'S A REASON FOR IT. Why is peppy blond cheerleader mean to the heroine? What's in her background, her life story that accounts for the meanness?

Why is John Bender aka The Criminal so hateful? Because he's been physically abused by his father.

Why is Allison Reynolds a basketcase? Because her family ignores her.

How come nerdy Brian Johnson had a flare gun in his locker in the first place? Because he had contemplated suicide.

And so on, and so forth.

Give your characters depth because cliché or not, no one is one-dimensional. Do not put cheerleader in the path of your heroine just because. There has to be a reason for everything.

At the end of the movie, they all left Mr. Vernon, the principal, a letter or an essay, and it says:

Brian Johnson: Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong...but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who (sic) we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...

Andrew Clarke: ...and an athlete...

Allison Reynolds: ...and a basket case...

Claire Standish: ...a princess...

John Bender: ...and a criminal...

Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club. (Source: Wikipedia)

Don't be a Mr. Vernon.

Blog Awards and Memes...Oh My!

Let me just say this: I have COOL and SUPER NICE blogger friends.
Yep. And I am grateful.

Rachna Chhabria of Rachna's Scriptorium apparently thought I was cute enough to handle this puppy:

Seriously. Cute. Awww! Thanks, Rachna! ;)

I am passing on this Seriously Cute Blogger Award to the following cuties:

1. Lena Roy of Lena's Lit Life. She's cute, talented, and she's always ready to help others.

2. Peggy Eddleman. I'm only getting to know Peggy but I think she's fab! Plus she hands out cookies. And her blog is beautiful. ;)

3.Ali Cross. This girl is super ninja in my book. ;) You rock, Ali!

4. Jen Bennett of A Book, A Girl, A Journey. This girl is my virtual workout buddy and I love her. ;)

5. T.S. Welti. This superwoman/writer/mom/friend has just debuted her book "The Fifth Specter", which I enjoyed very much!

And if that's not enough to soar the cute factor for the day, check out this lovely award I got from the ever talented Deirdra Eden-Coppel: The Creative Blog Award.

Isn't that beautiful? Deirdra made the drawing herself. She is one seriously talented artist! Thank you, Deirdra! I'm very honored. ;)

On to the memes...

I know I just posted a meme yesterday, but what can I do? I got tagged again. So here's meme #1 from Lena Roy. (I thought I would behave myself this time and not twist the meme. After all, this was Lena's first time tagging people in a meme. ;) )

What do you think of when you hear the word "tag"?

That the price on the tag of my favorite dress at Nordstrom has gone up?

Do you think you're hot?

Um, no.

Upload a pic or wallpaper that you are using at the moment.

May the Force be with you, squirelly dudes!

When was the last time you ate chicken?

Hmm. I cook dinner every night, except the weekends. I haven't had chicken prior to this day, but I am going to make grilled teriyaki chicken breasts tonight, served on white rice.

The song/s you listened to recently?

Anna Nalick's new album: Broken Dolls & Odds & Ends.

What were you thinking as you were doing this?

Didn't I do this one already? Just the maniacal twisted version of this?

Do you have nicknames? What are they?

Cherie is actually my nickname.

Meme #2, which is aptly named "Memebow Bright" by the clever Kacimari, who decided to go "the heck with all these memes, I'll make my own" way.

Show us the cutest, most adorable picture of your favorite animal.

You have five seconds to survive the zombie apocalypse. Choose one friend who would save your butt and tell us why you chose them.

Oh boy. Tough question. Are you absolutely sure I can only pick one? I thought about picking Anita since she has her vampire pet goat Clive--if he can't stave off the zombies, maybe he can turn us into vampires and thus ensuring our immortality? But then I remembered Bethany's panty-eating goat Nigel. I wouldn't want to be running around panty-less so maybe Nigel will decline from eating our underwear since he's on our side? Then of course there's Michelle Simkins, who's got an affiliation with the Fae. Maybe they can save us from the zombies? But then, oh yes, who can forget the Party Pony who has tickets to the Rapture party, and we all know that the zombie apocalypse is really the Rapture in disguise. So who would not want to have free tickets to heaven?

Oh geez. Can I just take the whole goat posse with me?

Share a quote with us.

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.
--Richard Bach

I know you had trouble choosing just one quote. Let us have another.

Really? I mean I already gave you one, and that took me several minutes of googling quotes on the web. I'm not really a "quotes" person. I live by my own quotes of life.

Using exactly twenty-seven words, tell us your life story.

Born, fed, grew. Survived high school, came to Hawaii for college, met hubby. Married, moved, had a kid. Then another. Wrote stories. Blogger, mom, writer--in one.

Please do not throw your hands in the air. This is not a stick up.

I was just *discreetly* checking if my deodorant was still working.

All dead rock legends live again. You're standing in a fifty mile long line for:

No one. They're zombies, man! They're going to eat you up. Run!

Describe yourself using six words that start with the third letter of your middle name. Go!

L. Loving, Loyal, Laid-back, Labyrinthian, Latent, and after spending too much time on this post, a Laggard. ;D

What is your middle name? (This is for research purposes only. Your response will not affect your chances of employment.)

Sorry. It's part of my super secret identity. I may or may not be a superhero, you never know. O_o

I'm tagging anyone who wants to do the memes. Maybe, possibly, the whole #goatposse, if they're not sick of memes yet. So, enjoy! And go spread the silliness. ;)

Oh, btw, don't forget to vote for Michelle Simkins' Zombunny contest. It will only take you three seconds to do so. 1 second to click on this link, 2 seconds to cast your vote. Please and thank you!! There are wonderful entries and even if you don't vote for me, at least see what the other finalists have to offer. They are all talented people. ;)

Chapter 9 of "The Skeleton Key" and A Scary, Evil Meme

NEWS FLASH! The voting is now ON for the Zombunny contest and my entry "Beware the Bunny" is a finalist! So please, if you like my story and illustrations, vote for me! Click here.

Hello Monday!

Business first. The Skeleton Key Round Robin Blogvel gets steamy with Chapter 9 by JLea Lopez of Jello World. Check it out! All previous chapters can be found in the Table of Contents.

And now for the funny: I give you a scary, evil meme.

This is my response to the Panty Meme I've been tagged with. Yes, I'm looking at you Jenny Phresh and Riley Redgate! Originally created by the Greenwoman aka Michelle Simkins who nefariously schemed this meme from tweep pressure. =)

Enjoy...or not.

Evil Panty Meme
by: writercherie

I've also been tagged in two other memes and two blog awards, but I promise I will get to them tomorrow. Thank you, Rachna Chhabria, Deirdra Edden-Coppel, Lena Roy, and Kacimari! ;D