Realm of Words

Author Interview: Cora Buhlert

2012-02-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I have the prolific author Cora Buhlert here on the blog. She has quite a few short stories and novelettes for you to check out:

Countdown to Death, pulp thriller novelette

El Carnicero, historical romance novelette

Flying Bombs, pulp thriller novelette

Hostage to Passion, historical romance novelette

Letters from the Dark Side, dark fantasy short fiction collection

Outlaw Love, western short story

Rites of Passage, fantasy short story

Shape No. 8, spy fiction short story

The Kiss of the Executioner's Blade, historical romance short story

The Other Side of the Curtain, spy fiction novelette

The Spiked Death, pulp action novelette

Whaler, science fiction short story

Visit her Amazon author page, her author website or her publishing website.

On to the interview!

A magician has cursed your next reader so they can read only one of your books. Which book do you choose for them and why?
Countdown to Death, the first of my novelettes about the Silencer, a masked avenger in the style of the 1930s pulps.

As for why, I'm very fond of this story. Besides, it's a real page turner.

What's the first sentence of this book?
“SILENCER TO FACE HANGMAN” the headline screamed.

What's the last?
“But this mask,” she said, “really ruins the complexion.”

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].
Countdown to Death is like the Spider pulp series of the 1930s and 1940s meets 24. And I don't even like 24.

The world's scientists have just released the first time machine, and you've been chosen to get a free ride (with assurance that you'll be able to come back, of course ;). To when do you go and why?
I have a whole list of places I'd like to visit in that case. I'd like to go to Hamburg St. Pauli in 1960 and see the Beatles playing in the Star Club on the Reeperbahn before they were famous. I'd like to go on the second to last voyage of the Hindenburg, because Zeppelins are awesome and that was the last chance to enjoy a Zeppelin trip. I'd like to go to the Globe Theatre and see Shakespeare performing live on stage. I'd like to go to the assembly rooms in Bath in the early 19th century to enjoy some Regency atmosphere and have a chat with Jane Austen. I'd like to go to Blackpool in the early 1960s and see Freddie Frinton and May Warden performing their classic skit Dinner for One live in one of the many clubs there. I'd like to spend a night dancing at Studio 54 at the height of the disco era. And sometimes I'd just love to walk into a shop or department store in the past and buy some now priceless antique trinket (china, figurines, jewelery, dolls) when it was new.

You get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?
I'd go traveling the Canadian Rockies with Wolverine from the X-Men. I used to be a huge X-Men fan and Wolverine was always my favourite character. As for the Canadian Rockies, the scenery must be amazing and besides, it's Wolverine's homeland, so he should know his way around.

Do you remember the first story you ever finished? If so, tell us about it.
I have a couple of very early unfinished stories, including one with a flying red sportscar from outer space kidnapping two teenagers. But the first story I actually finished was something about a girl walking into a mad scientist's lair and getting turned into a monster plant, which is then subsequently chopped up into a salad. She wakes up and everything turns out to be just a nightmare. But the really icky salad she's served for breakfast sure looks familiar...

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?
Probably The Other Side of the Curtain, my spy fiction novelette set in 1960s East Germany. I had to ask the print magazine, where the story first appeared, for a deadline extension, because I just couldn't get it finished.

Interestingly enough, The Other Side of the Curtain is also the most personal of my published stories, because a lot of what Shoushan and Zane experience during their trip to East Germany is based on my own experiences visiting my great aunt in East Germany in the 1980s. Minus the run-in with Stasi agents, of course. I suspect the blurring between memory and fiction made the story difficult to write.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
Either my humorous spy short story Shape No. 8 or Cartoony Justice, a funny fantasy short story coming soon. Shape No. 8 is the sort of story that just writes itself. Ditto for Cartoony Justice, plus it gave me the chance to turn the fictional stand-in for a certain kind of person I really don't like into a singing, dancing banana. Who wouldn't enjoy that?

Did you ever write fanfiction? If so, for what fandoms?
In pre-internet times, before I knew that there was such a thing as fanfiction and that I wasn't the only weirdo to make up stories about my favourite characters, I wrote a bit of fanfiction. I wrote about Star Wars, the X-Men and long forgotten animated cartoons such as MASK or Defenders of the Earth. I also wrote some crossovers between different fandoms, but no slash.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?
Write every day, unless you're dead or in a coma. But set your minimum daily wordcount so low (my target is writing at least 100 words of new fiction per day) that you can make it even when you're ill or tired or terribly busy with life.

Unfortunately, I forgot where I found that bit of advice. But my productivity skyrocketed ever since I implemented that policy.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
I want them to come away with a smile on their faces and their pulse pounding and perhaps having a few thoughts provoked.

Thanks, Cora! I enjoyed your answers to my cooky questions :)

Character Interview: Sierra and Sashe from Promising Light

2012-02-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Today, I’m going to have two of my characters interview each other. Sierra and Sashe are sisters who grew up with shape changers. They separated from the shape changers two years before the story and have gone very different ways in life.

Sashe: Sierra, where do you see yourself in ten years?

Sierra: Wow, that’s a good question. For a while, it was hard to think about any kind of life without Evan. Even now, I just live day by day. I don’t really think about the future. God, if I had to. . .I hope I can settle down eventually. I don’t think I’d move back to Shyra, but maybe Belisha. Not close to Lisbeth and Jeshro, of course. I don’t want kids or anything, but I’d like to stop moving around so much.

Sashe: That kind of leads me to my next question. What do you do for a living?

Sierra: I work for the Childress’ Traveling Circus. I’m the wild child, a girl who was raised by tigers. I pretend to be savage and the tigers pretend to attack the men who try to rescue me. It’s all very dramatic. I love it.

Sashe: Why is that?

Sierra: I don’t know, it’s just easy to get lost in it all. Each show has a routine and an order, but at the same time, it’s so chaotic and crazy. There’s so many interesting people, and the animals are just great. There’s all kinds. Animals I’d never think about seeing everyday.

Sashe: What’s your favorite animal?

Sierra: Oh, definitely the tigers. They’re such majestic creatures. I think they might actually like me, too. Maybe I’m just delusional, but it really feels like they do.

Sashe: The circus travels a lot. Where have you visited, and what’s your favorite place?

Sierra: Oh, we’ve been all over. We do mostly Haltar and Kleisade, but we went to Jolen a couple months ago. That was definitely my favorite. I can see why Seth loved it. The beaches are so pristine, and the sea is beautiful. It’s different from Shyra, of course, but I had a great time there.

Sashe: Did you visit Seth’s grave?

Sierra: I wanted to, but I didn’t know where it was. I had hardly any time to myself, too. I’m sorry.

Sashe: No, don’t be sorry. I think it’s your turn.

Sierra: Right. Well, what’s a typical day in the life of Sashe Silva?

Sashe: I wake up, get dressed and ready for the day. I eat breakfast, sometimes by myself, but usually in the dining hall with the royalty and other guests of the palace. In the mornings, I have a lot of free time. I have lessons or I go shopping. Afternoons are usually full of outings and social callings with nobles or foreign visitors. Evenings. . .about half of my evenings I spend with the king. The other half are more social or my own free time.

Sierra: How do you do that? Sleep with the king?

Sashe: It’s part of the job description. If I wasn’t here, I don’t know where I’d be. Trying to make a living off of selling jewelry? Right. I do what I have to to stay alive, just like you do.

Sierra: I’m not judging, just curious. Let’s say it was a perfect world. If you could have any job and make enough to get by, what would you do? Where would you live?

Sashe: Can I raise the dead in this perfect world? If so, I’d take the life I had two years ago. Life with Seth, you, Evan, Dar. . .life in Shyra. Seth and Evan working at the cherry orchard, you and me with our jewelry business. I wouldn’t want the Protectors in this perfect world, of course. But if I couldn’t raise the dead and I couldn’t get rid of all the Protectors. . .I’d want you and me and Dar to go back to Shyra. Or maybe Belisha or Jolen. We have very similar tastes in what makes a place decent.

Sierra: We are sisters. What do you remember about our birth parents? What do you think our life would be like if we grew up with them instead?

Sashe: I remember they made and sold perfumes. I remember their gardens and all the flowers we had in our house. I think we still would have had a comfortable life, even if they didn’t have as much wealth as Alastor. We probably would have met some merchant boys from Belisha and married them. But they wouldn’t have been Seth or Evan.

Sierra: No, but maybe they wouldn’t be dead.

Sashe: You’re such a joy to talk to, Sierra.

Sierra: I’m right, aren’t I?

Sashe: Of course you are, but this is the life we have. Our parents died, and the Avialies took us in. There’s no perfect world. There’s just this.

Sierra: That’s just depressing.

Sashe: No, it’s not. We have each other. We’re alive. We have the whole future ahead of us, even if it’s with different people than we’d planned on a couple years ago.

Sierra: Well, if nothing changes in my situation in the next year, I’m kidnapping you from the king and taking you to Jolen with me.

Sashe: Kidnapping? I’ll go willingly.

Sierra: In that case, I’ll be back in a year.

To read more about Sierra and Sashe, check out Promising Light at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.

The Protectors: M for Miracle

2012-02-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

M for Miracle
Dar tries to convince the elders to let him take Grace back home.

“There are not enough of us to defeat the Protectors in another battle,” Dar said. “We lost nine people last time, and you were foolish enough to kidnap her at the height of the prince’s affection for her.”

Nilee cast a glare at Lisbeth. “We didn’t know about her courtship to the prince.”

“It was not publicly declared, and his carriages are magically fortified to keep us out,” Dar said. “But you should have been more careful.”

“But why did you tell him you’d bring her to him?” Jeshro stood. “Don’t you realize she could save this whole family?”

~Promising Light, book one of the series

The Protectors: L for Lullaby

2012-02-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

L for Lullaby
This one was hard. This is kind of related to a lullaby, but not really. I'm not telling you who it is ;)

Ivan came in every once in a while to work on her. She tried to fight him, but he’d work his magic so she was paralyzed, unable to move as his fingers moved over her stomach, her insides twisting painfully. His children watched as he guided them in whatever changes he was making to her body. If he worked for longer than an hour, he would put her into a deep sleep. She wished he’d let her sleep forever. She caught his hand once, after he’d worked on her.

“Ivan,” she whispered, “you can take my life within seconds. I want to die.”

He shook his head. “I’m not going to do that.”

“Please,” she urged.

He said nothing and left.

~The End of Light, the third prequel novella

Author Interview: Jack Blaine

2012-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week, we have Jack Blaine!

His books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble:

Helper12, science fiction, dystopian, adventure

Twitch (soon to be released--perhaps already out!) related story to Helper12, science fiction, dystopian, adventure

You can visit his blog, Goodreads, or Twitter.

Fill in the Blanks: [Your Book] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [other book/movie/TV show].

Helper12 is like The Handmaid's Tale meets Pride and Prejudice.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?

I have fun with every book I write. There are, of course, those moments when you get stuck or when the words aren't ringing true, but the experience of fleshing out a whole world and the people in it is a blast!

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?

Twitch, which is a companion novel to Helper12, is almost done (it may be out by the time this interview is posted, in fact), and while I wouldn't describe writing it as hard, it has been very interesting. Twitch follows a minor character from Helper12, and seeing this character become whole and learning her story has been a wonderful ride!

I go 100 years into the future. Just to see if we somehow manage to figure out how to reverse course in a way that allows us to achieve our highest possibilities as humans. Do we finally get a clue? Or is the world a charred wreck?

You're stranded on a deserted island, and you can only bring one person with you. It can be someone dead or alive, but it has to be a real person (no fictional characters!). Who is it and why?

Kazuo Ishiguro. I would love to know him--he writes with such subtlety and beauty about complex human issues. That sort of perspective is something I find grounding and hopeful.

Okay, now you get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?

I choose Rachel from A Gift Upon the Shore and we go to Bora Bora to a fabulous on the water retreat because we both need a break.

How has your writing changed since you first started writing?

I've learned a lot about pacing, and also a lot about having fun while I write.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Don't wallow in your words. Move it along. The reader isn't as in love with that sentence as you are--they want a story!

What's your favorite part about the writing process?

I love the first draft. Just being there as things unfold and watching the story evolve is so much fun.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?

I want readers to have a fun time reading but I also want them to think about how dangerously close our world is to being like the world in Helper12 and in Twitch, and how we might prevent this from happening.

Thanks, Jack! Guys, check out his books! They are definitely on my "To Read" list!

The Protectors: K for Kindness

2012-02-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

K for Kindness
Dar sends a letter to Grace.

Lady Grace,

Let me tell you, I haven’t written a letter to a lady before. So if I’m doing this completely wrong, please forgive me. I’ll probably be too informal or not use the right parchment. But you don’t seem like a typical lady to me. Yes, you’re beautiful, poised, and cultured. Yet at the same time, you truly seem to care about people. I know you weren’t listening during part of the charity dinner because you were staring at me, but I saw you when you spoke to the man from Kleisade. I saw how concerned you were.

~A Reason to Stay, a short story in Love, Me

The Protectors: J for Jeopardize

2012-02-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

J for Jeopardize
Evan seeks Alastor's blessing as he plans to propose to Sierra.

Alastor stood. “I know you’re going to do whatever you want, so I don’t know why you even asked.”

Evan got to his feet. “I want your blessing. I want you to want this for us.”

“I will never want it, Evan. I wish Sierra and Sashe had left as soon as Seth moved to Rahuda.” His voice was low and threatening. “I would do anything to keep them safe—”

“Even sacrificing their happiness?”

Alastor shook his head and walked to the door. “They can’t be happy if they’re dead.”

~Fire and Light, the second prequel novella

Promising Light Blog Tour: The End!

2012-02-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

Well, my first blog tour is complete! I think it went really well! The tour went to fifteen different blogs and garnered nearly fifty comments. Speaking of comments. . .

The winner for the $20 Gift Card is:

Cayce!

The winners for the two paperback copies are:

Elizabeth H!

Jennifer W!

The winners have been e-mailed. If your name is on this list, but you haven't received an e-mail yet, please contact me at emilyannward at yahoo dot com.

There are still a few chances to win an ebook copy at these blogs:
The Southern Scrawl
Danica's Page
Laurie's Paranormal Features

Here's complete list of the tour stops if you want to check them out. Author and character interviews, reviews, extras about Promising Light, excerpts and more!

Author interview with Ritesh.
Author interview with Coral at Chaos and Insanity.
Grace’s Google history and an excerpt from the first chapter with Kate at The Southern Scrawl.
The evolution of Promising Light with Coral at Alchemy of Scrawl.
“What I’d Do if I were a Shape Changer” with Kate at Who Needs Neverland?
If Promising Light Became A Movie with Delphina.
Author interview with Anjana at Kindle And Me.
“What Would Your Character Do If?” with TK Richardson.
Review from Evie at Bookish.
Guest post about the prequel novellas and Review from Karen.
The locations of Promising Light and Review with Vidya at Books Are Magic.
Book Soundtrack for Promising Light with Ron.
Character Interview with Grace and Review from Danica.
Character Interview with Dar and excerpt with Laurie.

Now that the blog tour is done, I'll continue the A to Z posts with excerpts from the series!

Author Interview: C.R. Daems

2012-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

This week, I've interview CR Daems, a fantasy and scifi author. He has quite a few books for you to choose from. Check them out:

With ePublishers:
- The Riss Gamble, Science Fiction/Fantasy
- The Laughing Hounds, Urban Fantasy

With ePublishers: coming in 2012
- The Riss Proposal, Science Fiction/Fantasy
- The Kazak Guardians: Lynn's Rules, Urban Fantasy
- The Kazak Guardians: The Unthinkable, Urban Fantasy

Co-Authored with J. R. Tomlin
- The Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, Fantasy (an EPIC finalist)
- Scales of Justice, Fantasy
- Wings, Fantasy YA
- Blood Debt, Fantasy
- Laying the Odds, Fantasy

You can find him around the web at:
Amazon
His Website
Fictionwise

Do you remember the first story you ever finished? If so, tell us about it.
The first Riss novel, but it wasn't published. It was my first attempt at writing, proving I wasn't ready to be a writer. I think it was a good story and somewhat unique given the hundreds of thousands of books published. A young girl goes out with her father and brother trapping. Her brother shoots a Gorilla-like creature not knowing the creature is a race of intelligent parasites that use the Gorilla-like creatures as hosts. The dying creature captures the girl and decides to transfer itself into the girl. The story is the girl's journey with the intelligent parasite.

Has your writing changed since you first started writing?
Oh Yes!! My education and interest has been math and computer science. Writing proved challenging for me. I love making up stories and writing the draft. But cleaning it up is very difficult for me. Fortunately, I was luck to find my co-author (J.R. Tomlin) who helped me learn the craft. I still like writing the draft better than editing it.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?
The first draft should be a mind dump--a shitty draft--just let it flow without regard to where it's going and how it sounds. It works well for me.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
Of those currently available, the "Talon of Unnamed Goddess." The heroine has a good sense of humor, loves playing parts to out smart her opponents, an ability to out think her adversaries, and a kick ass bodyguard.

You get to go to Disneyworld with one of your characters. Who do you choose and why?
Liada, in the Wings of Evil. She loves playing parts, bargaining at markets, enjoys studying people and uses the knowledge to blend in a variety of environments, and not afraid to takes chances.

What's the last book you read? What did you think of it?

Imager's intrigue: the third book of the imager portfolio. It was an interesting series, unique environment, and a bit of a mystery. Although I like Modesitt, his books can be a bit slow at times. I'd give it a 4 star rating.

You're stranded on a deserted island, and you can only bring one person with you. It can be someone dead or alive, but it has to be a real person (no fictional characters!). Who is it and why?
Master Wang Daoke from the Wudang Mountain. I would never be bored, spending my time learning Wudang Taoism and Kungfu--a life time endeavor. What better place than a deserted island.

Through very strange circumstances, a mad scientist is exiling you to the world of one of your books. Which world do you choose and why?
The far future setting in the Riss Gamble. I'd rather live in the future with space travel than the past, although I rather do it without the tattoo and intelligent parasite that makes her an alien.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
That they enjoyed the characters, found their environment and world unique, and their adventures exciting. And a book they wouldn't mind reading again in the future.

Thanks, CR, for participating!

Author Interview: Marie Symeou

2012-02-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

This week, we have fantasy and YA author Marie Symeou!

Her books:
FROZEN IN TIME (historical fantasy/vampire romance)
AGE OF DREAMS (coming of age/YA)

You can find her on her:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].
Frozen In Time by Marie Symeou is like Interview With The Vampire meets The Odyssey.

What's the first sentence of this book?
Philip could not believe his eyes.

How has your writing changed since you first started writing?
I'm sure it has improved a lot. I also think I write faster now as I'm gaining more confidence.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
Age of Dreams because I let myself dream of what it's like to be really famous and it was a nostalgic trip back to the 80s for me. It was also the first novel I actually completed.

What's the last book you read? What did you think of it?
Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts by Susan Finden

It's a memoir about an amazing cat from England who liked to travel on the bus every day and brightened up people's lives as he did so. He became famous all over the world.

Through very strange circumstances, a mad scientist is exiling you to the world of one of your books. Which world do you choose and why?
Frozen In Time. It would be fun to go back to ancient Greece and see what it was really like. Plus there are so many interesting characters I'd love to meet.

The world's scientists have just released the first time machine, and you've been chosen to get a free ride (with assurance that you'll be able to come back, of course ;). To when do you go and why?
Either Italy during the Renaissance to meet some great artists or England during the Regency period where I hope to meet some of the my favourite Romantic poets like Byron and Shelley.

Okay, now you get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?
Eric from True Blood. Sweden (because it's my favorite country)

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing with your time instead?
Well I like to sing so I would probably concentrate more on that and write more songs. I also love animals (especially cats) and would love to be a cat behaviourist or animal communicator.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
I hope they enjoyed escaping into the worlds I have created and have fallen in love with my main characters, or at least related to them in some way. I also hope to have left them longing to read the sequel!

Thank you, Marie, for participating!

Sample Sunday: A Reason to Stay from Love, Me

2012-02-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

If you can't tell, I REALLY think you'd enjoy this anthology of YA Romance stories. I teased you with just a little bit of my short story, A Reason to Stay. Here's some more. . .

***

Jocelyn, Grace’s oldest and closest friend, pulled her out to the gardens to gossip about Sir Rider and Lady Phoresa’s engagement. They walked through the lantern-lit paths, gold light illuminating the bushes and flowers around them. “Didn’t you have a crush on Sir Rider?” Jocelyn asked, bumping her shoulder into Grace’s.

Grace giggled. “I used to dream of him rescuing me from dragons and other evil creatures from fairy tales.”

“Well, he is quite strong,” Jocelyn said. “Remember when he participated in that tournament?”

“Oh, I remember.” Grace grinned. “How could I forget that sweaty, gleaming chest in the sun—”

Jocelyn grabbed her arm and motioned further down the path. Grace’s brother Kyler was walking towards them, furrowing his brows. The two girls burst into giggles, holding onto each other.

“What are you talking about?” Kyler asked, stopping in front of them.

“Nothing,” Grace said as she caught her breath.

“They’ve opened the dance floor inside.” Kyler’s cheeks went pink. “Jocelyn, would you like to dance?”

Jocelyn smiled slyly. “Of course.”

Kyler motioned to Grace. “You don’t mind, Grace?”

“No, take her,” Grace said, giving Jocelyn a small nudge. Jocelyn took Kyler’s arm, and they walked inside. Grace trailed behind them, giving them enough space to be alone. She shook her head as she smiled. They would probably get married someday, once they got past their embarrassment of liking one another.

Back into the palace, the corridor was empty. She ambled toward the ballroom, looking at the tapestries along the walls.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, and she glanced over her shoulder. Dar had just stepped out of the corridor. He smiled politely at her and inclined her head. “Lady Grace.”

“Sir Dar,” she said with a slight curtsy.

He came to stand next to her, gazing at the tapestry in front of them. His arm brushed against her sleeve, and her breath caught in her throat. Goodness, she was being ridiculous. He was just another handsome noble. Another handsome noble who was already courting another lady.

He leaned his back against the tapestry, crossing his arms. “Tell me, Lady Grace, what about me is so interesting?”

Her mouth fell open. “What?”

“You always seem to be looking at me, and I just wondered what made me so interesting.” He fiddled with his sleeve, then glanced at her.

Her face grew warm. Her skin had to be pink—probably as pink as Lady Sarah’s dress. He was going to be trouble. If they kept talking, if he kept flirting with her, she knew she was going to fall in love. She shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll answer that as soon as you tell me why you stare at me just as often.”

He laughed, the sound echoing in the corridor. He studied her face.

She raised her eyebrows at him. “Well?”

“You’re always one of the most beautiful women in the room.”

She tightened her hands in front of her, smiling but not letting it grow too wide. “Really. You probably tell that to all the girls you stare at.”

He chuckled, then motioned to Grace. “I thought you were going to answer my question.”

She took a step closer to the tapestry and touched the fine threads that made up the face of King Thomas’ grandfather. The threads were so intricate, but she hardly saw them. “You’ve always intrigued me. Those visits to Shyra, staying at your manor with your family. . .” She looked at him. “I don’t know how to explain it, really.”

He straightened up and stepped towards her. Her sharp intake of breath made her blush again, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes bore into hers. “Try.”

Her mouth fell dry as she opened it. “Well. . .you’ve just always caught my eye. If I go to an event, I look around to see if you’re there. If you are, I can’t stop staring at you.” She swallowed, wondering how much she wanted to say. “I can’t help but wonder why you left Shyra six months ago. When I visited, you loved it so much. And sometimes. . .sometimes it seems like you’re not here. You drop out of the conversation and you don’t notice any of us. And I wonder if you’re back in Shyra, back home.”

He stared at her. His gaze flickered down to her lips, and she wondered what it’d be like to kiss him. She’d kissed her first suitor, Sir Joshua, two years ago when she was seventeen, only twice.

She wouldn’t say it, for fear of reminding him of his own words, but she thought of when she visited his family’s manor three years ago. They’d flirted, but then he’d pulled away. He told her her father didn’t like men like him. And she’d thought, she still did, Men like what? What are you like?

Voices broke through their trance, and they both stepped away from each other. A few other nobles had entered the corridor, laughing, drunk.

Grace laughed breathlessly. “We might have to finish this another time.”

“Do you promise?” Dar asked.

She backed away, smiling at him. “If you do.”

He nodded and put his hand on his heart. “Of course.”

She turned away, but at the door, she couldn’t help but look back. He met her gaze and smiled. Laughing, she walked into the ballroom.

***

To finish this short story and read others by great YA authors, please consider buying Love, Me. All proceeds go to CASA for their work with foster children. The book is live on Amazon for $2.99, and coming very soon to other ebook retailers.

Love, Me Release!

2012-02-04T10:43:00.001-08:00

A first kiss, a high school prom, the county fair, a tender embrace, finding true love, and coming of age are themes weaved into the stories found in Love, Me. From established YA authors comes this sweet and telling anthology of young love.

***

I'm so excited for the release of Love, Me! This is a great YA romance anthology with stories from six different authors. All proceeds of the book will go to CASA.

If you've enjoyed reading about Grace and Dar in Promising Light, you'll want to check out my story in Love, Me. The story takes place about six months before the beginning of Promising Light and shows the start of their relationship.

Here are the first couple paragraphs of my short story, A Reason to Stay.

***

Dar was looking at her again. Grace casually turned her gaze towards him, and he met her eyes. He smiled for a moment before glancing back at the man from Kleisade. The bearded man had been talking for what felt like hours about the damage the blizzard had done to his town. Perhaps Dar was just letting his gaze wander.

But, no, it felt like more than that. He was always looking at her, ever since he’d moved to Renaul six months ago. Then again, she was always looking at him. She couldn’t help it. He was handsome, of course, with his dark hair, his olive-colored skin. More than that, though, she was mesmerized by him. Even though he was usually the quietest in the room, something about his mannerisms, his crooked smile, his soft gestures. . .they drew her eye.

The bearded man from Kleisade finally sat down, and the nobles around the tables exchanged whispers.

Mother sighed and put her hand on her chest. “It’s just horrible, isn’t it?”

Grace nodded, biting the inside of her lip. She’d been staring at Dar while everyone else was absorbed in the tragic story of Aron. “It is.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve no idea what I’d do if I lost so much.”

Mother patted her hand. “Well, dear, our contribution will help the people of Aron.”

The attendees of the dinner had paid a hefty fee, and all the money was going to rebuild Aron. Nobles wanted a chance to prove they had the money to attend such an event—and that they cared greatly about those less fortunate than themselves, of course.

***

Buy Love, Me today for only $2.99 on these ebook retailers:

Amazon

Coming soon to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and more!

Be sure to visit the websites of the participating authors:

Intangible by J. Meyers

2012-02-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Intangible by J. Meyers

Kindle edition, copy from the author.

I think it’s kind of odd that people are biased against self-published works. Recently, I’ve been more an more inclined toward self-published works. Well, I’ll be honest that 99% of the self-published works I’ve read have been in the Young Adult genre. Solstice by PJ Hoover and The Talent Chronicles by Susan Bischoff were awesome reads with enjoyable characters and interesting plots, and Intangible has joined the ranks of my favorite YA reads.

I was lucky enough to receive this book pre-release from the author. I found a companion short story called Intuition that takes place before Intangible, maybe by a couple weeks or months. You can read it here for free.

This book starts off with Luke as he has a vision of his twin sister Sera’s death. He’s had visions all his life and he’s never been able to change the outcome of these visions. His sister, Sera, has the ability to heal people, but there’s no way to heal herself.

This book starts off with mystery and fantasy and quickly incorporates drama and romance. The author weaves in various narratives from interesting characters. The twins, Luke and Sera; Marc who’s gotten himself into some trouble; a powerful vampire named Jonas. I found myself rooting for and enjoying each character, even those who were more ambivalent than others. Towards the middle, I may have gotten a little impatient, eager to see how Luke’s vision would play out, but the pacing was pretty spot on.

I enjoyed the romance in the story. Marc and Sera had a good thing going on, even with their ups and downs. But I would really like some more Luke and Fey! I’d just like some more Luke in general.

The ending was awesome -- the climax wasn’t resolved too quick. Just when you think it’s solved, something happens again. The author plans for a sequel, and I’m really excited! I want to see these characters again and I’m eager to see who else she pulls along for the ride. This was a great read, so check it out!

Author Interview: Sara Jo Easton

2012-01-31T11:27:00.000-08:00

Don't you love finding new authors? Sara Jo Easton published her fantasy novel, The Zarder, in October and is here to tell us about it and about herself.

If you like what you see, you can also visit her. . .

Her book, The Zarder, is available on most ebook retaliers.

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].
"The Zarder" by Sara Jo Easton is like "Dragonflight" by Anne McCaffrey meets Smaug from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit".

What's the first sentence of this book?
At the beginning of time, the Great Lord of the Sky created the world.

You get to go to Disneyworld with one of your characters. Who do you choose and why?
I could see Lady Delsenni loving It's a Small World if she were shrunk down to human size. She's an empath, so she'd enjoy seeing all of the happy faces. The downside is that she would probably kick my butt at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Okay, now you get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?
I would spend time with Eowyn from "Lord of the Rings", because she's my favorite fictional character of all time (I once got into a huge debate with someone who called her weak and whiny. It wasn't pretty). We'd probably wind up in some nice part of the English countryside with plenty of gardens and a few horses. It would be a nice week with no pressure or time tables.

Do you remember the first story you ever finished? If so, tell us about it.
The first story I ever finished was a story about a pumpkin named Halloween who found a girlfriend and a house. I was four or five, and the illustrations were hilarious. Imagine, if you will, a pumpkin with a bow on its stem and long eyelashes.

How has your writing changed since you first started writing?
What I've had to edit has changed. Before, there was too little dialogue. Now, I sometimes have to make my characters shut up!

What's your favorite part about the writing process?
It has to be that joyous moment when you've revised a section a hundred times and realize it's finally to your standards. I could do a dance of joy sometimes.

Tell us about your last trunked story.
The last story that I put aside and buried was a tragic tale of an orphaned bobcat and the wolf pack that worked with him to survive the evil human hunters that threatened their forest. I didn't know that wolves sometimes eat bobcats. Also, the forest threatened by evil human hunters story is so overdone. It was fun to write in middle school, though.

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?
The novel I'm currently editing, "The Speed of Wind", was the hardest to write because the villainess had more speaking time in the story. I find it difficult to write from her point of view because she is a bitter and potentially insane individual with a violent streak.

It's Saturday night. Where are you most likely to be?
Watching whatever movie looks interesting at the moment, whether it is at a movie theater or on TV. Later, I'd be reading a new book.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
I'd want my readers to feel that it's okay to talk about love without reducing it to merely Twilight-esque romance.

Thanks, Sara Jo! I enjoyed interviewing you!

And we're off! Blog tour!

2012-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

Here we go, guys! First stops:

Author interview at Marie's Blog
Author of the Week at Full Moon Bites (interview and giveaway!)
Paperback Giveaway (two copies up for grabs) at Ritesh's Blog

Spread the word: any comments on the participating entries will be an entry to win a $20 gift card for Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice!). There are also a lot of ebook and paperback giveaways going on.

Read more about the blog tour here.

The Protectors: I for Ink

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

I for Ink
After Sierra asks Grace to help her and Evan find the ancient texts, Grace says she'll send a letter if she decides to.

Grace sat in the study, staring down at the desk. A piece of parchment lay next to an inkwell and a quill. She could write the letter easily, just dip the quill and write some drivel, then send it off to the palace. She looked at the books she found on legends of the magical families. Shape changers who could turn into air, people who could kill with the snap of a finger, others who could make people fall in love. She understood why the Protectors felt threatened. She understood their desire for order.

~Promising Light, Book One of the series

The Protectors: H for Handwriting

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

H for Handwriting
After a long day, Sierra thinks about the letters she and Evan have been writing back and forth.

After pulling her curtains closed, she lay down and close her eyes. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow, when she could get out of this castle and spend time with normal people again. Especially Evan.

She suddenly remembered the letter he’d given her yesterday when they’d parted ways. She pulled it out of her trunk. The two of them had been writing letters ever since Seth and Sashe’s wedding. Even though most of his proclaimed his love for her, she enjoyed reading them and writing him back. It was one more way for them to celebrate each other and their friendship. Friendship. Nothing more.

~Fire and Light, the second prequel novella (again, this is pre-publication so anything can still change!)

Author Interview: Parrisha Martelly

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm really enjoying these author interviews. I hope you're finding some awesome new books! This week, I'm interviewing Parrisha Martelly.

She's the author of:

Fox, a YA fantasy novel

Rider, a YA fantasy short story

I've been meaning to read Fox for quite some time. Beautiful cover and an intriguing beginning!

If you like what you see (who couldn't like that book cover?), you can visit her. . .

Website

Twitter

Let's here from Parrisha herself!

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].
"Fox" is like Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter.

What's the first sentence of this book?
Though satisfaction would usually sear through him at finally finding his target, Levictious felt none.

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?
"Fox" was the hardest to write. I really wanted to get to know the characters and write something I hoped people would enjoy, and I didn't want to rush it. It took a lot of editing and a lot of patience and time for it to become the novel it is today.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
"Ryder", a young adult fantasy short, was actually my favorite to write. It was short and sweet, and something that I just had fun with. I enjoyed Ryder himself, and coming up with the different elements within the Labyrinth he ventures through was exciting!

What's your favorite part about the writing process?
There are quite a few! :) I really enjoy writing scenes, especially emotionally charged scenes. I really enjoy writing the endings because I get to see how so much has changed. I also like having Beta-readers read my work. I love getting people's thoughts and opinions.

How has your writing changed since you first started writing?
It's definitely improved, and I think the techniques I use to write have also improved. I know which common words to avoid, I know what strategy works best so that I can complete my novel in a timely manner (ex: I like to make sure I've written 1,000 words a day before I go to sleep or watch TV), and I know how to make more well rounded characters.

You're stranded on a deserted island, and you can only bring one person with you. It can be someone dead or alive, but it has to be a real person (no fictional characters!). Who is it and why?
Probably my brother, Jerry. I have a feeling that he'd have some brilliant plan to get us off the island. Plus, he's funny.

Through very strange circumstances, a mad scientist is exiling you to the world of one of your books. Which world do you choose and why?
Either Fox's world, or the world of the current book I'm working on. But that world is a surprise! :D

You get to go to Disneyworld with one of your characters. Who do you choose and why?
Falcon. He needs to loosen up a bit!

What's your favorite book, whether self-published or traditionally published?
This is a really difficult question. I love many books, so it's very hard to choose! I really enjoyed: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Lord of the Flies, JR Ward's BDB series, Kresley Cole's IAD series, and Karen Moning's Highlander series.

Recommend a self-published book to the readers. Not your own ;)
"Blood of Requiem" by Daniel Arenson!

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
I want them to have enjoyed themselves and I want them to feel as if they connected to the characters.

Thank you, Parrisha! I'm excited to see that new story of yours!

The Protectors: G for Genesis

2012-01-23T17:10:00.000-08:00

G for Genesis
Grace reads about the beginning of the magical families.

She collapsed in the chair, putting her hands to her forehead. She pulled the chair over to the window and searched through history books, trying to find the history of the Avialies. She pieced together legends and myths. The legend was that the six magical families were created by the divine thousands of years ago to keep order and peace in the world, but persecution had driven them into hiding. They influenced history and helped non-magical folk in extreme cases, but generally, they stayed quiet, living life by themselves. She read through fantastical stories, unable to tell which were only bedtime stories and which could have actually happened.

~Promising Light, Book One of the series

The Protectors: F for Fantasy

2012-01-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

F for Fantasy
Grace finds herself eavesdropping on a conversation between the prince and Dar.

“Were you intimate with her?” William asked.

“No,” Dar said, his voice quiet again.

“You didn’t touch her at all?”

“No.”

Grace remembered their kisses in the greenhouse, the masquerade ball, the vineyard, her stables, how they set her skin on fire, how they both wanted more, but they struggled not to go there. She had never felt like that before, and after a few months, she’d wake up and realize she’d been dreaming about him, about that line they never crossed.

~Promising Light, Book One of the series

The Protectors: E for Eulogy

2012-01-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

E for Eulogy
Sierra, Evan, and their friends remember Ellena days after she dies.

The next day, Evan and the others came over for dinner. Afterwards, in the sitting room, they started talking about Ellena. Her infectious laugh, her high-pitched sneezes. They spoke about gifts they could send her family. Sierra would try to put something into the conversation, but every time she tried to speak, her throat tightened up and she had to blink away tears. She finally quietly excused herself and walked into the corridor. As soon as she closed the door, she let out a sob. She covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Adrian’s wife had had such a painful, horrible death. What if Ellena had died that way? Sierra imagined her crying and moaning and bleeding. She leaned against the wall.

The door opened, and she tried to wipe her face. Evan came into the corridor. After closing the door, he embraced her. She allowed herself to cry into his chest. Ellena would never see day again, never breathe again, never have children. She was gone, along with countless other lives. And it was only the beginning. The Avialies would die, and there would be no one to replace them.

~Fire and Light, the second prequel novella

I thought of other eulogies, but this is the least spoiler-y.

The Protectors: D for Debacle

2012-01-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

D for Debacle
The prince doesn't think the Victory Day feast went well.

They stopped at an inn in Ridgefield that night, and the next morning, the carriages set off again. The prince and Grace talked about Victory Day and the dinner at the castle.

Prince William shook his head. “I think it was quite a mess.”

“Really?” Grace tilted her head.

“My father was drunk, my mother was exhausted, those knights were quite obnoxious, and everyone wanted the dinner to be over so they could see the fireworks.” He looked half-amused, half-annoyed.

“I had fun, for what it’s worth.”

“Of course you did, because you spent the night with me,” Prince William said, a smile spreading on his face.

Grace laughed. “Oh, I see. I should have known that’s what it was.”

The prince shrugged, his smile turning into a grin. “I could tell the other girls were jealous.”

“Except for Lady Rebekah. She was a bit busy with Sir Leonard.”

Nodding, the prince raised his eyebrows. “Yes, well. . .”

“Don’t let that discourage you, though. Lady Rebekah just had the longest two weeks of her life.”

The prince’s smile faded. “You’ve been counting the days?” He met her eyes.

~Promising Light, Book One of the series

The Protectors: C for Complexion

2012-01-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

C for Complexion
Dar wants to know what the man who warned Grace about him looked like.

Dar stepped away, running a hand through his dark hair. “What did he look like?”

“I told you I didn’t see him.”

“What about his skin color?”

Grace paused. “It was fair.”

“As fair as yours?”

“It was dark in the pub, I don’t know. What does it matter?”

“What does it matter?” he repeated, looking at her sharply. “I need to know who he is. And why he’d lure you out there alone, just to. . .he could have killed you!”

“There were plenty of people around,” she lied. “Now, tell me what he was talking about.”

~Promising Light, Book One of the series

The Protectors: B for Benefit

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

B for Benefit
When I read benefit, I thought of a benefit dinner. Or a charity dinner where Grace and Dar first confessed their attraction to each other.

The moment reminded her of when they’d first shown interest in each other. He was courting Rebekah, of course, but it seemed like half the time Grace snuck a glance at Dar, he was already looking at her. The other half, he would meet her eyes after a moment, and she’d look away hurriedly, blushing.

He cornered her after the king’s charity dinner for the blizzard in Kleisade, and he asked her what about him was so interesting. She said she’d answer his question as soon as he told her why he stared at her just as often. He only paused for a moment before telling her it was because she was one of the most beautiful women in the room. Then she had to answer his, telling him he’d always intrigued her. She smiled as she thought back to it.

~Promising Light, Book One of the series

The Protectors: A for Affluence

2012-01-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

A: Affluence

Seth isn't used to seeing so much wealth when he first moves to Rahuda.

“Oh, damn,” Seth said quietly. Sashe glanced over at him. He tipped over his wine glass, and a lone drop fell onto the blanket. “All out.”

Sashe chuckled. “Don’t worry. Before long, we’ll probably start smuggling in liquor.”

“Smuggling,” Seth repeated. “Like you guys can’t do anything you want already.”

“What makes you think that?” Sashe asked, narrowing her eyes.

“This place is huge.” Seth motioned with his arms. “You even had servants for dinner!”

Sashe shrugged. She reached for her hair to play with it before remembering it was pulled back in a braid. “That’s what happens when you’re the governor and a lord.”

~Shifting Light, the first prequel novella (keep in mind this is pre-publication so anything could change!)

The Protectors Series: A-Z

2012-01-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

Over the next 26 days, I will post a couple lines from the Protectors series corresponding to this list.

A: affluence

B: benefit

C: complexion

D: debacle

E: eulogy

F: fantasy

G: genesis

H: handwriting

I: ink

J: jeopardize

K: kindness

L: lullaby

M: miracle

N: nonetheless

O: outstanding

P: prolific

Q: question

S: solemn

T: taciturn

U: unique

V: viciousness

W: weightlessness

X : Xanadu

Y: youthful

Z: zealously

Taken from A-to-Z Prompts and adjusted.

Author Interview: Stuart Jaffe

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I'm interviewing Stuart Jaffe! He writes post-apocalyptic fantasy and scifi/fantasy short stories, and he's here to tell us a little about himself and his books.

His books:
The Malja Chronicles: Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy

Book 1: The Way of the Black Beast

Book 2: The Way of the Sword and Gun

10 Bits of My Brain - SF/Fantasy short story collection

If you like what you see (that's a pretty awesome book cover, right?), you can visit his website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, or his podcast, The Eclectic Review.

A magician has cursed your next reader so they can read only one of your books. Which book do you choose for them and why?

The Way of the Black Beast -- it's the first of the Malja Chronicles, so it's the best place to start the series.

What's the first sentence of this book?

Malja had followed the killer for hours.

What's the last?

Now, I'm the law.

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].

The Way of the Black Beast is like Xena meets Mad Max.

Far into the future. Thousands of years. If we're still around, it'll give me hope. If not, I still won't know how long we have, so I can continue on without becoming Cassandra.

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?

A paranormal mystery I hope to see in print later this year. A major part of the mystery traces back to World War II. I ended up doing a lot of research on the war and the Holocaust. Every time you think you've seen the worst, there's always something more horrifying to learn. That aspect made the research gut-wrenching to go through.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?

My latest, The Way of the Sword and Gun, was a complete blast to write. It's the first book I've done since going indie, and as a result, I found a new kind of freedom in writing it. Plus, it's one of the most action-packed tales of done.

What's the last book you read? What did you think of it?

Clapton by Eric Clapton. I'm not one for autobiographies, but my wife put this on my Kindle. I've played blues guitar for almost 20 years, so she knew I would enjoy this book, and she was right. Very personal and frank look at himself. I would've preferred more on his music thoughts, but that was clearly not the intent of the book.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing with your time instead?

Is this even possible? To not be writing?

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?

First, I always want the reader to have simply enjoyed the experience. I do layer in ideas on morals, government, leadership, and other topics, but if the reader doesn't enjoy the story, the rest is lost. So, that's paramount.

Thanks, Stuart! I enjoyed interviewing you!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

2012-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Paperback, Library copy.

Guys, look, I did it! I read an adult fantasy novel! This is few and far between compared to the young adult novels I read. I'm quite proud of myself. I read Theft of Swords by Michael Sullivan last year, and it was great. This book reminds me of it, mainly because of the thieving and mischief involved.

This is one a lot of people have been talking about and reviewing and all that. What made me finally pick it up is a Barnes and Noble blog list about the best 10 fantasy titles of the year. I thought, 'I really need to read some adult fantasy if I'm going to try to publish one.' So, this was the blogger's most favorite book and one of the only ones I'd actually heard of on the list.

I admit it took me a few pages to get used to the writing, which is a tiny bit denser than your typical YA book. Once I got used to Rothfuss' style, though, I was hooked. I really like the idea of a frame story like this. I read this book nearly every night for a couple weeks, and I enjoyed almost all of it. It has a very Harry Potter like feel because of the Academy and precocious orphan youngster. But it's also different, too, because you know something will happen to Kvothe to bring him down. It takes on a darker feel because of the frame story. You just know that his story probably won't have a happy ending.

I liked most of these characters. Kvothe was close to too perfect but there were some times when he was so arrogant I was like, 'What. . .did he just say/think that??' So he had his flaws, too. His friends are good, supportive friends, and I really hope nothing bad happens to them. I like Denna. At first she seemed kind of one dimensional, but I like how the author treated her and their relationship. She surprised me a lot, which is a good thing. The characters in the frame story are intriguing, too. It's less, 'I like these characters!' and more 'I'm intrigued by these characters.' Especially Bast. Not sure whether to trust him or not.

The story was great. Had me wondering what was going to happen. Rooting for Kvothe of course, hoping for the best for him. Towards the end, I felt like it started to drag. And it just kind of ended. No real climax or anything. I know that the frame story probably makes it harder for the author to write the typical "Rising Action/Climax/Falling Action" thing, but I'm 100 pages into The Wise Man's Fear, and I'm kind of wondering what the point of all this is. Like how does this stuff at the Academy move the plot along? What really happened to Kvothe? Why is he called the Kingkiller? Who are the Chandrian?

BUT I'm writing about The Name of the Wind. Overall, it was a great story. I liked the storytelling, the conflicts, the characters. Kept me on the edge of my seat, for sure! I just don't want the story to drag on. The next book is almost 1000 pages! These fantasy authors are so long-winded. . .

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

2012-01-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Paperback, 360 pages, library edition.

The Awakening picks up right where The Summoning left off. So, SPOILERS!

Chloe escaped from Lyle House, only to be recaptured again. Stuck in a strange place, she's left to find Simon and Derek by herself. She also needs to find out what the Lyle House was all about and what these people want from her.

I liked this book! Part of me realizes that not that much happened. Another part of me doesn't care so much because I was never bored. Isn't it weird how that happens? Okay, the entire book is about finding the boys and then traveling to Andrew's house, which all takes place over about a week, and yet I read the entire second half just tonight! I like reading about these characters and seeing how their relationships deepen and change. They're finding out more about each other and themselves.

And this may sound preachy, but among books like Twilight and Hush, Hush, this book is just refreshing. I know I don't really have any room to say that since I haven't even read any of those books all the way through. I've just skimmed them and heard horror stories of these ridiculous female protagonists and stalkerish, controlling male protagonists.

I'll admit that Derek has his flaws. He is a pretty big jerk in certain parts of this book, treating Chloe like a child. But he really seems to realize that he should be treating her differently. By the end, I honestly think he was. I never saw Chloe trying to justify his actions -- understand them, maybe, but there is actually a line that reads, "That didn't excuse his outbursts, but maybe it helped me understand him and not take it to personally when he lashed out at me." She still gets upset with him when he treats her like a dog, and he actually recognizes he was wrong.

I also like that Derek is not your movie star male protagonist looks-wise but he's still likable because he cares about Chloe and Simon. I'm glad my sister was so into this series. I'm glad there are young adult authors out there who are writing about characters and relationships like this in the paranormal genre which is overrun with borderline abusive relationships.

At the same time, can she just get to the romance?? I know it's only been a couple weeks in the book's time, but come on.

I also like where the plot of the whole series is going. She keeps up the mystery about where Simon and Derek's dad is, what the genetic mutations mean, how it's going to affect them, Chloe's Aunt Lauren, and more. I keep wondering about the strange loose ends she's kept untied: the necklace, the ghost/demon thing that spoke to Chloe in the hospital, Derek's true parents.

I wasn't really expecting the ending. I just thought there'd be more to the climax, but maybe that's just me. I was like waiting for the other shoe to drop, but then I realized, 'Oh, they really did get away. . .okay. . .'

Off for the next one! I'm eager to see how she ends this series.

Author Interview: Judi Coltman

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I'm proud to be interviewing Judi Coltman!

Her books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and her personal website:

In The Name Of The Father (Suspense/Thriller)

Is It Just Me? or Is Everyone a Little Nuts! (Humor)

You can visit her blog, website, or Twitter!

Without further ado. . .

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?

In The Name Of The Father was far harder than my first book. It is easier to answer this question by telling you why the first was so easy. I have a blog, My Life In A Nutshell, which is based on my life and the way it stumbles through life. It was easy to compile these short essays into book form and it's really me just telling stories about me - easy peasey. It has spent the better part of the last year as an Amazon best seller in humor.

In The Name Of The Father required me to expose myself through something I really covet - fiction writing. I can control the material about me, guide it so that I am my own punchline, in fiction, all best are off. Characters become very palpable, the story not guided towards a laugh and if it's bad, I become the punchline NOT by my own design.

Do you remember the first story you ever finished? If so, tell us about it.

Ohhhhh *groans* It was 4th grade. I don't remember the title but it was a story about why the moon was made of green cheese. Aliens landed and they looked like mice on steroids. They take me and my cat back to the moon to show me that it is made of green cheese and that is what made them grow so big. Then they let me take some and fly me back to earth. My cat steals the cheese because she doens't mice to grow so big.

And there you have it.

What's the last book you read? What did you think of it?

The Righteous by Michael Wallace. I loved the book. It is a murder mystery within a polygamist society. The beauty is that even though the protagonist is a from such a society, it isn't represented from an overly negative or positive angle, it just is and allows the mystery to unfold within. Fascinating.

A magician has cursed your next reader so they can read only one of your books. Which book do you choose for them and why?

In The Name Of The Father, absolutely! This is a far more compelling book, a page-turner. I labored with joy on this one and I am very proud of it.

What's the first sentence of this book?

It always occurred during the 10 o'clock service.

What's the last? (don't worry, it's non-spoilery!)

Barbara wrapped a large slice of pizza in a piece of paper towel and placed it in her bag, Harry might want some later.

Greece during the Age of Enlightenment. I want to see how evolved they really were at that time. It was a civil time, living large, seeking knowledge.

Through very strange circumstances, a mad scientist is exiling you to the world of one of your books. Which world do you choose and why?

I choose the location of In The Name Of The Father. The setting is a beach in Virginia - Sandbridge Beach, one where I have spent the last 40 some years vacationing. It is my muse. Being exiled to the beach would be a dream come true. Where do I find the mad scientist?

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Read it out loud. If it doesn't flow when verbalized, it needs rewriting.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing with your time instead?

Art. I paint and upcycle old hardback books into artwork.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?

I want them to feel exhilarated. In either case, humor or suspense, I want them to feel like they've been on a wild ride and want to share it with others.

My Own Love Triangles: Part Two

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, I talked about a love triangle I had when I was fifteen. I promised another one, so here it is! Don't worry, it has a happy ending unlike the last one.

I moved just before my senior year of high school. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy about it or not. On one hand, I was kind of tired of my school where I’d spent four years already. On the other, I didn’t want to go to a school where everyone had already made their friends.

I met Jacob at church. (No, it’s not his real name.) He was the funny guy. He was the first guy who was younger than me that I dated, but the age difference was only about six months. We started going out a few months after I moved. It was a pretty innocent relationship without too many strings attached. We mostly saw each other at church: youth group, Sunday services, nights we all went out. We would occasionally talk on the phone or over AIM or myspace. It wasn’t very deep, though. I was “in love” with him, but I’ve been in love with someone for the last ten years of my life. I’d gush about him to friends I left behind, squeal over notes or letters he sent me, etc.

After a while, I started to realize I couldn’t commit to Jacob for a long period of time. I enjoyed being with him, but I saw we were on different levels, going two different directions in our lives.

For some reason, I held on. We only saw each other two or three times a week, and we hardly even kissed, so I thought, ‘Why not?’

Well, then Chris came into the picture. He was invited by my dad to play drums at the church. At first, I didn’t notice him too much. He was a nice guy, and that was cool. He started coordinating youth group nights. He was only twenty-one, but most of the youth group was younger, anyway. He was four years older than me, so there was definitely a barrier between us since I wasn’t eighteen yet. I considered him purely a friend for a couple months.

We hung out more and more over the spring. We painted the gym stage in the church. We did car washes to raise money for my trip to Hawaii. We found out we had a lot of the same interests in music.

All along, me and Jacob held onto our relationship which hardly existed anymore. I would go through ups and downs: sometimes I’d have the time of my life with him, other times he would aggravate me to no end. Sometimes I’d really consider our relationship serious, other times I’d completely lose respect for him when he’d fight with my younger brother.

We did have a nice night at my senior prom. It was only a couple blocks from our church, and I remember complaining about my heels. Jacob picked me up and carried me the rest of the way. We were laughing so hard by the time we got to the church parking lot.

Summer came, and me and my friends and family hung out with Chris a lot. He took us on swimming trips. He played guitar for us. He seemed genuinely interested in learning about the Bible and our religion, like I was. My dad really liked him and would invite him over for dinner to our house.

I went to South Africa and Zambia for a few weeks the summer after I graduated, and I remember writing about Chris on the plane ride home. I didn’t know what was ahead of us, what the summer held. I was moving to Hawaii that fall for a year-long mission trip. I knew I’d have to break up with Jacob before that. I couldn’t try something long-distance with him when I didn’t even want to do a regular relationship.

I finally broke it off with Jacob towards the end of the summer. I said I didn’t want to go to Hawaii with the baggage of a romantic relationship, and it seemed like we were growing apart, anyway. He seemed to take it okay, but I got a call from Chris a little while later. He told me Jacob had just called him and confessed to cheating on me with his ex-girlfriend. She was a girl I kind of envied. I couldn’t believe it; I actually started crying.

My mom came into the room, and I told her what Chris had said. The first thing she said? “Oh, whatever!” She didn’t believe it for a second. She knew Jacob’s ex-girlfriend was completely finished with him. I snapped out of it and believed her. Neither Jacob nor his ex-girlfriend would do something like that.

Hardly a week before I was due to leave for Hawaii, Chris asked if I wanted to get something to eat. We went to Denny’s. We went for a walk in the park by my house and talked. I remember sitting in the swings, and he was kind of rambling, but I had fun. I remember coming home and thinking, ‘Wow. . .what just happened?’

Shortly after that, Jacob gave me a letter confessing his cheating. At that point, I didn’t believe it at all. I kind of brushed it off. I’d accepted that we were on different levels, and I was content with just being friends. I was disappointed that he had to drag it out and make it weird. He even changed the girl that he had cheated on me with. Sadly, we weren’t on extremely friendly terms when I went to Hawaii. Today, we are, but we’ve never talked about his strange confession.

Me and Chris, on the other hand, were friends when I left for Hawaii. I spent nearly every night of my last week in Oregon with him. When I went to Hawaii, we talked on the phone all the time. I fell for him, and I fell hard. After that, he never had any competition. Our four year wedding anniversary is in May.

Sample Sunday: Promising Light Chapter One

2012-01-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Chapter One

Grace loved the vineyard. It stretched over miles and miles, and she and Dar could disappear for hours without anyone ever finding them. Today it was warm, the sun baking down on the grapes, causing the fragrance to surround them.

She lay on a blanket Dar had brought, staring up at the clouds. Dar was next to her, putting flowers in her blonde hair. His olive-colored skin was dark from the summer sun, and his black hair, in need of trimming, curled at his ears. The two of them were hidden in a remote corner of the vineyard where grape vines touched the ground next to them.

“If I move, will I ruin your masterpiece?” she asked.

“Yes, you definitely will,” Dar said. “So don’t move.”

“What are you doing to me?”

“You look like a nymph.” Dar pulled his hands back and gazed intently at her. His dark eyes traveled over her hair, her face, her breasts. “I wish I could freeze this moment in time and carry it around with me.”

Grace took his hand, raised it to her lips, and kissed it. “I really want to kiss you on the mouth, but I’m not moving.”

He smiled and bent down. He kissed her, entwining his fingers through hers. He moved to lay on top of her. Waves of warmth that had nothing to do with the weather went through Grace. She held on to his hands tightly as he brought them up over her head. She felt completely exposed to him, physically and emotionally.

He pulled away after a moment and kissed each of her cheeks.

“Dar,” she whispered, “I don’t want to keep sneaking around.”

His smile faded. He let go of one of her hands and ran his fingers along her jaw. “I know. I don’t either.”

“So?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Your father wouldn’t approve of me.”

She huffed. “Do you even know why he doesn’t like your family?” She didn’t understand her father’s hostility towards them, considering Dar’s father was a respected governor. Things like wealth and status mattered to her father, who was the king’s general. Grace had only met Dar’s parents a few times, and they seemed like good people who ruled Shyra well. His mother had always been friendly to her at social events.

Dar didn’t meet her eyes. “I have an idea.”

“You do?”

He kissed the line of her jaw softly, sending shivers down her spine. “I think so.”

She wouldn’t be distracted. “Well, what is it?”

“Shyra doesn’t have a very good reputation.”

In court, Shyra was mostly spoken of as a poor and mysterious state overrun with fake magicians and crime. She’d only been there once and it seemed like a typical farming state, not much worse than the seedy areas of Renaul. If someone as good as Dar came out of it, the place couldn’t be horrible. He kissed her neck, and she closed her eyes.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice shaky. “It seems like more than that.”

“Maybe you should ask him.”

She laughed. “He probably doesn’t even realize we know each other.”

Dar raised his head, meeting her eyes. “You probably know me better than anyone.”

She furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. . .” She trailed off as she ran her fingers through his soft curls. “It seems like there’s a lot about you I don’t know.”

“You know the important things,” he said, his voice quiet.

She didn’t say anything for a moment. She wished that were the case, but she doubted it. It hurt because she knew the opposite was true: Dar knew her better than anyone. He had some competition with Jocelyn, her closest friend since childhood, but Grace felt like she’d always hidden something from her, as well as from her parents and her brother. Not one specific thing or an unseemly secret about herself, just something about her very nature, as though she may not be good enough.

She’d never had those fears with Dar. She’d given all of herself to him in the last six months, even if it hadn’t been wise. Their relationship had started off playful, but she’d fallen for him quickly. He knew everything about her, from the birthmark on her stomach to how she liked her tea to her secrets, fears, and dreams. Yet Dar still had his secrets and a past that he tried to keep hidden.

“What about what happened two years ago?” she asked.

Dar’s jaw tightened. He lay down next to her, resting his head on her shoulder. He’d talked about some kind of tragedy that happened two years ago in Shyra, but he’d never given her the details. She’d never pushed him, but now she wanted to know.

“My parents took in two girls when I was four. They were pretty much my sisters.”

Grace touched the back of his head, her eyes wide. She’d always thought Dar was an only child.

“Two years ago. . .my family got into some trouble, and a lot of people were killed. One of my sisters nearly died, and the other disappeared. I haven’t seen her since.”

He’d lost so much. She feared saying anything in case he withdrew again. She ran her fingers through his hair. His body moved softly against hers as he breathed in and out.

“I want to see her again. I want to apologize for everything.”

“What would you say?” she whispered.

“‘Sierra, I’m sorry. I never should have let. . .’” Dar trailed off. He sat up suddenly, his back to Grace.
She sat up and felt flowers fall from her hair. She touched his shoulders, and he tensed.

He got to his feet and kept his face averted from her. “I want that stuff to stay in the past, Grace. I don’t want it to come between us.”

She pursed her lips. Couldn’t he see that keeping things from her would come between them? After standing, she started to gather up the blanket. “Well, then, you shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Things like what?”

“‘You know me better than anyone.’” His gaze lingered on her as she folded the blanket. She looked at him, and he crossed the distance between them.

“I wish I could tell you everything.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “But I know it’s better for both of us if I don’t.”

She stepped away and picked up the blanket. “We should go. We’ve been here for two hours already.”

Dar took the blanket from her, and she picked up her bag. Maybe she was being unreasonable. She took his hand and leaned towards him. Why did he feel like he couldn’t tell her things about him? She’d told him everything about her.

They walked silently to the end of the vineyard where they came from, the opposite end of Sir Henry’s manor. The grapes twisted around wires and poles on either side of them. Dar took a few grapes and handed some to Grace. She played with them, running her fingers over the dusty surface.

“Do you talk to Lady Rebekah about your past?” she asked, her eyes on the ground.

Dar laughed. “No. Rebekah and I don’t talk about anything deep at all. When I talk with her, I think about you. When I kiss her, I think about you.”

He thought about Grace, and yet he was courting Rebekah. Not her. She hated to think of him kissing someone else, especially Rebekah. Flighty, shallow Rebekah.

They reached the spot where they usually parted ways. “I’ll see you later?” Dar said.

She nodded and glanced down at their hands. “Nothing in your past could change the way I feel about you. I care about you. Not what’s happened to you.”

He kissed her, holding her face in his hands. He pulled away and rested his forehead on hers. “I know.”

She stepped back. “Goodbye.” She turned and left. A few minutes later, she looked over her shoulder, but he was gone. He did that often: just disappeared. She worried he’d do that to her someday, just leave her behind without a thought.

***

Meet me at The Boar’s Bar at midnight. Come alone.

Grace stuffed the note into her pocket. She didn’t recognize the handwriting, and there was no name. Her attempts to guess who might have sent it were fruitless, but it had to have been someone who knew her curiosity often overruled her common sense. She hoped it was Dar, even if it wasn’t a very original way to get her alone. Since their small argument in the vineyard a couple days ago, she’d been waiting for a chance to see him.

A stout man stumbled to the barstool next to her. “Another pint!” he yelled at the bartender. He looked at Grace through his greasy blond hair. “Well, hello! Haven’t seen you around here before.”

Grace gave him a tight smile. Could he be the one who sent the note? He wasn’t the type she was expecting, to say the least. “I’ve never been here before.”

“Really? What do you think so far?” he asked.

She glanced around the tavern. Pockets of people were rowdy while others sat by themselves in the corners. A strong smell of garlic hung in the air. It wasn’t of the worst she’d seen in Renaul, but she knew her mother would faint if she knew Grace was here. She light was dim, but still, she didn’t see any nobles. She shrugged and noticed that his eyes were roving over her traveling cloak, no doubt looking for some bared skin. “It seems like a normal tavern to me.”

The man laughed as the bartender returned with another pint. “I’ll have you know that this is the best bar in the city.” He paused to take a gulp of his beer. “Can tell why you’ve never been here, though. Too rich for us folk, yeah? Had to travel all the way across the river?”

If he was the one to ask her here, why was he making conversation like this? Grace sipped her mead. “What makes you think that?”

He was about to respond when he looked over her shoulder and fell silent. Someone tapped her on the arm. Grace turned around; a man with a hood pulled over his head bowed and said, “Lady Grace.”

His voice was almost drowned out by the people around them, but she thought it might be Dar’s. She smiled. “You still insist on being anonymous?”

“Perhaps we could talk outside,” he said. She could only glimpse the lower half of his face, the outline of his jaw. In the dim light, she couldn’t make any conclusions about his identity.

Grace stepped off her barstool. She told the man at the bar, “Goodnight, sir.”

“Tha’s how I know—normal people don’t talk like that,” the man said as she followed the hooded figure outside.

The brisk night air hit Grace as soon as the man opened the door for her. She saw his hand on the door—pale, short fingers, a silver ring around his pinky. He wasn’t Dar. She pulled her cloak around her, her mind racing with questions.

The smell of garlic lingered outside, too. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man grab for her arm. She stepped away, avoiding his hand. “Why did you want me to come here?”

The man glanced around, his face turned toward a pair of men by their horses, laughing. One of them stumbled on something, falling to the ground, and they just laughed harder.

“We’re alone,” Grace said, “so get on with it.”

“I’m here about Dar from Shyra,” the man said. “He is not safe for you.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“I know you desire each other, but he is dangerous. I’m here in your best interest, Lady Grace. He will be of no good to you.”

Who was this man? If he’d seen it, then who else had? She took a step toward him, but he moved away from her. She narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”

“The note was anonymous, and that’s how I choose to stay. You must know that you and Dar come from two different worlds.” His voice filled with disgust. “It’s simply impossible to think a lady of your standing could be with something like him.”

“He’s a noble, as well.” She almost spoke about Dar’s courtship with Rebekah, but she caught herself, knowing she shouldn’t defend Dar or herself. “It makes no difference since we’re not involved.”

“Please, I’m not blind,” the man said, his voice rising.

Grace tried to laugh; it didn’t sound very convincing. “So, this is why you asked me to come? To warn me against a man I have nothing to do with?”

“You need to set your sights on another noble. Dar is not what you think he is.”

“I’m not interested in him,” Grace said, raising her voice. “But even if I were, who are you to tell me to whom I should direct my affection?” She made a grab for his hood, but he moved away quickly and her fingers caught the air. “Do you have any idea to whom you speak?”

His mouth twisted in a smile. “You’re Lady Grace Ellengreen, and your father is a General in the King’s army. I don’t think he would like to hear about your relationship with Dar.”

Grace stiffened. She wanted to scoff about how old-fashioned her father was, unable to see how the norms between men and women were changing, independent of parental desires, but she didn’t want to admit anything to this stranger. Whatever had caused it, the hostility between her father and Dar’s was enough to keep her quiet. Or enough to search out Dar in the first place. Probably both.

“Our nonexistent relationship?” she asked. “What are you going to tell him, that even though Sir Dar and Lady Rebekah have been courting for eight months—”

“I’ll tell him about your meeting in the greenhouse.”

Grace froze and she clenched her fists. How did he know about that? They’d been completely sure to cover up their trail.

“Or the time at the masquerade ball.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her voice came out stronger than she felt.

“I’ll tell him if it will get you away from Dar. He’ll only bring you danger and death.”

“Who are you, that you have such an interest in my well-being?” Perhaps this man was some kind of an admirer. Was he saying these things because they were true or because he wanted her? It may be conceited to think such things, but why else would he be warning her? He couldn’t be telling the truth about Dar. There was no way.

“I already told you, you won’t find out.” The man backed away. “Take heed, Lady Grace. Don’t let your foolishness run away with you.”

Grace glared at him as he moved toward the stable. She rushed after him, raising her skirts and nearly tripping over loose stones in the road. She intended to follow him, but when she reached the stable, his horse went galloping past her, sending up a cloud of dirt that made her cough. He faded into the darkness, and she knew she’d never catch up to him without more comfortable riding clothes on.

Her heart pounded as she untied and mounted her horse. Who was he? Why did he care what she did with Dar? Would he tell anyone about her relationship with Dar? And did any of the things he’d said have truth to them?

She and Dar had started seeing each other six months ago. It was just kisses at first, but then they began to meet at night, talking in earnest, sending private letters, meeting in Sir Henry’s vineyard. They kept their relationship secret since he made no indication of wanting to leave Lady Rebekah, and the thought of doing something without the knowledge of her parents or older brother excited her. She soon started to feel taken advantage of, even though they weren’t sleeping together, and whenever she tried to press the issue of him breaking it off with Rebekah, he would push the conversation elsewhere.

A familiar sense of indignation rose up in her on the way back to the manor. Why did he insist on remaining quiet about her? Maybe he was ashamed of her and he just used her father’s hostility towards his family as an excuse. But then that would mean he’d lied to her time and time again when he said she was unlike other nobles because she cared about people, because she listened to him, because there was something different about her. She didn’t think she could accept that he’d been lying the entire time. His feelings for her weren’t a lie. They couldn’t be, not when he gained nothing but her company from their relationship, not even sex.

She played the conversation with the hooded man over and over in her mind. Two different worlds. Not safe. No good. Danger and death. For weeks she’d tried to reconcile her situation with Dar. She’d give Dar one chance to explain what the man was talking about, and then. . .

She didn’t want it to end; but was the curiosity she’d had about Dar since they were children enough to keep her with him? She couldn’t deny he was one of her best friends now. The last six months had been some of the happiest of her life. She sometimes felt as though she was becoming a woman because of her time with him, as though the world was being opened up to her.

Was it those things or was it the mystery of him, the rebelliousness of being with the son of a man her father hated, the feel of knowing she could have something that belonged to Rebekah Mortren, whom she’d envied since she was young? She couldn’t tell where her real feelings for him began.

The Ellengreen estate was quite large, even for a noble family. The stone manor loomed high in the sky, blocking out the stars. Gardens and grassy lawns surrounded it. Almond trees lined along the back of the manor. Grace’s father allowed peasants to use the fruit for income, taking a profit of the money they earned.

Grace approached the stables slowly. Her mother went to bed around eight o’clock, and her father was training with troops, but she knew her brother had recently been taking late night rides. She and Dar had narrowly avoided him a few times over the last couple weeks. Tonight, however, his horse was in its stall.

Grace dismounted her horse and led her to its stall. When she turned around, someone stood in the door, and she jumped in shock. She recognized Dar’s face and put her hand over her heart. “Don’t do that!”

Dar chuckled. He glanced at the horse and Grace’s traveling cloak. “Where have you been?”

Grace came out of the stall, closing the door behind her. “What are you doing here?”

“I just thought I’d drop by. I whistled nearly twenty minutes ago.” He reached for her waist, but Grace stepped away.

“I was at the Boar’s Bar,” she said.

Dar’s brow furrowed. “At this hour? Why?”

She took the note from her pocket and held it out for him. He read it, then looked at her with wide eyes. “Did you go alone?”

She huffed. “Oh, I forgot you’re still with my father in the last century. I can take care of myself.” She opened her cloak and showed him where her dagger hung from her waist.

“As skillful as you are, without it, you’d be powerless. You’re not exactly someone of stature.” He half-smiled, holding his hand up to her head, which barely reached his shoulders.

She glared at him. “I’m not completely helpless.”

He waved a hand. “All right, whatever you say.” He held up the note. “Who was it?”

“I don’t know. He never took his hood off, but he knows about us.”

Dar’s eyes widened, and he straightened up. “How?”

“I don’t know. He knows about the greenhouse and the masquerade ball.”

“What did he want?”

Grace paused, meeting his eyes. “He said you were dangerous.”

Dar broke eye contact, and his shoulders sagged.

Her eyes widened. So there was some truth to it. “He said you would only bring me danger and death, that you were no good for me, we were from two different worlds.” Grace tried to catch his eyes again, but he was looking at her horse now. “Dar?”

He shook his head. “I should have known this couldn’t last.”

“What do you mean?” When he said nothing, she put her hands on his shoulders and turned him to face her. “What was he talking about?”

Dar stepped away, running a hand through his dark hair. “What did he look like?”

“I told you I didn’t see him.”

“What about his skin color?”

She paused. “It was fair.”

“As fair as yours?”

“It was dark in the pub, I don’t know. What does it matter?”

“What does it matter?” he repeated, looking at her sharply. “I need to know who he is. And why he’d lure you out there alone, just to. . .he could have killed you!”

“There were plenty of people around,” she lied. “Now, tell me what he was talking about.”

He didn’t respond. He was pacing around in the straw, mumbling under his breath.

“What did he mean, two different worlds? Shyra?” Grace asked, raising her voice. Dar’s home state wasn’t so different from Renaul. “It’s not so—”

“He’s right.” Dar stopped pacing and looked at Grace. “I was stupid to think this could work.”

She frowned, and her hidden feelings of incompetence since they’d started meeting in secret came again. She clenched her hands into fists. “Right. I should have known, too. I was just a few thrills on the side while you and Rebekah—”

“Rebekah?” Dar scoffed. “Oh, please, Grace, she’s nothing. Our courtship is an act, a cover-up.”

“A cover-up for what?”

“No. This is. . .bigger than just us. I shouldn’t have brought you into this.”

“Into what?” Grace asked, but she knew she was losing him. He was already drifting away, his stubbornness taking over the one-sided conversation. She swore and struck the stall door next to her. “I should have ended this a long time ago, before you made me feel like a complete fool.”

Dar nodded. “I should go back to Shyra.”

Her mouth fell open, and she stared at him. “What?” That was the last thing she’d been expecting. Why wasn’t he defending himself?

Dar stared past her, and she stepped forward, trying to put herself in his line of vision.

“Don’t I deserve to know what’s going on?”

“Grace, don’t—”

“We’ve been together for six months!” Her voice was unsteady. “I think I have a right to know what that man was talking about!”

“No, you don’t.” He started pacing again. “I can’t do this any longer. I keep trying to have it both ways, have you and be normal, but it can’t be that way. I have two choices now: giving you everything or leaving you behind.” He stopped, looking at Grace. He closed the distance between them. He leaned forward to set his forehead against hers. Her breath caught in her throat, and she closed her eyes. “You don’t know how much I want that first choice. . .but I can’t do that. We’re both lucky he decided to warn you instead of. . .”

Grace opened her eyes and took hold of his shirt. She knew if she asked the questions burning inside her—instead of what? Are you dangerous? Why?—he’d withdraw from her.

“You don’t have to leave,” she said. The distance was so far, nearly two days. She’d resolved to let go of their late night meetings, but couldn’t imagine not even seeing him at social events. “You don’t have to go back to Shyra.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You’re not going to tell me the truth, are you?” she whispered.

Dar shook his head. “I want to keep you safe.”

Grace took a step back, fighting off tears. “For all I know, you could have sent someone to tell me those things, just so you could have a way out.” Her voice came out shaky, and she hated it.

His eyes widened. “Grace.”

“You knew I’d go, even though it was stupid.”

Dar raised his voice. “I didn’t send that note.”

“Then who did?” Grace demanded. She couldn’t believe this was happening, that he was treating her like this, like the last six months meant nothing to him.

“I can’t tell you.”

“You won’t tell me. But I could find out.”

“Really? How are you going to do that?”

She glared at him. Dar touched the side of her face and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Don’t make this harder for either of us. That man was right; I’m not safe for you.”

She tried to meet his eyes, but he was looking at her blonde hair as he twirled some of it around his finger, like he used to when they were hidden in the vineyard. “Is this about Sierra? And the people who died?”

“Stop it,” he whispered. He stepped closer, tracing his finger along her jawline. “I could live without you, but not if it was because something happened to you on my account.”

“Nothing is going to happen. . .” Grace trailed off. There was something, probably many things, she didn’t know about him. Something he was hiding.

Dar leaned down, taking her face in his hands, and kissed her. She closed her eyes, putting her hands on his waist. What if this was their last kiss? She held onto him as though he may fall through her fingers like water. His fingers wove into her hair, sending chills down her spine.

He pulled away first and set his forehead on hers again.

“Dar,” she whispered.

He stepped away, and his shirt slipped from her fingers. He turned and walked to his horse. She leaned against the nearby stable door, holding back tears. After he mounted, he said in her direction, “Goodbye, my lady.”

Grace let her tears fall once he was out of sight. She tried to tell herself this was best, even though she wanted to run after him. She dropped onto the ground, finally let her tears fall.

***

Promising Light should be released this Wednesday! Keep your eye out for this novel, the first in an epic fantasy series.

Thursday Thirteen: My 13 Favorite Books

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite books! They're nearly all fiction. I don't know what that says about me. I included my favorite character, too :P

1. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. If I have to choose just one, Prisoner of Azkaban.
Favorite character: Ron Weasley

2. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
Favorite character: Peeta Mellark

3. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.
Favorite character: Mitchell Sanders or Kiowa

4. 1984 by George Orwell.
Favorite character: Honestly, this is more a book where I remember themes stronger than characters. I remember Winston and Julia but I don't remember particularly liking either of them.

5. Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller.
Favorite character: Well, I feel weird answering this because it's nonfiction, and these people aren't characters; they're real people. I guess Don because it's his story.

6. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
Favorite character: John

7. The Tomorrow When the War Began series by John Marsden.
Favorite character: Ellie, closely followed by Homer

8. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.
Favorite character: Lucy

9. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
Favorite character: Lord Henry

10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Favorite character: Liesel

11. Jesus for President by Shaine Claiborne.
Favorite character: Jesus

12. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.
Favorite character: Don, I guess. Again, I FEEL WEIRD.

13. The Bible by Various Authors/God.
Favorite character: Jesus/Yeshua

My Own Love Triangles: Part One

2012-01-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

It seems like a lot of stories these days have love triangles. Some are well done, some aren’t. Some readers are sick of them, some can’t get enough. This is a post for those who can’t get enough.

Promising Light has a bit of a love triangle, at least at first. Grace is secretly seeing Dar until an anonymous man warns her that he’s dangerous. When Dar hears of this, he leaves the country. The prince shows his interest in Grace soon after Dar’s departure, even asking her to accompany him on a royal trip. Grace thinks the prince is charming, but she can’t seem to leave Dar behind.

I had my own love triangle when I was a teenager. I was fifteen and going out with a boy named Nick. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent. . .and the not-so-innocent.) We went to school together. We had a lot of fun together, but we were also kind of moody and would have random, unprovoked arguments. Nick was funny and very nice to me. We thought the other was awesome.

I left for the summer to work at a Christian summer camp. I was a waitress, and it was my first real job. I’d gone to this camp for years and I was ecstatic to finally work there! While there, I met a boy named Alex. He was quiet and played hard-to-get, but over the first few weeks, we started to like each other.

For those of you who have never worked at a summer camp, I’m not sure if you understand how much of a different world it is. Especially when you’re fifteen. No parents. Rules are barely enforced. Just do your work and have fun on your off-hours. I got caught up in this other world where I stayed up until two playing video games, stargazing at the campfire pit, watching scary movies, walking home in the dark. My mind revolved around camp and the people there, not the boyfriend I’d left behind.

Unfortunately, flighty fifteen-year-old I was, I cheated on Nick with Alex. I tried not to, honestly, but I was all about instant gratification. I saw Alex nearly everyday. I talked to Nick every couple days. I saw him on the weekends when me and my friends would decide to stay at my parents’ house instead of at camp, but generally, Alex was a much more pressing matter in my mind. I could talk to him and touch him and flirt with him. I didn’t have to wait until I got home.

During that time, I was probably like one of those characters in young adult novels that you just want to hit with a log truck. All she cares about is her current romantic interest. Not her friends or family or job. Alex, Alex, Alex. When it was happening, I was having the time of my life. I looked forward to every minute with Alex. He was intoxicating. Occasionally, we’d have slip-ups. Why isn’t he talking to me today? Why can’t my best friend just let us hang out for a little while? And the main question, what’s going to happen to us after the summer?

I finally broke up with Nick. Coward that I was, I lied about Alex. I didn’t want to hurt him, so I kept the truth from him. Well, Nick wasn’t stupid.

I planned to stay a couple weeks after the main summer camps ended to work in the kitchen. Alex planned on it, too, as well as some of our other friends. Suddenly, though, Alex’s mom died, and he went home early. I remember trying to comfort him after I found out, trying to imagine what that would feel like. He left before we talked about our future. To be honest, that was pretty much the end.

We talked a few times on the phone after that, but it wasn’t like it used to be. I thought maybe we’d talk everyday and make drives to see each other every now and then. I thought we’d talk on AIM or e-mail or something. He was busy with life, though, and I went back to school, where Nick was.

Nick didn’t believe my lies about Alex and he told most of his friends that he thought I cheated on him. I still denied it, and my friends tried to stick up for me. Nick and I liked being around each other again. We had fun together. We played a few games of truth or dare. Then we ended up going out again. I don’t know why Nick trusted me, but I told him it would never happen again.

Fortunately, it didn’t. But we grew apart. I remember at the end, we hadn’t talked for days. I don’t even remember why. He came to my locker and I said, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” He said, “Neither do I.” That was the end. It was a mostly amicable breakup, and we stayed friends for the rest of the year. Occasionally, he’d tease me about Alex.
It took me months to get over Alex. I’d cry and cry, wondering he’d ever truly loved me or if he’d lied just to make-out with me. Who knows? We were fifteen and in love. I fell in love easily. I’ve probably spent the last ten years of my life in love! But, to me, being in love is just a feeling, an emotion that can pass quickly. I found that out with most of my boyfriends. I’d fall in love and then be bored with them a couple months later.

That changed, though, when I met Chris. . .but you'll see more of that in part two, coming next week. Yes, another love triangle!

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

I aimed for 50, and I only got 37! :(

1. Great House by Nicole Krauss
2. The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui
5. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
6. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
7. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
8. The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
9. Hush Money by Susan Bischoff
10. The Night is for Hunting by John Marsden
11. The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden
12. The Alchemaster's Apprentice by Walter Moers
13. Bossypants by Tina Fey
14. Gone by Michael Grant
15. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
16. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
17. Fire by Kristin Cashore
18. Uncommon Magic by Michelle Scott
19. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
20. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
21. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
22. Room by Emma Donoghue
23. Solstice by P.J. Hoover
24. Eden by Keary Taylor
25. Theft of Swords by Michael Sullivan
26. Heroes 'Til Curfew by Susan Bischoff
27. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
28. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
29. Obernwetyn by Isobelle Carmody
30. Becoming by Raine Thomas
31. Divergent by Veronica Roth
32. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
33. Tempest by Julie Cross
34. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
35. Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young
36. Moon Spell by Samantha Young
37. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Sample Sunday: Number Six in Beyond Home

2012-01-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

From the second short story in Beyond Home, Number Six. Here are the first 700 words (even!)

***

She was running down the sidewalk, and the train of her dress dragged along the ground, collecting all the dirt of New York City. After looking around frantically, she burst into the coffee shop in which Sean was sitting.

He couldn’t help but stare, along with everyone else. Is that Abigail?

Her curls were coming undone, and her makeup was smeared by her tears. With perfect composure, she moved to the bar and sat next to Sean. Her wedding dress poofed up around her, covering half of Sean’s leg.

“Can I get a coffee?” she asked the waitress.

He cleared his throat. “Abigail?”

She looked at him with wide eyes. “How—oh. Sean.” She grabbed a napkin from the silver dispenser between them and loudly blew her nose.

“Are you okay?” he asked, fiddling with his newspaper.

Abigail wiped her eyes with another napkin. “Oh, I’ve been better.”

“I didn’t know you were engaged.” He wanted to take the words back as soon as he said them. All he knew about Abigail was the contents of her computer, which he’d saved a month ago from a nasty virus.

She laughed loudly and covered her mouth to hide more giggles. The waitress came over with her cup of coffee, and Abigail nodded to her with a beaming smile. She put three scoops of sugar into the coffee and smiled at Sean. “I think that’s the first time I’ve laughed all day.”

He shrugged. “I guess my awkwardness has its uses.”

“I guess so.” She sipped her coffee and took a deep breath. “What a day.”

Sean folded his newspaper and smoothed it flat. Since meeting Abigail two weeks ago, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. She was funny, flirty, smart, gorgeous. . .and now she was sitting next to him in a wedding dress. Not exactly the setting he’d been expecting when he saw her again. “How’s your computer been?”

“Oh, great.” She nodded. “Works like new.”

How had he missed that huge engagement ring before? He wondered how much it had cost. When she’d brought her computer in, she told him she’d pay anything to fix it. Apparently money wasn’t an issue for her fiancé, either.

Abigail held up her hand, looking at her ring. “I never wore this when I came around your shop.”

“Yeah, I was wondering how I could miss something like that.”

She shrugged and sipped her coffee again.

He wanted to ask if she decided not to wear it because of him or for some other reason. Instead, he asked, “Can I pay for your coffee?”

She looked at him, embarrassed. “Sure. I haven’t got any money on me.” She paused. “I was going to give her my ring.” She let out a laugh, but it was empty.

“No,” he said, “you should keep that.”

She avoided his eyes. “Right. I’m sure he’ll be wanting it back.”

Sean glanced out the window. “Where did you come from?”

“The Marriott Hotel on 85th and Albany. I think I lost them, though. . .well, it was just my mom after four blocks.” She sighed, putting her head in her hands.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” he said. “I was going to get married once.”

Abigail looked at him. “You were?”

“Yeah, but she didn’t like it when I talked to strangers in coffee shops,” Sean said. The bride smiled. “Seriously, we were engaged, and she had everything planned out. A month before the wedding, I came home and she had all of her stuff packed up. She moved to Hawaii and married one of those entertainers in the cheesy tourist hotels.”

Abigail narrowed her eyes. “Are you making this up?”

Sean laughed. “I wish. Trust me.”

She took another drink of her coffee, then started playing with the ring on her finger. Sean remembered the ring he’d bought Teresa. It was much smaller, but she had cried when he brought it out, and then spent the next few days staring at it.

“It’s so weird that you’re here,” Sean said. “I was just thinking about you this morning.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “I just ran away from my wedding, and you’re hitting on me?”

***

Beyond Home is only 99 cents on Amazon and Smashwords. Coming to B&N soon!

Happy New Year, by the way!

Goals for 2012!

2011-12-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of the year again! Here are my goals for 2012:

1. Publish The Protectors series
Tentative release dates for each:
Promising Light, the first full-length novel of the series: January 9th
Shifting Light: Early February
Fire and Light: Mid-February
The End of Light: Early March
Future of Light, the sequel to Promising Light: ?? Late Spring/Early Summer
There may also be a third book in the trilogy, but I have to see how Future of Light ends. I don't plan that far ahead ;) I imagine along the way, there will be bonus short stories (one is in the anthology Love, Me coming in February!) and maybe even more novellas throughout the year.

2. Query Aaron and Anna and/or The Second Generation
Being two books I feel would benefit from the distribution and marketing of a traditional publisher, I would like to search for an agent for these novels, and obviously, querying will mean I need a final draft of both. Finishing TSG was a goal of mine last year, hehe, but I will get it done this year!

3. Finish writing the Aaron and Anna series, possibly called Le Garde
This will be a trilogy, so I'd like to outline and finish the first draft of the next two books in the series.

4. Finish writing The Illusionist and make plans for it.
I'm currently about 50K into The Illusionist, a fantasy novel. It currently looks like it's going to be long enough to have a sequel, so it will probably be a two-part series. By the time it's finished, I'd like to decide what to do with it. I may explore serialization, since that sounds like a lot of fun. I may self-publish it, depending on the success of The Protectors, or I may want to find a publisher for it. No idea, we'll just have to see!

5. Gain 40-50 more college credits.
I've already enrolled for Winter Term (14 credits) and I plan to go Spring and Fall for sure. I'll go summer, too, if time and money allows.

6. Travel to Spain and France with my husband.
Our goal is to use his tax return to buy tickets and save up using my fiverr and publishing money. The plan: early April. We've had plans to go back to Europe since we got back the first time, but this time, it's really going to happen! ;)

7. Mentor for Mid-Valley Mentors.
I had a mentee match lined up about a month ago, but communication has fallen through since then. Once the new year starts, I'm calling them up again and hopefully spending the year as a mentor for a youth in the area.

8. Write 500,000 words.
So far this year, I've written 455,245 words. I hope to write 500,000 words next year! I hope some of this is creative nonfiction since I've had good reviews on my religious nonfiction collection, Agape.

That's all I have for now! What about you, readers? Any goals for next year?

Happy New Year!

Looking back on 2011

2011-12-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

The end of the year already? Wow! I had a good year.

Favorite YA Read:

Gosh, I read some great books this year. Divergent by Laura Roth, Lauren Oliver and Kristen Cashore's books. . .but if I had to choose, the ones that really stick out in my mind are Unearthly by Cynthia Hand and The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong.

Favorite non-YA Read:

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers. SO creative and fun! Love, love, loved this book. Although I'm reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss right now and holy moly, if I finish this before 2012 comes, Moers has some competition!

Favorite "Indie" (aka self-published) Read:

Again, I can't choose. This is a toss-up between The Talent Chronicles by Susan Bischoff and Solstice by P.J. Hoover. I really loved both! Great plot lines and characters, and can't wait for more from both authors.

Favorite Thing I Wrote:

Gosh, this is hard! I finished a lot this year: Finding Fiona, Promising Light, the prequel novellas to PL, Aaron and Anna. . .I'll have to say Promising Light, though. I love the characters and the story, and it's just the beginning of an epic story. You can read it REALLY soon!

Favorite Trip:

When Chris and I went camping over the 4th of July! First camping trip together, but not the last. We went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, watched fireworks on the beach, and more!

Favorite College Class:

Religion 202, Western Religions. This was a fascinating class with a lot of discussion. I didn't learn a lot of new things about Christianity and Judaism, but I did learn a lot about Islam! I enjoyed hearing the different perspectives in our class and from the different authors we read.

Favorite Movie:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. I also liked Midnight in Paris, 50/50, and X-Men: First Class. But the last Harry Potter installment was AMAZING.

Favorite Band:

Typhoon. A band from Salem/Portland. Amazing, and I had the chance to see them live twice this year!

Here's to another year!

Holiday Hop Winners!

2011-12-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

For the Holiday Blog Hop, I gave the first and the last sentences of the seven stories in my short story collection Passages, and asked entrants to pair them up! Of those who got four or more right, I randomly choose three winners. . .and they are. . .drumroll, please. . .

Na S.

Teressa Oliver

Shadow

They each won a copy of Finding Fiona, my YA scifi novella! They'll also be entered into the grand prize drawing for a Kindle Fire!

And here are the correct pairings, just in case you're wondering:

The Rowe Boys

First: Moments like this, when his world revolves around him and not his brother, are rare.
Last: Ethan nods, then begins to follow her back to the house, where he’ll get drunk and celebrate the end of high school and make-out with another girl, Mya Daniels on his mind every moment.

Death of the Sun

First: It's hard to believe it was so long ago.
Last: I drove towards a new life, the sun behind me.

You Remember

First: She's wearing your sweatshirt.
Last: She's wearing your sweatshirt.

Melanie's Secrets

First: My sister and I used to be good friends.
Last: Amy stares at her lap, then finally meets my eyes. “Maybe I do.”

Fettuccine Alfredo

First: Alyssa walked into the kitchen, trying to appear nonchalant.
Last: “You and me, mom, we’ll go to Italy.”

Together

First: The back door slams shut, the hinges rattling.
Last: “You’ll make sure we’re still together, right?” she asks, tilting her head. // “Yeah,” I tell her. “I’ll make sure.”

The Prodigal Daughter

First: Teresa hated hospitals.
Last: “I want to try again. And I’ll try harder this time.”

If these intrigue you at all, feel free to buy Passages for 99 cents on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Thanks for participating, everyone, and Happy Holidays!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

2011-12-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

So, I picked this up because I liked The Gathering. In the end, I didn't like it as much. I'm not sure why. It feels like her writing has improved since this book. I know she's written dozens of books, but this is her first YA.

That said, I still enjoyed this read! I really liked the characters. Chloe is someone I rooted for the entire book. I love that Derek is not your typical male protagonist, and I also like that Armstrong doesn't dive headfirst into the romance. There is some tension between Chloe and Derek and Simon, but it doesn't play a huge part in this first book. Rae, Tori, and Liz were great, too.

The story was really interesting, too. Kept me guessing and reading and wondering what the heck was going on. You think the Lyle house is normal, but things keep getting weirder and the adults keep ticking you off. Chloe's abilities are intense, too! And I didn't see a lot of things coming with the other kids' abilities. Won't give anything away, though.

I read this book a couple weeks ago around Christmas (and I'm dating this to then but writing it January 12th :P), so that's why this review is kind of short. I just finished The Awakening, though, so I'll have a longer and more detailed review for that one!

Festival of Books

2011-12-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hey, everyone! During this time of the year, everyone's concerned about Christmas trees, Santa Claus, the birth of Christ, etc., and there's a small group of people lighting up a hanukkiah (an eight-branched menorah) for eight nights in a row.

If you're not sure about the story behind Hanukkah, here's the short version: a Greek emperor Antiochus Epiphanes moved in on Israel in 160s BCE. They commanded the Jews not to observe Torah or their religious customs. The Israelites were having none of this, of course. They studied Torah, anyways, but they were prepared and when the Greeks came around, they'd hide what they were studying and act like they were gambling with spinning tops (dreidels!). Worst of all, the Greeks seized the temple and dedicated it to the worship of Zeus.

Well, after a while, they finally got fed up with the Greeks and went up against them, led by the Maccabees. The succeeded in taking back their land, but they needed to consecrate the temple, which had been defiled by the worship of swine. They found they only had enough oil for one day, but they light the menorah, anyway. And the Hanukkah miracle was that the oil last eight days, long enough for them to make new oil.

As a result, each year people around the world light candles for eight nights: one on the first, two on the second, etc. They also eat a lot of fried foods to commemorate the role of oil in the miracle of Hanukkah.

I didn't start celebrating Hanukkah until about eight years ago, but I've always been in awe when I heard the stories of these men and women sticking up for their beliefs. In one story, the Greeks tried to persuade one elder of the community to eat pork. They threatened his family, his life, but he wouldn't yield. They finally told him it wouldn't even be pork, but they would tell everyone else it was, in order to sway the community to Greek customs. He still refused, saying he wouldn't even give the appearance of evil. Many died rather than disobey God.

I marvel at the steadfast faith of these people. Despite their small numbers, they fought to retrieve their land and most especially, their temple where they worshiped God. In the face of an oppressive regime, they stuck by their beliefs no matter what the cost. This time of year always makes me wonder if I would have the same kind of devotion. Of course I like to think I would, and I say this now, but then I remember what Peter said when he fiercely promised he'd never disown his lord, and yet on night when the Messiah needed him most, he denied him three times. Fortunately, Peter realized his sin and repented. Tradition says he was eventually killed for his belief.

This time of the year also reminds me that God is watching over his people. He cared about his temple and kept the menorah burning for eight days. I think it was a sign he was on their side. He gave them victory, but the holiday isn't about the victory. It's about the miracle in the temple and how God sustained them after the victory. Although things seemed dire, he brought them out of it and he helped them consecrate his temple. I love the story of Hanukkah because it encourages me.

It's funny because a lot of people see Hanukkah as the Jewish Christmas. Its importance is pretty low compared with the High Holidays such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, but Hanukkah's proximity to Christmas has elevated it. I know some people may wonder I, as a believer in Christ, don't celebrate Christmas, but I think that might be another post. Keep your eye out if it really interested you.

Also, I have my own giveaway for Finding Fiona, Passages, and (bonus!) Beyond Home. If you comment here, I will randomly choose three people to win a copy of whichever ebook they prefer. Just answer two questions:
- What's your favorite holiday custom this time of the year? Christmas, Hanukkah, whatever!
- Which ebook do you want if you win? Finding Fiona, Passages, or Beyond Home?

Contest closes midnight on the 28th, and I'll choose the winners on the 29th.

THIS post is about Hanukkah. . .and the Festival of Books! We have eight participating authors:

Stephanie Abbott writing as Emma Jameson, author of Ice Blue (a cozy mystery): Blog and Twitter
Danielle Blanchard, author of Death Wish (paranormal romance): Blog and Twitter
Justin Dennis, author of Through The Portal (YA fantasy): Blog and Twitter
Lisa Grace, author of Angel in the Shadows and Angel in the Storm (YA fantasy): Blog and Twitter
Jonathan Gould, author of Doodling and Flidderbugs (both humorous fantasies): Blog and Twitter
Craig Hansen, author of SHADA (YA thriller): Blog and Twitter
Larry Kahn, author of The Jinx (thriller) and King of Paine (suspense): Blog and Twitter
Emily Ann Ward, author of Finding Fiona (YA Sci-Fi) and Passages (YA short stories): Blog and Twitter

We'll all be posting during Hanukkah, but here's your chance to enter the giveaway to win all twelve of our books. You can gain entries by tweeting about the entry, following out blogs and twitters, or liking us on Facbeook. So please spread the word!

ENTRIES CLOSED. I'LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS TO THE GRAND PRIZE CONTEST LATER ON TODAY! (12/29)

Moon Spell by Samantha Young

2011-12-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

Moon Spell by Samantha Young

Published 2010, read on my Kindle.

Yeah, another book I finished in one sitting! I don't normally read Paranormal Romance, but I really liked Smokeless Fire (which, tbh, I don't consider PNR) so I picked this one up for another dollar!

Caia left the pack ten years ago after her parents were killed, and she's lived in isolation with no one but Irini. When it's time to return, she finds out the pack is keeping a lot of secrets from her. Though it feels like the first time she's ever belonged, there are also things that are wrong. People seem to blame her for the murders that took place when she was young. She makes enemies with another girl her age named Alexa. When her emotions get the best of her, scary things happen. She also feels an instant connection to the Pack Leader, Lucien. What is the pack hiding from her, though?

To be honest, the beginning of this book was a bit rough. The author throws you right in without any introductions or description. We're just dropped into this conversation. I was confused at first, but I trudged through. Caia arrives in her new home with the pack and slowly starts to adjust to her new life. School, the pack dynamics, living with the Pack Leader and his family, new friends, new enemies.

The characters were pretty interesting and unique. There were a lot of them, and some of the minor ones went straight over my head, but the author did a pretty good job of keeping them separate and distinct. Caia was cool, I liked her. She was calm and collected, but she still had a fierceness to her. The story had a nice pace to it, too. I never thought, 'ugh, let's move on!' I DID want to know what was going on, but that was more the urgency of, 'Wow, I can't read fast enough!'

The romance was nice. Of course I wanted them to jump right into each other's arms, but it was more realistic that things took longer. Towards the end, I feel like they were on a bit of a roller coaster, hating each other, then loving each other, then having screaming matches. But it's understandable with their personalities. I really want to pick up the next one to see what's in their future. At times, the whole "possessive male" annoyed me, but it's realistic, too, considering they are part wolf. I think she did a good job of balancing it, though. Yes, they're protective and slightly chauvinistic, but the women were also strong characters and the men were never dishonorable or anything. Well, I suppose you could argue Lucien was in a few of his lies. . .

I liked the worldbuilding and magic system. Some of it is familiar, of course, but I liked how she mixed Greek myths with the paranormal races of witches, werewolves, vampyres, etc. I'm not 100% clear on the origins of the war, but I think I got it. I'd probably have to read it again, but I don't really have plans of doing that. I'll be reading the next one! XD

Mechanics could use some work, but the storytelling was great and they only distracted me for a moment (or not at all!) before I kept reading. Looking forward to picking up the sequel! I know I'll have to wait until I have some free time because I probably won't be able to put it down. ;)

Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young

2011-12-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young

Published in 2011, read on my Kindle.

Wow! Amazon showed me this book my recommendations, and this lovely cover caught my eye. The blurb was awesome, the sample snagged me, so I bought it. . .and finished it. . .all in one day! Man, I love being on break!

Blurb from Gooreads:

For the last two years Ari’s life has been anything but normal and on her 18th birthday, when her friends surprise her with a gimmick genie claiming to grant wishes, Ari discovers the truth. The tragic and strange occurrences surrounding her 16th birthday were not coincidental and her life is never going to be the same again.

Ari’s real parents are not normal. They are not loving. They are not human.

They are myth.

They are Smokeless Fire.

They are Jinn.

Wow, wow, wow. I know already said that, but I don't think four times is enough. This story was fascinating. At first, I wasn't sure what to think about Ari since she wanted Charlie so badly. I thought she was kind of pathetic, like her friends did, but I kept reading. I felt sorry for her because she seemed lonely. Her dad was gone all the time, and she really had no one to talk to. When she suddenly wakes up in this other world and meets her true father. . .well, things just didn't slow down after that!

Samantha Young has created an amazing world with very unique world building. The Jinn have many different forms, and the magic system is really neat.

I really liked Jai. I'm usually turned off by sarcastic, arrogant love interests like him, but I think there was more to him than a typical Jace or. . .okay, I don't read a lot of PNR, so Jace is pretty much the only one I can name :P BUT I liked Jai. I think Samantha did a good job at showing his age. He doesn't act like a 17 year old, and I'm glad she didn't make him that young. He's much more mature than Charlie (groan) and it showed. I really liked the chemistry between Jai and Ari and I was hoping for something to happen. . .but I won't tell if anything did or not.

There were some things, writing style, that rubbed me the wrong way. Mainly mechanics stuff. Like mixing up you're/your? Come on. Or there were a couple sentences I had to reread where an extra comma could have helped. That's mainly the reason it's 4 instead of 5 and because I think Ari could have been a tad more dynamic. I'm not sure how, I just think. . .I'm not sure. I did like her quite a bit. Even in the beginning, I just thought she was kind of naive. I still feel bad for her, too, considering all she's been through. I hope she doesn't let things get to her. I feel like she needs someone she can actually rely on, but she's kind of this island and it's sad.

I'm excited to see what else is coming up in the rest of the series. Obviously, big, epic things considering what's revealed in this book. And the second one comes out in February, yay! I will definitely buy the sequel.

Sample Sunday: Magnitude from Beyond Home

2011-12-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

This is a portion from the beginning of Magnitude, the leading short story in my collection, Beyond Home.

***

They could never agree, not in all of her twenty-three years, so why would they start now when things seemed much more important? As much as Laura wanted life to be different in the wake of her father’s death—for everyone to be more pleasant and realize that life was beautiful and meant to be lived—things just went back to the way they were. Her mother still washed the dishes every night at seven fifteen, and her eighteen-year-old sister couldn’t agree with a word she said.

“I just think it would be really awkward,” Jessica said. “We haven’t seen them for years, but now that Dad’s dead, we’re going to go visit them?”

Laura wished she wouldn’t say he was dead. She knew they all meant the same thing, but passed away, gone, or even left, they all seemed different. “They’re family,” she said. She remembered the funeral, and seeing her first cousins, who she had only seen in pictures every few years. They were growing tall and scrawny, like their dad and uncle.

Jessica scoffed. “Right.”

“Look, it’s just one stop,” Laura said. “Cheyenne, Wyoming. Add it to the list.”

Jessica huffed, but obeyed. Cheyenne, Wyoming, where their dad grew up and where his brother and sister still lived. “That’s number five.”

Laura examined their road trip destinations in Jessica’s loopy handwriting. The first one was the one that seemed the most important. Since Laura had been old enough to walk, Dad had promised that he’d take them to the Grand Canyon. Something else had always come up: Jessica’s broken leg, Disneyland, his mom dying. Some nights, he’d tell them stories about the canyon to get them to go to sleep, how big and far and wide it was. And Laura would fall asleep, amazed that anything in this world could be bigger than her school.

They had a lot of ground to cover. They’d leave from Chico, California and travel to Flagstaff, Arizona, then up to Colorado, where Dad met Mom. Laura couldn’t remember whose idea it had been, but now that it was being put into action, it seemed like something they had to do.

“Did Mom go shopping?” Jessica asked. She stood up and walked over to the fridge.

Opening the fridge answered her question; there was a wealth of food inside. Their mom was thrilled to have her older daughter home for a while. She had cooked something grand every single meal: banana pancakes, homemade potato salad, lamb roast, apple pie. Laura was pretty sure it took her mind off of Dad.

Jessica started warming up leftover lamb.

“Come on,” Laura said. “We’ve got tons of planning to do if we really want to leave in six days.”

“Six days is an eternity!” Jessica exclaimed, flipping her light brown hair off of her shoulder. “All we need is money.” She left the room, whistling, and Laura didn’t bother to ask where she was going. She was just going to have to do this herself.

***

A few days later, the three of them sat on the back porch. The crickets were chirping loudly, almost drowning out the soft music that came from the old record player. Mom had a bottle of beer in her hand, and it looked odd, like she was wearing a bikini or something. A lot of things seemed odd, though: Dad’s empty chair, the way everything in the house looked the same even after four years, but just the air felt different.

Mom looked at Laura, a sleepy smile on her face. “I’m glad you guys are here.”

Laura nodded. “Me, too.”

The stars spread over their heads in the deepening sky. They seemed to go on forever, twinkling and spelling out stories. The four of them used to lie on the back porch in the summer, bundled up in sleeping bags. Dad would tell them about Orion, Leo, Andromeda. Jessica would always fall asleep first, and Mom would go inside because of her back. Laura would try to stay up longer than he did, but she usually fell asleep anyway and woke up with mosquito bites on her face.

Jessica went inside for a moment, then came out with a slice of apple pie. She settled back down in her lawn chair, and the three of them sat in the silence, listening to Dad’s records and the crickets.

“When do you girls leave?” Mom asked.

“Tuesday,” Laura said.

“You’d better be careful,” Mom said. “I’ve heard stories about rapists at campgrounds.”

“There are rapists everywhere,” Jessica said with a full mouth.

“Geez, Jessica, swallow your food,” Laura said.

Jessica mimicked her in a high voice. Mom began laughing, and Laura rolled her eyes. “How old are you?” Laura asked.

“I don’t know how you’re going to survive two weeks on the road with each other,” Mom said with a chuckle.

Jessica gave Mom and Laura a smile that worked on her teachers in fourth grade, the one that said, I’m completely innocent.

Laura couldn’t believe Jessica was eighteen already, old enough to vote, to buy cigarettes. She had a high school diploma and probably a boyfriend, though Laura hadn’t asked yet.

She wasn’t sure how they were going to survive two weeks, either.

***

Laura woke up early Tuesday morning. She took a shower and finished packing. The last trip she went on, not including driving here to her mom and dad’s house, was going to the Coachella Festival a few months ago with Nathan, Kayla, and their friends. She had camped in a small tent with three other girls. They were up giggling at three in the morning every night and tried sleeping in the next morning only to be forced out of their tents by the heat.

Dad’s truck had definitely seen better days, but Jessica assured Laura it would get them all the way to Colorado and back. Laura knew they didn’t really have any other choice. Mom wouldn’t give up her Excursion, and Laura’s small Honda would be useless with Dad’s pop-up tent trailer on the back. It was something they had used a few times when they were younger, mostly during Memorial Day weekends, a trailer that had sat in the driveway for five years now.

Laura remembered coming home after Dad’s burial and memorial service. She and Jessica sat in her car in the driveway, not yet ready to go in for the reception. “We should go help Mom,” Jessica had said.

“Yeah,” Laura had said, but they sat there, feeling the emptiness of death. She saw the trailer in front of them. “Is that thing still working?”

They got out and worked to bring the trailer to its full height: cranking it up, putting the bars in place, fitting the door on, bringing the table down, even attaching the bungee cords. When they were done, they were sweaty, and their dark-colored dresses were covered in dust and dirt. They stood back and admired their work, staring at the trailer Dad had been so excited to bring home fifteen years ago. Mom came out, asking where they’d been, but she stopped short and came to stand next to her two daughters, looking at the trailer in silence. It almost felt as if he were still alive.

They now loaded their things into the back of the truck, which Jessica had taken to get washed yesterday. Laura opened the front door, only to find it still littered with Dad’s things. A half-finished pack of cigarettes rested in the console, trash was scattered across the ground, and his sunglasses hung from the rearview mirror.

“Jess!” Laura called. “I thought you cleaned it out.”

Jessica looked up from the hitch, wiping her forehead. She just stared at Laura for a moment, and then said, “I cleaned the outside.”

“Well. . .” Laura said, motioning to the dirty truck. Jessica went back to attaching the trailer to the hitch, silent. Laura looked back into the truck. It still smelled like him, like tobacco and sweat and his aftershave. She began taking out the trash. She left his sunglasses, his cigarettes, his scent.

Mom was crying as she said goodbye. “Take pictures for me. You know I’d come, but. . .”

“Don’t worry,” Laura said. “I’ll call Aunt Julia and make sure she’s taking care of you.”

“I’ll be fine.” Mom wiped her face and pulled Jessica over for a hug. “I love you both. Have fun. Call me when you get to Las Vegas.”

“We’ll bring you back lots of money,” Jessica promised.

Mom laughed as they got into Dad’s truck. Laura remembered learning how to drive in this thing, her dad giving constant instruction, and Laura swearing when the brakes took longer than she thought. The stop sign had ended up almost completely past the truck.

“Love you, Mom,” Laura said. She smiled, starting up the engine. “We’ll be back before you know it!”

They pulled out of the driveway. Jessica immediately took out her iPod and asked, “What do you listen to these days?”

Laura shrugged. “Anything. I like oldies, though.”

“Hmmm. . .I haven’t got anything old but Michael Jackson.”

“Nah. Put something else on.”

Jessica began playing a pop-rock band. She sang every word, and Laura wondered how long it took her to memorize the lyrics. Aside from occasionally talking about school with Jessica and commenting on her pictures, they hadn’t talked much. Her senior year had taken up most of Laura’s time.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Laura asked.

Jessica just laughed. “No.” She put her seatbelt on and put her feet up on the dashboard.

“What about that Jake guy?”

“We just went to prom together,” Jessica said. “He’s nice, but he’s kind of an airhead.”

There was a moment of silence as Laura maneuvered the truck and trailer through town, headed for Burger King. “Want some breakfast before we go?”

“Yeah,” Jessica said. “What about you?”

“Yeah. I love Burger King’s french toast sticks.”

“No, I mean, are you still going out with Nathan?”

Laura, too, laughed in response to this question. “No. We broke up in May.”

They got through the drive-through, though Laura was convinced she was going to sideswipe the trailer, and ate in the parking lot. Laura was feeling proud of herself for being able to drive the trailer well when Jessica asked her what happened with her and Nathan.

“I guess we just grew apart. It was like he was suddenly a different person. I don’t know.” She paused. “I don’t think Dad would have liked him.”

Jessica munched thoughtfully on her sandwich. “Who will walk us down the aisle?”

This simple question brought tears to Laura’s eyes. She didn’t want to think about the rest of her life without her dad. But all of these unanswered questions loomed before them. Who was going to take over Dad’s shop? Who would disapprove of their boyfriends? Who would take care of Mom?

“Sorry,” Jessica said quietly.

“Forget it.” Laura started the engine up. “Let’s go.”

***

This short story was originally published in Literary House Review 2010. The entire collection is for sale now for only 99 cents.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Home-ebook/dp/B006NGK3MU/

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/115510

Coming soon to Barnes and Noble and the iBookstore.

Fiction Fridays: The Protectors Prequel Novellas

2011-12-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

At first, I thought the prequel would be one cohesive novel. But instead, I’m going to release three novellas, best read in succession.

SHIFTING LIGHT
The Protectors are merely rumors and distant whispers for Sashe until a new boy moves to her hometown. Seth’s parents were killed by the Protectors, and he personally killed four of them. As pregnant women start dying, Sashe realizes just how far reaching the Protectors’ hatred is. When the Protectors come to their home to take Sashe and her sister away from the shape changers, Sashe must choose whether she’ll stay with the only family she’s ever known even with their dangerous future.
A Protectors novella, approximately 21,000 words

FIRE AND LIGHT
Sierra has always considered Evan like a brother, but suddenly she sees him as more. When he confesses his feelings for her, she shies away. In the midst of her confusing feelings for Evan, the Protectors try to convince Sierra she’d be better off with them. Sierra thinks she’s brave enough to stay with the shape changers, but is she brave enough to risk her friendship with Evan?
A Protectors novella, approximately 24,800 words

THE END OF LIGHT
An elder of the shape changers tell Sashe and Sierra of a vision that claims they can break the curse set on their family by the Protectors. How? By getting pregnant. Even though a pregnancy hasn’t been carried to full-term for eight years, and many women have died. Sierra, Sashe, and their husbands must decide whether to trust the elders and whether or not to risk their lives for the chance at breaking the curse. And when a spy reveals the vision to the Protectors, the consequences could be catastrophic.
A Protectors novella, approximately 26,200 words

The first will be released mid-February. I can’t decide if I want to release them all at once or within a few weeks of each other, but I’ll keep you guys updated! An omnibus edition called Burning Light will also be available with all three novellas.

Tempest by Julie Cross

2011-12-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Tempest by Julie Cross

Coming 2012, ARC copy from Goodreads.

I got this book from a Goodreads "First Reads" giveaway, and I'm so happy they picked me! This book was great; it had a perfect balance of action, romance, mystery, and science fiction.

Jackson can time travel. Unlike what you see in the movies, though, he can't change anything in the past. He can only jump backward, and his body in his "home base" looks like a vegetable. But everything changes when suddenly men come and shoot his girlfriend Holly. He suddenly jumps to two years earlier, 2007, and can't find a way to return home. After finding his old friend Adam, a science whizz, he tries to adjust to life. Mysteries surround his father, who he suspects is a CIA agent, and Jackson searches for answers as well as a way home.

This book is intense! Okay, the beginning went by pretty quick. The middle is when it started to get confusing. There was a lot of information to take in, and I was trying to remember how it all connected. The end is WOW. I saw somewhere "the beginning of an epic trilogy" and epic is a great word for it. There's so much revealed at the end that makes me wonder what the rest of this trilogy is going to explore. There are big, big things, like genetic testing and future worlds and all kinds of stuff. You should have seen me when reading. I was so into it.

I liked these characters. It's neat to read a young adult book (though I think it has crossover potential) from a male POV. Jackson is like a typical guy but he also has more depth to him. It took me a while to really "get to know" Holly, but once the author established her, I really liked her as a character. And of course Adam was awesome. I even liked Jackson's dad, though I'm hoping we get to know more about him in the future books.

The romance was neat. It was interesting to see Jackson with the 2007 Holly especially since she was a little bit of a different person then. It gave the romance a new twist. You were sort of rooting for Jackson with 2007 Holly, even though you knew he belonged with 2009 Holly.

Jackson and Adam's friendship was cool, and Jackson's relationship with his sister was sweet. And sad, of course. And still has a few unanswered questions, to be honest. Like I said, I hope we get to see more of Jackson's dad. Maybe they can rebuild their relationship a bit.

I really liked this book, and I cannot wait for the sequel. It's sad because not even the first book has come out, and now I have to wait a whole year for book two! But there's a free short story out that's a prequel to Tempest, and I'm about halfway through. I don't want to finish it because then there won't be anymore for a long time :(

But yeah, read it if you want a book with lots of twists and turns and a good dose of romance!

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

2011-12-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Published 2011, 358 pages, Library copy. First in the Darkness Rising trilogy.

Maya lives on Vancouver Island in an isolated town called Salmon Creek. The St. Clouds own a medical research facility there and there's a very small group of people who live there working at the facility. Maya's father is the park warden, and Maya helps him with wounded animals. She has a way with most of the animals, even the old cougar Marv.

Her life is mostly normal, but strange, unanswered questions surround Maya and her town. Her best friend Serena died a mysterious death a year before the story. An old woman calls her a witch when she sees Maya's birthmark tattoo. A reporter starts sneaking around town and no one believes she's really there to write an article about being a teen in a small town.

It's interesting trying to write a short blurb for this because honestly, not that much happens in the first half of the book, and yet I couldn't put it down! Kelley Armstrong's characters are so likable and well-characterized. The main ones all have a distinct personality, and I found myself liking all of them. Her writing flows really well. I could see this small town perfectly--the forests, the kids, everything.

Okay, I say nothing happened, but that's not really true. It's just that the author brings up a lot of questions and doesn't answer them until the second half. . .or not at all. Maya starts to get to know this new guy named Rafe. At first she brushes him off, but they really start to hit it off after a few talks. She and her friend Daniel investigate the reporter. She has strange encounters with animals--seeing what they feel, telling them what to do. The second half is more fast-paced as things start to be revealed. You can predict some of it, and other parts come out of left field, which is cool.

I really liked this story! Like I said, the characters were great. I really liked Maya. I liked the romance between her and Rafe, although I'm still wondering if there's anything at all between her and Daniel. Maybe next book she'll explore that a bit more.

One of the things I really appreciated was the morals of the story. And I don't mean it had a message, I just mean people were decent and there wasn't anything that made me question Kelley Armstrong's belief in gender roles. Maya was a strong female, and although Daniel was completely chivalrous, he wasn't condescending to any of the women in the book. He's a perfect gentlemen, actually, as is Rafe, without treating the females in the book like they're inferior. When Maya suspects she was drugged at her birthday party, she was ready to drop the suspecting male in a second.

Armstrong was conscious about issues that teens face and her characters were totally sensible, even honorable, about it. This is probably a book conservative parents wouldn't mind their kids reading--she'll use "Rafe cursed" instead of actual words and the book is light on violence and sex while still being realistic and still being a really strong story.

Long story short: READ IT. I cannot WAIT for the sequel. I keep starting these series' even though I know I'll have to wait forever for the next one. I'm going to do read her Darkest Powers series so I can just read one right after another!

HOLIDAY HOP!

2011-12-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

Holiday Hop is a blog hop with Indie Writers Unite which runs from December 15th-25th. One lucky participant is going to win a Kindle Fire at the end of all this! So enter as many contests and sign up for as many giveaways as you can because this is an awesome deal!

You have a chance to win quite a few things! Open all ten days: the chance to win copies of Finding Fiona or Passages and my upcoming short story collection, Beyond Home.

Finding Fiona is a YA scifi novella packed with adventure, mystery, and romance. It's a perfect weekend read. Cuddle up with some hot chocolate and follow Fiona on her journey to find her past. There are a lot of samples around this blog.

Passages is a YA short story collection. Seven mainstream stories about life, love, family, and God. Bite-sized pieces of characters in a variety of situations: Halloween parties, graduations, hospitals. You can find quite a few samples around the blog.

Beyond Home is a mainstream short story collection featuring three new "new adult" short stories centering around travel and transitions. Two sisters travel to the Grand Canyon after their father dies; a young man travels to Hawaii with a runaway bride; and a young woman reminisces about a journey she took with an ex while deciding whether to move across the state with her current boyfriend.

So, how do you win a copy? Just play this little game. I have the first sentences of all seven young adult short stories in Passages, and I have the last sentences of each short story. Try to pair them up!

If you get four or more right, you'll be entered into the contest that will have three winners:
2 people will win an ebook copy of Finding Fiona or Passages via Smashwords coupon.
1 person will win an ARC of an upcoming short story collection, Beyond Home (e-mailed to you in your preferred format)

(If you get all of them right, then I'll assume you read the whole collection and loved it so much you want a chance to win Finding Fiona for free.)

Here they are!

ENTRIES CLOSED! WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

I'll announce the winners on the 26th in a blog post, but I'll also e-mail you if you win. If you do, I will put your name in the pot for the Kindle Fire that IWU is giving away after Holiday Hop!

And after you're done, be sure to visit more authors participating in the Holiday Hop!

You can go through the list (like you're supposed to ;), but if you're interested in books similar to mine, check out:

Danielle Kazemi, who's giving away copies of her urban fantasies and science fiction novels.

R.M. Strong, the author of YA superhero novel Karis, is giving out an Amazon gift card.

Laura Eno, who's giving away copies of her YA fantasy novels.

Pre-Orders for Finding Fiona Paperback

2011-12-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

The victim of a brutal attack, Fiona remembers little about her life until she meets someone who claims to be from her past. He tells her that her parents were killed for a human replication machine. He's shocked to discover she's still alive since her body was found in the wreckage of the fire.

She soon travels to her old home in New York to figure out what happened to her and her family. She needs to find out who she is, but more importantly, confront the men who killed her parents.

This coming-of-age scifi novella is full of mystery, action, and romance. At 176 pages, this book is a perfect weekend read.

Would you like a paperback copy of Finding Fiona? Maybe you don't have an e-reader and don't like reading on the computer. Or maybe you just want Finding Fiona on your shelf. Well, it's coming soon from Createspace, and I'm taking pre-orders!

I'm selling them for $6.99 a copy plus $3 shipping ($4 for two copies, $5 for three, etc.). If you'd like a SIGNED copy of Finding Fiona, follow the link to the pre-order page!

Oh, and this picture is an example of what you'll like like while you're reading it.

Also available as an ebook for only $1.49 during December on Amazon, Smashwords, or Barnes and Noble.

New book covers!

2011-12-11T13:39:00.001-08:00

I have a new cover for Beyond Home. The stock photo is by Jesse Therrien. I'm also really excited to release the official cover for Promising Light, designed by my husband Christopher Ward. I love them both!

Male Protagonists in YA

2011-12-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to read Tempest by Julie Cross after scoring an ARC from Goodreads. Jackson Meyer can jump in time, and after his girlfriend Holly is suddenly shot, he has to save her life by jumping back in time. It's a great read, full of twists and turns, and I'll write a review really soon!

The book got me thinking, and I thought I'd make a post about young adult fiction (and some middle grade) with male protagonists.

The Big Ones
The ones you probably already know about, but they're so good I couldn't leave them out.
1. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
2. Camp Half-Blood series by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson)
3. Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (Eragon)
4. The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

Paranormal/Horror
1. Beastly by Alex Flinn
2. The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey
3. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5. Malice by Chris Wooding
6. The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd by Heather Brewer
7. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
8. Night Road by A.M. Jenkins
9. The Demon's Lexicon series by Sarah Reess Brennan
10. The New Kid by Temple Matthews
11. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
12. Overflow by Jason Letts
13. A Song After Dark by Grant Palmquist
14. Demon Whisperer by Tawny Stokes
15. Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Science Fiction/Fantasy
(P/D = Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian, SP = Steampunk, EF = Epic Fantasy, CF = Contemporary Fantasy)
1. Gone series by Michael Grant (P/D) (shifting POV)
2. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (CF)
3. The Dreamwalker's Child by Steve Voake
4. Leviathan and Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (SP) (one of the protagonists is male, one female)
5. Monster Blood Tattoo series by D. M. Cornish (EF)
6. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (SP)
7. The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner (shifting POVs through the series)
8. Matt Cruse series by Kenneth Oppel (SP)
9. Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness (P/D)
10. The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein
11. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (P/D)
12. Tempest by Julie Cross (CF)
13. Talent Chronicles by Susan Bischoff (CF) (one male, one female)
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry (P/D)
15. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
16. The Gates by John Connolly
17. The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber
18. Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by D. Robert Pease
19. The Soulkeepers Series by G.P. Ching (CF)
20. The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan (EF)
21. The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
22. Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix (P/D)
22. Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
23. The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Johathan Shroud
24. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
25. Pendragon series by D.J. Machale
26. Tales of Otori by Lian Hearn (EF)
27. The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima
28. Incarceron by Catherine Fischer (P/D, SP) (shifting POVs)
29. My Sparkling Misfortune by Laura Lond (EF)
30. Rex Rising by Chrystalla Thoma
31. Dioscuri by Chrystalla Thoma
32. LS: The Beginning by Kelvin O'Ralph (shifting POVs)
33. Scourge by David H. Burton (SP)
34. The Legend of Witch Bane by Kevis Hendrickson (EF)
35. Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury (could also classify as Historical)
36. Prince of Time by Sarah Woodbury (could also classify as Historical)
37. Through the Portal by Justin Dennis (EF)
38. The Moreno Brothers series by Elizabeth Reyes

General Fiction
(H = Humor, A = Adventure, M = Mystery)
1. John Green's books: An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and Looking for Alaska. John Green's fiction deals with a variety of subjects, and his voice is great.
2. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (H)
5. Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher
6. Deadly, Unna? by Phillip Gwynne
7. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
8. Wolfe Brothers series by Markus Zusak
9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
10. Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys by Chris Fuhrman (H)
11. Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
12. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
13. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
14. Burger Wuss and Thirsty by M.T. Anderson
15. The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci (M)
16. Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
17. Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (H)
18. Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (A)
19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
20. Going Bovine by Libba Bray
21. Holes by Louis Sachar
22. Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
23. Slow Burn by Joel Arnold (A)
24. The Farewell Season by Ann Herrick
25. Bailing by Carol Hanrahan

Historical Fiction
1. Montmorency series by Eleanor Updale
2. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
3. The Five Ancestors by Jeff Stone

Undiscovereds
These are brand new reads with male protagonists

This list will be updated. Hopefully with your suggestions in the comments! Who are your favorite male protagonists in YA fiction or otherwise?

Romance YA Anthology: Love, Me

2011-12-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to announce that one of my short stories will be featured in an anthology coming this February titled Love, Me. My story, A Reason to Stay, is sort of a prequel story for the two main characters in Promising Light, Grace and Dar (who you'll meet on January!).

****

Authors Shana Norris, Sarah Tregay, T.K. Richardson, Ela Lond, Amy Kinzer, and Emily Ann Ward offer these exceptional tales of sweet romance.

With one voice these authors also join together to offer hope. The profits from this anthology will be donated to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for their work with children in the foster care system.

Please consider each short story in this anthology signed by the author Love, Me.

****

Love, Me contains six short stories.

(27,300 words, or 111 pages.)

I'm honored to be a part of this anthology. You may notice some pretty big names. I will definitely post an announcement when it's published in February, in time for Valentine's Day.

Fiction Fridays: Beyond Home

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have a new short story collection coming up! It's titled Beyond Home. It should be published by the end of this month once I get the last beta readers' feedback and the last edits and proofreads in.

~~Here is a tentative cover. I'm still playing around with it.~~ Just kidding! Here's the official one.

But here's a complete list of the short stories, centered around travel and transitions in life.
Magnitude — Two sisters visit The Grand Canyon after their dad dies. A short story published in Literary House Review 2010.
Song for Megan Leclare — A young woman remembers a trip with an ex while deciding whether to move to another state with her current boyfriend.
Number Six — A young man takes an impulsive trip to Hawaii with a runaway bride.

There are only three, but it's just about the same length of Passages, about 13,000 words or around 52 pages. It'll go on sale for 99 cents the end of December. Keep your eye out -- I'll be giving away an Advanced Reader's Copy during the Holiday Hop!

Editing After Nanowrimo (or any first draft extravaganza)

2011-12-06T23:52:00.001-08:00

So, you wrote a novel in 30 days. Now what? That's the question of the century. . .er, month. You could put it in a drawer and only bring it out to read it and laugh (that's where my 2004 Nano is). Or you could try to bring it to a polished, maybe even publishable, piece or art. How do you revise now that you have a first draft?

Here's what's worked for me for Finding Fiona. Hopefully you can find something helpful out of it.

First, take a break from it.
Step away for a couple weeks (or longer, if you can bear it!). Get a breather. Don't try to delve in as soon as you've finished it. The story is too fresh on your mind. Write something else. Read something else. Just forget about it for a little while.

A couple weeks later, read through it.
Take out a weekend and read through your novel. Try not to have too many breaks between it. Enough to keep your eyes from glazing over, yes, but if you wait a couple days, you'll lose the flow. You need to be wrapped up in the story without forcing yourself to read on. Mark stuff up if you want to, but try not to get too in depth yet. Some things will stick out to you right away -- like changed names or spellings -- others will take longer. Don't get caught up in editing, though. Five minutes is your max!

Okay, onto the real list! Keep in mind #1-3 don't necessarily have to be in order.

1. Look at the big picture.
Make an outline of your entire novel. Maybe scene by scene, maybe chapter by chapter. Look at where the characters start, where they journey, and where they end up. Ask yourself these questions:
-- Have you written a beginning, a middle, and an end?
-- Is there an inciting incident in the first 50 pages?
-- Do you have a sagging middle or is it tight and concise?
-- Is there a climax where everything comes to a head and your characters make that last life-changing decision?
-- And do things wrap up neatly at the end?

What do you think? Can you clearly see scenes you don't need? Can you clearly see scenes you need to implement?

I'm going to be honest here. I cleaned up the text, but I didn't really look at the big picture of Finding Fiona until after #3.

2. Consider what you want out of this novel.
When I start revising, I like to have an "end plan." This could be accomplished by asking yourself what you want your readers to feel when they put the novel down. Do you want them to be crying in agony from the main character's death or just catching their breath for the first time since they picked up the book? This can help you because you can consider what a reader might think about how your characters fall in love and kill each other and defeat evil.

You could also find your end plan by asking what you want the characters to be like at the end of the novel. He started off as a poor farm boy, but now he's a wizard embracing his destiny to save the world in the sequel. Or perhaps your MC started the book off as a spoiled brat, but after falling in love with the guy from the wrong side of the tracks, she's reevaluated her way of thinking. How will your character change? Asking this can help you during revision because you'll be thinking: how will this help my MC to her new self?

Another suggestion is to consider your theme: the overall messages of your book. Love conquers all? The love of money is the root of all evil? Books don't have to have a preachy message, but if your characters have morals instead of being morally ambiguous, it's inevitable that their values will come through in their decisions.

I wanted Finding Fiona to be a fast-paced novella with some romance and mystery. I also wanted people to wonder about the question, "What does it mean to be human?" and consider how science can overstep boundaries when trying to create something created by nature (in this case, a human being).

3. Get a second opinion.
Sometimes, we're just too close to our work. We can't see its own flaws. Sign up for a critique group (Critique Circle, Scribophile, Critters, ReviewFuse). Don't be rude and shove your completely unedited work on some poor unsuspecting soul. At least learn proper grammar and spelling first. I find it is much easier as a critter to critique someone's big picture issues if I can actually read a sentence of theirs. (And it will probably easier for you to clean up your writing before assessing if Character A's motivations made sense or not!)

Be nice and return the favor. Critiquing other people's works will really help you when revising your own work. You may think you don't have anything to offer. Just read the work like a reader and tell the reader if their story makes sense, if you enjoyed it, if you would read on, and if you answered negatively to any of those things, tell them why not. Worry about writerly terms (POV, setting, dialogue, description) once you feel comfortable with it.

Also keep in mind that it's hard to find critique partners who will read your entire novel in its first draft form. That's usually for a beta reader and they may come later. If you're lucky, then that's great! But don't expect someone to read your 75K unedited first draft unless you're willing to read theirs. In that case, good luck!

I sent Finding Fiona, originally 35K in its early drafts, through Critique Circle. I had about 11 chapters around 3K a submission, so I sent them through the submission queue week by week. I also had a couple beta readers look over it during the CC submission and afterwards.

4. Find out what you need to change.
You have your outline, you have your second opinion (maybe on the first few chapters, maybe on the whole thing). Now look at your draft critically and look at it with the eyes of a cruel editor who wants a best-selling novel under his belt.

POV -- Are you consistent with your POV? Have you chosen the right POV?
Setting -- Do you make it clear to the reader where the story is set? Have you placed the story in the right setting? Is it vivid and a part of the story instead of the backdrop? If I've invented a world, have I thought every logistic in this world through, but only shown the parts that affect my character?
Dialogue -- Is the dialogue realistic? Can I realistically see people saying that dialogue in real life? Do I use dialogue to info dump or to move the plot along? Do I use too many dialogue tags or adverbs? Have I punctuated it correctly?
Character Development -- Are my characters likable? Sympathetic? Three-dimensional? How do I reveal character? Do my characters change or remain the same?
Plot and Pacing -- Do I have an inciting incident early on? Is something at stake? What's the conflict? Are there any parts that drag? Does everything make sense?
Writing Style -- Is there a certain word or phrase I overuse? Maybe a certain sentence structure? Do I show instead of tell?

Not sure what the heck any of this means? Get a writing book and see if you're implementing its techniques. Read articles (I really recommend Writers Digest) on writing and compare their ideas to what's in your book.

Better yet, read lots and lots of fiction in your genre. Ask yourself what works and what doesn't work. What could the author have done better? What did they currently have that was absolutely crucial for the story to work? Then compare it to your own work honestly. Could you see your book on shelves? Or on the top charts of Amazon.com? Do you think readers would rave about your characters and your plot and your writing?

After my crits from CC and my readings, I realized Finding Fiona had a sagging middle. The characters sat around and talked a lot instead of doing things. I also saw that Fiona needed to be more of a proactive character instead of reactive; that the villains needed to be a bit more threatening yet more human at the same time; that I had way too many dialogue tags, sighs, and rolling of the eyes; and that one of my secondary characters needed more fleshing out. There are a lot more little changes, but I'm not going to bore you ;)

5. Make a list of goals.
This is a more detailed version of #2. You should have an idea of what you need to change by now. So, make a list of the changes and what the end result should look like after the changes. This works as a physical list, but it could also be mental. As long as you consider how to change the problems.

For Finding Fiona, I said: Okay, there's a sagging middle. I can cut this scene without too much trouble and combine these other two scenes. In order to make Fiona more reactive, Fiona won't ask James to talk to Greg for her; she will plan to go by herself.

6. Go through chapter by chapter.
Go through each chapter with your notes, your goals, and your critique partner's/beta reader's notes. Implement the changes.

Easier said than done, I know, but you can do it. If you need your character to be more spirited, then have her argue with her parents when they ground her. If you need your dialogue to be less boring information, then rewrite the conversation with just the essentials. If you need the climax to be more difficult for your characters, then put someone's life at stake. You can do it!

I opened up Finding Fiona in one window and my crits from Critique Circle in another window. Then I went paragraph by paragraph and made the changes.

7. Get another opinion.
This may seem repetitive, but you should get another opinion. Preferably from different people. A few of the old ones is fine because you can ask if it's an improvement, but get some fresh eyes.

I found some more beta readers for Finding Fiona and sent what I felt were the roughest chapters through Critique Circle.

8. Make the changes again.
Pretty self-explanatory, right?

9. Get another opinion.
Yes, another one.

I asked my husband to read over my "final" draft and and sent my first chapter to my local writing group. I implemented changes and posted again on Absolute Write.

Your process may vary after this. Some people believe drafts need to be revised and sent to beta readers and revised and sent to beta readers until there isn't one flaw. Others believe that too much revising will cause your story to lose its spark.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I think there is such a thing as too much revision, but it varies from story to story. Some just need enough tweaking to let the characters shine. Others are going to need an overhaul. But I do think it's important not to let yourself lose the original vision of revising. Remember your goals way back before hours of editing, before you had a dozen betas all with different opinions? What did you want out of this novel? Keep that in mind.

If you're going to self-publish, then you really do need to revise and edit until your eyes bleed. You need to get as many opinions as you can and read this story until you are absolutely sick of it. Comb every sentence and every paragraph. You are a businessman/businesswoman, and this is your product. If you are going to ask people to spend money on it, even only a dollar, this needs to be the best product possible. Really, this makes sense for those who are querying or searching for a publisher, as well, but I can't stress this enough for self-publishers. Put your best foot forward. If you can, maybe believe that hiring an editor and/or proofreader is essential to self-publishing.

I think the hardest things for writers during revision is knowing what needs to be changed and then having the perseverance to change it. First, you need to recognize what's flawed in your work. Then, you need to find ways to fix it. It's not that hard once you get down to it, it just takes more work than the first draft for most people. Think of it this way: you found a beautiful gem in a trash dump. Now you need to polish it up so it can shine and everyone can see it's true potential.

Sometimes, you may need more than this. There are a few novels of mine that I know need an entire rewrite because the plot doesn't make sense. It's based on villains that don't make sense and worldbuilding that's nonexistent. I could make all the goals that I want, but I'd need to go back and completely change the structure of the novel. That may be necessary for you, but the important thing that will help you is bring able to ask yourself hard questions and giving yourself honest answers. Or getting honest answers from beta readers and critique partners.

Some more resources:
Natalie Whipple's Stages of Revision
Holly Lisle's One-Pass Revision
Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King (what's super helpful with these is they actually have exercises at the end of each chapter that help you put what you've learned into practice).

Good luck with Nano or other first draft revisions. You can do it! Stick with it. Don't give up. I'm starting to like revision more and more as I do it for more novels. Kind of messed up, I know, but there it is.

How to make a good book trailer

2011-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

This was a guest post on Adopt An Indie, and I thought my readers might enjoy reading it.

Book trailers have recently grown in popularity with the advent of YouTube. Large publishing houses have budgets to hire actors and produce special effects, but self-publishers and smaller presses are “stuck” with a lower budget. What are some ways to set yourself apart and make your video look professional?

DON’T go too long.
DO keep it under two minutes.

Unless you have interactive or extremely interesting content, you’re going to lose people if you go longer than a minute and a half. If you have a nonfiction book and you’re featuring an interview, that would be a good reason to go longer.

DON’T make your video look like a family slideshow someone plays at a high school graduation.
DO vary from simple stock photos and cheesy transitions.

Some things you could incorporate to avoid the boring stock photo slideshow:
-- Stock video. One website is http://www.stockfootageforfree.com (You do need to register to download their videos, but I can vouch that I never received junk mail or anything crazy from them.) Just google "stock video" and you're bound to find a lot of resources.
-- Voiceover. Read your blurb or speak from your main character’s POV. Make sure you're using the best quality you can. Download Audacity, a free and simple recording program available for all three major operating systems.
-- Use a list ("How to tell if your best friend is a werewolf", "Three things Carrie Smith is about to find out", "Three ways to know if your father is haunting you". The last one is from Haunting Miss Trentwood, and I loved it.)

-- Use lines from a journal of the main character (which is what I ended up doing for Finding Fiona)
-- Explore effects from other video editing software. For example, Amanda Hocking’s Switched trailer. (I searched and searched, but I can't figure out what software she used to make this. It's her best kept secret so far, but it reminds me of effects I've seen for After Effects, which I doubt self-published authors are going to buy and learn how to work simply for their book trailers.)

DON’T make your video a dry rehashing of the blurb.
DO make use of the audio and visual mediums.

Is your book a horror? Use creepy music.
Is your book fast-paced? Put the video to fast music and avoid slow transitions.
Is your book a renaissance fantasy? Make sure your photos and text give off the feel of an older time with magical possibilities.

DON’T take pictures and music from anywhere.
DO make sure you have the proper rights to use commercially.

Your video is trying to sell something, thus it's commercial use. Respect the hard work of photographers and music artists by gaining permission and crediting as much as you can. If you have a Mac, you can use the loops in GarageBand to make your own music, which is what I ended up doing for the Finding Fiona video.

DON’T throw together transitions, fonts, and photos from all over the internet.
DO give it a seamless look.

Use the same look throughout the whole video. This isn’t your time to experiment with different effects. It’s your time to snag a potential reader, and if everything matches everything else, you’ll give off a professional vibe. Bonus points if your video matches your book cover, your blog, and your website. Branding!

DON’T be confined to one simple way of doing things.
DO explore your (or other!) video editing software.

If you have Windows, you'll probably have Windows Movie Maker; and if you have a Mac, you'll have iMovie. If you want the opposite, visit your library or a college library in your town to see if they offer those operating systems and programs. Or ask around to see if any friends or family has something you could use for a couple hours.

Here are some other free video editing programs:

Wax
Video Spin
List of 10 Free Video Editing Programs

This is a big learning curve. If it's too much hassle, don't bother with it. Which leads me to the next point. . .

DON’T stress yourself out over something that hasn’t yet been proved to drastically influence sales.
DO treat it as a learning experience and have fun!

Fiction Fridays: Another Conversation

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Another conversation from the Promising Light prequel. The prequel takes place over a long period of time, about eight years, so this takes place a couple years after the last one.

Sierra looked over her shoulder at him, then turned completely and faced him. “Tisha tried to talk me into leaving the Avialies again.”

Evan gritted his teeth and shook his head. “He’s such slime.”

“I know. He even hinted at me working for them.”

“What?” he snapped.

She sighed. “It’s kind of creepy. I’m sixteen, I don’t have any magic in my blood. . .why does he even care?”

“He thinks we’re corrupting you. He’d probably feel really good about himself if he was the one to save you from us monsters.” He scoffed and flopped down on his back. The next firework that burst into the sky resembled a dragon, and he wondered if Mahris had helped with them. The Protectors were fine with magic when it suited their purposes.

Sierra leaned on her elbow. “I wonder if they’ll ever see you as real people.”

“I doubt it. In their eyes, Avialies are abominations.”

“Do you think we’ll ever find a way to break the curse?”

Evan glanced at her. Her gaze was fixed on him, her face serious. He sighed. “I don’t know. It’s been three years already. You’d think if they could have broken it, they would have already.”

She touched his tunic, playing with a string. He held his breath. “I wish we could do more.”

“Me, too. I wish I could hunt that Thieran down and kill him.”

Her fingers stilled on his chest. “Kill him?”

“After making him reverse the curse.”

“How would you do that?”

“I don’t know. I’d do whatever I had to.” He fell silent, thinking of torture or threatening his family members. He gazed at the fireworks above them. What kind of a person did that make him, that he’d be willing to do things like that for his family’s future? How else were they going to reverse the curse?

Biblical Literalism, Biblical Lifestyles

2011-11-23T19:56:00.001-08:00

I haven't updated too regularly this month. I had midterms, then Nanowrimo, then a bunch of other real life stuff. But I've recently been reading Marcus Borg's The Heart of Christianity for my religion class, and I really wanted to write about it.

He speaks a lot of the "Earlier Paradigm" vs. the "Emerging Paradigm." Basically, the earlier paradigm characterizes traditional Christianity, biblical literalism, emphasis on the afterlife. The main difference, Borg seems to think, is the function, origin, and interpretation of the Bible. The emerging paradigm sees the biblical as more metaphorical, a human response to God, and they emphasis transformation in this life.

I grew up in a traditional Christian home. My parents were Salvation Army Officers, and our first doctrine is, "We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice." My dad is like a biblical guru. Go to him if you want to know something about the Bible. He quotes of verses like it's nothing, and from a very young age, I read and treasured this book.

These days, my family and I aren't your typical traditional evangelical Christians--no, we also take into account the laws of Torah, including keeping kosher, biblical feasts, Sabbath, etc. We don't see the Old Testament as old or the "former" covenant, and we embrace the "New" Testament. Our rule? "Scripture interprets scripture."

So, reading Borg's book has been a little difficult for me because he's questioning what I see as the very foundation of Judaism and Christianity. At first, I felt like by questioning it, he could hardly be considered a Christian at all. He views the most basic tenets of Christianity such as the virgin birth, crucifixion, and the resurrection as metaphors. But I kept reading, and I think I've become more forgiving of his views as he goes on.

One of my favorite chapters of this book has been a chapter on the Kingdom of God. Borg asks, 'What does the kingdom of God look like? How are we as Christians trying to implement these ideals and bring these changes into our world today?' The specific examples he uses are health care (taking care of the sick), the environment (taking care of God's creation), economic justice (being fair and just with our money), the use of imperial power (being compassionate and helping instead of violent and proud). I thought, 'Wow, how much does this relate to the Occupy movement that is going on right now?'

Then I started to consider if I look at my bible, the one I profess to believe every word of, what does it have to say about belief? Paul does say that we will be saved by our belief (Romans 10:9), Jesus says those who believe without seeing are blessed (John 20:29), but there is much more of an emphasis on a lifestyle dedicated to God rather than a belief that God created the world in six days, cursed the tower of Babel, then killed everyone with a flood a few hundred years later, etc.

Will Jesus be separating the sheep and goats based on what they believed, or on how they treated the poor? (Matthew 25:31-46) Actually, earlier on in Matthew (7:21-23) Jesus says there were be people who say to him, "Lord, Lord" but he won't even know them.

Did God smite cities such as Sodom, Gomorrah, Tyre, and Jerusalem because of what they believed, or because of the injustice in their societies? (Ezekiel 16:49-50, Jeremiah 21:11-14)

Does he promise blessings on the Israelites because they believed there was one God, or because they lived their lives as though there was? (Deuteronomy 30:1-10)

Did Jesus say we would know them by their beliefs, or by their fruits? (Matthew 7:15-20)

I will admit there are some serious things I disagree with Borg about. I do believe that he is underestimating God when he views the resurrection of the dead as a metaphor. I do believe that my God can do all things, even--no, especially--the impossible. But am I going to judge Borg, or other Christians who view the Bible as metaphorical, if they worship the same God and uphold the same tenets of love, justice, mercy, and holiness? I don't think I should.

I also don't want this to come off as a "as long as other religions are doing good things, they're okay" post. The Bible speaks about idolatry and following after other gods nearly as much as being unjust and cruel, so I can't ignore that aspect if I'm going to listen to another.

One last note: Jesus and his crucifixion and resurrection. Borg tends to think of God as a metaphor and sacrament of God, not God himself. At first, I'm inclined to be harsh on this mindset, but then I have to think of how I view observant Jews. They believe in the same monotheistic God, they align their lives to his laws, and they dedicate all to him. If they don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah because of how we have presented him, is that their fault or ours? It varies from case to case, I'm sure, but I think I want to give extremely liberal Christians the same grace.

I do believe Borg and other biblical metaphoricalists (I just made it a word, okay?) are shortchanging God a bit. Do they really believe he couldn't do those miracles if he wanted to? I feel like they're missing out. Jesus' resurrections points to his triumph over death. It points to the fact that God is willing to do anything to be close to us. It means we were separated from God by our sin and we have a chance to be reconciled to him. What's neat, though, is I've gathered that even if Borg doesn't think these things actually happened, he still sees the messages. And those messages are important because they shape the way we view God and how he factors into our lives.

Perhaps this has rambled a bit, but I felt like there was so much to talk about and get into one blog post! I haven't finished the book yet, but I will soon.

Hidden Haikus

2011-11-21T19:46:00.001-08:00

Using http://mrfeinberg.com/haikufinder, I found some inadvertent haikus in my stories. Neat!

Finding Fiona (Chapter One)
The girl’s eyes stung with tears,
and she took a steady breath,
trying to hold them back.

Melanie's Secrets
“I really like you.”
The words come out of my mouth
unexpectedly.

Promising Light (Chapter One)
She felt completely
exposed to him, physically
and emotionally.

Fiction Fridays: A Conversation

2011-11-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

A conversation from the Promising Light prequel.

Seth turned away and picked up a knife and an apple. It was silent for a moment before he spoke. “I’m sorry about earlier today. Maybe I went a little hard on you.”

Sashe raised her eyebrows at him. He surprised her everyday. She tried to fit him into a little box, but he was different. If he was Evan, he never would have apologized. If he was Dar, it never would have happened. He was somewhere between the two of them. She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“I just really want you to be safe.” His voice was soft as he brought apple slices to the table. He sat down across from her, and she picked one up. They’d eaten apples when they first met nearly six weeks ago. “I was telling Evan. . .my mother didn’t know how to defend herself. I always wonder. . .if we’d taught her, would she still be alive?”

Her eyes widened, and she slowly chewed up her apple slice, gazing at him. His gaze was fixed on the table. He truly cared about her safety, and it touched her. She reached out and touched his hand. “You told Evan that?”

His eyes met hers. “Yes. Why are you smiling like that?”

She shrugged. “It’s probably good I’m not the only one you talk to.”

His thumb ran over hers, sending chills up her arm. “I can’t believe you don’t treat me like a freak.”

She stood and moved in front of him. She put her hands on the sides of his face, running his black hair through her fingers. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. His hands touched her waist, only a few layers from her skin.

“You’ve just been through more than us,” she said softly. “That doesn’t make you a freak.”

“What about a murderer?” he whispered.

His eyes searched her face, and she was struck by how young he was. Sixteen, and yet he’d already lost his parents. Already killed three men. And she was upset at a long lesson with the dagger. She couldn’t even think past her anxiety around him and how he made her feel when the Protectors were killing people. She shook her head, brushing some hair back from his forehead. “They’re the murderers. You saved Vin and Caleb’s lives.”

“But not my mother and father’s.” His arms pulled her closer, and she lost her balance, nearly falling into his lap. “Sorry.”

She sat on his legs and pulled his face toward hers. Their lips met.

Fiction Fridays: The Protectors

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

I will be publishing a series soon, titled The Protectors. The series is comprised of three books (but it could be four in the future, I'm not 100% sure).

Promising Light: Grace has followed the rules most of her life. Starting a secret courtship with the noble Dar is one of the first things she does against her father's will. Their relationship is cut short when a mysterious man warns her about him and Dar leaves her. She searches for answers to mysteries surrounding Dar but only encounters people determined to keep the truth from her—until she's kidnapped by Dar's family. Based on a vision from an elder, they claim she can break a curse set on their family ten years ago by the Protectors.

Grace is intrigued by these people, but turned off by the claim she must get pregnant to break the curse. Her father and the prince are determined to keep her from the shape changers, but will Grace choose to help the innocent instead of living a comfortable life with their oppressors? If she does, she'd have to leave behind everything she knows. If she doesn't, the shape changers could die out forever.

Promising Light Sequel (Currently untitled) continues the story that started in Promising Light. I could post the blurb, but of course there will be a few spoilers. I'll release it once Promising Light has been released for a little while.

Promising Light Prequel (Also untitled - I'm the worst with titles, okay?): The Protectors are merely rumors and distant whispers for Sashe until a new boy moves to her hometown. His parents were killed by the Protectors, and he personally killed three of them. When pregnant women start dying, Sashe realizes just how far reaching the Protectors' hatred is. She and her sister Sierra aren't shape changers, but they've considered them nothing less than family. Years pass with more battles and deaths, and the shape changers become desperate for a way to break the curse. When an elder approaches Sashe and Sierra claiming they could break the curse, will the girls risk their lives for the chance at a brighter future for the shape changers?

If all goes according to plan (must allow time for beta readers, editing, proofreading, etc.), the prequel will be released as a free read in late December, and Promising Light will follow in January. ~~I also posted some cover art, but I haven't made the final decision yet. It was mostly me playing around in Photoshop. The stock photo is from http://bugidifino.deviantart.com.~~ This is the official cover!

New Finding Fiona Cover and Reviews

2011-11-10T20:26:00.001-08:00

A lot of exciting things have happened this week! Finding Fiona has a new cover featuring a quote from the lovely Keary Taylor about the novella.

"Fantastic! An emotional roller coaster that will leave readers both satisfied and craving more."

If you've read Eden by Keary, I think you'd enjoy Finding Fiona. Alternatively, if you enjoyed Finding Fiona, I know you'll like Eden! There are some similarities between Eve and Fiona, but there are some big differences, too. Keary also just released the last book in her Fall of Angels series. Check it out if you like paranormal romance.

Thank you, Keary! And thanks to my lovely husband for the cover. (Psst, if you like accordions, Indie rock, and great melodies, check out Tent City.)

There have also been some new, lovely reviews. Here are quotes from a few:

"This novella was phenomenal. It was definitely one of the most original works I have read this year." ~from LyzzieB on Amazon.com

"One of those diamonds in the ruff that you stumble upon. Great YA sci-fi novella. Highly recommended." ~from Wendy-Reads on Amazon.com

"I am not exactly sure how I came across Finding Fiona, but I am so glad I did. . .It's a great novella! Full of action, not overly romantic, the writing is wonderful." ~from Anonymous on BN.com

It's almost the weekend, so cuddle up with Fiona and follow the twists and turns of finding out who she is. Only $2.99 on Kindle, Nook, and various other retailers!

New Edition of Passages Available

2011-11-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

One downfall of the new electronic world of self-publishing is anyone can upload a book as soon as they find out about it. I thought Passages had been through enough editing, but a few reviews have pointed out some typos and errors.

Typos and misspellings are embarrassing, but one benefit of this new world is the ability to upload new editions immediately. So, as soon as I realized Passages had more than one stray error, I read through it again and uploaded a new edition.

Mya has now been accepted into college, not excepted. Yay! Lesson learned, and I am researching my work thoroughly and finding proofreaders for the Protectors series.

Buy the new edition on Amazon today. If you've already bought it, I'm not exactly sure how to send you the new version because Amazon doesn't make it easy to send new editions. You can contact me and I will try to send you a new one. Enjoy the new edition!

Fiction Fridays: First Lines

2011-10-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

The first lines of a story means a lot. Here are mine from my fiction and nonfiction.

Finding Fiona: Smoke choked her lungs and made her eyes water. The heat burned against her skin. She ran down the steps, tears streaming down her cheeks. Someone grabbed her from behind, strong arms wrapping around her torso.
Novella for sale for $2.99 on Amazon and various other retailers

Passages: The backdoor slams shut, the hinges rattling. My sister stomps out, pouting.“That stupid air conditioner smells like moldy socks,” she says.“The entire house smells.” (from Together)
Short story collection for sale for 99¢ on Amazon and various other retailers

The Jensens: Mrs. Gellar is now yelling. I watch from my position by the table of books. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her without her hair curled. She waves her arms, and her face grows read. The others in the yard are trying to politely ignore the scene, but we are all listening.
Flash fiction free on Smashwords or B&N

Agape: I sometimes wonder what it would be like to see Jesus in the flesh. I read the gospels with envy. Those people saw the Son of God incarnate. They saw him put mud on the blind man’s eyes, saw him hold children, saw him walk on water. They could see the lines on his face. Some of them felt his rough hands. They heard his voice as he taught the words of his Father, when he rebuked the hypocritical religious leaders, when he told the lame man to walk. His disciples ate of the same bread and fish and smelled the perfume with which Mary anointed him. The Almighty had come to earth to dwell among men.
Nonfiction free on Smashwords or B&N

What are some of your favorite first lines/paragraphs? What does a first line need to get your attention?

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

The sequel to Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. Synopsis from Goodreads:

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

January 2012! Wish I had it in my hands right now!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2011-10-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Published 2011, 358 pages, Library copy.

From Goodreads:
Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.

Wow! The poetic prose is beautiful and reminded me of Lauren Oliver. Lauren DeStefano creates a creepy, beautiful world. She immediately pulled me into Rhine's struggle. Her memories. Her nightmares. This place where she's trapped is haunting. Her world is dying, and the author never lets you forget it.

I liked how her relationship with her sister wives develops. Things take a while, but I think that's realistic. It's not like things would click into place all at once. By the end, I really liked both Cecily and Jenna, and I wanted happier endings for them. I know we might see one in future books, perhaps with a happier fate.

I also liked her relationship with the boys, Gabriel and Linden. Both of them were really likable, and I found myself even rooting for her and Linden, even though it was obvious it wouldn't work out. I liked that Rhine never strayed form her mission. She never loses her determination, even when she gets caught up in the world of the mansion.

This story was half in the past, half in the present, and I liked that. Since Rhine doesn't have much of a future and since she's in captivity, it's realistic that she would think of her family and what she was torn from. I just loved the author's way of writing, and I loved getting lost in that world. I read this book over the weekend while I was sick, and it was a perfect way for me to forget my sinus headache.

There two big things keeping me from giving this 5 stars instead of 4. I'll link you to Goodreads review since they have that neat spoiler thing: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/220400758

Other than those two things, I loved this book. Can't wait for the sequel!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

I was lucky enough to find a bonus short story on Smashwords titled Intuition. It preludes the upcoming release Intangible by J. Meyers. Here's the blurb:

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

There's a preview of the first chapter on J Meyer's website and at the end of Intuition. I'm excited to read this book! The website says November 2011. Woohoo!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

2011-10-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Published 2011, 489 pages. Library copy, but I just might buy it. We'll see.

From Goodreads:

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

Yep, I picked it up because of the comparisons to The Hunger Games. There are some similarities, but I think they differ more than they relate. 1st person present tense? Yes. Heroine who is kind of prickly, but also badass? Yes. Dystopian? Yes. Violence and people being pretty horrible to each other? Yes.

The writing is addictive. I stayed up until three reading the first half, and I eagerly waited for a chance to read the second half and finished it today. The first half leaves you with a lot of, 'Wtf?' moments. The world building leaves something to be desired. There seems to be a lot of senseless violence, and I kept thinking, 'What is going on here. . .' It's not exactly a realistic society, either, but like other reviews have said, that's not really the point of this story. It's a thrill ride, just like the Dauntless' entire lives, and the reader watches Tris struggle with her identity. Is she Abnegation (selfless) or Dauntless (brave) or something of both?

Personally, I liked the second half more than the first, but maybe that's because I'd decided to suspend all disbelief at that point. I bounced between love and hatred for Tris. At times, she was a compassionate person and I applauded her bravery. Other times, she was just cruel and I wanted to hit her over the head. But I think that was the author's intent, to show these two extremes in Tris and how they battle within her. It also dealt with those questions like how much one should self-sacrifice or turn the other cheek or seek out justice. I know how I feel, but I've never been in a situation like Tris'.

The romance between Four and Tris was well done. It wasn't completely one-sided, cheesy, or blown way out of proportion. Four is definitely flawed, but I liked the mystery that surrounded him and how his personality slowly came out. I also liked how Tris recognized she didn't really know him that well even though she did have feelings for him.

I really liked the climax of the book, even though I cried at a few different parts. I couldn't read it quick enough. The technology at the end was really interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book, Insurgent, which doesn't come out until next May. One benefit of self-published books: I don't have to wait a year between books in a series!

Common Themes In My Writing: Travel

2011-10-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

I thank my family for my love (obsession?) with traveling. By the time I was eighteen, I'd lived in six different cities and eight different houses. I had my first road trip with my grandparents when I was eleven. We traveled from Colorado to Texas to Oklahoma to Missouri to South Carolina to Virginia (and we visited Washington D.C. and Baltimore while we were there) and back. Plus, my parents were awesome enough to take us on all kinds of road trips: to Washington, to Disneyland, to Yellowstone, and all kinds of places in between.

I went to different youth retreats in Southern California and Seattle. I visited Zambia and South Africa the summer after I graduated. Since I turned eighteen, I've visited the Marshall Islands, France, Spain, Italy (yes, that is a picture of me at the Trevi Fountain in Rome!), and Switzerland and I've moved around quite a bit. I love traveling. I love seeing new places. I would visit every single country on this planet if I had the money.

This ambulatory lifestyle tends to show in my fiction. Sometimes it's just a side effect of the plot; sometimes it is the reason for the plot.

Some examples. . .

Finding Fiona: When Fiona meets someone who claims to be from her past, she finds out she's hours away from where she's going to find answers. She travels from Boston to New York City to visit her childhood home and eventually confront the men who were responsible for her parents' death.

Funny story: I've never been to Boston or New York City, so I did as much research as I could to bring these places to life. Looking at pictures, reading travel blogs, talking to my brother who lives in Brooklyn.

Magnitude (coming soon in a new short story collection): Laura and Jessica's dad always talked about taking the girls to the Grand Canyon, but he didn't have the chance before he died, so the girls decide to go in his memory.

I visited the Grand Canyon with my family when I was in my early teens. I don't remember the specific reason for the road trip or exactly how old I was, but I could never forget that place. Absolutely amazing!

Death of the Sun: Sadie is leaving her hometown for college, but a meeting with her friend upheaves her plans to leave her past behind. This hometown was definitely Pendleton, Oregon. I had a very specific spot in mind when Sadie and Brandon meet in the beginning. I imagine Sadie was going off to college in Portland, but I didn't specify. It could have been Salem, Corvallis, Eugene. The point was it was a new life, one completely different than the one she was leaving behind.

Promising Light (coming this winter): Most epic fantasy has some kind of travel, and this book is no exception. During Grace's trip with the prince, she's kidnapped by mysterious gypsies who tell her she can break the curse on their family. She faces tumultuous decisions that send her to new, dangerous lands she and her friends barely survive.

Some of the places in Promising Light were inspired by real life places I've been. Nyad and Mumbar Jungle are inspired by Hawaii, giving it a tropical climate. Jolen, which we see in the sequel, is a seafaring, Mediterranean-like country. I was definitely thinking of Italy when I wrote about Jolen. When I get closer to publishing Promising Light, I will probably write up a new post about the places in the world and how fun it was to create them. Then you'll know what the heck I'm talking about.

There are others, but most of them are stories that will never see the light of day or won't for a long time, and I don't want to bore anybody. Just know that I have so many more stories that involve traveling--quests to Rome and Switzerland, exploration of the Bermuda Triangle, impromptu trips to Hawaii. I really love going to new places, and I tend to force that wanderlust into my characters' lives.

You just might be seeing some travel writing soon. Nonfiction! The kind that really happened! In the meantime, enjoy some fiction characters running all over the place with Finding Fiona and Death of the Sun.

In My Mailbox #4

2011-10-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

I think this was supposed to be on Sunday, but I've always been a procrasinator. Here's what's up next for me:

Divergent by Veronica Roth. I'm actually halfway through this, and I'm really starting to like it. At first, it required a little bit too much suspension of disbelief, but the world building is starting to smooth out.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano. Picked this up from the library after reading a sample online. Should be interesting. I'm really into YA dystopian, if you haven't noticed.

Tempest by Julie Cross. I actually wont his from a Goodreads contest, and it looks awesome. Time travel! Romance! Awesome cover! So excited to read this. I hope it actually shows up because I haven't been getting packages in my mailbox lately. Need to rectify this so I can read this book.

The Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody. The sequel to Obernewtyn, and the second in the Obernewtyn series.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. I read the first book in Percy Jackson a while ago (The Lightning Thief?) and enjoyed it. I wanted some more Greek gods!

This seems like a lot of books. Wish me luck!

The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is a few days late, but better late than never, right?

Saturday was the Day of Atonement, also called Yom Kippur, or even the Holiest Day of the Year. In Leviticus 16, God tells Moses what the priests are supposed to do. They're to offer up sacrifices for the sins of Israel. It was the time of the year when God would atone for the entire nation. He tells the people to regard the day as a special Sabbath and to "deny themselves." Traditionally, this has been interpreted as fasting.

This weekend, my husband and I fasted, and to add extra denial, I didn't get on my computer all day. If you know me personally, you know it's a big feat. I spent the morning reading and praying, and in the afternoon, we went to a local congregation. then we came home and napped until the sun went down, haha! It's crazy how much energy you DON'T have when you don't eat.

Now, I'm worried about this post that it might come across as arrogant. I know what Jesus said about fasting -- don't tell everyone about it -- but I'd like to share the things I do to become closer to God. Really, Yom Kippur is about recognizing that nothing I can do will ever earn me forgiveness. It all depends on the mercy of God. Though some sects act as though the more they afflict themselves, the more forgiveness they will receive, the fasting for me was just a way to humble myself before the God of all creation.

What is even cooler about this holiday is the echoes of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews says Jesus is our true high priest. Instead of working in the temple made my human hands, he is working in the true temple where God dwells (8:5-6). Instead of offering sacrifices over and over again, he made one ultimate sacrifice for our sins (10:11-14). And instead of cleaning us merely outwardly, he cleansed our souls (9:13-14).

So each year on Yom Kippur, I thank God for his Son's sacrifice. I reflect on how my sins have separated me from God. I humble myself before my maker. But I also rejoice because my sins have been completely erased by the blood of the lamb.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in human flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." ~Romans 8:1-4

Tonight starts the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot. I'll write about that soon!

Becoming by Raine Thomas

2011-10-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

Becoming by Raine Thomas

Published 2011, Kindle Edition, app. 295 pages.

I tried to write my own synopsis, but the author says it so much better. From Goodreads:

Every three years, Amber Hopkins explodes. Okay, not a blown-to-smithereens explosion, but whatever it is always hurts like hell and leaves her life a shambles. She’s already worked her way through five foster placements, and she’s doing whatever she can to avoid getting blasted into a sixth.

As her eighteenth birthday approaches and she feels the strange and powerful energy building, disaster looms. When the inevitable explosion occurs, her life gets its biggest shakeup yet. She’ll not only learn how her fellow foster and best friend, Gabriel, really feels about her, but she’ll discover that she isn’t really without family.

To top it all off, she’ll finally find out why she’s having the power surges: she isn’t entirely human.

Amber must Become, transitioning to another plane of existence and risking the loss of the most important relationship she’s ever had. Her choice will impact the future of an entire race of beings, and will pit her against an enemy that will prey upon her doubt to try and take her very life.

Kind of makes the explosions now seem like a cakewalk.

It's great, isn't it? I had my eye on this trilogy for a while, but a sale for 99 cents made me pick up the first one about a month ago. I got the chance to finally start reading it on Friday, and I finished it last night. The story starts off with a great, endearing romance that sucked me in right away. Of course there was some stuff before that, but Gabriel and Amber's relationship was so enjoyable to read.

There's a healthy balance of mystery surrounding Amber's strange origins and we also get the chance to see the people who know more than Amber and the reader. Amber and Gabriel are both really likable while still having flaws. Actually, I take that back -- I can't think of any flaws in Gabriel yet! He's not your typical controlling, secretive, dark YA love interest. I don't really understand the appeal of YA novels that have an ordinary girl trying to find out the supernatural secret of her crush. I like YA where the girl has the secret, or she at least has something going on, too -- books like Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, The Talent Chronicles by Susan Bischoff, Solstice by PJ Hoover, and now Becoming by Raine Thomas.

About halfway through, things slow down a bit with a hefty infodump. I'm not sure how this could have been done differently, but I only retained part of the knowledge I know I'm supposed to have. I need an Estilorian encyclopedia or something because I can't keep track of all the different classes and histories and planes of existence (wait, there are only two, right?). Note to self: Google to see if there is something like this. (Found something on her website! Spoilers for Becoming, obviously)

After said infodump, the pace is back up and running. Amber and Gabriel are faced with big choices and are soon heading to the Estilorian plane of existence to save the people, though I don't really know how. Honestly, I might need to run over certain parts again because I was reading so quickly because it was such a fun read.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll just say that I really liked the Estilorian plane. I liked the description (though sometimes it bordered on too much) and the very different field of the world. It's evident the author gave these people a distinct culture and traditions and really thought it through. I could definitely take a page or two from her book on worldbuilding, which I usually put on the back burner.

The ending climax was pretty cool -- some great action scenes with the girls really kicking ass. I'm excited for the next book, and I wish I would have bought it at 99 cents when I had the chance! But I'm happy to support a self-published author with the hefty fee of $2.99 ;)

In short, I recommend this trilogy for fans of YA fantasy, especially readers who enjoy romance, male love interests who are gentlemen, interesting female protagonists, and strong worldbuilding. A great addition to YA fantasy.

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

2011-10-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

First published in 1987 (this copy was 2008), Paperback, 244 pages.

This premise is a mix of fantasy and science fiction. From Goodreads, the description reads:

For Elspeth Gordie freedom is-like so much else after the Great White-a memory.

It was a time known as the Age of Chaos. In a final explosive flash everything was destroyed. The few who survived banded together and formed a Council for protection. But people like Elspeth-mysteriously born with powerful mental abilities-are feared by the Council and hunted down like animals...to be destroyed.

Her only hope for survival to is keep her power hidden. But is secrecy enough against the terrible power of the Council?

Sounds fascinating, right? Post-apocalyptic young adult fiction and people with strange powers who are feared. The synopsis doesn't really go very far, though: Her powers are found out soon in the book and she moves to a mysterious place for Misfits called Obernewtyn. For a few pages, I thought it might be some kind of Hogwarts, but it definitely wasn't. Obernewtyn is full of dangers and Elspeth and her friends are soon trying to figure out what kind of experiments the doctor is doing on their friends.

Right off the bat, it's obvious this isn't modern fiction. The voice is different, the pace much slower. It took me a while to get into the book and to even decide that I liked it. The narrator, Elspeth, is quite dry, and sometimes I wasn't even convinced she was scared when she definitely should have been. We don't find out anything about her appearance until almost the end. Had there not been a girl on the cover, I'm not sure how I would have imagined Elspeth.

There is a lot of telling instead of showing. Part of that makes sense because the book takes place over a long period of time, but I kept thinking of JK Rowling. In Chamber of Secrets, instead of saying something like, "Rumors flew, especially among the Hufflepuffs, that Harry was the heir of Slytherin" she shows us conversations among the Hufflepuffs where they are theorizing that Harry could be the heir. I wish Isobelle Carmody had done something like this, because I knew very little about the Misfits at Obernewtyn except for about five of them.

That was another thing that I didn't like -- I felt like she didn't give me much information about the characters. I wanted to know more about Matthew and Dameon and Cameo. It's like the author suddenly expected me to root for them and believe in their friendship with Elspeth even though it seemingly came out of nowhere.

All of that said, the last hundred pages were great. I was lying in bed last night and I just had to finish the book. Carmody has such a great premise, and it's neat how she pulls together the Beforetime machines and the Misfit powers. It's really interesting since this book was written in the 80s, so she wasn't even aware of all the crazy machines we have today! But she can write a great action scene. I was on the edge of my seat at the end. I'm really rooting for Elspeth and Rushton. I believe Rushton has some more secrets that the author hasn't told us yet.

In the end, it's revealed that Elspeth has a bigger purpose than just protecting her friends who are being experimented on, and I will search out the second book. I think my library has the entire series. I actually picked it up because I wanted to get invested in a big series like this. Perhaps the writing style will get better as it goes on. I gave it 3/5 stars because I did like it, it just wasn't an amazing read for me.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Trailer

2011-10-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh, guys, the trailer is here for Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think. I definitely think it's time for me to reread this book.

Part of me doesn't get it. This book is so deep in Oskar's head and so much of the story depends on the words. On the unseen. Not on things you can really translate into film. I think it will be interesting to see how the filmmakers try to get across that same sense of wonderment and sadness at the world and life and death. Sometimes, words just do it better.

I'd like to see how they are going to translate the emotion these passages carry to film:

“I felt, that night, on that stage, under that skull, incredibly close to everything in the universe, but also extremely alone. I wondered, for the first time in my life, if life was worth all the work it took to live. What exactly made it worth it? What's so horrible about being dead forever, and not feeling anything, and not even dreaming? What's so great about feeling and dreaming?”

“Feathers filled the small room. Our laughter kept the feathers in the air. I thought about birds. Could they fly is there wasn't someone, somewhere, laughing?”

“I tried the key in all the doors, even though he said he didn't recognize it. It's not that I didn't trust him, becuase I did. It's that at the end of my search I wanted to be able to say: I don't know how I could have tried harder.”

One thing I hope this film does that I think was a great move for Everything is Illuminated is completely taking out the storyline between his grandparents. I know some people loved it, but I found myself wanting those parts to be over so I could get back to Oskar. It just seemed like he was trying so hard to be meaningful and obscure. That's how I felt with the storyline of Trachimbrod in Everything is Illuminated, too, though it was definitely more enjoyable than the grandparents. My preference for Safran Foer's storylines:

Oskar's quest in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Alex's letters/story in Everything Is Illuminated
The History of Trachimbrod written by Jonathan in Everything Is Illuminated
Grandparents' love story in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

But enough about me. What do you think of the trailer? Have you read the book? Will you now?

Thursday Thirteen: My 13 Favorite Movies

2011-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

When people ask me my favorite movies, it's near impossible to choose one! Or even five. I can do 13, though. For sure. I'm not a cinema buff, for sure. One year, I watched nearly 100 movies. The next year, I probably watched 30. So, in no particular order, my thirteen favorite movies:

1. Clue
Okay, this is in #1 because it probably IS my favorite movie. It is so funny, so clever, and I could watch it over and over again. Actually, that's probably not true since it's nearly two hours long and the beginning moves a little slow. But I could have it on as background noise all day. Too bad I don't have a TV anymore for "background noise." My family had a DVD, then we lost it, because we're good at that. I searched and searched for the DVD a couple years ago, and finally scored when I saw it for $5 at one of those bargain bins at the grocery store where they have all kind of bad movies. I bought two - one for me and one for my family.

2. The Goonies
This movie - I LOVE IT. Funny story, I first watched it on TV, so they bleeped out all the bad words and added in the deleted scenes. When I saw the real one, I was thinking, "Holy crap, these kids swear a lot!" and "What happened to the octopus?" My husband and I can quote this movie up and down.

3. Up
So sweet. Of all the Pixar movies, this is probably my favorite, even though I love them all. It's hilarious, and yet I cry every time. And this video is so awesome:

4. Snatch
The Goonies kids may have sworn a lot, but Snatch has probably a hundred f-words. This movie is so funny. Hm, I'm noticing that a lot of my favorite movies are comedies.

5. Indiana Jones - preferably the whole trilogy, but if I had to choose one, The Last Crusade.
This trilogy was a staple in my house, along with Clue. The second one is my least favorite. I actually like the new one. It's so campy and bad that it's good. Harrison Ford is so nice to look at, and the movie mixes action scenes with witty jokes flawlessly. Except for it's funny to look at some of the old special effects. Like when they opened the ark. That part used to freak me out!

6. Inception
I saw this movie three times in the theatre. THREE. That hasn't happened since Lord of the Rings. The second time, I actually saw it on my birthday. I just loved this movie. The story, the acting, the effects. My husband thinks it's funny how much I love this movie. BUT IT'S SO GREAT.

7. The Dark Knight
Another Christopher Nolan film. This movie is awesome, too. Obviously, or it wouldn't be on this list. It really stressed me out in the theaters. That part where the Joker gives the ships the detonators? I was sweating up a storm. (Yeah, I sweat at stressful parts in movies. . .) But anyway, great acting and special effects.

8. Moulin Rouge
I had to put a romance movie here, or I might be perceived at heartless. No, I really do love this movie. I had the soundtrack before I saw the movie, so I knew half the songs when I finally watched the movie. I was so behind on pop culture I didn't realize these songs were originally done by other artists. Like A Virgin, yes, but I think that was actually the only one. I love how they add so much passion to Roxanne by the Police.

9. Wall-E
Another Pixar movie because Pixar is awesome. Wall-E melts my heart every time.

10. The Princess Bride
And another 80s movie! (I'm sensing a theme here. . .) This couldn't NOT be on my favorites list. I actually can't believe it's an 80s movie. It's so simple, but it has so much quality. The script is hilarious, of course, and you should definitely read the book if you haven't. Hey! I wrote a book/movie comparison post about The Princess Bride here. This post consistently gets the most traffic out of my whole blog. Mostly from Google image searches.

11. Romeo & Juliet (Baz Luhrmann's 1996 version)
We had this movie on VHS when I was pretty young. I remember not understanding half of what they were actually saying, but the beauty of the movie is you get what's going on even if the words go straight over your head. Reading Romeo and Juliet gave me a whole new perspective on the movie. I love the cinematography and the acting in this movie. Good soundtrack, too.

12. Lord of the Rings - again, the whole trilogy, but if I had to choose, Fellowship of the Ring.
This trilogy. I love it. I saw Fellowship of the Ring three or four times in the theaters with my friends. Legolas as my number one man. My friends and I even wrote a story. It was like fanfiction, but we took on the roles. So Mary Sues, but not really. It was more "secret diaries" style without the dirty jokes. Everything about these movies is gold. Reading the books really gave me an appreciation for the story, too. So did this video:

13. Young Frankenstein
Another staple in my house growing up. It's funny because this one moves slowly, too, like Clue, and yet every second is enjoyable. Some of my friends just don't get why this or Clue or other old comedies are appealing. They are totally missing out.

Finding Fiona: Live Online!

2011-09-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am so excited: Finding Fiona is finally online. I put it up nearly a week ago, but I kept revising the product description or adding things to the copyright page. Fortunately, it's complete now.

She soon travels to her old home in New York to figure out what happened to her and her family. She needs to find out who she is, but more importantly, confront the men who killed her parents.

Finding Fiona is 45,000 words or about 180 pages. A scifi novella full of mystery, action, and romance, this book is a perfect weekend read.

Available on these ebook retailers for only $2.99:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
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Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah

2011-09-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I had a bunch of different blogs, and I kept them separate. This was my writing/reading blog, I had a blog chronicling my Rheumatoid Arthritis, and I had a religious/spiritual blog. Well, I have difficult keeping them all up, and I figure this blog should just combine all of them. Although it's chiefly about writing and reading, I don't mind posting about other things that interest me.

I'm a Christian by definition -- I believe Jesus was the Son of God, and his crucifixion and resurrection takes away our sins. I also believe that the Torah isn't "obsolete" and it hasn't "passed away." As such, I celebrate the biblical feasts. It's the fall now, which means the Jewish High Holidays are upon us.

Rosh Hashanah is the feast of trumpets which marks the Jewish New Year. It's referenced in Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29 as a "holy convocation." The Israelites were to blow the trumpets and do no regular work. Some of the traditional foods of the holiday are apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year.

One of my favorite customs for Rosh Hashanah is tashlikh. You take a collection of bread crumbs and cast them off into a body of water. It's symbolic for the previous year's sins, and references to Micah 7:18-19:

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.

If one looks at the life of Jesus, you can see that he was crucified on Passover, and he can be our Passover lamb. As the blood of the Passover lamb protected the Israelites, so the blood of Christ can protect us from death. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit was given on Shavuot (or Pentecost) which was the date when tradition says the Torah was given on Mt. Sinai.

Based on those events, some people believe that "The End Times" events will happen during the Fall Festivals. They predict the Rapture might happen on Rosh Hashanah because ome verses reference to the blowing of a trumpet with the rapture, including Matthew 24:31:

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

I have no idea when that will be. There were plenty of people who thought the world was going to end May 21st. We'll always be surrounded by people pronouncing the end of the world, but can anyone really know when these things will happen? I don't think so. We can be ready, though, living our lives to love God and love others.

Rosh Hashanah starts tonight and ends Friday sundown. It's celebrated for two days because the actual position of the new moon (Rosh Hashanah is to be on the "first day of the seventh month") is hard to predict. I will be casting off my sins in the Willamette river, thanking God for forgiveness and for a new year!

In My Mailbox #3

2011-09-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

At least I think this is the third one.

My "to read" list just keeps growing!

Wildefire by Karsten Knight -- Polynesian goddess reincarnated in the body of a sixteen-year-old girl. Picked up from the library. I'm about 50 pages in, and I like it. I just haven't had the time to finish it.

The Emerald Storm by Michael Sullivan -- Fantasy, political intrigue, quests, empires! Bought online - no longer available, but will be published this fall by Orbit Books. I haven't finished Nyphron Rising just yet (only about 10% left) but I love this series!

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch -- Middle grade fun that reminds me of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Only 99 cents from the iBookstore!

Two of a Kind by Celesta Thiessen -- A neat novella about a brother and sister in a dystopian world, written by a friend of mine. Only 99 cents on Kindle. I'm about 1/3 through.