Beth Revis: My Biggest Giveaway Ever: Win 29 signed books, 15 ...: Before I do anything else, I want to point out the post I did yesterday : for every sale of  The Body Electric  from now until the end of th...

I've reached a new milestone on Twitter, which is hitting the big 2K...of followers, that is. So to celebrate I'm doing a GIVEAWAY at my Wordpress blog. You should check it out. Oh, wait, what's up for grabs, you ask?

These books:

And these lovely swag items:

I should probably have mentioned this a long, long, looong time ago, but I have another home...er, I mean, BLOG, where I'm frequently posting Book Spotlights and occasionally posting STUFF, but anyway, that's where I'm at when I'm not here.

But this blog is not quite dead. It's just sort of floating around, sometimes finding some action, sometimes just good for the archives (there's a ton of pretty fun[ny] posts in here when I was still keen on blogging religiously every week back in the good ole days).

But! If you like me (awww, you do, right?) you might want to check out my other home because it's still me, or part of me, anyway, and I do update that one more often than I do this one (because Blogger hates me sometimes and doesn't like to schedule my posts).

Anyway...here it is:

More than thirty years ago, Brian Johnson wrote an epic letter to Mr. Vernon in John Hughes’s now-classic film The Breakfast Club telling him who he and his classmates thought they were. Five students, all from different school cliques, served detention one Saturday in March, initially seeing one another—as Shermer High School’s dean did—as their labels, and not as their identities.

The Breakfast Club resonated with so many teens in the 1980s and over the years since then because of the way it ripped apart those classifications. But decades later, those labels still exist, even though the lines are a little more blurred. Contemporary YA books reflect that (or should). As Brian wrote in his letter that afternoon, “each one of us is a brain and an athlete and a basketcase, a princess, and a criminal.”

That’s who we are.

We are the YA Club.

Bethany and I have been friends for I don't know how long. I adore her and I love her funny, quirky books--yes, I'm so lucky to be one of her beta readers. I got to read SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS before it was published by Running Press, and I immediately fell in love with the characters and the story. For my review, click here (it's on my Wordpress blog. Don't ask me why I have two blogs. I think I may have been sleep-deprived--wait, I'm always sleep-deprived. Never mind. :D )

Anyway, this is Bethany. I call her Shakira-goat. Heh. Isn't she lovely?

And this is her book:


And this is basically how I was while reading her book:


So, do yourself a favor and get thee to a bookstore, or an online bookstore and buy her book! Because everybody needs a little bit of laughter in their lives, right?

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Add it on Goodreads

And if you see Bethany, whether in real life or on Twitter, or on Facebook, or while visiting her blog, tell her hello and congrats for making her dream happen. :)

So this one is dear to my heart because...I have a short story included in this anthology!

Blurb:

To be human is to have regrets, to question decisions, even to doubt our own abilities and capacities. Whether it’s because of a path not taken or a decision made for selfish or – perhaps worse – unselfish reasons, we all have had moments and decisions we regret. We might regret not recognizing an opportunity. In the end, the choices we make help shape our future.

The final anthology in Elephant’s Bookshelf Press’s “Seasons Series,” Winter’s Regret includes stories from P.S. Carrillo, Liz Coley, Sakura Q. Eries, Morgan George, Michelle Hauck, Kelly Heinen, Amanda Hill, Precy Larkins, Robert Wayne McCoy, Mindy McGinnis, A.T. O’Connor, Jeff O’Handley, Paul Parisi, Matt Sinclair, A.M. Supinger, Charlee Vale, and Cat Woods.

To learn more about Elephant's Bookshelf Press, visit their website and blog.

My review:

There are 18 stories in this anthology, which means you get 18 chances to explore different voices, worlds, and characters. The common theme is regret, but each story showcases its own interpretation of regret, and it was fun to see how varied our perspectives can be. In Perfection by Mindy McGinnis, for instance, regret rears up its ugly head years later when the mother misses the time she could have spent with her children. In Do Dead Psychics Smoke Cigarettes by Robert McCoy, there's a sci-fi-ish twist at the end that I wasn't expecting, and the main character's regret comes a day too late.

The starter story, Second-Chance Sunday by Liz Coley, explores the main character's inner demons and the dark irony of second chances in life. When Stars Align by A.T. O'Connor is any young woman's nightmare. Adrift by Matt Sinclair is about a couple's marriage and the little things, little decisions, that make a difference in their relationship. One Way Out by M. Arthur Stone was deceptive--I had to read it twice to understand what was going on. It's not what it seems at first glance, and it will leave your heart pounding.

Anguish by Kelly Heinen is something that parents fear. An Unexpected Reunion by Jeff O'Handley tells of a man carrying the burden of his past on his shoulders. The Rose by Amanda Hill is one teen boy's bumbling mistake. A Life on Fire by Morgan George is of a man watching his life go up in flames, and the decision that he must make afterward. Navigator by Paul Parisi is of a careless act the main character would soon regret. Through the Fence by Cat Woods is a moment of bravery...or not. One Hundred Nights by Sakura Q. Eries is a story of What-If.

Los Sufridos by P.S. Carrillo opens up the possibility of a place where one can leave their regrets behind. Island of Blood and Horns by A.M. Supinger has unicorns! Though it is not of the fluffy-happy-rainbow-type variety. A Gift of Roses by Charlee Vale explores love and immortality. The Unfinished Task by Michelle Hauck is of a young woman's sacrifice to save what she loves.

Rimorso is my brain-child. This story took shape while I was looking at pictures of Venice, Italy. I've always wanted to travel, and Italy is one of those places that has such an allure you can't help but be drawn to it. In Rimorso, an unusual young woman wishes for love and finds it in an unusual way. But some wishes born of greed have deadly consequences. I love this story so much, and I truly enjoyed writing it. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

These are well-written stories. Some aim to entertain, while others seek to dig deeper into the human psyche and prompt the readers to ask questions. I'm honored to have my story be included in this anthology.

****
Winter's Regret is available for purchase now:

• Amazon Kindle and print format
• Smashwords
• Createspace

There's also a Goodreads giveaway happening right now. Click here to enter!

This cover is AWESOME!! I LOVE this book!!

It's Sunday night, the kids are in bed, and I am trying to work on my WIP. "Trying" is the operative word here. I must confess, I'm failing at "trying".

I must confess that at this point, at this moment, right now while I'm writing this post, I'm absolutely convinced that I fail at this writer thing. My head is in a sad place. My heart is in an even sadder place.

Tomorrow might bring in a new perspective, a new zest for words and writing and ideas, but for now, I'm wallowing in useless self-pity.

The voices in my head are having a conversation:

(While working on WIP) What is this? You blockhead! If you say this, then your main character is basically a floopity-floop [not a real word, I know] because why would she want to go with this guy if she suspects him of doing this [some bad thing I can't reveal]?

*highlights*
*furiously scribble notes in the margin*
*slash and burn*

(A few pages later) What? What? And you call yourself a writer? Shame on you, woman!

*highlights*
*furiously scribble notes in the margin*
*slash and burn*

What do you mean you have no idea what's going to happen now?
Me: *shrugs*
What do you mean you're changing the last chapters?
Me: *cries*


Sigh.

When I snagged my agent, I was pregnant with baby #3. My older kids were old enough not to need me at every second, every minute of their day, so I had TIME to write, write, write and edit whenever I wanted to. I was feeling good. I was confident.

Then, baby #3 came. Sleepless nights, hormonal crying jags, zombie brain. Suddenly, there was too much work to do, and having three kids is NOT the same as having two kids. Baby #3 got sick a lot in his first year. The older kids had school and extracurricular activities (still do). Last year, I only managed to read ten books. TEN BOOKS IN ONE YEAR is PATHETIC! And the writing, well, it suffered. By the time the kids were tucked in bed, including baby boy who is a horrible sleeper by the way, my brain was so fried I'd stare at my computer until I'd fall asleep on my keyboard.

It's getting easier now. Baby boy is turning 2 this year. When he's awake, writing is impossible because this boy is always risking his life at every turn. Swinging from oven door handles, diving off tables, somersaulting on the stair landing, and the classic: jumping on the bed. He naps for two hours when I'm lucky, 10 minutes when I'm not. He's the sweetest, most adorable little monkey ever, but please go to sleep honey, because Mommy needs to write.

But such is life.

I really only have myself to blame, you know. The words won't get on the paper if I don't make it happen. So here I am, trying--and always trying--because ONE DAY I will GET IT RIGHT.

I didn't make resolutions at the beginning of the year because I didn't want to go on guilt trips every time I fail something--like keeping the house clean, for instance. Trying to keep the house squeaky clean every week is an impossibility, a recipe for madness and depression. With three kids, ages 10, almost-6, and 1 and 1/2, I'm lucky when I get to scrub the toilet without any interruptions. (side note: Ten years ago, I would never have thought the day would come I'd consider myself LUCKY scrubbing toilets. O_o )

Anyway, I didn't make a resolution to "blog every day", or "blog every week", or "revive my blog from the dead" because my life is one big ball of crazy right now. I just couldn't commit to it knowing I'd probably fail within a couple of days.

So...I'm not very good at dusting cobwebs.

But here I am, anyway. Trying.

I might go back to posting Book Spotlights. Those were fun, and I've been reading a lot of books lately. [I'm on Goodreads, if you want to be friends.]

I might occasionally post about newsworthy stuff, or random thoughts, or about my writing. Either way, just wanted to say to the world that I'M STILL HERE. Still slogging away like the rest of you wonderful people, working to make my dream come true.

Welp, my kiddos are screaming at each other, and the little one just started dancing on top of the table. Time for this mama to go.

Yeah, I know. I've been MIA (missing in action) for a loooong time. But for a good reason.

Last month (can't believe it's already December), I did this:

So, there you have it. Been busy, obviously.

Also, baby boy has now mastered the art of walking, running, climbing, and driving Mom crazy.

Yep.

Anyway, my WIP's not finished, not with 50K words. So I must away to the writing cave and disappear until needed, or if the writing cave is burning, or if there's another emergency not related to the burning cave, or if baby boy's awake...

Adios.

Were you a NaNo-er, too? Just curious.

1. That meeting writer friends in person? EPIC!

Shelly Brown, moi, & Robin Hall

My KDrama buddies (minus one)! J.A. Bennett, moi again, & Shelly



With Shelly Brown, Jen Bennett, Leslie Pugh, and Emily R. King

I also got to meet more lovely ladies: Jessie Humphries, Erin Summerill, Shallee McArthur, Leigh Covington, and Peggy Eddleman. (Did I miss anyone?) But I don't have pics to prove it. *sadface*

2. That it's fun to spend a day with people who share your writing passion. In my day-to-day life, I'm surrounded by non-writers, who don't even know I write. They are completely oblivious to the ups and downs of a writer's life and the nuances of the publishing world. So it's rather nice to be with people who understand what it means to be writer.

3. That there is soooo much to learn! The classes I took were exceptional, and I learned a lot.

> Scene and Sequel: The Building Blocks of Plot presented by Josi Kilpack
>Plots to Die For: How to Create Suspense and Mystery for a Page-turning Novel presented by Rachelle J. Christensen
>Loud & Clear: Finding and Amplifying a Manuscript's Voice by lit. agent Michelle Witte
>The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow: It's High Time by lit. agent Alyssa Henkin (about her publishing experience)
>These are the Jokes, People: Writing with Humor presented by Becca Wilhite
>Crazy Little Thing Called Love presented by Krista Jensen

I only went for one day so I missed out on some of the other classes I wanted to take--and there were so many I wanted to go to but couldn't! Anyway, next post, I'll share some of the things I learned from these classes/sessions.

4. That writers and literary agents and editors are people, too. We're all brought together by the same thing, same passion: BOOKS.

5. That there are so many good books out there! I need to catch up on my TBR list ASAP!

Brought these home with me! Can't wait to read 'em!

Yeah, random stuff coming your way. You've been warned.

First off, the Great Gallbladder Strikeout.

This is a disgustingly cute plush gallbladder toy. Source << Where to buy it. Seriously. They sell these things.

Two weeks of incredibly I'd-rather-give-birth kind of pain, people. It was neither cute nor funny. My gallbladder was letting itself be known--such a drama queen the little thing was, pshaw!--and it tormented me daily with pain that would last as long as 5 and 1/2 hours (yeah, I passed out on the bed, only to awaken to more pain) on a really bad day, 1 hour on a good day. I couldn't take care of my kids or my baby boy. One time, I drove my boys to their doctor's appointment, and on the way home, my stomach started hurting. My fingers made a dent on that steering wheel, I kid you not. I was determined to make it home alive, with my boys unharmed from a possible vehicular accident. (Mind you, I wasn't being completely stupid driving while in pain.  I knew that I would have to pull over if it became too intense for me to handle.) Thankfully, we made it home and then I promptly passed out in my room (after handing the boys over to grandma's care).

It's been 3 1/2 weeks since the surgery. I'm pain-free, I'm happy, I'm healthy and getting stronger each day, and no way do I miss my gallbladder. Thank goodness for modern medicine (and for a wonderful surgeon).

PSA: To learn more about cholelithiasis (gallstone) and cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation), check out these links:

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-gallstones-basics

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/cholecystitis-overview


Next up: The LDStorymaker conference

Before the gallbladder strikeout, I had purchased a ticket for a Saturday session at the LDStorymaker conference (May 10 & 11) in Provo, Utah. It was my first time to attend a writer's conference, and I almost didn't make it because people, in real life, I'm an extremely shy person. Yessiree, my good pal Bethany Crandell had to talk me into going. She wasn't going to be there, but she's such an awesome friend she just knew I needed someone--her--to push me out of my comfort zone. (She'd probably push me off the cliff too if that would make me fly, if you know what I mean. This gal pal of mine is a real treasure, I tell ya.) So I got me a ticket months before the conference, months before I knew I was going to have surgery. Luckily for me, two days before the conference, my surgeon gave me the go-ahead: I was finally allowed to do whatever I want, even to pick up and carry the baby, except powerlifting and weight-lifting. And since attending the conference did not require any dumbbells but only stamina to endure a whole day of sitting down, scribbling notes, and chatting up with fellow writers, away I went.

It was FUN! It was INFORMATIVE! Was I nervous? Yes, but as I didn't have to pitch to any agents or editors there, it wasn't stressful. I got to meet my online writer friends (LOTS of HUGS and HAPPY SQUEALS all around) and I also learned a TON about writing and publishing. Methinks I'll have to blog about this in another post. Also, there are pictures, but I'll have to steal them from Shelly Brown someday. My iPhone camera was full, and I couldn't take anymore pics, except for one (but it wasn't very good so I stole Robin Hall's photo instead).

With my lovely agency sister, Robin Hall! Sorry I stole your picture, Robin. But don't you agree we look better in this pic than the one I took? :-D

Anyway, I was glad I went, even if I had to leave a wee bit early because I ran out of steam (it had only been 2 weeks post-surgery, and my energy level wasn't up to par yet). The moral of the story?

This is my notebook where I jot down outlines and plots and ideas. I love it!

And finally, Disneyland!

The fam and I had a blast at Disneyland last week. The past month had been especially grueling for everyone because of my health issues, so going to Disneyland felt like a much needed reward-slash-reprieve for all of us. I'm not gonna go into details about what rides we went on, or how we liked Cars Land (we LOVED it!), or what the baby boy's favorite attraction was (the Enchanted Tiki Room!). But I do have to say this: Disney sure knows how to entertain.

And if I really have to push it and tie Disneyland to writing, it would have to be this: That even (some) Disney rides follow a plot structure.



Have a great week, everyone!

Yep. Still here, still slaving away.

My 2nd blogiversary came and went, and I didn't even realize it. That's how craaaazy my life is nowadays. Baby boy has mastered the art of crawling, which means, I can't get a moment's peace unless he's napping. He's also my octopus boy--those little hands, my goodness, I don't know how he manages it but he can grab anything and everything, even stuff I thought were out of his reach. My two older kids also keep me busy. Which means that getting time to write is very tricky in my household. So I hoard my free time like it's gold. I haven't been blogging or checking out other blogs. I do tweet sometimes, but that's because it's more convenient than blogging, especially with an iPhone and a Twitter app. When I do go online, it's to check emails and do research for my WIP.

So anyway, there's my update for you. Nothing too important, really. Just wanted to say hello.

Source: Moriartys

Blurb and image from Goodreads:

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

About the Author:

According to her bio on her website, Ms. Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London.


The Book: YA Horror/Supernatural

I enjoyed this read. It definitely kept me guessing what was going to happen; in other words, a page-turner. If you're into ghosts and horror with a dash of YA romance, grab this book. You won't be disappointed.

A.G.’s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

What? It's 2013 already?

I haven't blogged for aeons, but I'm not going to apologize for it. Sometimes, it's just not possible and that's just the way it is. The clock keeps on ticking and life keeps demanding for attention. Priorities matter, and unless I'm finally able to clone myself, I can't do everything.

So. 2013. A new year, a new beginning, eh? And countless possibilities. My family and I kicked off the new year with a trip to the lovely, and ever sunny, Aloha state of Hawai'i. We left behind the snow and cold for tropical smoothies and sun-kissed beaches. It was fun to take my kids to the places that were meaningful to me and my husband. (Backstory: I lived there while going to school. Hubs and I were both students at the same university. We fell in love and got married, before moving to another state. Some people thought we were crazy for leaving paradise. On cold winter days, I believe them. ;D)



View from our hotel deck

Anyway, I didn't write while I was away. I didn't read. Or think. I just let myself be in the moment. It was wonderful, and a much needed break. Last November, I was struggling with my NaNoWriMo WIP. It wasn't that I had writer's block--in fact, I wrote almost everyday until baby boy got sick with a nasty ear infection, and then writing was impossible after that. It was that the WIP was a truly a work-in-progress--a very rough, cringeworthy first draft. It didn't feel right--the tone, the voice, the plot. I loved my characters, but the writing was just...just meh.

I'm not a fast drafter. I take my time because I want to get it right--or close to right--the first time. Some would think this is counterproductive. We're taught to learn how to word vomit then do tons of revisions after. I'm not this way. I don't word vomit--I carefully measure my words the first time around because I know that voice and tone are a lot harder to revise later on. So anyway, I eventually finished NaNo with 30K words. Not bad at all, even though I didn't win.

December came. I restarted my NaNo WIP from scratch, using what I've written during November as reference. The holidays are always hectic so I had to make room for that, which meant, not a lot of writing got done. Then after Christmas came, it was time to start packing. I hammered out almost 2K of new words before we were out the door. I didn't bring my laptop with me so I wouldn't be tempted to work during our vacation.

Now we're home and I'm back to writing. The words come easily because I've had time to recharge mentally. I'm in love with the WIP all over again. Which is always a good thing.

So, if you don't see me around the web, I'm probably having a date with my Word doc, in the world of Sleepy Eye town and its inhabitants. I'm 3 chapters in so I have a loooong way to go, but I'm the tortoise, not the hare. I will get to the end and I will win. There are no other options.

I'm closing this post with a big ALOHA to all of you! I hope you all had a great start to your New Year, too.

Hi guys! I'm taking a break from NaNoWriMo to bring to your attention a giveaway of massive proportions! My favorite YA sci-fi author, BETH REVIS, is giving away a library (read: 50!) SIGNED YA BOOKS to one lucky winner!

Yep, you heard that right!

Now, I'm never lucky when it comes to contests and giveaways, but maybe you are, and maybe you'll remember too that I told you about this if you win.  *wink, wink* *hint, hint* *coughshareyourwinningscough*

Click on graphic to enter!

Anyway, I'm supposed to write about the reasons why I love Young Adult books. Should be easy-peasy seeing as I write YA and I absolutely LOVE to READ YA books. You'd think I was deprived as a child and as a teen...wait a minute, I was! YA books were not prolific back then. (Yes, I'm older than you think. Heh.) As soon as I learned how to read (I was 5), I was hooked. A new world had opened itself to me, and I couldn't get enough of the fantastical adventures I was introduced to. Oh, the possibilities! The beauty of dreams and wishes! As a child, I was very shy so the idea of brave and noble characters appealed to me. I could be someone else while reading.

But we didn't have a library in our little town, and bookstores only existed in the big city back then. So I grabbed anything and everything that was considered reading material (good thing my parents liked to read so there were always magazines and books lying around the house): Reader's Digest magazines, encyclopedias, Popular Science books, a book of fairytales (this was read so many times that it had to be taped and glued together), and even my mom's stash of romance books (inappropriate for kids, I know, but I was desperate!).

Fast forward to my high school years where finally, and thankfully, I had access to a small library. Still no YA books, so I devoured classics, poetry, and adult fiction. I would have loved to get my hands on a Young Adult book back then. My teen years were some of my worst years, no exaggeration there. I was thirteen when I started high school. I lived in a dormitory for four years. It was my first time to live away from my family and I was terribly homesick--I cried into my pillow for many nights.

The first two years of high school, I felt like I didn't belong, and I could not find myself. I battled personal insecurities, mean roommates, and bullies. I believe I suffered from depression at some point, but of course, I didn't get any help for it. My parents only saw me during the weekends, and I remember my mother complaining about how difficult I had become. They didn't know me very well for I was never home, and I felt the disconnect in our relationship deeply. My grades suffered because I had a hard time concentrating. This was especially hard for someone who was top of her class throughout grade school.

Schoolwork was grueling, and so was the social pressure to be pretty, to be popular, to have nice clothes, and to have good grades. I was awkward, I wasn't pretty, and I had no fashion sense at all. We were assigned mentors during our freshman year. Mine was this gay kid (a junior) who spread lies behind my back. He called me a slut, and claimed that I was always flirting with the boys. Me, the shy girl who could barely form coherent sentences in front of a stranger, who never raised her hand to answer questions in class, and who didn't participate in the dormitory weekend activities because I went home to see my family. I mean, I didn't even spend time with him. No mentoring happened between us. We probably only spoke two sentences to each other, to introduce ourselves and that was it. He didn't know me. He was just a bully, and I was an easy target. To this day, I wish I had said something back to him. I was too afraid back then. I was drowning, and nobody knew it.

Another incident happened with one of my roommates. She was a sophomore, and generally avoided us dewy-eyed freshmen. One day, she and her friends cornered me and two other freshmen. She accused me of saying mean things about her and her friends. She said that one Saturday morning, she was half-awake in her bed when I came in with my other roommates, and she overheard me say that sophomores were stupid, etc. etc. Well, I told them it wasn't true. Besides, I was gone during the weekends so it couldn't have been me saying those things on a Saturday morning. They left me alone after that.

I buried my head in books. I spent most of my time in the library, sitting cross-legged on the floor, in an empty corner where no one could bother me. I think those were some of my happiest moments. The latter half of high school was a lot better. I found friends who accepted me for who I was. I was still awkward and unsure of myself, but at least the fog of darkness had lifted from my brain.

I love YA because it's a time of self-discovery, of coming into our own by ourselves. Despite numerous obstacles and heartaches, young adults are resilient and strong and wonderful. People, even my own family, didn't realize the internal struggles I went through at that time. On the outside, I was your average teenage girl. On the inside, I wanted to turn invisible and disappear. But in the end, I triumphed and I believe I became a better, stronger person for it. I was one of the lucky ones.

My lovely friend Amy Trueblood of Chasing The Crazies tagged me in a bookish meme/blog hop called The Next Big Thing. I'm doing NaNoWriMo so I'll be quick about it. :)

1. What is the working title of your book?

MEDIUM. I sucketh at titles. When I save my files, I usually designate a one-word file name to help me remember what's in the file, or which manuscript is languishing in said file. Such is the case here. 

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Can I say TV? Or you can just go read my answer to Question # 8.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

YA Paranormal Horror, probably. I'm still trying to get an exact feel for it. I do mash-ups a lot, so I won't be surprised if this changes along the way. I usually write Fantasy.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Er, never good with actors' names. Let me go find some visuals of what I think my characters look like, instead.

(Disclaimer: I don't own these images. I don't own their copyrights. I've listed the sources of where I found them on the web. I did my best looking for the original source, honest. So don't sue me.)

Ellie: She's very girl-next-door, and she's always wearing jackets or sweaters to cover up the burn scars on her arms.

source (via Pinterest)

Dean: Ellie's Stetson-wearing, guitar-toting best friend.

This is Lucas Till. He's an actor! So there's one for you. Image Source (via Pinterest)

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

As the residents of Sleepy Eye town begin disappearing one by one, sixteen-year-old spirit medium Ellie Reid must find the ghosts responsible before she's next to vanish without a trace.


6. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Eh, I'm working on it right now for NaNoWriMo, so with some luck and lots of sleepless nights, I hope to finish the first (stinking) draft in about 6 weeks. Maybe even 8. We'll see. It hasn't been easy getting wordage in with my new boss aka Baby having me work around the clock for him.

7. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmm...thinking, thinking. Ya know, I hardly ever think of comps for the books I write. I just write whatever niggles my brain. But I recently read some paranormal titles that I really liked: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel, and Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann. These are NOT comp titles to my WIP, I repeat, not comps. I just like the setting and atmosphere in these stories, and I dearly hope I'll be able to recreate the same feelings I had reading these titles when I write my book.


8. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

While I was still pregnant with Boss Baby, I was so miserably hot (it was the middle of summer) that I spent a lot of time watching TV down in my cool (but not creepy) basement. I watched a lot of paranormal investigative shows. I may have freaked myself out a little, but I do like getting the willy-nillies, or heebie-jeebies, or...you get my drift. Basically, I just wanted to write a ghost story. Then Ellie came alive in my mind, and though I didn't have a plot then, I knew I wanted to voice her out. She's a bit of a walking contradiction (so unlike me 'cause I'm boring)--she's insecure but outspoken, she's needy but so giving, and she's brave even though the one thing she fears the most is her own self.


9. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Well, let's see...there are ghosts, there are seances, there are pretty boys, and oh yeah, Ellie borrowed her name from her guardians' great-great-grandmother because she doesn't have her own. (Ah, that last one probably doesn't make sense to you. It's ok. Just let me write the darn book first so you can read it. And then it'll make sense to you. Heh.)

I'm supposed to tag others but with most of my writer friends doing NaNo, I better not earn their wrath. So how about this: Think of a number.
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You got it? Still thinking?
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Ah, darn it. I ran out of dots. :) Now, if the number you're thinking of falls between 3 to 12, you're IT! Go and tell us what your Next Big Thing is!

Aaaaand, it's back to writing. Ciao!

I'm crawling out of my rock to direct your attention to this HUGE and FANTABULOUS giveaway by my lovely friend and idol, A. G. Howard, author of the much-anticipated, sure-to-knock-your-socks-off Alice in Wonderland-inspired debut novel, SPLINTERED! It's slated to come out this January 2013, but if you're a smart cookie, you'd want to enter the giveaway to score Splintered ARCs!

(And let me just tell you, speaking from someone who's had the privilege to read Ms. Howard's writing, you will LOVE this book. She's a rockstar writer. I absolutely adore her.)

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Whatcha waiting for? Go!! And yeah, you're welcome. ;)

I love beautiful prose. I've been a fan of Maggie Stiefvater ever since I read Shiver (Book 1 of her trilogy, The Wolves of Mercy Falls). So when I picked this up, I had high expectations going in and this book did not disappoint.

Blurb and image from Goodreads:

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

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

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

About the Author:

Maggie Stiefvater used to be a calligraphy instructor, a wedding musician, a technical editor, and equestrian artist. Now she's a full-time writer living in Virgina with her husband and their four dogs. She's also got mad skills as a colored pencil artist. (I worship this woman. :D)

You can find out more about her and her books at: http://maggiestiefvater.com/

The Book: YA Fantasy

Seriously, read this. Beautiful writing, characters you want to root for, and the haunting atmosphere surrounding the capall uisce (kelpies)... Sigh. I can only wish I can write as well as Ms. Stiefvater. (Fangirling here, yes.) Highly recommended. ;)