The Punching Bag Fights Back

First campaign challenge-The visitor

2012-02-20T09:09:00.001-06:00

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:
end the story with the words: "everything faded." (also included in the word count)
include the word "orange" in the story
write in the same genre you normally write
make your story 200 words exactly!

Shadows crept across the wall, followed by a blinding flash of orange. I shielded my eyes from the bright light, but the blinding rays managed to peak through my fingers.

“Are you the chosen one?” A voice no higher than a mouse’s squeak came from the light.

I removed my hands to see a tiny orange creature that looked half fish and half shitzu standing in the middle of the light.

“Uh, maybe?” I put my hand back up, trying not to blind myself by the bright orange rays, making shadow puppets on my bedroom walls.

The creature leaned in, squinting it’s bug eyes before it opened it’s mouth.

“Oh jeebus,” he shook his head and bits of orange goop flew onto the walls.

“Is something wrong?” I wasn’t a stranger to the paranormal, but I wasn’t use to little orange creatures with bright lights coming into my room in the middle of the night.

He sighed, “I think I beamed into the wrong room. Can you point me toward Meadowbrook drive?”

“Um, yeah, it is up a few blocks and a left at the first stop sign.”

He wiped his brow,” Oh good, Thanks!”

And with that everything faded.

W.O.W Challenge

2012-02-15T11:00:00.001-06:00

Are you waiting on a new contemporary novel?

Maybe?

Maybe?

How about winning this novel as en Ebook PLUS an autographed paperback of How to Date an Alien and an E-ARC of How to Break up with an Alien?

I'm giving away all three!

What do you have to do?

Just add Life, Live, & Lemons to your Waiting on Wednesday, link back to this post and comment on it and you will be automatically entered to win! (Note: This is ANY Waiting on Wednesday up until Life, Love, & Lemon's release in April! You have almost two months worth of time to enter!)

For more info about this book and others, check out Good Reads!

Won't you be my book valentine?

2012-02-14T08:35:00.000-06:00

If I wasn't married and was a fictional character, I would definitely ask some of these boys to be my Valentine. (Okay, some of them are paranormal, so that might not work out so well...er....)

Jacob Lau- SoulKeepers

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. A beautiful and mysterious neighbor offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. But in exchange she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a protector of human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions her motives for helping him.

Treygan- Tangled Tides

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

Jackson - Peachville High Demon series

So far, life in Peachville has been tough for Harper Madison. She's survived attacks on her life, learned how to control her magic, and met the most gorgeous boy - who also happens to be a demon. After her latest stunt at Brighton Hospital, the Order of Shadows is determined to tighten their control on her life.

Michael- Exiled

An alien princess exiled to Earth.
An arrogant boy.
One week to get back to her planet or she'll die.
Her only chance for survival? She must help the boy find his soul mate.
Piece of cake!

And of course, who could forget, my two FAVORITE valentines.

Kai- Life, Love, & Lemons (Coming April 2012)

Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse she meets
her next door neighbor, Kai Rowe. Not only does he have a lip ring and tattoos, but he also finds every way he can to get under Bentley’s skin.

Ace- My Alien Romance series

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?

Who is your fictional valentine?

I am real

2012-02-10T09:11:00.000-06:00

I was recentlly reading some comments on Amazon and one person decided to claim that all Indie works are not "real" books since we couldn't "make it" with a real publisher or agent.

There were alot of responses to this girl, but I decided to post my thoughts on it in one of my favorite online places - this blog.

I'll admit it, before I Indie published, I though Indie published books were just for people that sucked. People that couldn't get a real publishing deal with a big six house or didn't try hard enough. Then I met GP Ching.

The SoulKeepers was the first Indie published book and I was floored. Her book is so amazing! I was completely Fangirling out! And by her recent sales success, it shows that just because a book is an Indie, doesn't mean it can't sell like a traditionally published book.

How to Date an Alien is real. You can hold it in your hands or on your Ereader. It has been edited over and over again and marketed by the Indelbiles and DarkSide. You may not want to purchase my book because you are weary of online retailers or you just refuse to purchase a book not by a traditional publisher.

And that is fine, but don't tell me my book isn't real. It is out there, people are reading it and people are talking. Love it or hate it, I'm published. To say I went this way because I couldn't get an agent or traditional house is completely untrue. There was alot of agent interest in this book and I even had a relationship with a publisher. So why go Indie? At the time I was querying, an agent didn't want to take a chance on a YA science fiction book that was quirky. They either wanted all romance or all serious and I didn't want to change it. I love my book the way it is and for those that have read it and loved it I thank you.

I am real. How to Date an Alien is real and YES Caltians do exist (atleast in my head)

Valentine's Day is approaching

2012-02-07T10:30:00.001-06:00

Here's a Valentine's Day trivia question for you. What's more romantic than a sizzling love story?

NOTHING!!

That's right. If you're in search of the perfect Valentine's Day gift, look no further, because I'm about to point you in the direction of some dreamy books. Whether you gift a collection of e-books or wrap one special paperback up in pretty paper with a single red rose on top, you're bound to score BIG POINTS on Valentine's Day with these novels.

ARTEMIS RISING by Cheri Lasota

BOUND by C. K. Bryant

CLOCKWISE by Elle Strauss

CROSS MY HEART by Katie Klein

DESTINED by Jessie Harrell

EXILED by RaShelle Workman

GLIMPSE by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN by Magan Vernon

THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorkle

TANGLED TIDES by Karen Amanda Hooper

UNTRACEABLE by S.R. Johannes

THE VEIL by Cory Putman Oakes

WATCHED by Cindy Hogan

and...

IN HIS EYES, an anthology from The Indelibles, featuring love stories from the swoon-worthy guys from our novels arriving on V-Day! For those of you who read How to Date an Alien, Ace will be telling a short story of his side of things on Valentine's Day: A Very Alien Valentine's Day. And the best part? It's free!

What about you? Any great love story recommendations?

Life, Love, & Lemons book trailer

2012-02-06T08:49:00.000-06:00

Visual Inspirations

2012-02-01T08:45:00.000-06:00

I am knee deep in edits for Life, Love, and Lemons as well as How to Break Up with an Alien, but I don't want to ignore you all, my lovely blog followers.

So here are some lovely visual inspirations for Life, Love, & Lemons that will help me out and give you some flickr photos to look at.

On the Bright Side is here!

2012-01-31T08:25:00.000-06:00

Buy it today on Amazon!

On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby's should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future.

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death.

Praises for On The Bright Side

"S.R. Johannes delivers a cute paranormal thrill ride for middle graders! Even in death there is a BRIGHT SIDE!" - Addison Moore, author of the bestselling Celestra series, soon to be a TV series with 20th Century Fox.

Clever and charming, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is the story of a reluctant guardian angel, her still-breathing crush, and the frenemy she’s assigned to protect. A great read!

-Suzanne Young, author of A Need So Beautiful, A Want So Wicket (6/12), and The Program (2013)

“ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is both hilarious and heart-warming – a tale that’ll have you hoping that there really *are* spunky and determined angels like Gabby who’ve got our backs.”

- Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, author of Selling Hope & The 13th Sign (2013) (Feiwel & Friends)

"With a smart, snappy heroine and a heart-warming crush, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is a page-turning new take on guardian angels that left me begging for a sequel!"

- Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess and Ten (9/12) (Balzar + Bray)

Indelible questions answered!

2012-01-30T12:16:00.000-06:00

For your reading pleasure, some of the Indelibles have asked me questions and I answer them as honestly as possible.

Megg Jensen: Why haven’t changed your mind to Petunia?

When I joined DarkSide, Megg Jensen decided that my name was too similar to hers and thought that I should be dubbed “Petunia.” The only Petunia that I know is Porky Pig’s girlfriend, so I respectfully declined. BUT you will still find Megg Jensen calling me Petunia randomly.

Corey Puntam Oakes: Do you write under a pen name? Why/ Why not?

When I started writing for publication, I was not married yet, but still wrote under my future married name of Vernon. I guess I didn’t want to write under a pen name because I wanted people to know ME for my writing. I’ve built up all my social media around the name Magan Vernon and decided to just keep that name into publication.

Karen Amanda Hooper: If you could travel to any planet (guaranteed survival) which one would you visit?

Calta, no contest. Not only do I love the planet because I created it but A). Women are more powerful than men and B.) Diamonds are as common as rocks. I could just walk down the street, pick up a few diamonds, bring them home and make a ton of money!

Laura Pauling: What are the signs that someone is an alien?

From my own alien dating experience, here is what you should look for

-They laugh at weird things that really shouldn’t be funny, but their laughing makes you laugh.

-They eat a lot of hot sauce

-Their hair always looks perfect

-They have beautiful, smoldering eyes

-They know all the words to every George Michael song

Do you have any more questions? I will try and answer every silly one while I focus on final edits!

Contemp Book Bloggers Wanted!

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000-06:00

Life, Life, & Lemons ARCs should be ready by end of February/ Beginning of March. Are you a book blogger that loves some contemp? Drop me a line at authormagan@gmail.com with your blog link, why you want to read the book, and something pretty.

Co-writing a novel

2012-01-18T11:29:00.000-06:00

I’ve been asked by quite a few people or one in particular *coughKarenAmandaHoopercough* about co-writing a novel.

As you can see, my newest novel has two authors on the title, me and my friend since grade school, Kelly Viel.

So how does this all work? Well, there are many ways I’ve heard how people do this. But here is how we did it.

It all started in 2010, you know I didn’t have a lot going on besides a wedding, but pshwah, right? Anywhoo, I wrote a novel the year before and was furiously querying with no luck. (Note: This was NOT How to Date an Alien, but another novel that is getting an overhaul and will be talked about later in the year). Kelly read the other novel, loved it, and we had been chatting about books and such for a long time.

I decided that I needed a fresh idea, something new. Kelly then said, “Why don’t you write about a girl whose dad gets laid off and they have to move to a small apartment?”

My response, “that’s stupid and it’s been done before.”

I could eat those words now. I started writing and it actually turned into a cute concept. I discussed it with Kelly and she agreed, helping me out with the main character’s names (Yes, she came up with Bentley and Kai) and helped me to get the story moving.

This continued for the three weeks I wrote the first draft of the novel. If I was stuck on something, I would call Kelly and she would help me out with a plot point or a name, or just something to spice it up. After writing it we decided to shelve it. A novel with co-writers was just something I didn’t want to seek publishing at that time.

Then I went Indie.

Inbetween working on How to Date an Alien, I decided to read over this old manuscript and it was actually REALLY good. So I called up Kelly and said, “Hey want to get this thing published?” And she said, “Why the hell not?”

So that is my story.

Any questions about co-writing a novel? Are you excited for some lemons?

Book 2 title

2012-01-16T11:24:00.000-06:00

Originally I was going to post the info about my Life, Love, & Lemons book on the blog today, but instead I have other plans.

I finished the first draft of book two for the My Alien Romance series last night. This doesn't mean it is going out to the world anytime soon because it still needs alot of editing, but I have been killing you all with the suspense of a title.

So without further ado the title of book two is...

How to Break Up with an Alien

Yeah! Hoping for a June release date and will definitely be getting in touch with bloggers this spring. I also plan to have a cover reveal soon :)

What do you think the book is about? Does the title make you nervous for Ace and Alex?

When life hands you lemons, say screw the lemons and bail.

2012-01-13T08:16:00.001-06:00

That's right, Magan is releasing a new book!

The other girl named on the cover? That would be one of my best friends (life long friends since first grade!) About two years ago she gave me the idea for this story, together we worked on writing it (her giving me idea and me writing) and now it has come time for the book to be published!

Here is the description:

Bentley Evans had it all, that is, until her dad got laid off. Now she has been forced to move from her sprawling brick home into a two bedroom apartment across town.

Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse she meets her next door neighbor, Kai Rowe. Not only does he have a lip ring and tattoos, but he also finds every way he can to get under Bentley’s skin.

The more she gets to know Kai, the more she realizes that things might not be so bad on the other side of town. But when a dark secret from Bentley’s past life emerges, Bentley’s new life and her old life come head to head and she isn’t sure which side will win.

Planning for an April/May release date. You may all be wondering, does this mean we wont be seeing the next My Alien Romance book for awhile? Have no fear, the next book in the series should be released early summer and a cover should be released in the next few months with the title and blurb :)

Are you excited for this book? Want more info? Want to promote it?

You can also now add it on Goodreads!

How to Date an Alien, Indelibles launch winner!

2012-01-12T06:58:00.000-06:00

The Indelibles on Fire hop is now closed and the winner of the Kindle Fire will be announced on Monday.

But since you are on my blog you are probably wondering who won an Ecopy of How to Date an Alien...

By Random.org's choosing #1 was chosen anddddddddd

Ash Krafton is the winner!

Congrats to all who entered and to my new blog followers! Not only will The Indelibles be announcing the winner of the Kindle Fire on Monday, but I will also have a special announcement :)

Introducing The Indelibles!

2012-01-08T18:31:00.002-06:00

Introducing the Indelibles
Welcome to The Indelibles Blog Hop!

In celebration of our official launch, we are giving away a KINDLE FIRE! If you'd like to start at the beginning of the INDELIBLES ON FIRE GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP, then please start here: http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/

If you are already mid-hop, then welcome to your next stop! By following the link at the bottom of this post you can proceed to the next author (and check out the awesome, individual giveaways we are doing along the way!) If you are entering to win the KINDLE FIRE, don't forget to make a note of the keyword at the end of every blog post - the words spell out a phrase you will need to enter the contest on the last stop

Marketing guru Shelli Johannes Wells has teamed up with twenty-four other indie and small press authors to bring you the Indelibles.

“We are indie authors who write middle grade and young adult fiction.

We are dedicated to leaving a permanent mark on the world with our stories and words.

We are The Indelibles.”

Each week, we’ll explore fun, fabulous, and fierce topics for today’s teens, drawing on pop culture and themes from the books we write. Check out our official launch Monday, January 9th for fun giveaways at http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/. We’ll also be having a “blogger” chat on January 11th and a writer/author chat on the 18th to answer questions about self and indie pubbing. See our blog for details.

And now with no further ado, I will introduce myself: Magan Vernon

Self-proclaimed geek-to-glam poster child who channels her inner geek by writing science fiction for teens. Even though she slept with a night light until she was in middle school for fear of alien attacks. She now lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in central Illinois where she still sleeps with a night light...just in case.

You can follow me several ways:

If you click through to “like” my Facebook author page, then leave your name in the comments and I'll enter you for a ebook copy of How to Date an Alien.

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?

Visit the next Indelibles author HERE.

The Keyword for this stop on the hop is: Permanent

No Kiss Blogest: Alex and Ace

2012-01-02T06:26:00.000-06:00

It's that time! Time for theeeeeeeeeeeee

No Kiss Blogfest

For all of you How to Date an Alien fans and for those who are still unsure if you want to read the book, here is a special treat: I've included a no kiss scene from the book as part of the blogfest! (No introduction, just relish in some alien almost kissness)

“Okay, my turn.”

He put his hands on both of my arm rests, leaning in so that his face was only a few inches from mine. He smelled like peppermint tea and the breeze after a snowstorm. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever smelled and I wanted to inhale all of him.

“Do you,” his eyes drew up, drinking me in before meeting my stare, “like me?”

I couldn’t breathe or swallow. It was as if all the air and saliva had been sucked out of me, and I just stood there breathless and staring as Ace arched his eyebrows. His intense focus fixated into my own like the answer would be right there on my face.

Then he smiled, letting a hushed laugh escape his lips. “I’m kidding with you!" He sat back down, bumping my knees with his and then turning his chair back toward the screen.

“Oh, yeah, I knew that." I swallowed hard, turning my own chair back toward the screen. He may have said he was kidding, but just as all the air came back into my lungs, a part of me felt disappointed. I shook those feelings out of my head and looked back to the computer.

“Did you really?”

I turned back to realize that his eyes never left me.

I looked down. “That’s two questions, you only get one.”

“Fine then." He pulled my chair and whipped it toward him so hard that I couldn’t even think, or catch my breath.

“Ow, Ace." I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the exact spot where there was still a bruise from where Magpie choked me.

“Why would you ask me a question like that anyway? If I like you?" His stare was so deep I felt like I could actually feel his eyes drill into my own.

I tried to look anywhere but at him. But any time I moved, his eyes would always find mine again. I let out the weakest shrug I could under the pressure. “I don’t know. Some of the other interns were just talking about the way you look at me the other day.”

He sighed as if my words were the final punch that defeated him, and he sat back down in his chair, shaking his head. “You know aliens and humans aren’t supposed to have any kind of relations other than professional, right?”

I arched a brow, inching my chair just a little closer, hoping that it was safe to do so. “Well I mean we’re friends, right? Can we not do that or something?”

This time he was the one trying not to look at me. “Technically yes and technically no.”

I crossed my legs and I leaned in closer. “That didn’t make any sense.”

He finally turned toward me, but this time instead of his eyes looking intense and frightening they had softened with an expression that made him look like a scared puppy. “I wasn’t supposed to save you that day. I shouldn’t have gotten involved.”

For the first time his hands trailed to my fingertips, tracing along my nail line as I felt the warmth from his fingers explode through my body. “But when I saw you laying there, so helpless—” He didn’t take his eyes off of my fingers as he intertwined them with his own, letting their heat lock into me.

“I knew that I had to do something.” He finished, looking up. His face was so close to mine that I could see every line, as if it were molded by the Greeks themselves into a picturesque statue. My lips trembled as his words fell onto them, parting ever so slightly as he leaned in closer.

The sound of the metal doors being pushed open startled us and we both almost jumped out of our chairs. Ace quickly released his hands from mine and started furiously typing away on the screen. I was too shocked to even move, so I just sat there trying to catch my breath as my dad walked through the door.

My Dreams for 2012

2011-12-30T18:32:00.000-06:00

On the radio this morning I heard that many Americans were saying 2011 wasn't a great year for them and they look forward to a better 2012.

To that I say, "When life hands you lemons sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail!"

In all seriousness, 2011 was pretty good to me. I got a new job, had a beautiful daughter, and oh did I mention I released How to Date an Alien which has been steadily hanging around Amazon's best seller list for awhile?

Anywhoo, I guess it is time to talk about the future. What things do I have up my sleeve for 2012?

Well in writing news you can look forward to:

-A story from Ace's point of view will be in an anthology released on Valentine's Day

-In January a great group of authors will announce a not-so-secret group project-secret-group (did that make sense?)

-Spring/Summer of 2012 The second alien novel will be released

-Winter of 2012 the third and final novel of the My Alien Romance series will be released.

After that who knows what will happen? Maybe the traditional publishing industry will stop ragging on Indies and maybe a real alien will call me out on a talk show and say that my book is completely bogus.

Who knows?

Fun with Google

2011-12-28T10:16:00.000-06:00

Have you ever Googled yourself and found some interesting sites? What about images? Because I obviously don't have a life, I tend to do this alot. So I decided to look up myself and some of my friends and find the most interesting pictures I could through Google.

First, I guess we should start with me:

Obviously I am an angry little girl? This definitely isn't me, but it is pretty funny.

How about we see what we can find when we search GP Ching?

GP does like the bling...

How about another Darkside Author? Let's go with Megg Jensen:

Is this Hogwarts? I believe this a poor man's Ron and Hermione

How about my critique partner, Leta Gail Doerr?

Is this Tom Cruise? I'm not sure and I have no idea why this came up.

Time for another Darkside author, how about Karly Kirpatrick?

There are no words...

Alright, I guess I need to give in and Google my husband and hope to find nothing bad.

Since when did my husband change his skin color and get an awesome coat?

Okay and last, but not least, DarkSide author Angela Carlie

Obviously this was Angela's prom picture.

Okay, I'm actually going to work now. I hope everyone goes and Googles themselves now!

Third Annual No Kiss Blogfest!

2011-12-20T11:18:00.000-06:00

Remember last year when you all fell in love with my awkward almost kiss?

No?

Okay...maybe you didn't...

Well I'm participating in the No Kiss Blogfest again this year anywhoo!

No Kiss Blogfest

January 1st is the day and I will be posting a little scene from my debut novel How to Date an Alien, so if you haven't read the book yet you should be excited for that!

Do you want to be a part of it, too? Just go to the link above and sign up!

My FAVORITE scene in any novel is that almost kiss scene, so I look forward to reading yours!

Cover Reveal: Sleepers by Megg Jensen

2011-12-19T13:15:00.000-06:00

Introducing the new artwork for Megg Jensen’s bestselling novel

An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne
was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell
cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable
rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people
years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand
combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.
Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the
one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear
itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who
will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

On sale now for only 99 cents!

I know I'm going to get my copy, have you got yours?

HTDA Lunch Launch Winners!

2011-12-17T19:43:00.000-06:00

We officially have our winners for the Lunch Launch!

I didn't use random.org nor did I pick my winners my self. My wonderful husband, T-Rex has chosen the winners. Without further ado the T-Rex announces the winners!

In 3rd place with Seaweed is: Cubbiesgirl

In 2nd place with Stinky Tofu: Mromero

And the winner with Pig's head is NICOLE SETTLE!

Winners please send me your email address at authormagan@gmail.com

Nicole, please let me know your choice of restaurant, Mromero let me know your choice of five of the books from the original post. Cubbies girl, I will be sending you four Ebooks.

Thanks everyone for participating!

HTDA hangs out

2011-12-15T20:07:00.000-06:00

To celebrate the release of my paperback of HTDA, she decided to celebrate and hang out with some of her other book friends.

Going for a little stroll with SoulKeepers

Kicking back and watching TV with Dream Smashers

Playing some Final Fantasy on the PS3 with Into The Shadows

Taking a bath with Severed

Dunking over Exiled

Taking a nice little ride on a dinosaur with Bound

How to Date an Alien Lunch Launch!

2011-12-05T06:40:00.001-06:00

How to Date an Alien is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can pick up the Ebook at these fine online retailers today!

Amazon Smashwords

How are we going to celebrate? By going to lunch of course!

Here's the deal: All you have to do is list the most interesting thing that you have ever eaten. You can describe it or just give me the name. Write it here in the comments and make sure to post on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #HTDALunchLaunch

What will you win? Just a few things...

A $25 gift card to your choice of the following for lunch:

Cheesecake Factory
Chilis
Outback Steakhouse
Starbucks
Mcdonalds

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

Since I have such amazing author friends, they decided to help me out and I will also be giving away some great Indelibles EBooks!

The Winner will also get a Darkside Ebook pack including: The ENTIRE Cloud Prophet trilogy by Megg Jensen, Into the Shadows by Karly Kirpatrick, Loramendi's Story by Angela Carlie, and SoulKeepers by GP Ching.

But since I have SUCH amazin author friends in my life I'm also giving away TWO more Ebook packs. You can read them in your spare time at lunch!

The second prize winner will get to choose FIVE of the following:

Clockwise by Elle Strauss
The Secrets of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle
Ethereal by Addison Moore
Running Wide open by Lisa Nowak
Exiled by Rashelle Workman
Open Minds by Susan Quinn
Untraceable by SR Johannes
The Fairy Godmather Dilemma: Catspell by Danyelle Leafty
Bound by Christine Bryant

And the third place winner will get four Ebooks from these amazing authors!
This is open internationally and to all particpants. If you are under 18, then you will need parent permission. This contest ends at the end of the blog tour on December 17th.

Is it Monday?

2011-12-02T17:28:00.000-06:00

Who would have known that I would be so excited for a Monday?

December 5th is the official release of How to Date an Alien (ebook, paperback will be out before Christmas!), so I'm just beside myself.

Until then I should probably post something. How about my crush of the week Adam Levine? Pictures? Yes!

Is it hot in here?

That is all I have to say. Go buy my book on Monday!

The How to Date an Alien blog tour!

2011-11-28T21:28:00.000-06:00

Are you getting excited? How to Date an Alien's release date is soon approaching! But wait THERE'S MORE. Not only will you get to read about the book on this blog, but you can check out these fine blogs from December 6th through December 16th and add a little bit more alien to your life.

December 6th- Ketch Tavern
December 7th- Diary of a book addict
Decembe 8th- Alise on Life
December 9th- All things books
December 12th- Operation Awesome
December 13th- So Write
December 14th- Pretty in fiction
December 15th-Nicole's YA Book Haven
December 16th- Market My Words

Then come back here at the end of the tour to see if you have won the Launch Lunch!

Writerly Wednesday: Bad Religion

2011-11-16T11:23:00.000-06:00

To come up with a writing topic that I haven't talked about before can be a difficult process.

I've tackled things like weight issues, gay teens, sex appeal, and teenage drinking. So what is there left to conquer?

Well there are definitely alot of taboos in society that we see in everyday YA literature. With the spirit of the holidays in full bloom, I thought it was time to talk about religion.

Here's the thing, religion is very prevelant in YA literature with books about fallen angels and vampires with morals, but you never really get that full religious experience unless it's a christian novel. Why?

GP Ching and I were discussing her Soulkeepers series and she came up with a very valid point, you can't have a fallen angel story without talking about how the main character views religion. There are touches of what some main characters think of religion in books like Fallen, but it is more or less danced around.

Why is religion so taboo? We can talk about sex, drugs, and eating disorders, but we can't talk about christianity?

What are your thoughts on this?

Official Release Date!

2011-11-14T07:04:00.000-06:00

It's official How to Date an Alien has a release date!

December 5th, 2011

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

This means that ARCs will be going out soon! Want one? Just fill out that lovely form at the top of the page. My condition for giving out ARCs are: I only give away E-Arcs and the review must be posted on two of three locations: Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

The Alien blog tour will also follow on December 6th and the schedule will soon be posted.

Are you ready to add a little alien to your life?

Writerly Wednesday: The series

2011-11-09T14:45:00.000-06:00

OH man, the end is near and the launch date for HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN is approaching. I should have an announcement soon about when ARCs will be going out and the official release date.

While you are cleaning up your pants from all the excitement you just peed into them, I'll go on with my Writerly Wednesdayness.

Today I wanted to talk about sequels and if sequels should follow the book or if it is ok for other series to be released inbetween.

There are multiple writers with multiple series (i.e. Charlaine Harris, VC Andrews, etc) and we expect them to drill out these novels one right after another. Unfortunatley not all of us are fiction factories and can pound out books like that. And most of us also have more than one novel in the works at a time.

So how do you feel when that author releases another series in the middle of the one that you are reading? What if Stephenie Meyer released another book between any of the Twilight books? Or Suzanne Collins between the Hunger Games series? I honestly don't know how I would feel about t hat.

I would love to see more work by these authors, but at the same time once you get wrapped up in one story line you want to finish it before getting wrapped up into another. Though, I do read multiple series and multiple books out of order. Hmmm...

How do you feel about books being released between books?

Manic Monday rapid facts

2011-11-07T09:43:00.000-06:00

Since it's another Manic Monday and I'm trying to wrap up edits on HTDA to get out to the world, here are some rapid facts for you all.

**I have been interviewed! Check me out!

**There still isn't an official release day for HTDA, but I am thinking early December (if I can get my butt in gear). You know what that means? You should put it on your Christmas list.

**I had a dream about Dr. Silva from The Soulkeepers Series. It was strange and kind of cool to see a self sustaining rain forest in Illinois.

**Did you see the pretty linky that you can request an E-ARC? You should all do tha so I can plan my blog tour.

Okay, so let's go back to you. What would you like to see me do to promote HTDA? I plan on doing an online launch party, blog tour, and giveaway. Anything else that you'd like to see?

Last minute literary Halloween costumes

2011-10-31T09:02:00.000-05:00

It's Halloween and you don't have a costume? Have no fear because I have the perfect solution for you in the form of some of my favorite literary characters!

Alona Dare from The Ghost and The Goth Series- Former Homecoming queen turned to Queen of the Dead, is the perfect last minute Halloween costume. All you need is a plain white t-shirt and a pair of red gym shorts. Really want to add to the costume? Go for a blonde wig, Homecoming sash, and some tire marks on the shirt. Need something for your significant other to wear? Just put him in all black and he can go as Will, The Goth.

Frannie from the Personal Demons series - A hot girl with special talents who falls for a demon, who wouldn't want to be Frannie? All you need is a white tank top, low rise jeans, and a giant cross necklace. If you really want to add to the look you can pal around with a guy dressed as a demon and another dressed as an angel.

Evie from the Paranormalcy trilogy- A pink dress and a blonde wig are the main components to setting the stage as this IPCA paranormal fighter. If you really want to add some authenticity get an arsenal of pink weaponry and bring a date who dresses as a water shifter.

Malini from the Soulkeepers series- Need a costume that is a little bit scary and a little out of the ordinary? Once Malini finds out what she is, it's not only great for her, but it's a great costume for you! Wear a red dress and white gloves, for extra authenticity you can have one of the gloved hand be made of bones and walk around with a boy who carries a water bottle.

Hopefully that gets you some ideas to work off of. Do you have any literary character costume ideas? Are you dressing as a literary character for Halloween?

River Deep, Mountain High

2011-10-27T13:36:00.000-05:00

Have you ever looked back at your first novels or even your first drafts and thought, UGHHHHHHHH WHAT IS THIS CRAP AND WHO WROTE IT?

Then sometimes you read over something and think, THIS IS PURE GOLD! HOW DID I EVEN WRITE THIS?

Okay, so maybe most of us feel like numbe two most of the time. This especially true for an old MS that I am polishing up to be published this Spring.

(Here's a plug for you) Newly agented Steph Sinkhorn read one of my earlier drafts and actually helped to make it a teensy bit better.

But anywhoo, I look over it now and cringe, realizing how much practice really does make perfect. It's true, the more you write the better you get at your craft. Heck, if my first short story ever saw the light of day I'm sure that I would cringe looking at it now.

Do you think that your writing has grown mountains? How do critique partners help you out? Why isn't my link working to request a review copy of How to Date an Alien?

300 Followers? YES PLEASE.

2011-10-24T20:35:00.000-05:00

I'm dangerously close to 300 followers, so when I get that far I will have a contest.

What will you win with this contest?

Oh...I guess you know maybe I could throw in an E-Arc of HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN.

But wait, THERE'S MORE.

You will also get the chance to have a character based of you in the second book of the series!

Oh, wait...you want more?

Okay, I GUESS I can throw in a query and first chapter critique for any writer that enters.

What do you have to do?

Spread the word for me to get 300 followers and I'll open up the contest to all!

Why I went Indie

2011-10-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

The big question on most of your minds is: Why the heck did I go Indie instead of the traditional route?

Well, I guess I can give you all the long and short of it. The short: I was tired of waiting and struggling, and now the long:

After college I decided that I wanted to take a jab at writing a novel and getting published. I took a stab at an adult thriller, failed miserably, and then started on a love story about a college aged girl in the south. This story would be My Paper Heart.

I loved my story, my beta readers loved it, but it didn't seem like a winner with agents. Sure I got a lot of requests, but ultimatley it was turned down because of the character's age. After entering a contest and failing miserably, I decided to start working on How to Date an Alien.

The whole process for HTDA was much better. My writing was better, my editing great, and my critique partners seemed to love it. So I sent it out into the world. Agents had contacted me and I had queried them. With 4 fulls out, I thought 'This is it, I'm going to get an agent.' But all those fulls ended in rejections and not even bad ones. Infact I didn't get a single bad rejection just alot of, 'I love the story, but it's not right for my client list.'

I was totally bummed. After spending alot of my free time querying, I decided to work on something new and bring it to my RWA meeting and that is where I met GP Ching.

She read the first chapter of a Sci-fi novel that I was working on and said, "You need to come join the Darkside." At the time I wasn't sure, I still thought that I wanted an agent and to go for the big deal, so I talked to my husband and friends about it.

My husband point blank said, "You have been waiting years to get your book out there, why not submit to an Indie publisher?"

I thought about it. Years of waiting and other books had been published. Even if I did get an agent that didn't gurantee that I would even get published. It was time to get my book out into the world and stop waiting, so I submitted to Darkside and I've never looked back.

Have you submitted to an Indie publisher or ever thought about going Indie? Do you have any questions regarding Indie publishing?

Third Campaigner Challenge- The wastopaneer

2011-10-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

Now for the Challenge (and please note the word count change!):

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post
can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous
blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:
that it’s morning,
that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach
that the MC (main character) is bored
that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting
that something surprising happens.
Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these
random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise." (NB. these
words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning
other than the one you give them).

The rising sun broke through the waves and spilled light over the
white sand beneath me. I blinked twice before sitting up. My head
felt like it weighed a tacise. I squinted at the bronzed beauty laying
next to me, a definite wastopaneer with a farmer’s tan and helmet
hair. I shook the bits of grit out of my hair and detected something
foul coming from the boardwalk. I turned towards the smell. What was
that? Symbatec and last week’s sushi was my guess. I couldn’t sit
there any longer, watching the tide roll in. I had to escape. An
outstretched hand burned against my skin. The wastopaneer had
awakened.
“Morning,” she breathed.
“Uh, yeah same to you.” An excuse, an excuse was what I needed.
Something to get me away.
“Do you want to come to my place and shower before you leave?” Her
big doe eyes melted in the rising sun.
“No, I’m fine, but Thank you.” I stood up and grabbed my gown,
pulling it over my bare flesh.
“Don’t forget this.” My bonnet dangled from her slender fingers.
I grabbed the white fabric and threw it over my braid, avoiding her
longing stare.
“Will I ever see you again, Ruth?”
I let my mind wander to a world where Rumspringa was every day and I
would never go back to the fields. “Maybe, baby, maybe.”

OH, look a guest post!

2011-10-17T08:49:00.000-05:00

Today I shall direct you elsewhere and you can check out my post on Tymothy Longoria's blog.

It's titled: Always a Writer

Enjoy!

Meet me and get your name in a book!

2011-10-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

I will be making my first author apperance at Joliet public library's author fair this Saturday! Not only do you get to see me, but you get to see the awesome GP Ching, Megg Jensen, and Karly Kirkpatrick!

But wait...I don't have a book out (yet) to sign or anything to offer you, why come see me?

Since I don't have anything physical to give away, I decided to give away something BETTER.

If you come to the Author's fair and tell me that you heard about me from this blog, twitter, Darkside's site and you will be entered to have a character named after you in the second Alien book!

So what are you waiting for? Make plans to come to come see me!

And for more info, or other apperances check out the Darkside site!

Ch-Ch-Changes

2011-10-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

With my upcoming publication, I have to say that things are going to be changing.

For one, you wont be following my rambling on and on about how I want to cry from rejections (btw, got two rejections after I got the call from Darkside. I laughed.). But there are some other changes and some of them you may not like.

--I will not longer be doing reviews & recipes or any sort of reviews. Why? Well, for one, it's kind of time consuming and I would rather spend my time getting my edits done and getting my wonderful books out to you. The other reason is that I feel it had become sort of a conflict of interest at this point. Am I endorsing a book? Would it be fair for me to keep my agreements with other publishers to review books when I'm not working with them? I decided that it wouldn't be fair and that I needed to discontinue. Recipes & Reviews, or even just recipes, may trickle in from time to time, but not as frequently.

--My posting will not be as frequent in the next couple weeks. I have gotten some major edits back from Darkside and need to work on those. I'll still try and post as much as possible, but I think you would all rather read my book about aliens, right?

That's about it for now. I'm pretty sure that I could handle still doing all the blog things with editing (I did create an entire alien race in six months after all), but I also work full-time and have to keep up with a demanding baby. So, alas, these changes will be made.

Xoxo,

The punching bag

The Soulkeepers and Dr. Silva's Pumpkin Cocoa

2011-10-07T07:02:00.000-05:00

Jacob Lau's life truly began the day he died. But as he was brought back from life he learned that his mother was missing and that he would have to move from his home in Oahu to the small town of Paris, IL with his estranged uncle, whom he'd never met or knew about. As if moving across the country wasn't enough he also has to face racisim by his new classmates and strange dreams of his neighbor, Dr. Silva, visiting him in the night. Things only get weirder when Jacob finds out he is a Soulkeeper, a protector of good. But how does he know who really is good and who really is evil? And will he be able to hone his new ability in time to save the people that he loves?

Release Date: June 24, 2011
Page count: 308
Genre: Young Adult
Similar to: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Recommended to: Boys and Girls 10+
Stars: 5/5

*The Good:

*FINALLY, I have been waiting for a story that doesn't have your typical all-american white bread teenagers. A half-chinese boy and an Indian girl as the leads? Now that is something that you don't see in YA literature, or any literature for that matter and it was very refreshing.

*You could tell that Ching did a lot of research for this novel because the details were so vivid and the story was so well put together. Ching told me that Soulkeepers was based in actual angel lore and you can tell that she did her homework and got down such wonderful details that made me feel like I learned something, yet kept me enthralled with the story.

*The Not-as-good:

*The only thing I could say that I didn't like was the fact that I wanted just a little bit more romance. BUT GP says that there is much more romance in the sequel, so I'm looking forward to reading that!

All in all, this is a very recommended read for girls and boys, so you should go read it NOW.

Dr. Silva's Pumpkin Cocoa

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

4-5 cups whole milk
11 ounces white chocolate chips
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine 2 cups of milk, white chocolate, and cocoa powder. Cook over medium heat, whisking periodically, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and ginger. Add the remaining milk, 1 cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
If desired, serve topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Just be sure not to fill the mugs too full before adding the whipped cream, or you might have some overflow.

The How-I-Got-Published Post

2011-10-03T12:18:00.000-05:00

Usually everyone posts these 'How I got my Agent' stories and I admit that I was looked longingly on these posts wondering when I'd have an agent of my own.

I sent out 53 queries. By some standards that isn't a lot and I actually got a lot of positive responses. But it was the positive responses that were driving me nuts.

"I love the story, but it just doesn't fit in my client list."

"I love your characters, but I just don't see where it fits in the market."

"It's just too quirky for my book of business."

I was getting frustrated. I had been querying for the past two years (two different stories) and had come so close, but everything just seemed so far away. Then my wonderful critique partner, Leta, suggested going for a small press or Indie publisher.

I thought, that wasn't what I wanted to do, that I wanted to see my book in the bookstores. So I talked to my husband and another critique partner and they said the same thing. "You've been waiting two years, why not give it a shot?"

So, I really thought about it. Did I want to sit around another two years and wait for an agent? Or even sit around another two years after that while I waited for a publisher to pick it up?

I then decided that I wanted to submit directly to publishers and after reading SoulKeepers, I decided that Darkside was the place that I wanted to be. I sent in my manuscript, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. I got a message from Gen saying that Megg Jensen loved my first five pages and requested a full.

I was so excited, but then my husband took me back down to Earth, saying this wasn't my first full and the other ones ended in rejections. So I waited. But I kept getting messages from Megg and Gen seeing how I was, asking if I read their work, so I started to really get my hopes up and prayed that it wouldn't end up in a big fat R.

Then I finally got it, THE CALL (or the text) from GP Ching asking me to join Darkside.

And the rest is history.

I've joined the Darkside

2011-09-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

For those of you that didn't figure out after this video, my novel is going to be published with Darkside publishing! I'm super excited to bring my alien into the world and looking forward to having all of you read it!

More info will soon be coming, but you can always check out all of my girls at Darkside.com until then!

Tell the truth Tuesday

2011-09-27T09:01:00.000-05:00

1.) I have been slacking on blog posts and Campaigner challenges because I've been busy working on something that is a pretty big deal. Okay, that, and my daughter's teething and very needy so I've been spending more time with her.

2.) I just got finished reading the first two books in The Cloud Prophet trilogy by Megg Jensen and The Soulkeepers series by GP Ching and they are both wonderful. You should go out and buy them. NOW.

3.) I DO have a review coming up this week, so atleast that is something.

4.)I baked pumpkin and made my own homemade pumpkin puree. Obviouisly I think that I am Martha Stewart or something.

5.) And I'm done...I need sleep and to catch up on visiting blogs. Someday.

Book bloggers wanted!

2011-09-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Do you read science fiction/fantasy?

Are you a sucker for a good YA romance?

Would you like to participate in a blog tour?

If so comment here with your blog name or email authormagan@gmail.com for more info!

And that's all I've got for today. Stay tuned.

The Fangirl interviews Jennifer Bosworth author of STRUCK

2011-09-16T06:19:00.000-05:00

Jennifer Bosworth is the debut author of STRUCK. Earthquakes, doomsday cults, a teenage lightning addict, and the end of the world. May 8 2012, FSG/MacMillan.

The Fangirl found another great author on Twitter! One day I saw that Jennifer was following me on Twitter, so I checked out her profile and then soon found that EVERYONE was talking about STRUCK. Thus, I knew I had to snag a Fangirl Friday interview!

Fangirl: For those who haven't heard of STRUCK, can you tell them what it's about?

Jennifer: Here’s my newly extended synopsis:

Mia Price is a lightning addict.

She’s been struck so many times she’s lost count. She can’t sleep, she’s covered in veiny red “lightning scars,” and repeated strikes have even stopped her heart on occasion. Still, Mia can’t resist a storm.

That's why Los Angeles, where it never rains, is the perfect place for her to find peace . . . until a massive earthquake devastates the city.

Now Mia finds herself struggling to hold her family together in a strange and terrifying new version of Los Angeles. The beaches have become massive tent cities populated by millions of homeless. Downtown is a wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the attendees drawn to the destruction by a magnetic force they cannot deny.

The blind prophet of a doomsday cult called the Church of Light, who predicted the earthquake with frightening accuracy, says a storm is coming to usher in the end of days, and only his Followers will be saved. Mia’s traumatized mom has become obsessed with the Church of Light, while her younger brother Parker is desperate to join a second doomsday cult called the Seekers. But Mia is the one both cults need.

The Seekers are recruiting people with an energy-based power they call the “Spark,” and Mia has it stronger than most. They claim the false prophet of the Church of Light will bring about the end of the world, and they are the only ones who can stand against him.

But without Mia on their side, they will fail.

Mia’s lightning addiction is both the key to saving the world . . . and destroying it.

Fangirl: How did you come up for the idea for this novel?

Jennifer: It was one of those perfect storms where two ideas collided. I was reading some book I can’t even remember the name of, but it mentioned a fault nearly ten miles deep that runs beneath downtown Los Angeles. If an earthquake ever originated from this fault, L.A. would be in big trouble, because most buildings are not built to withstand more than a 7.0 earthquake. That fact haunted me. Then I read a book by Alice Hoffman called “The Ice Queen,” which was about a woman who is struck by lightning and loses the ability to see the color red. The book included a lot of fascinating factual information about lightning and what it can do to people who are struck, and also mentioned that people who are struck by lightning are far more likely to be struck again.

Struck.

Earthquakes. Lightning. I put the two together, started thinking about how a fault line creates friction, and friction is energy, and lightning is attracted to energy. I came up with the idea of lightning causing an earthquake. Then I needed a character. A human lightning rod.

Or . . . even better, a lightning addict. And that’s how STRUCK and Mia Price were born.

Fangirl: Did you have any pitfalls on the path to publication? How did you get through them?

Jennifer: Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. It took me quite a while to find my voice. I started out writing adult dark fantasy. My first two books were 800 pages long because––I didn’t realize this at the time––I was trying to jam at least four books into one. I was taking everything I was a fan of and trying to stuff it into a single book. It wasn’t until I tried my hand at screenwriting that I learned what “high concept” meant. After that, things started to fall into place.

Fangirl: Is STRUCK going to be a stand alone or should we expect more from this world?

Jennifer: Right now I’m working on a book what has crossover elements with STRUCK, but I’m completely open to doing a sequel. The characters have started talking to me again lately, so I feel like it might be about time to start giving them voice.

Fangirl: May 2012 is a long time to wait for this novel, what can us readers do to pass the time in anticipation of this novel?

Jennifer: Well, there are so many fabulous books out there right now, YA and otherwise, so I know I’ll be passing the time reading my friends’ books. But . . . in regards to STRUCK, I’m working on a short origin story of the book’s villain, which will most likely appear on Tor.com next spring. And my husband and I are working on an insane book trailer that, I can promise you, will be nothing like any book trailer you’ve ever seen. Minds will be blown.

Fangirl: If any part of your book could play out in your real life, what part of it would you want to and why?

Jennifer: I’ve always wondered how I would fare in a disaster situation. I’d like to think that I’d be calm and collected and know exactly what to do. So, just out of curiosity, I’d go for the apocalypse.

Fangirl: Did you have any sort of a musical playlist while writing STRUCK?

Jennifer: I actually made a playlist that tells the story of STRUCK, but I can’t reveal it to you, otherwise I’d give away the ending. I’ll tell you three songs that are on the playlist, though, in no particular order.
Danger! High Voltage, by Electric Six

Kill Me Now, by The Chapin Sisters

Too Hot to Sleep, by Eilen Jewel

Fangirl: If STRUCK were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

Jennifer: I’d have to time travel some younger/older versions of these actors:

Mia Price – Ellen Page. She manages to be cute, smart, and snarky at the same time.

Rance Ridley Prophet – Cillian Murphy. Those eyes . . .

Jeremy – Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Have you seen “Brick”? Wow. That hair. Those glasses.

Katrina – Eliza Dushku, for the sexiness factor.

With the exception of Eliza, I’d just steal the cast of “Inception.”

Fangirl: Favorite book, movie, and food?

Jennifer: The Gunslinger, by Stephen King; Flash Gordon, the 1980 version (It’s my favorite bad movie. Does that count?); and kettle corn. I’ve gone through lone stretches of time where I hate kettle corn for every meal.

Fangirl: Words to live by?

Jennifer: Don’t let other people do your thinking for you. That’s also the subliminal message embedded in the pages of STRUCK.

I should post something...

2011-09-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

I can't think of what to say, because I have so much that needs to be posted!

But here is what you can expect from me in the coming weeks:

Fangirl Friday with Jennifer Bosworth (author of Struck)

Fangirl Friday with Megg Jensen (Author of Anathema and a giveaway!)

Review of Soulkeepers by GP Ching (and another giveaway!)

The Fangirl awards (more info to come on this)

And there will probably be more, so stay tuned, keep following because you know what would be awesome? Getting to 300 followers, yep yep.

Fangirl Friday: G.P. Ching

2011-09-09T05:55:00.000-05:00

GP Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers series and rebel suburbanite who makes wicked cookies, kicks patootie at Guitar Hero, and thinks guinea pigs are the perfect pet. You can find her online at GPChing.com

The Fangirl met G.P. at a local RWA meeting, after much proding from her crit partner (Kienna Riley), she decided to ask G.P. for an interview. After being sucked into the first book of the SoulKeepers series, The Fangirl wants to share her Fangirlness of G.P. with the world.

Magan: For those that haven't read the Soulkeepers series, can you tell them what it's about?

Warning: Spoilers. If you haven't read the Soulkeepers yet, you may want to skip to the second question.

G.P.: Weaving Destiny is the second book in The Soulkeepers Series. In the first book Jacob Lau discovers he is a Soulkeeper after a brutal car crash leaves him orphaned. A Soulkeeper is genetically gifted human being that has the power to fight Watchers, otherwise known as fallen angels. Soulkeepers only come into their power when a stressful event activates the gene.

At the end of the first book, Jacob's girlfriend Malini shows signs of carrying the Soulkeeper gene. Weaving Destiny is Malini's story and picks up three months after the end of The Soulkeepers. Malini desperately wants to determine if she's a Soulkeeper. She's frustrated because she's thrown into The Soulkeepers' battles without the necessary power to protect herself. Fitting in matters because the Soulkeepers are so much of Jacob's world and she's afraid if she doesn't find her power, she'll lose him. It doesn't help that a new Soulkeeper named Mara comes to town who takes an interest in Jacob. Malini has to sort out her insecurities about Jacob while she figures out who she is and what she is becoming.

Magan: What inspired you to write this novel?
G.P.: After I wrote The Soulkeepers, which was inspired by a conversation I had about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Weaving Destiny just came to me. The characters in my head decided what would happen. I wrote the book in a fraction of the time it took me to write the first.

I will say that as the story unfolded, I thought a lot about self-esteem in young women. Girls sometimes define themselves by their boyfriends. Sometimes, women don't give themselves enough credit for what they can accomplish on their own. It was important to me that I write a story where Malini is the hero of her own destiny. She changes during this book from someone who things happen to, to someone who makes things happen.

Magan: Did you have to do any sort of research to write this novel? How did you go about that?
G.P.: I did some research on the game of cricket. There's a scene where Malini has a vision of her father and grandfather talking about a game. Of course, since Malini is Indian, it couldn't be baseball. The more popular pastime in India is cricket. So, I needed to learn enough about the game to write the scene. Most of the other research was done as part of book one.

Magan: How did you decide to go with Darkside publishing? What makes it the best home for your novel?
G.P.: DarkSide Publishing specializes in Young Adult novels for the eBook market. There have been many publishers in the romance genre that have done this for years but for YA it's still an emerging market as more young people get eReaders. I think ePublishing is the way of the future and felt that DarkSide had the most attractive business model.

Magan: Did you have any pitfalls or times that you wanted to give up on writing? What kept you going?
G.P.: I've never seriously considered giving up writing entirely. I love writing. I'll do this until I die. I certainly have enough manuscripts started to keep me busy until I die!

As far as pitfalls, sure I have bad days when I'm not happy with a review or with how many books I've sold that day. That stuff can be frustrating. But reviews and sales are just the icing on the cake. The joy is in the writing itself.

Magan: What's next for you writing-wise?
G.P.: The Official Weaving Destiny Blog Tour starts September 12! Visit www.gpching.com to enter to win your choice of Kindle or Nook. Plus over a dozen blogs are participating with reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways. If you want to win a free copy of either of the Soulkeepers eBooks, follow the tour!

Return to Eden, Dr. Silva & Gideon's story, will be available Winter 2012. There is room in the story for additional books beyond Return to Eden if readers want more from the series at that point.

I also have a stand alone YA called Grounded, a futuristic dystopian. I can't talk too much about that one yet, but I'm very excited about the possibilities.

Magan: Did you have any sort of a musical playlist for this novel? If so, could you share it with us?

G.P.: Yes. My playlist is available at www.thesoulkeepersseries.com, on the Weaving Destiny page. You can also watch the book trailer there.

Magan: If Soulkeepers were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
G.P.: This is a tough one. I think Jacob and Malini would have to be played by yet unknown talent. There just aren't enough young multi-cultural actors. However, generally speaking, if I had to pick well-known actors that fit the descriptions in the book, I would say Parminder Nagra as Malini, and a young Keanu Reeves as Jacob.

Magan: Favorite book, movie, food?
G.P.: My favorite books (I couldn't possibly name just one): Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Memiors of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

My favorite movie is a classic - Better Off Dead with John Cusack.

My favorite food is a cheeseburger and onion rings from Schooners in Bloomington IL.

Magan: Words to live by?

G.P.:"Don't you know about destiny, Malini? Destiny is not a place that we navigate to like a pinpoint on a map. Destiny is a fabric woven from our choices. It is the cloak we wear every day and the shroud that covers us in our death. You can't wait for destiny to find you. You make it for yourself." -From Weaving Destiny

Thanks again for the interview! And blog readers, look for my upcoming review of SOULKEEPERS and a special giveaway!

First Campaigner Challenge!

2011-09-06T06:47:00.000-05:00

You know I'm going to end up following all of you back...eventually...when my child stops teething (Oh please let that be soon!)

Until then you get THIS first campaigner challenge

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

And here is my attempt:

The door swung open and all eyes were on me. The last time I had been dressed in all white at church was my first communion and while that had twice the people, not all of them were watching me as they were today.

I took my steps slowly, not wanting to make my sweetie wait, but just taking my time and letting it all in. We had been waiting years for this day and now that it was finally here I wanted to enjoy every minute of it.

Alot of my family didn't show up, not approving of the marriage, but as the people who truly cared about me looked on with awe as I made my way down the aisle, I knew that I was doing the right thing.

Finally I made it to the altar as the pastor looked down at me, I took one last look at the crowd before he began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Alison Marie Clark and Jennifer Louise Smith in Holy Matrimony."

And then on all the naysayers and angry protestors, the door slammed shut.

188 words, BOO YAH.

Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cookies

2011-09-02T06:26:00.000-05:00

To celebrate Karen G's Labor Day BBQ. Not only am I participating, but I thought that I should share the recipe to my famous Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cookies that I am bringing to the BBQ.

Trust me you will love them!

And while your here, you can check out my blog, or go visit some of my fellow campaigners blogs! I'll finally be catching up and visiting everyone's blogs this weekend. Oh and I'm also going to have lunch with the FABULOUS GP Ching.

So have a great holiday weekend and maybe make some cookies for yourself :)

*1 stick butter
*1/4 tsp vanilla
*1 egg
*1 eight oz cream cheese
*1 box butter cake mix
*powdered sugar
*1 bag chocolate chips

-Beat vanilla, eg, cream cheese, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in dry cake mix and chocolate chips, then chill in fridge for atleast thirty minutes.

-Roll into balls (about golf ball size or a little smaller, I usually place them on a sheet and make all of the balls first) and then drop into powdered sugar before placing on greased cookie sheet.

-Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Will make about 30-50 cookies.

Now I really want to eat some, droooollllll

How to write on your Ipad

2011-08-30T06:50:00.001-05:00

Stacey Kade was asking me how to write on an Ipad, so I thought I would do a demonstration. Olivia also wanted to help, so I hope we kept you entertained and informed!

I'm a Campaigner, like Alex P. Keaton

2011-08-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

Since, you know, my uncle used to say that I was a young politician like Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties, I decided to join the Campaigners. Okay, or I just want to help build my writing platform....or run for office someday.

Either way, check out the Campaigners and watch me as I try to be the next Alex P. Keaton of writing and join the campaign for yourself!

Pardon the break

2011-08-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

I've been in *gulp* SCHOOL all of this week. It's just school for my job, but gahhh.

It's been about 3 years since I graduated from college and awhile since high school, so this having homework every night thing is like a whole new concept.

At any rate, I'll be back on a blogging schedule next week and maybe even have insights into the classroom...or share with you random facts about claims.

Doing your research pays off

2011-08-22T16:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been posting as regularly. Starting a new job is a little time consuming and I haven't really had any good writing news lately, so it's been kind of hard to talk about it.

But today I'm finally going to talk! (And YES, I am relating to something with Olivia).

On the 15th the pediatrician gave me the go-ahead to start giving Olivia baby cereal. I was so excited that I went to Wal-mart right after the appointment and picked up two differant kinds of cereal, bibs, spoons, and bowls. I came home and put Olivia in her bumbo with her bib on, mixed the cereal up and she screamed. There was no way she was going to eat it.

I was upset. My husband tried to take pictures and record it, but all we got was a screaming baby.

So then I decided to try again, but before trying I did some research on the best way to get your baby to eat cereal. I scoped out differant forums and Googled differant things, so by Wednesday I was ready to try again.

Olivia was less grumpy because she didn't just have shots and after playing with the spoon with her for thirty minutes, when she went into her high chair this happened.

Research pays off!

What does this have to do with writing?

Uh...

No, seriously, it has a lot to do with writing.

We research to write elements of our story,

We research to find the right agents to query

What else do we research? What happens if you don't research? (Well for one you end up with a lot of rejections...or alot of wasted baby cereal)

Day One : Breaking the addiction

2011-08-15T12:53:00.000-05:00

I have an addiction that I have been hiding from everyone, including my husband. But today I am finally going to break the addiction.

Blog readers, I am highly addicted to Diet soft drinks.

You laugh, but I'm totally not joking. Every day that I come into work I usually get a Diet Mountain Dew in the morning and sometimes a Diet Pepsi in the afternoon and, if I go out for dinner, I get another Diet doft drink.

Sure there are people that drink a whole lot more than me, but I'm starting to feel like I can't live without it. Case in point, I gave in and bought a can of Diet Pepsi this morning.

I'M WEAK.

So, bloggers, I need you to keep me accountable. I need your help in breaking this Diet soft drink addiction.

Any addiction tips? Why do diet soft drinks have to be SO good?

Writerly Wednesday: The YA Rebel addition

2011-08-10T06:42:00.000-05:00

You all know that you want me to be a YA rebel, so check out my audition tape. Comment on Youtube and DEMAND that Mrs Magan Vee be a YA Rebel. Kidding...you shouldn't demand, or should you?

Monday Musings

2011-08-08T06:22:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentleman, I am trying to write my first short story.

Okay, so I lied...

This is actually one of many short stories (the others were written for Creative Writing classes in college and high school), but we won't talk about those...

Especially since one was about a girl 'accidently' killing her boyfriend and the other was about a girl who was meeting a guy on the internet that turned out to be her dad.

Yeah...not weird at all...

Well, anywhoo my RWA goal for the month is to write and finish this short story so I can bring it into the next meeting and I want to get it turned in for submission by October first.

So I get an awesome idea, figure out the plot, know EXACTLLY how I want to end it, but there is one problem...

I have no idea where to begin!

Does this ever happen to you?

It takes place in a coffee shop, maybe I should go to one and just hang out and inspiration will come?

Suggestions? Musings?

The Near Witch and Fat Witch Brownies

2011-08-05T06:58:00.000-05:00

It starts with a crack, a sputter, and a spark.

Lexi’s family lives on the edge of the small town of Near reserved for hunters and witches. Her father was a hunter, but after he passed on he left his brother Otto as the town Protector and Lexi to protect her family. There are no strangers in the town of Near, but when one is spotted out near the moor, suddenly the stories that Lexi reads to her little sister Wren at night are coming true. Children are disappearing from their beds in the middle of the night and the likely source to blame are the witch sisters at the end of town and the stranger.

But there is something about this stranger that intrigues Lexi and she soon realizes that it may take the witches and the stranger to save the children.

In Schwab’s debut novel she crafts a world full of fantasy and lore set in a historical time that has readers looking forward to seeing how these tales affect people of a different time. It’s unlike most of the fantasy novels that I’ve read recently and sets itself apart by setting itself apart and taking a historical twist and giving it an almost fairytale-like quality.

Release date: August 2nd, 2011

Page Count: 288

Genre: Historical/Paranormal Young Adult

Similar to: The movies Hocus Pocus and The Village

Recommended for: Girls 10 and up

Stars: 4/5

The Good:

*I’m not a huge fan of most historical fiction, but this novel somehow crossed that barrier and was able to combine a more historical/fairy tale piece and weave it with the fantasy elements and romance that I love about YA paranormal books. Once I got started I couldn’t stop turning the pages and immersing myself in the town of Near.

*Schwab did an excellent job of characterization without even describing too much of the character’s appearances. By her dialogue and descriptions of how the characters interacted, I felt like I really knew them. She also had a way of making the Near witch so creepy that I still can’t get the images of her out of my head!

The Not-as-good:

*A hunter/father who passes away leaving his hunter/daughter to take care of her hollow mother and little sister, sounds like another main character that is soon to be immortalized on the big screen by Jennifer Lawrence, doesn’t it? One of the main aspects that drove me nuts about this story, is that the main character was so similar to Katniss. I don’t know if it’s just a clichéd character or the author was trying to embody the spirit of a strong female character, but it was just to reminiscent of Katniss to make Lexi memorable to me.

*The stranger is given a nickname by Lexi, but they NEVER reveal his real name and that just drove me nuts! Lexi even felt bad about the nickname she gave him after she found out about his past and yet she STILL called him that throughout the entire book instead of figuring out his real name. most of the other questions were answered, but this one just lingered and made me wonder if there is maybe a sequel on its way?

All in all, this was a quick and enjoyable read that I would recommend for anyone looking for something a little paranormal, a little fairy tale-like, and an all around good story.

Fat Witch Brownies

2 sticks butter

1 bag Reeses peanut butter and chocolate chips

2 cups powdered sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour

pinch of salt

Grease and flour a 9x9 baking pan (I used a 8x8 inch baking pan). Preheat oven to 350F. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

Cream the sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add the cooled chocolate and mix until well blended. Sift flour and salt directly into the chocolate mixture. Gently mix the batter until well blended and no trace of the dry ingredients remain. Fold in the peanut butter chips.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake 33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with only crumbs, no batter on it. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares.

New Blog followers as a birthday gift? YES PLEASE

2011-08-01T06:37:00.000-05:00

So, Monday August 1st is my Birthday and to celebrate I thought I would take a little idea from Karen's blog and have a birthday party cook out!

Here's how it works. If you're a follower on my blog, (if not, join now!) you make a comment, say what food you're bringing to the cook out, what you blog about, and invite people to come visit you. Then you go visit at least 3 new blogs, leave a comment and follow if you like it. Hopefully everyone will find a whole lot more than 3 they want to visit and follow. It's a fun way to find new blogs and get new followers. The more you comment & follow, the more commenters and followers you'll get. When I participated in Karen's blog party, my follower count practically doubled in 24 hours. It's a great opportunity to expand for new bloggers. For those of us who have been around awhile and might even be getting a little bored with it, it can provide a new lease on our blogging life.

To prepare for the party, you might want to spiff things up, like focus on your platform, make sure your font is easy to read, that you have an interesting bio and post to attract comments and followers. I plan on doing a bit of remodeling on mine, actually looking forward to an excuse to change a few things. In fact, I already started by changing profile photos.

The Cook out begins Monday and ends Friday with a new recipe and review!

Again, here's how it works:

* Be a follower here

* Mention in your comment what food you'll bring, what you blog about and any other pertinent info you'd like to share

* Go to at least 3 new blogs of commenters and say hi. Follow if you like it

* I'll check the comments all weekend, visit as many as I can, and follow if I'm not already.

Sound like fun? I think so! Okay, then, see you on Friday!

Oh, and please click the twitter or facebook icon at the end of this post to invite others to the party. The more we have, the more new followers everyone can find.

Hey Jealousy

2011-07-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

I hate to admit it, but I need to.

I am a very jealous person.

I don’t know if it has something to do with my low self-esteem and comparing myself to others, or if it’s just the Social Media culture of my generation that has put all the world’s braggings out there for everyone to see.

Every time someone gets an agent or book deal – I get jealous

Every time someone gets more comments on a picture of their new baby on Facebook – I get jealous

Every time someone gets more comments on their blog than me – I get jealous.

Jealousy is such an ugly thing and I really hate it, but it’s SO hard to hide that green eyed monster. Sometimes we all just have to stop, put down the computer, and just be thankful for what we have. I’m not saying that Social Media is making this whole jealousy thing worse, or that I’m narcissistic whenever something that I think people should be envious of happens. But I do think sometimes it’s best just to step away from it all and then really look at what you have. We have to stop looking at what we don’t have or what we really want and look at all the things that we have accomplished.

I have finished two manuscripts

I have a beautiful daughter and loving husband

I have a great job that pays the bills so that I can continue writing

These are what we should all focus on instead of the jealous aspects of our lives. And slowly…I need to learn to practice what I preach.

Do you get jealous? How do you deal with jealousy?

Friday Five

2011-07-22T06:30:00.000-05:00

I've been busy and haven't been posting as much as I should. Between a new job, migraines, a sick baby, and querying my life has just been a little crazy. So to keep in mind all of the good things that come out of the craziness, this Friday Five includes pictures and what I've learned from Olivia.

1.) Smile Everyday

2.)Sometimes it's more important to sleep

3.) A book will be judged by it's cover, especially if that cover is bright and shiny.

4.) If you want to get noticed, you have to make yourself noticeable. Shout your name from the rooftops, wear silly clothes, and of course smile at every new person that you meet.

5.) Whenever someone really upsets you or tries to put you down...just remember that we all came out of a woman's uterus, so we all started in the same place.

Happy Friday :)

Flashback Friday

2011-07-15T09:59:00.000-05:00

Since I've been lagging a little bit on the posting, I decided to just embarrass myself and take you back...way back to my freshman year of college.

Yes, that is me and my old roommate Rachel in her bathroom taking picture in the mirror. It was the year of MySpace pictures and this was a classic.

That same year my mom tried to give me a wave and it didn't turn out so I had to cut it all off and was dubbed with "the Jew fro." (You can say it's derogatory all you want, but that's what people called whit kid fro's...and yes I did pick my hair.)

At eighteen, I piled on the make-up, stayed up late watching stupid movies (Napoleon Dynamite especially), and spent late nights at Subway or ordering pizza to the dorm.

That was six years ago...wow.

I didn't know my husband, yet, I was about fifty pounds over weight, almost failed out of college because I rarely went to class, and had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

Yeah, it was the best and worst time of my life, but it's those little flashbacks of my past that I have to look back on to get my inner young adult...that sometimes I wish I could go back to, especially when I want to sleep in and wear pajamas in public.

What was your freshman year of college like? What do you 'flashback' to for inspiration? (Feel free to share awesome Myspace pictures).

Writing Fears

2011-07-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

In honor of Stacey Kade’s Sharks and Boys contest, I decided to talk a little bit about fear.

I think I’ve expressed (many times) that I have this fear of aliens. I actually watched this episode of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files in which this couple had a video of a small little alien looking into their bedroom. So, since I couldn’t get the little alien out of my head, I was up one night giving my daughter a middle of the night bottle and I kept staring at her open doorway, watching the shadow of the rocking chair move across from me and kept thinking that a little alien man was going to walk by her door. Eventually I stopped looking at the door and just focused on looking at my daughter instead.

Okay, yes, my fear is crazy (especially since I write about aliens and have this weird fascination with them), but it started to make me think of the fear that we all have as writers and just as human beings in general.

How many of you get freaked out when you press the send button on a query? What’s really the worst that could happen? A rejection? Somehow we still have this ultimate fear that by sending off that query something really bad is going to happen and we build up this irrational fear in our heads. Like me with the little alien man. What’s the worst that could happen? There actually is an alien walking around my house? Well good, then I could use him for research, or if he’s really that small I could just bop him on the head with my daughter’s puppy lamp and try to sell his body on Ebay for diaper money. (Kidding…sort of).

Yeah…this is kind of a short post. I had more to write, but I just can’t think of it right now and really should go back to work.

What do you fear with writing? Is it un rational? Do you really think the little alien man was faked on the show?

Reviews&Recipes: Original Sin and Sinful Angel Cake

2011-07-08T06:48:00.000-05:00

It was all a lie - a beautiful illusion.

In this sensual follow up to PERSONAL DEMONS, Frannie and Luc return, but Gabe takes a little break and lets a familiar guardian take the celestial guarding duties. Unfortunately, this new angel isn’t as heavenly as Gabe and brings them all a little piece of the dark side that no one can resist.

Release date: July 6, 2011

Page Count: 400

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Similar to: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Recommended for: Girls 14 and up

Stars: 4/5

The Good:

*Desrochers created a story that was, simply put, Un-putdown able! There were so many unexpected twists and turns that I nearly gasped out loud at certain scenes. This book may be a sequel, but it was able to shine on its own without feeling like the dreaded connector book in a trilogy.

*Frannie may have been my favorite from Personal Demons, but Luc stole the show from me in this follow up novel. His transition from sexy demon to an awkward new role as a teenage boy was so wonderfully done that I’m starting to wonder if Desrochers actually has personal experience with a demon turned teenager. All three of the characters whose viewpoints shaped this story had such distinct voices that it made me feel like I knew each one of them and how the world viewed them as well.

The not-as-good:

*Sensuality isn’t a bad thing, but if it’s something you’d be uncomfortable recommending to your mother-in-law then it might be a problem. There was a lot of sexual tension between characters (some of the same sex) and while it wasn’t graphic, it’s still not something you maybe want to share with your grade school cousins.

All in all, I think this was a fantastic follow up to Personal Demons. I felt like Desrochers read my last review and then took all the stuff that I loved, put more of it in there, and then took the stuff that I didn’t like and took most of it out. The only reason I didn’t give this book five stars was because I can’t recommend it to everyone with the large amount of sensuality, but if you are looking for a novel with a great story, an amazing cast of characters, and some scenes that may have you questioning why you are so turned on by the girl next door, then this book is for you!

Sinful Angel Cake with an Espresso glaze

*1 20oz can cherry pie filling

*1 box angel food cake mix

*1/3 cup baking cocoa

*1 cup powdered sugar

*2 Tbsp coffee

* 1/2 tsp vanilla

-Mix pie filling, cake mix, and cocoa together (do not add water). Pour into 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

-In a separate bowl mix together powdered sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Pour glaze over still warm cake.

A little darkness, a little bit angelic, and a little bit of caffeine because you'll be up all night reading this book!

Recipes and Reviews

2011-07-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

The Punching Bag Fights Back was created to talk about writing and the little injustices in the world of being a former teen geek turned glamour geek (if that makes any sense at all). As things progressed I started doing more things like interviews and then eventually book reviews. This got me thinking about how all of the little things I do on the blog are connected and I’ve finally figured out what it is!

Creativity = Happiness

Make sense? Okay, for example, when you finish writing a book you feel great afterwards. You let all your creative energy flow and you feel even better when someone reads it and loves it. The same thing goes for writing a blog. I know when I take a peek over at my latest posts and see that there are comments on it, I get all giddy and excited. You like me, you really like me!

And now as I’ve become a mom, this weird domestic side of me has really kicked in and I’ve started to really enjoy baking. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to create something and then have other people enjoy it. Last week I made Gooey butter cookies and my husband gobbled them down talking about how great they were. I brought those same cookies to my aunt’s house for father’s day and everyone kept telling me how amazing they were. This gave me that same sense of fulfillment that I get when someone likes my writing or even when I read a really awesome book, recommend it to someone else and then they really love it.

So, that’s where this new idea came in. Starting with my next review, all of the following reviews will include recipes that tie in with the story. I will bake some sort of delicious treat, take pictures with book and said treat, and post the review, picture of the treats, and recipe on the blog. Just something a little different to go along with reviews and who doesn’t like to read and eat good food?

How do you spread your creativity? Have any recipe suggestions to go along with books?

Review: The Disunited States of America by Harry Turtledove

2011-07-01T06:22:00.000-05:00

He felt as if it were the corpse of his own childhood lying there in a spreading pool of blood.

Justin and his mother work for the Crosstime Traffic Corporation and spend their time traveling to different alternate universes from the home timeline of the late 21st century. In this fourth installment of Turtledove’s Crosstime novels, Justin and his mother travel to an alternate timeline in which the Constitution is never written and the Articles of Confederation failed to work. Each North American state has become like their own country and not all of the states are so friendly with each other.

Becky is stuck with her eccentric grandmother as they take a trip from their liberal California home to the backwoods Elizabeth, Virginia. If the racial injustice wasn’t enough for Becky, the war that rages between Ohio and Virginia as keeps Becky in Elizabeth, fearing for her life, as Ohio unleashes a deadly virus.
The two teenagers find each other as Justin travels to Elizabeth with another Crosstime traveler posing as his uncle. Both fear the senseless war and want a United States, but one of them is too afraid to admit that to the other and is hoping that they live long enough to get out of Elizabeth.

Turtledove has built an alternate reality that is not only imaginative, but hauntingly realistic. His character’s experiences in their surroundings literally put the reader into the story and feel what the characters are feeling. It’s a good choice for anyone that likes speculative fiction or American history.

Release date: April 26, 2011
Page Count: 288
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
Similar to: N/A
Recommended for: Boys and Girls 12 and up
Stars: 3/5

The Good:

*Turtledove’s world building skills are beyond superb. He has been noted as the master of alternate realities and I can see why. The alternate timeline highlighted by this book is so realistic that if you think about it, could actually be a plausible reality. He was able to build a world focused around what the characters were feeling. In one scene Turtledove describes Justin’s reaction to shooting a gun and it made me see what Justin was seeing on the streets just by his reactions.

*Having two different main characters gave the story a more three dimensional take. You could see what the scene would look like to someone from a different timeline and then what it was like to someone who actually lived in that timeline. Becky and Justin’s reaction to the injustice of the states were so similar and yet so different that you could separate these two characters, but at the same time really grasp onto their experiences together.

The not-as-good:

*The voice of this novel seemed more adult than YA to me. There were descriptions and situations that both characters dealt with that just didn’t feel young adult at all. Times have changed with YA literature using more adult themes, which this did, but it didn’t keep that fresh, YA voice that I have read in other novels.

*The beginning was a little slow moving for me. The real action and war didn’t start until close to the end of the book. I guess that there did have to be some world and character building to build up to that, but it was just a little harder to get through the first 100 pages because of it.

All in all, with this being my first experience with Turtledove's alternate realities, I have to say that it was a pretty decent one. I would consider looking into his other Crosstime novels and would advise anyone that is into dystopians or speculative fiction to do the same.

Misere: An Autumn Tale One question blog tour

2011-06-29T06:14:00.000-05:00

Miserere: An Autumn Tale

(Night Shade Books www.nightshadebooks.com / July 1, 2011)

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina's soul, but Catarina doesn't want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen’s hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven’s frontline of defense between Earth and Hell.

When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina's wrath isn’t so easy to escape. In the end, she will force him once more to choose between losing Rachael or opening the Hell Gates so the Fallen's hordes may overrun Earth, their last obstacle before reaching Heaven's Gates.

Read the first four chapters of Miserere FREE here:
Raised in a small town, Teresa Frohock learned to escape to other worlds through the fiction collection of her local library. She eventually moved away from Reidsville and lived in Virginia and South Carolina before returning to North Carolina, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter.

Teresa has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying. Miserere: An Autumn Tale is her debut novel.

Teresa can be found most often at her blog and web site (http://www.teresafrohock.com/). Every now and then, she heads over to Tumblr and sends out Dark Thoughts http://teresafrohock.tumblr.com/, links to movies and reviews that catch her eye. You can also follow Teresa on Twitter (http://twitter.com/TeresaFrohock ) and join her author page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teresa-Frohock/134892453223242).

Magan asks: "If you could give a copy of MISERERE: AN AUTUMN TALE to any person or being (dead, alive, fictional character, etc) to have them read and discuss, who would you give it to and why?"

Wow, Magan, I really had to think about this one.

I think it would be Guillermo del Toro. I really believe he would get what I’m doing with my characters and monsters in Miserere.

I love del Toro’s works, especially Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone. He placed so many layers in those movies, so many small touches that most people would miss. In Labyrinth, I loved the way the faun became younger and more vibrant with each ensuing scene, the shapes del Toro hid within other shapes, and the way Ofelia’s personality changed each time she emerged from a tunnel. Likewise, in The Devil’s Backbone, I appreciated the way he had the characters move cautiously around the bomb in the courtyard juxtaposed with the careful way they moved through relationships and situations primed to explode.

He puts such soul into his stories.

I wanted to have monsters, but I didn’t want James Cameron/Peter Jackson flash and glamour. The most prominent of my monsters is the demon that accompanies Catarina, Cerberus. Rather than a fanged demon oozing in pustules, he is a seductive manipulator. He never pushes, but he knows just when to nudge Catarina in the right direction.

However, I keep Cerberus and the other demons in the background; I didn’t want the monsters to overwhelm the story. I wanted a story with a soul and I think del Toro would get that.

The next interview in the blog tour will be at Lost for Words http://www.lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com/where I will be talking about which character from MISERERE I would most want to have at my back if I was ever in a street brawl.

Questions answered part II

2011-06-23T07:11:00.000-05:00

Some of my questions didn't get answered in the last vlog, so Olivia elected to help me answer some more questions.

Your questions answered!

2011-06-21T18:56:00.000-05:00

Ignore my creepiness in my first vlog

Ask me anything

2011-06-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

I think I may have finally figured out how to do a vlog, but I have a tiny problem. I'm not sure what to actually 'say' in a vlog.

That's were you come in, my lovely blog followers. Even if I only get one question, I'll answer it in a vlog post for Monday.

All you have to do is post your questions in the comment section and I will answer them to the best of my ability. They could be questions about writing, claims, what I'm currently reading, what I studied in school, how to deal with a fussy 9 week old, etc.

Ask away!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho It's off to work I go

2011-06-13T09:58:00.000-05:00

So...my daughter is 2 months old now, which means that I have to go back to work *sad face*

It was hard to keep up with writing, reviewing, and this blog while staring at this cute face all day, but hopefully I can get some time on my lunch hour to get time in for everything. If I don't...er...I'll just randomly post pictures of Olivia on the blog and you can all stare and go 'awwwww' how is that?

Okay, no seriously. Working on a new project and I have three reviews to get posted this summer, so really I will do that.

Now the real question...how the heck do all of you with so much on your plate find the time to get everything done? Tips are always appreciated!

I should blog

2011-06-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

My life got crazy again and I even took a little vacation, so yeah...I need to catch up on blogging.

I really need something interesting to say, soooo how about I just do a random list? Yes?

1.) I gave up on my dystopian novel since I figure that there is a lot of dystopian novels out there and don't want to copy anyone else's work. After watching an episode of taboo I decided to try another Science Fiction novel. I'm writing it from two points of view (male and female) and the first ten pages might be crap, but hey at least they are done.

2.) Still querying How to Date an Alien...annddddd that's all I have to say about that one, but hey maybe someone will offer representation soon?

3.) I am currently reading The Disunited States of America by Harry Turtledove and it's really interesting

4.) My daughter turns 2 months on Monday...I'm old.

5.) I go back to work on the 15th, but I'm hoping to be able to keep up with writing, blogging, and my little girl.

6.) I should really come up with a new blog schedule

7.) How about a blog fest?

8.) I'm going to eat Yogurt pretzels and take a nap

Fangirl Friday interview with Paul Schumacher

2011-05-27T19:50:00.000-05:00

Paul Schumacher is a fantasy fiction writer who lives with his fiancée and cat in an apartment in Normal Illinois. After getting out of the Army, in 2007, he went back to college at Illinois State University and got his bachelors degree in English Literature. A life time of video games and Dungeons & Dragons have filled his head with stories, and it is these stories which he writes into novels. You can read more about his adventures in publishing and everything else, here.

With the highly anticipated return of Fangirl Friday, I decided to interview debut novelist Paul Schumacher. Paul is actually someone that I know personally from an early writer's group that I was in about a year ago. I actually read an early draft of his debut novel and loved the concept plus the humor that Paul was able to weave into this hauntingly beautiful tale.

Can you tell us about your upcoming debut novel?

Paul: Little Red Wolf is a fairy tale reimagining in which many of the female characters of these tales are empowered with modern ideals. Little Red Ridding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf team up with Goldilocks, to rescue Rapunzel from her tower. Along the way they meet Prince Charming and find out he is sort of a useless jerk... but he IS royalty.

I created this story as a stand alone novel but I plan on linking it into a series of serial novels which I have divided into nine main story arcs. My publisher has asked me to keep the page count below 400 pages so only time will tell how many actual books this will make. Like a weekly soap opera, where the episodes end but the story goes on, I will try to find good cut-off points.

What inspired you to write this story?

Paul: When I was taking a class on prose, I was assigned a book called, “The Energy of Delusion” by Viktor Shklovsky. This book echoed the bard, saying the great stories have already been told, but if we can put a fresh words to old tales, and delude ourselves into believing it is new, then the energy of that delusion can be focused into our stories.

I decided to take this statement literally, and use stories and characters from our past to generate my own. In this first book, I have almost no original characters. While my portrayal of these characters is my own, nearly every one of them is easily recognizable, and most American audiences will be able to figure out which fairy tale or legend inspired them. Personally I would like to play a game with my audience called, “Which story is this part of the book from?”

The challenge of writing a series this way is I must continue to find tales to parody. Over 9 books I have created plot arcs which are of my own design and I have been trying to find other classic tale which mimics them closely enough that I can honor the original tales and still write my own. Some stories are flexible enough that something as simple as a gingerbread house is all the parody I need. In other stories, only people who have an interest in certain specialized mythologies will catch the reference. Also, I will admit, I have been reading a LOT of old stories in order to find inspiration.

What was the road to publication like for you? Did you have any bumps along the way?

Paul: My road to publication has been a dream. Upon reaching the end of my college career, a former class-mate called me to let me know she was working for a fledgling publishing company called The Little Things Publishing which would likely like to publish my book. She was correct.

The bumps I have hit, so far, have been so minor they are barely worth mentioning. My contract gives me more freedom than most bigger companies would allow, my editor is a dream, and even the artist for the cover art took his marching orders from me. The smaller company may not have to power to project my book into the market, like the larger ones do, but they have made a point of giving the artists more attention and more control over their work. As one of those artists, I appreciate all of the attention and freedom they have given me.

I know this story started out one way and you ended up taking a different path than you originally intended. How did you decide to change certain aspects and is there anything that you would have liked to keep in the story?

Paul: During my first class at Illinois State University, back in 2007, I began writing a novel about a boy wizard. I worked on this practice novel for two years before I discovered a massive plot hole I could not fill.

During this time I had been taking writing classes which gave me the skills I needed to become a writer and I wrote many short stories on the side. One of these was a perverted Little Red Ridding Hood story which I then kept writing because the characters were much too interesting to let go of. When my wizard novel died, I was in an Ernest Hemmingway class in which my professor mentioned all of Ernest Hemmingway's stories may have been connected in some way. I decided at that moment to create a novel which would connect to my wizard story and fill the plot hole.

Thus, I took the character and setting of my Little Red Ridding Hood story, removed the sex, and started over. The world I have created for this character is the same world I created for the boy wizard. I also decided Red Ridding Hood's story begins about 80 years before the boy wizard's story. Thus, I know where the story is going but there is a lot of time between now and then.

As for what I would like to have kept... hmmm... there are several secondary characters which were cut, including Dew Drop the pixie and the three goblin brothers. I miss them, and I hope to find ways to introduce them into future tales.

What do you want people to take away from this story?

Paul: I want people to think about their dreams before they leap head first after them. Our dreams are important, but we have been deluded to think they are right in front of us for the taking. Our dreams require hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and a little luck to achieve, but with good friends and good networking skills, we can achieve them.

As a male writing a female main character, how did you channel your inner angsty teen girl?

Paul: When I was growing up, I became obsessed with the legend of King Arthur and the idea of Chivalry. I created this fantasy that women were akin to living goddesses and needed to be worshiped and protected like sacred beings. Naturally this belief was brutally bludgeoned by the real world, but I never lost my fascination for the feminine ideal. Thus I studied women, read girly magazines, watched romances, and listened to my female friends when they talked.

Then, when I was 17, the internet came into our homes. On line, I discovered I could act as a female and be much more successful than I could ever be as a man. Several social experiments later, I discovered women in the United States have more power than men. Thus, I role-played as women, and when it came time to write a book, I found my female characters more interesting than my male characters.

Also, I have many female friends who I can always turn to when in need of advice. A woman's period, for example, was something I needed to ask about. While I have a pretty good grasp on physiology, sociology, and the over all quirks of women... there are some physical aspects which I have needed to go to my female network to discover.

Did you have any sort of a musical play list for a novel or if you had to create one, what would it include?

Paul: I had a variety of tunes which I played at different parts of the book in order to give it a certain feel. Generally I went to www.Pandora.com and set up a classical movie tune list. But there was one song in particular which I used to write one of the darker scenes toward the end, “Day Sixteen: Loser” by Ayreon.

If your novel was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

Paul: I would have to insist that Selena and Cynthia be played by husky “normal looking” women and then Ellora would likely be one of those obnoxiously hot beauties. I would love to use one of the Twilight boys for Prince Charming (as uselessly pretty as he is) and the Babas would need to be played by veteran Hollywood actresses.

Favorite book, movie, and TV show?

Paul: I was obsessed by the original Star Wars trilogy while growing up. I also love the Lord of the Rings movies, and detective shows like “Lie to Me,” “NCIS” and “Bones.” Then there is “Burn Notice” which is a modern day MacGyver. Basically, I love watching people be clever.

Words to live by?

Paul: Blessed be the dreamers, for they breathe life into the Earth.

And if you are a dreamer, be sure to create a safety-net before you go on your adventure.

Also, NETWORK!!! I got to where I am today because I know I cannot get there on my own. By networking, and making friends, I managed to build the contacts that helped me to achieve my goals. Without these precious people, my books would be less interesting and might never have been published. I owe them everything. I hope I can honor their efforts with a magnificent collection of best selling books.

Book Tag

2011-05-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Now that the little one has been taking longer morning naps I've found some time to catch up on blogging, YEAH! (Now if I can just get some motivation to write and not delete the 1200 words that I wrote while her dad was playing with her last week...)

Well, to start off some more blogging I was tagged in Kelsey Ketch's book tag post. I usually don't do these, but this one was really cute, so I couldn't resist. I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to do it as well you can. Or if anything you can just see what I'm reading :)

1. What genre do you prefer?
I like Young Adult. Usually I prefer contemporary, but I've really started to get into Science Fiction works (maybe it's because I wrote one?) I do read some chick-lit and romances, but I just like the realness and relatability that I have to YA characters. (Probably because I secretly think that I'm a 16 year old boy trapped in an old woman's body).

2. Must have books in your library?
My personal library or the public library? Let's go with my personal library...The Sookie Stackhouse series, The Hunger Games series, All of John Gile's books (signed by him, including The First Forest and I wish I could Read), and my signed copy of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

3. Most expensive book you own?
I think I got rid of most of my college textbooks except the ones that were actual books (Guyland and some others). My husband has a couple computer books that run like fifty books each and then I have a grammar work book that is probably the most expensive. (I think that writing, having critique partners and a friend that's a freelance editor has helped more than the grammar work book ever could).

4. What books do you covet most?
Well...it's unpublished, but I would really love to pick up a copy of one of my own books. Other than that, books by my writer friends which include (Not all have been published): Death's Island by Kelsey Ketch, The Prince and the Corner Bakery by Kienna Riley (I believe it's been published under this name?), Seven Rivers (I believe that's the title?) by Laurie Hayes, Road to Redemption by Laurie Larsen, The third Ghost and the Goth book by Stacey Kade and The Rules by Stacey Kade
5. Favorite authors? You can name three.

Megan Mccaferty, Charlaine Harris, Ann M. Martin (I'm diverse)

6. How much do you spend on books in general?

I recentlly started getting more ARCs, so I haven't spent as much recentlly, but for awhile it got pretty bad. I was spending atleast $50-$100 a month on books and knew that I had to stop. I also share books with my MIL, so that's saved some costs that she buys a book and then I read it after her.

7. Favorite book store?
I love little local book stores with cafes and all that jazz, but since there isn't anything like that around here I'll go with Barnes and Noble (which I think is the only book store near me currently...sad).

8. What do you think the current trend in young-adult is?
There is A LOT of paranormal romance out there and I think it's getting kind of saturated. I think that contemporary will NEVER go out of style and really think there could be a shift to more Science Fiction with Beth Revis making the NYT best seller list.

9. What series do you wish had more books?

Hunger Games...I wanted a better way for Mockingjay to end and I want more Katniss/Peeta loving.

10. Books you’ve always had in your library?

The Dr. Seuss books and John Gile's picture books (He's from my hometown)

11. Books currently in your bag or purse?

I carry a diaper bag which I don't put books in because my daughter has a blow out poop problem which may cause me to put poopy clothes in her diaper bag. But I do carry my Ipad which currently has an ARC of The Near Witch and Wherever You Go on it.

12. Most prized book in your collection?

That's a really hard one...I would have to say John Gile's The First Forest (I feel like I'm a broken record about this book). But the illustrator lives down the street from most of my family and I grew up reading John Gile's works (hometown guy again), so it's a book with a great story and something I can pass down to my daughter.

13. What non-fiction books are on your shelf?

Let me just say that I was a Women's Studies and Political Science major, so my non-fiction books are pretty interesting...they include: Guyland: The perilous world where boys become men and I believe some other Women's Studies books that I used in my thesis.
So, to finish… Tag! You’re it!

The Olivia Method

2011-05-23T06:49:00.000-05:00

I sit at home with a 5 and a half week old all day, so how do I find any time to write or even to come up with ideas for my WIP? The answer to that is the Olivia Method (patent pending...okay actually I'm too cheap to get a patent, so you can use this method for yourself!)

So how does this work? How do I manage to have 3 WIP going at once and how do I even get the ideas? Sleep deprivation and random daytime TV is a good way to come up with ideas, but here is how I put them in motion.

A sounding board- Sometimes Olivia just likes to hear my voice, but how much do you really have to talk about with an infant? This last week I started talking out loud to hear about ideas for my WIP. By saying the ideas out loud I figured out what it actually sounded like and if the ideas actually made sense. Olivia doesn't talk back (she does make 'Ah-goo' sounds and cries sometimes), but when she'll give me a concerned look it makes me re-think the idea or even come up with another idea.

Example: I gave Olivia the idea for one of my WIP then she gave me her trademark 'concerned' look and I realized that I had no idea how it would end or even where the book would go. By saying it out loud and thinking about it, I finally came up with an idea how to eventually wrap up the story and have series potential.

Late night feedings- Okay, so not everyone is going to wake up in the middle of the night to feed a child, but sometimes we all have those dreams that are so vivid they can spark an idea. I'm able to get up after these dreams and ponder this idea. Since I'm up for about half an hour, not doing anything but feeding Olivia, I have a lot of time to think about these dreams or even just think on ideas that I currently have.

How can you use this?: When I do have these ideas in the middle of the night, I now try and take notes on my Ipad or write them down. You may not get up in the middle of the night to write down your idea, but it could help to have a notebook by your bed to write down that idea and even take some down time to think about that idea the next day.

Write when you can- I used to have SO much time to write and edit. Now I'm constantly playing with Olivia or feeding her or napping with her. I've now learned to make the most of the time that I have to write. Now I take those notes and ideas and plug them into my WIP. I don't have the time to have writer's block and even if I think an idea might not work, I plug it in anyways to get something written down while Olivia is entertained my her play mat for 10 minutes or Daddy has taken her for a little while to play.

Make reasonable goals- Just like with Olivia, I have to set reasonable writing goals. I make little weekly goals of things I want to accomplish with her (i.e. have her sleep through the night, wean her off of supplementing, getting her in her crib, etc). I can't expect to get all of these goals accomplished at once and neither should someone in their writing. I've realized that I can't plug out an entire novel in a week and I should expect to accomplish my Olivia goals in a week either. Things take time. I've been making little writing goals and it helps to keep me writing, while still having time for my duaghter.

Have you used others to help with your writing goals? Have you used any of the Olivia Method? How the heck do mom's ever find time to write?

Queen of The Dead by Stacey Kade-An ARC review

2011-05-20T13:43:00.000-05:00

Add to all of that, the person that I spent the most time with now was a beauitufl girl who happened to be a spirit but who was still living (in her own way) and very touchable?

After returning from the light former homecoming queen –current Queen of the dead- Alona Dare is spending her after-life helping others to see the light alongside social outcast, Will Killian.

Will used to be afraid of his ghost-talking abilities until he realized that one ghost in particular, a certain queen, may or may not be more-than-a-friend. But before Will or Alona can decide, they run into another ghost-talker by the name of Mina who has information about Will's ‘abilities’ that he is willing to do anything to find out about…even leave Alona behind.

First Will ignores Alona for a frizzy haired ghost talker and now Alona’s parents are replacing her. Alona’s mom has packed up garbage bags full of Alona’s precious memories and her father is having a new daughter with his wicked new wife. This is definitely not a plus for Alona. Too bad Will is too busy trying to figure out information from Mina and has left Alona to her own devices…which is never a good idea.

The two go on their separate journeys to look for answers to their problems, but find themselves caught in a situation that could lead to drastic consequences for Alona and open a secret door to a world that Will never knew existed…until now.

Queen of the Dead is like a frozen mocha, you really want to savor every drop, but it’s so good that you can’t help but gulp it down! When I read the description of this book I was expecting a completely different story, so it was like finding a mound of Oreos that made me crave more as I turned each page.

Release date: May 31, 2011
Page Count: 272
Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Young Adult
Similar to: Beastly by Alex Flinn
Recommended for: Girls 12 and up
Stars: 5/5

The good:

· One of the best things about Kade’s writing is that she nails the teenage voice for both genders. Will is a genuine teenage boy with his inner thoughts about Alona’s legs and a personality that seems so real it’s life-like. I’m pretty sure that Kade was never a “mean girl,” in school, but she gave Alona a voice and personality that made me understand her mean girl ways and actually like this Queen.

· It seems like most paranormal trilogies use a love triangle to lead into the later books, but Kade took a twist on that love triangle and made it less about a love story and more of a real story. She had twists that I never expected and each page was like a new surprise that I would have never predicted.

The not-as-good:

o I usually don’t like when authors use current technology or music in their novels and Kade did do this, but honestly her use of current technology was really funny and totally relevant. I actually laughed out loud when she talked about Ipads and charting fashions. I’d still prefer to not see names of current bands or even technology, but it’s something that can really help a contemporary story.

o It’s not really a bad thing, but the description that I read of this novel actually gave me a completely different idea about what this story would entail. When I read the description closely I realized that it was written to try not to give away spoilers. At first I was actually annoyed by this, but then I realized that it was better not to actually know what was happening and savor the story as it went along.

All in all, I thought that this was a great follow-up to The Ghost and the Goth. There was a mystery and a killer cliff-hanger that has me really eager for the third installment of this series. I highly recommend that anyone looking for a fun and page-turning read to check out this novel.

Writing elements that make you go 'Hmmmmmmmmmm'

2011-05-18T10:38:00.000-05:00

After reviewing a few books now, I’ve realized that there are certain elements that writers use that can automatically make me twitch a little. They aren’t always a bad thing, but it can sometimes be my reason for not enjoying the book or give it the full five stars. It does help, though, as I work on my own writing to realize things that I don’t like and then not put those elements in my work. What are some of them you may ask? Well…I just happen to have this handy list here!

Character overload: It’s only the first chapter, but you’ve already been introduced to every single character in the story and it takes you until about chapter 20 before you can figure out who’s who.

Description dumping: It’s nice to get a picture in our head of what our character looks like or what their crush looks like, but really I don’t need paragraphs or pages describing their long blonde hair and pale eyes. Or even just pages of them doing some mindless detail, so you can get every description of their body from their yellow toe nails to the top of their dandruff-ridden head.

Current day slang: In the Seventies it was ‘groovy’ in the Nineties it was ‘cool’ and lately it’s been ‘Epic.’ If you use current terms, they can easily date a book. Some will transcend the test of time, or are used in diary style narratives, but mostly they just tend to make the text look out of date.

Pop culture: This is one that I’ve commented on A LOT when I review a book. If current day slang bothers me then it’s no wonder that mentioning things like a current song or actor just rubs me the wrong way. I remember on one #askagent someone stating, “If you have a character like the music that you did when you were a teenager it isn’t edgy. It just makes you look old.” Ouch…maybe modern day teenagers like Backstreet Boys! Anyone? Anyone?

The nice guy finishes last: Why is it that there is always the best friend or the nerdy guy that likes the main character, but she always ends up with the bad boy or the brooding jock? Why can’t she just end up with the geek?

Do these writing elements bug you? Are there any other writing elements that you see over and over that automatically rub you the wrong way in a story? (Note: Sorry if you have used any of these elements and this offends you. It’s just my opinion)

Monday Musings

2011-05-16T07:20:00.000-05:00

Still here and trying to get a little inspiration for my Dystopian project, so here is a little visual inspiration to get me going...and hopefully it will inspire some of your projects as well :) (Note: All photos are from Flickr)

Olivia has chosen a winner!

2011-05-14T07:48:00.000-05:00

Okay...so actually Olivia didn't pick the winner. She just whined that I was on the Ipad and not paying attention to her, so I had to wait until her morning nap on Saturday (and after all the bugs were worked out of blogger) to pick a winner.

And the winner is...

Nicole Settle!

HOOOORAAAAAAAAY

*Throws Confetti*

Thanks for all who entered, Nicole I will be emailing you, and everyone should still pick up a copy of this book anyways and check out my review of the second book in the series, Queen of the Dead next week!

Putting Makeup on Dead People- An ARC review

2011-05-11T06:16:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure it's even less normal for me to feel so comfortable near her coffin and corpse.

Donna Parisi's dad passed away four years ago, but the weight of his death has loomed over her ever since. She's just been going through the motions, unsure of what she really wants to do with her life until she finds herself standing in front of a dead classmate's casket and realizing that is exactly where she wants to be in life, in front of a casket and helping others cope with death.

That moment begins Donna's transformation. With a little help from a charismatic new friend, Liz, Donna begins a new life that she never thought possible. Of course not everyone is exactly happy with Donna's new found love for the dead. When Donna tells her mom that she's applying to mortuary school and is going to start working at the Brighton Brother's funeral home, it doesn't sit well. Then again, it's the first time Donna has had a passion for anything since her father passed away and for the first time she's really felt alive while hanging out with dead people.

Violi's story of teenage transformation was a breath of fresh air with a main character that wasn't a cliche YA girl. Donna Parisi and her family are like a normal Italian catholic family that I feel like I would see sitting across the aisle from me at church and loved reading about characters and a story line that felt real and not forced. She made me want to know these characters and was able to give away a moral without having to do an after school special get the message across.

Release date: May 24, 2011

Page Count: 336
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Similar to: How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
Recommended for: Girls 12 and up
Stars: 3.5/5

The Good:

*I haven't found a YA novel that uses a young Italian girl as the main character and I was finally able to find one in this debut novel. Not only was she Italian, but she wasn't the stereotyped Italian that you'd find on TV, but a real Italian girl that you'd actually find outside of reality TV.

*The characters and the story were very real. There wasn't any part of the story that seemed far fetched or that I couldn't see happening in real life. Even in contemporary novels sometimes the themes can be over the top,but Violi managed to write a great story and keep it rooted in reality.

The not-as-good:

* When I read about the concept of this story I was intrigued and really wanted to read about the main character's experience in the funeral home. Unfortunately it seemed as though the funeral home was a side story and got lost with everything else that was going on.

*There was a lot of spirituality talk throughout the novel, everything from spirits to late night rituals in the woods. Not only were there a lot of spiritual elements, but they almost took away from the story. Instead of focusing on the character's thoughts on death it went back to discussing the spiritual elements of how they were interpreted by the people around her. I wanted more on the main character's thoughts on things instead of a lot of spiritual talk.

All in all, I did enjoy switching to a fun, contemporary story for a change even though I was expecting something a little less light hearted from a book with 'dead' in the title. If you are looking for something light hearted and contemporary then this novel may be worth picking up.

*ARC and artwork courtesy of Disney Hyperion books

Love don't come easy

2011-05-09T06:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's a cheesy song and, yes, I've been gone for awhile. But in celebration of yesterday being mother's day (and my return to try and blog again) I thought I would share with everyone something that I've learned from my daughter....the things that you love don't come easy.

In October of 2009 I left work very sick and found out that I had Polycystic ovary syndrome. My gynecologist put me on medication and told me that I might have trouble conceiving. I was engaged and was devastated that after getting married that I could possibly not have children. I could have given up at that point, wallowed in my own self pity and started looking at adopting, but I didn't. Instead I lost weight, took medication and did what I needed to do increase my chances of having a child (even though I thought they were slim.)

And then low and behold I did get pregnant. Yeah...those people that say shows like Teen Mom are making people want to get pregnant, all of these teen girls need to just hang out with a pregnant woman before they decide they want a child fashion accessory. I was tired, nauseous, and the size of a small house-- I just wanted the baby out of me and then she came.

I love my daughter, but the first two weeks of motherhood are HARD. You're sore, tired, and both you and baby are getting used to each other so nothing comes easy...I honestly didn't think I could do it.

But now my daughter is almost a month old and we're both still alive, so it's definitely a plus.

What does this have to do with writing? Or anything really? Well the other day I got an answer back from an agent that has had my manuscript for awhile. She said my writing was good, but the story was just too light for her. I could have cried, I could have said it was time to give up, but then my wise husband said something. "The more that you work for something the more that you appreciate it."

Which is SO true! I had to work to have our daughter, I had to work hard those first few weeks of her life, and I've been working SO hard to get published the past two years. If you really love something then you'll work for it. Publication may not come easy, but if you love something then it's worth working for.

What hasn't come easy for you? What makes you want to push farther? Doesn't my daughter look like she is innocent in that picture? (She actually cried her entire newborn photo session...those two weeks can kill you.) And have you entered my contest for a signed copy of The Ghost and the Goth? (Ends Friday!)

Olivia is giving away an autographed book!

2011-05-06T06:57:00.000-05:00

In celebration of the birth of my daughter, Olivia, and the upcoming release of Stacey Kade's 2nd novel in the Ghost and the Goth series, Queen of the Dead; Olivia and I decided that we should give away an autographed copy of The Ghost and the Goth!

I told Stacey Kade how much I enjoyed the first book and after reading the second book (review coming at the end of this month), I really wanted to do a giveaway to celebrate the book and to thank all my blog followers for still following me after my little having a baby hiatus. Also? You all need to read The Ghost and the Goth and then go and purchase Queen of the Dead when it comes out on the 31st!

How do you enter? All you have to do is fill out the little form below before next Friday (the 13th) and 12pm central and you could be a winner! This contest is for US residents only, but otherwise just about anyone can win! Happy entering!

Blogging Break

2011-04-16T18:55:00.000-05:00

If there was one thing that being a writer prepared me for it's those sleepless nights as a new mom...unfortunately that didn't prepare me for not having much of a life other than caring for another human being.

So because of that I am taking an indefinite blogging break. I'm going to try and update as much as I can (for sure there are two book reviews coming up), but other than that my Twitter and blog may be pretty quite.

Thank you all for being such loyal readers and I promise a contest is in the works for all of you to make up for it!

The Girlmance

2011-04-11T07:24:00.000-05:00

We've all seen the buddy-buddy bromances that were made popular by such movies as I LOVE YOU MAN, but what about the girls? Where are those books and movies with the girl friendships? Where are the GIRLMANCES?

Girlmances are actually harder to find in literature than I thought they would be. Most novels seem to focus on a budding romance than a friendship. BUT that doesn't mean that I couldn't find any, so here are three of my favorite girlmances in novels.

Evie and Lish: PARANORMALCY- If you haven't read the book, sorry, this is a spoiler. When Lish died, I cried. Just the raw emotion that Evie had for losing her best friend was enough to make me lose it myself. Kiersten White created a friendship that ignored that difference in species and SHOWED you why these two were such good friends and made me believe it.

Katniss and Rue: THE HUNGER GAMES - In a game in which everyone is your enemy, Katniss found a friendship that would show her just how real the games could be. At first it may have looked like a big sister relationship for Katniss, but as the games went on it was clear that these two girls were equal and there to help each other out. (yes another spoiler, if you haven't read the Hunger Games...uhhhh...then you may need to pick that up) When Rue died I felt the same fire that Katniss had. The girlmance was so believable that I wanted to get into the games myself and fight for Rue.

Bella and Alice: NEW MOON, ECLIPSE- I don't feel like the movies touched on this much, but I believe that the books really showed the budding friendship that had developed between Bella and Alice. Their friendship may have started out rocky, but it seemed like once Alice accepted Bella then the rest of the Cullen clan followed. It may not be the best example of a girlmance, but I could definitely see the life-long friendship that had developed between them.

For some reason it was pretty hard for me to find girlmances in YA literature. I know there has to be more, but all I could think about were some friendships, but the focus was more on the romance than anything else. With that said...it was a little easier to think of characters from television and movies who fit the "girlmance" bill.

The two that stand out the most to me from television would have to be The Sex and the City girls and The Golden Girls. These were two series in which a group of four women's friendships lasted through rocky relationships, death, and everything else that you could imagine. Instead of completely focusing on their romantic relationships (which seems to happen in movies or novels with the girlmance being on the side) the girlmance is the main focus on both of these shows.

Are there any other books or movies that you could think of that have a great girlmance? Have you thought about adding a girlmance in your own WIP? Did you know that when you google girlmance that my blog comes up?

Friday Five

2011-04-08T09:24:00.000-05:00

I'm still here and still pregnant, so I guess I should do some sort of a Friday Five update? Perhaps? We'll go with it.

1.) In blogging news, I have two reviews and TWO contests coming up. Bwahahahahaha. Teasing isn't it? The contests don't have to do with me getting an agent, but they do include some great books. (One is an ARC that I'm sure many of you have been waiting for by a certain lady with the initials EJ and the other is a book from a wonderful lady who writes about ghosts...and goths...). I'm hoping to get the interviews and contests up by May, so you may just have to hold still for awhile.

2.) How am I going to do all these contests with a baby in one hand and my computer in the other? I don't have to...I picked my Ereader/Tablet. Yes, I'll probably do a post on this, but after doing some more of my own research my husband bought me the Ipad2 as a mother's day gift. It's still going to be at least another two weeks before it gets here, but you can except some wonderful 2 am tweets!

3.) In writing news, I decided to put aside my "for fun" novel and start on another project. It's very gritty, very dystopian and it's a love story. My original idea ended up sounding like everyone's dystopian project, so actually after reading a review of MEMENTO NORA I thought of how to make mine different. For now it's a secret and only my critique partners know, but maybe I'll share something someday :)

4.) When I decided to start doing book reviews, I didn't realize how many of them I would actually get. It's definitely not a bad thing, but man I feel like I'm giving you all a review a week. Are you okay with all of these reviews loyal blog readers? I still have four more books to read before June and if you are tired of my reviews I'm willing to bow out. I don't want to have a complete review blog, but I actually kind of enjoy reading books and figuring out what I like and dislike about certain writing. The more you read, the more you realize what you like.

5.) The hiatus is still coming and I'm sorry for being so grumpy and not posting regularly. I've realized that there are a lot of ups and downs to late pregnancy and have even been comparing it with querying. You know how you work for months, years, whatever on a novel and you get out to query and you think your so close to getting that agent and only end up with rejections? Yeah pregnancy false alarms are like that... But in the end I know that someday I will have an agent and someday I will have a baby (even those women with the stone babies for 60 years eventually have theres!). And I actually haven't received a rejection lately, so at least I have something going for me...right?

How is everyone doing? Did you miss me?

Magan Wants an Ereader: Kindle v. Ipad

2011-04-04T07:12:00.000-05:00

On my continued quest for an Ereader/ Tablet I asked another one of my fellow RWA member, Kathy Tosh, about her Ereading devices. She has an Ipad1 and a Kindle, so she decided to compare the two for me.

Does the device have a USB port?

Kindle – Yes

iPad – Yes

Can you read in the sunlight?

Kindle – Yes

iPad – Yes

Can you listen to music?

Kindle – Yes, although I never have

iPad – Yes

Can you access the internet / email?

Kindle – Sorta. I know I can send myself documents to read and edit on my Kindle, but I haven’t done so and probably won’t. I think it’s 15 cents to do it.

iPad – Yes

Can you write on this device?

Kindle – Not really

iPad – Yes

Can you edit on this device or critique?

Kindle – Sorta

iPad – Yes

What do you mainly use the device for?

Kindle – Call me a purist, but when I sit down with my Kindle, it’s to read. That’s why I wanted it.

iPad – I mainly use it to write, to surf the Internet, and yes, to play some games.

What do you like best about this device?

Kindle – I honestly LOVE both of these devices, but as I said, my Kindle is my reading-specific device. There aren’t other distractions taking my attention away from reading, which is my ultimate me-time enjoyment. Specifically, I really dig the dictionary at the touch of a button. The Kindle causes less eye strain than other devices (because it isn’t backlit). Shopping is maybe a little TOO easy, but it’s great, and since it’s directly connected to my Amazon account, they “know” me, and I get all those good recommendations.

iPad – The coolest of the cool, this is a device that you can truly customize. It does SO much. I especially love turning it on and instantly being connected to the Internet. None of that grinding away to get the computer up and running. I love that I have a computer that weighs next to nothing and is so portable. It’s fast, it’s easy to use, it’s awesome.

What do you like least about the device?

Kindle – I love everything about it.

iPad – Not having Adobe Flash

What program do you use to read books?

Kindle all the way (and the good old paper kind, too, of course).

How long is the battery life?

Kindle – Long. Depending on how much I read, I can go without recharging it for an entire weekend. I think because it’s not backlit it doesn’t use much charge.

iPad – If I use it heavily, probably the better part of a day. Depends on what you’re doing, of course. Some games suck battery life. I believe if you turn down the brightness, you can save on your battery life.

What are the graphic like?

Kindle – Pretty decent, although no color, but I’m not reading any picture books, so that’s fine with me.

iPad – Great.

What is the coolest feature of this device?

Kindle – It’s super fast to download books, and I can do it anytime, anywhere. It’s 3G, so I can shop in the car if I want (as a passenger, of course).

iPad – How much you can do, but it all depends on what YOU want to do. Our son-in-law is a doctor, and he uses one to take notes on his patients rather than dragging a computer around, so it’s a work tool (with a much longer battery life than a laptop). I love the portability of it and the ease of use. I can instantly turn it on anywhere and immediately start to work – in a restaurant, at my kitchen counter, in the car (again, as a passenger).

How much does this device usually cost?

Lucky me, I didn’t pay for either of them. They were gifts – the benefit of a significant other who hates to shop and is willing to pay not to have to! However, had I purchased them, the Kindle was around $300 at the time (cheaper now), and iPad was $800 because I got the one with 32 GB and 3G enabled.

Do you have any upgrades on this device?

Kindle – Good question. I think it automatically upgrades, which I’m pretty sure it’s done a few times but I haven’t noticed anything significant changing.

iPad – The Apps upgrade.

Do you have any apps on this device? What kind?

Kindle – No apps. This is my dedicated library. I’d call it my quiet friend in that I can curl up with it and completely unwind. That’s what it’s for.

iPad – Oh, yeah. The iPad is my wild friend that’s all over the place. It’s exciting. It’s fun.

o I have a couple of games – Angry Birds, Solitaire, and Cut The Rope (HUGE time wasters).

o Like my Kindle, my iPod is dedicated to only music, so I don’t have any tunes on my iPad, but I do have Pandora and Shazam. Both very nifty apps.

o Restaurant apps (I think I have two or three), that are kinda sorta okay, although one of them told me about a restaurant that I might be interested in that was over 1,000 miles away!

o I have a number of writing prompt apps, and they’re okay, but not great. Also, a few note-taking apps, including one that’s virtual note cards for organizing. Haven’t used them yet. I wonder if that’s significant J

o I have two “word processing” apps – One is Office Works (or something like that). It’s basically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I think it was $15. It’s not bad. I also have Pages, which is an Apple product. I just got it, and I think it will be easier to use than the Office Works. It allegedly will transfer to Word with no problem. I believe it was $10.

I don’t have a wireless printer yet, so I just email the documents to myself and then print them. I do, however, have a wireless keyboard. I got the Apple one, and it’s fantabulous. If you’re going to use the iPad for a lot of writing, I recommend it. Then again, wanting the keyboard could be generational.

I really love that Kathy was able to compare both systems side by side for me. It really made it easier to compare and contrast the two devices. I like having a just reading device that wont distract me from reading or critiquing, but I did take a trip to Best Buy and saw the coolness of the Ipad 2 this past weekend...

Do you have an Ipad or Kindle? Do you have anything to add?

Where She Went by Gayle Forman- an ARC review

2011-03-30T06:50:00.000-05:00

Every day I wake up and I tell myself this: It's just one day, one twenty-four-hour period to get yourself through.

It's been years since Adam has seen Mia, but she's never left his thoughts. Infact, every song on the album that sky rocketed his band to fame was written with Mia in mind.

When Adam decides to take a later flight for his band's European tour, the memory of Mia is brought up all over again by a reporter who can't help but ask the questions that she was told specifically not to ask. After going off on the reporter, Adam decides to take a walk instead of going back to his hotel room to "disconnect," it's in that moment that he sees a poster for a cello concert and the star performer just happens to be Mia.

Adam thinks he can just go incognito. No one should recognize him at a cello concert, but an usher pulls him aside after the performance and tells him that Mia wishes to see him.

One night is all they have together. Mia leaves for Japan the next day and Adam for Europe, but it's that one night together that they both needed. To see where they went.

In this highly anticipated follow up to IF I STAY, Forman crafts a story that is so beautifully written that I found myself hanging on every single word. She uses the cliches of the Rocker and Classical musician lifestyle and explains them so stunningly that you feel like you understand why every Rock Star and classical musician act like they do. It wasn't just the words that drew me, but every facet of the story had me glued to the pages and to the world that she created in the original novel. It may have been years since we first met Adam and Mia, but it feels like they had never left.

Release date: April 5, 2011

Page Count: 208

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Similar to: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Recommended for: Girls 12 and up
Stars: 5/5

The good:

*I don't want to sound like a pretentious English snob, but the voice and writing was just beautiful. There is no other word to describe it. Forman used the Rockstar and Classical musician cliches, but described them in such a way that they didn't feel like cliches. You felt as if you actually KNEW the characters and why they acted in these cliched ways. There were even parts in the story in which Forman pointed out the cliches and then explained them in a way that made them feel like real people instead of stereotyped characters.

* One of the things that I really liked about this novel was that even though it was a sequel, it didn't feel like a sequel. IF I STAY was written from Mia's point of view and at differant times in the character's lives. Fast forward three years WHERE SHE WENT is written from Adam's point of view with flashbacks to the times inbetween. She didn't have to do the long and drawn out backstory it just flowed along with the story in such a way that you almost didn't need to read the first book to understand this one.

The not-as-good:

* I know I sound like a broken record, but I really don't like pop culture references in novels because I feel like it dates them. The phrase 'The new Nirvana' was used at one point to describe Adam's band and I didn't mind that one because I feel that Nirvana is timeless and people get the reference of a newer Seattle grunge band. What I didn't like was references to current pop stars or even talking about a record surpassing Lady Gaga's. I think that Lady Gaga and Britney Spears are icons of the younger generation, but I'm not sure if in 20 years someone will read this novel and still see Lady Gaga at the top of the music charts.

* This novel sort of teeters on the Young Adult market. In the first book the characters were younger, approaching college aged but not quite there. In this sequel it actually borders more on the adult/women's fiction side since the characters are out of college and in their early twenties. (Can we get a genre for this, please?) I don't know if it was because of this age difference, but some of the word usage threw me for a loop as the characters used what I like to call 'SAT' words. There were only a few times that I saw these bigger words that a younger audience would have no idea what they mean (and by younger I mean that I had to use the thesaurus) and it kind of pulls you out of the story when that happens. Granted, this is an older couple now and the SAT words actually made sense in the context of the story, but sometimes I feel like it's better to just describe out the word or just use something differant instead of an SAT word.

All in all this is probably one of the best written novels that I have ever read. Just the way the words flowed to make a story enticed me to never want to leave the world that Forman created. I highly recommend that even if you haven't read the first book to go and pick up this charming sequel. Trust me, it's worth it.

Upcoming Hiatus

2011-03-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

There comes a time in every person's life in which they realize that they have a lot on their plate and one of those things may need to be put on hold...

This week I am 38 weeks pregnant, and for those of you that don't know, 37 weeks is full-term and 40 weeks is when you have the due date. So basically I can go at any time and I hope that it's sooner rather than later. As much as I'd love to be one of those people that tweets and blogs every detail of labor and delivery (NOT...*vom* sorry I think it's weird when people do that. If you are one of those people, I apologize. But it's not my thing.), I've realized that could take up some of my time as well as caring for a newborn. So when that does happen this blog definitely won't be updated as frequently for awhile.

As if having a child wasn't enough I also decided to add a few more things to my bag of tricks...

If you've noticed on my blog and Twitter, it doesn't say 'office drone by day' anymore. Yes, after 2 years of being in a support position I have accepted a new role in my same company, but it's definitely a step up. I do Claims work for a major insurance company. I won't say which one, but I can tell you that I do believe that we have the best commercials. I start that new position as soon as I come back from maternity leave, so it's going to be a pretty busy summer.

I guess you all read this blog to hear about my writing as well...and you probably want to hear something about HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN. Well right now it is in the hands of a WONDERFUL agent, I won't say who, but she's pretty awesome, and if anything comes up that is spectacular about this manuscript (agent, book deal, it catches on fire) then I will be sure to let you all know...maybe do a contest (okay there WILL be a contest when I get an agent and it will be epic).

So that's all for now. Basically there will be an upcoming hiatus and I probably wont be blogging as much, but I'm trying! I'm *hoping* for another Fangirl Friday this month and this Wednesday I do have my comparassion of the Kindle and Ipad. So stay tuned and expect some great announcements this summer.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty-an ARC review

2011-03-25T07:13:00.000-05:00

Preparing to pregg is a full-time job with no days off --but I don't have a choice. Not when there is so much at stake.

In not-so-distant future a virus has swept the globe and everyone over the age of 20 infertile and the teenage pregnancy rate has never been higher.

Melody Mayflower is the first girl in her school to go pro—or become a surrogate for profit. The problem is, she’s been pro for three years and the couple she’s supposed to be surrogating for has not found a sperm jockey to “pregg her egg.” Not only has her flat tummy in a world of fashionably pregnant teens made her stand out, but her secret longing for her vertically-challenged best friend, Zen, and long lost twin sister showing up on her doorstep could ruin her chances of ever getting bumped.

Harmony was raised in the God-fearing community of Goodside where they believe that pregging for profit is a sin. Harmony decides to leave Goodside in search of her long-lost twin sister, armed with her veil, a purity gown, and a deep secret that even she has trouble admitting.

When Melody is finally matched with an uber-famous donor, both sister’s lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity, troubled friendships, and a secret love show that these sisters may have more in common than just their DNA.

McCafferty has an ability to do something that every writer longs to do—create main characters that you want to be your best-friend and male counterparts that you want to be more than friends with. At first I was kind of disturbed with the elements in her story until I realized how REAL she made things like teenage pregnancy and the stigma of baby bumps as “fashion accessories.” I couldn’t get this story and these characters out of my head and had a hard time putting this book down. I’d recommend this book for any girl/woman who is looking for a story that will have you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the last page.

Release date: April 26, 2011

Page Count: 336

Genre: Contemporary/ Science Fiction Young Adult

Similar to: Sloppy Firsts- Megan McCafferty

Recommended for: Girls 12 and up

Stars: 4/5

The Good:

*I love Melody and Zen almost more than I love McCafferty's original couple of Jessica and Marcus. Melody had a witty inner and outer dialogue that I found myself laughing out loud to and wanting to get to know. But she didn't just have the savvy one-liners, she also had a heart and emotions that made me feel what she was feeling. And Zen...well I do love me a boy with some spikey black hair, but he was more than that. He just seemed like one of those genuinely nice guys that everyone wanted to be around, and I found myself wanted to jump into the pages and hang out with him too.

*At first I was thrown off by some of the language, but then I realized that some of this language is pretty close to how people talk today (my eggo is preggo, anyone?). In other reviews I've seen people complain about the confusing language, but that's something that you see in every Science Fiction novel is new language. Just like the evolution of our own language we all know that new slang will evolve. There were some moments that I thought of the movie IDIOCRACY in which people evolved into being highly unintelligent. It's as if McCafferty thought, "Hey, what if Teen Moms ruled the world?" and so came this story.

The not-as-good:

*One of the only reasons this book didn't get a 5/5 for me is because I didn't like the character of Harmony. Because she is a main character this weighed heavily on me. Every time I read one of her passages I just wanted to scream at her and tell her to stop whatever she was doing. Being the girl straight out of a compound I thought that I might feel sorry for her or understand her actions, but I just couldn't. Even with the shocking twist about her past in Goodside, I still couldn't feel sorry for her. Her actions just seemed selfish and I couldn't understand alot of her reasons for doing things. I really felt like I understood who Melody was, but with Harmony it just sort of fell flat.

*Some of the technology REALLY confused me. I actually didn't realize what the 'MiNet' technology was until almost the end of the book when Melody says that she takes out her 'MiNet contacts and earbuds.' Up until then I had no idea how people were getting their information. I can definitely see a change in technology as the years go on and I like the idea of it, but I really wanted some more explanation of MiNet since it was a pretty big deal throughout the book.

All in all, I can honestly say that I loved the concept of this book and wasn't disappointed when I read it. I loved the storyline and the characters of Melody and Zen. I hope that more girls read this book and realize that their child isn't a fashion accessory and how silly it sounds when they refer to them that way. I also hope that McCafferty gets the sequel out to this one ASAP because I can't wait!

Magan wants an Ereader: The Nook

2011-03-23T07:27:00.000-05:00

In the first of my research of a quest for an Ereader/Tablet I decided to check out The Nook. The president of my local RWA chapter, Dixie, agreed to answer some questions for me about the Nook and my critique partner, Kienna Riley, offered to let me play with hers. So without further ado: The Nook.

Basic questions (yes or no, usually):

Does the device have a USB port: YES
Can you read in the sunlight: YES
Can you listen to music?: YES
Can you access the internet/ email: NO
Can you write on this device? (i.e. use word): NO
Can you edit on this device or critique?: NO
Is it easy to use?: YES

More in-depth questions:

What do you mainly use this device for?: READING AND BUYING BOOKS

What do you like best about this device: I CAN READ IT ANYWHERE AND BUY ANYWHERE. EASY TO USE. AND IF I HAVE PROBLEMS, B&N IS RIGHT HERE TO HELP ME OUT

What do you like the least about this device: NOTHING. CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING.

What program do you use to read books?: NOOK

How long is the battery life?: 10 HOURS

What are the graphics like?: NO GRAPHICS BUT CAN ADJUST WORD SIZE

What is the coolest feature of this device?: NON GLARE SCREEN

How much does this device usually cost?: WELL, I BOUGHT THE EXPENSIVE ONE. THE ONE THAT HAS USB AND WI FI. ABOUT $200

Do you have any upgrades on this device?: YES. I GET NOTIFIED WHEN UPGRADES ARE AVAILABLE.

Do you have any apps on this device? What kind?: NOPE

My thoughts on the Nook: The biggest thing that bothered me about The Nook was that it was basically an Ereader and that's it. Yes, I want to be able to read books and my critique partner's manuscripts, but what if I want to edit them? What if I want to play games? I like that I can play music on the device and that B&N is right there if I have questions, but all in all I'm not sure that The Nook will be the winner.

Monday Musings

2011-03-21T06:53:00.000-05:00

I thought with HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN being on submission that I should probably start working on another project. Yes, I would love for my alien novel to be a trilogy, but you really shouldn't start on the other parts of a trilogy unless book one sells, so now I need a shiny new idea. The problem?

I CAN'T THINK OF A SHINY NEW IDEA.

The first full manuscript I completed came to me in a dream, well the initial idea that threw it into my head and wouldn't let go. My second full manuscript came with an idea from a friend. How to Date an Alien...that one just sort of came to me when I realized the lack of science fiction and aliens at the time I began writing (note: this was Spring of 2010 that I had the original idea.)

So how do I come up with something new? I had this great idea, it was brilliant! My critique partners loved it, I loved it, and then my husband pointed out that it was a book that had already been written..grrrr. I've thought about taking my women's fiction manuscript (see: writing) and making it YA with some fantasy elements, but that one is coming a little bit slower than I had imagined. So now I need to find me some inspiration...

How do you come up with ideas for your new WIP? Have you ever taken a manuscript and changed genres and age groups? Are you tired of hearing me talk?

Fight back Friday: No one is better than you!

2011-03-18T06:43:00.000-05:00

We all have self doubt. Sometimes it's just us seeing someone else with something we want and not thinking that we are good enough. Sometime it's fueled by what someone else says to you or makes a comment about.

Me: I don't feel like shopping all day Saturday.
Mom: Why? I did it when I was pregnant with you! Infact the morning you were born I was out shopping
Me: Sorry mom, I'm not you.

Sometimes it's hard for us to admit that we aren't that other person that we can't do something. Sometimes we even find ourselves lashing out at the other person even if we don't know them.

I can write a better novel than her, she writes about sparkly vampires. My characters are real.

Do we mean that? Do we even realize what we are saying when we say things like that? There are so many times that I have been jealous of other people. Girls who had more lavish weddings than me, had an easy pregnancy, and especially people that have gotten published or found agents right away when I've struggled with it for over a year...but you know what?

No one is better than me.

I'm not saying that in a selfish way, but I think that we all need to realize that we are who we are and we can't compare ourselves with others to make ourselves feel better or worse about ourselves. What is that really helping? Sure, I can talk about some bad books that were published all that I want, but what is it going to change? Is it really going to make me a better writer or going to make me a better person?

The answer is No.

What I want every reader to take away from this is that no matter what people say to you, no matter what you may read on a blog or see in a magazine-- no one is better than you. You are an individual and a great person in your own right and the more you let those bad things get to you the more it takes you away from doing those things that you love.

So today I challenge you to put away the heart ache and self doubt and remember that no one is better than you!

What do you do to help self doubt? How do you ignore those things that say 'she/he is better than me?

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder- An ARC review

2011-03-16T06:37:00.001-05:00

The words THE LIPSTICK LAWS are scrolled over the front of the binder in fancy red cusive. Lipstick? I wonder if this is what Haley was warning me about...

In this Mean Girls-esque novel, bra-stuffing April starts off her sophomore year wishing that her best friend hadn’t moved to Kansas, but quickly recovers when she is partnered for gym class with Queen Bee, Britney. After April loans Britney some lip gloss, Britney quickly welcomes her in as a “friend-in-training” to her clique. Immediately she starts working on April’s fashion sense until she is worthy of becoming a full-fledged friend, and willing to sign the Lipstick Laws.

But breaking the Lipstick Laws comes with harsh consequences and Britney didn’t gain her popularity status by being nice. April doesn’t want to be an outcast like the rest of the Lipstick Lawbreakers before her, but some words of encouragement from a friend help her to get the wheels turning and she decides to take on the Lipstick Laws, no matter what the consequences.

As I turned the pages, I found myself laughing at the outrageous things that would come out of the character’s mouths or pop into their heads. I felt like I was sitting back in the middle school cafeteria and listening in. Holder has a way of capturing the true cattiness of girls and then pushing it to the extreme. So If you are a tween/teen who is looking for a clean, silly read then put down the red lipstick and turn the pages.

Release date: April 4, 2011

Page Count: 240

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Similar to: A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Recommended for: Girls 10-14

Stars: 3/5

The good:

*This book is a very light and breezy read. If you are looking for something contemporary that will take you back to those days in the high school cafeteria, then this is a nice, fast read without paranormal creatures and some laughs along the way.

*I liked the fact that this book wasn’t overloaded with sexual innuendoes or a lot of cursing. Not that it’s a bad thing to have that in YA literature, but this was definitely a book that I would pass along to one of my middle school cousins and not have a problem with them reading.

The not-as-good:

*Some of the language was a little off for me. Yes, it was a clean novel with maybe a whole two uses of a swear word, but the way that April fantasized about her boy crush and the names that she used to insult people seemed a little more middle school than young adult. With that being said, I think that the demographic for this book would probably be better for a tween who likes a book with less offensive language.

*The story was a little cliché for me. I knew by the description that it was a lot like Mean Girls, but I would have liked to see a little bit more separation from the movie. Yes, it was different than the movie and the characters were more well-rounded, but I couldn’t get the similarities out of my head as I read. The ending also left me a bit dissapointed. I'm not going to give away spoilers, but even though she "learned" her lesson, I felt like some points were still missing.

All in all, this was a cute story, but I wasn’t in love with it. I think this is a great book for girls that are 10-13 and looking for something clean and without paranormal aspects. If you are of the age, have a relative that you need to buy for that is that age, or are just looking for something different then I would recommend this book.

*ARC and cover courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company