College Update: What happened to my life?

Let me lay out what I've been up to:

Chinese History Reading
Girlfriend Time
Brit Lit Reading
Poetry Writing
Girlfriend Time
Mythology Reading
Girlfriend Time.

You can see where my priorities lie, right? Heh heh. I've blown a lot of money so far -- way more than I intended. I'm a little worried, but most of the money was necessary stuff -- like clothes, since a lot of mine have destroyed themselves.

But, Hastings was having a sale recently, and I love books, so I checked in. My newest purchases make me really happy:

Odd Thomas in hardcover.
Forever Odd in hardcover.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in hardcover
Stephen King's Bag of Bones in hardcover.
Thomas Harris' Red Dragon in hardcover.
Einstein in hardcover.
The Tale of Despereaux in hardcover.
Schindler's List in paperback.
And the screenplay for Sleepy Hollow (that one was for my girlfriend).

Also, from one of our good friends, my girlfriend got Russell Brand's Booky Wook for her birthday. So I'll borrowing that as soon as she's done.

The one I'm most excited to read out of all of these...besides the Booky Wook? Einstein. He's such a fascinating character. But first, Chinese history, Brit Lit, and Mythology await!

Handling Our Children with Rubber Gloves

"Tell them the dangerous things can be over come. Tell them that you can go out and dream. Tell them that you can go out and change the world." --- Neil Gaiman

I've been thinking about something a lot lately. Have you noticed how, as standards on one end of our society continue to make more allowances -- you are now allowed to say the "f" word once in a PG-13 movie -- the allowances at the other end of the spectrum are becoming much more strict.

I was watching Kung Fu Panda at the daycare I work at, and I started thinking about something. Anyone who watched that movie must agree with me that it is a very, very kid friendly movie. And yet, it's rated PG. Why? No where in there is there anything that should garner a PG rating. Then I thought back to the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. Have you seen that movie? It's incredibly violent. It's amazing, and of course I'll let my kids watch it, but it's also very dark, very moody, and pretty violent. Wolves attack Belle on her horse, the beast is all kinds of angry and violent, and although it may get lighter for a bit, by the time Gaston is out to get the best -- to the tune of a song called "Kill the Beast" -- it becomes very violent again. While Po gets a few karate chops in, and uses the "Wushi Finger Hold" -- which involves a whoosh of air and that's it, Beast gets shot with several arrows and stabbed in the arm with a knife before Gaston falls to his death off of the castle.

Let's not forget a few other children's classics from a few years earlier -- The Black Cauldron, The Secret of NIMH, and The Wizard of Oz. All pretty dark and scary, and yet amazing and valued to this day for kids to watch. And then look at Enchanted, a very cute Disney movie that does a throw back to classic Disney cartoons -- including the witch turning into a dragon at the end. The rating...PG! Even though the movie was a live action amalgamation of every Disney movie ever made, it was rated a whole rating higher than those old movies.

So, I have to wonder. Why do we worry so much about our kids. I was raised on Rocko's Modern Life, Doug, Aaaaah, Real Monsters, and even stuff like The Nightmare Before Christmas. All of those were way darker and more mature than Phineas and Ferb, The Replacements, Lilo and Stitch, and The Emperor's New School. I'd like to think I'm a fairly normal person.

Back in February, I watched a new movie. It was based on a children's book, and when I watched it, I was blown away. The movie was spooky, yes, but it was also fantastic. The movie was Coraline, based on the book by Neil Gaiman. It was a very well received book, and a very well made movie.

One thing that I think makes a really good children's movie is where there's depth -- things for kids and adults. Of course kids aren't gonna notice a lot of the adult jokes -- and they shouldn't. But the adults enjoy it too. And it feels real, instead of dummed down and boiled down to a simple little drivel.

I always heard the phrase "A hero is only as power as the villain he overcomes." That's why fairy tales still resound with us to this day. Sure, it's pretty scary when the witch turns into a dragon at the end of Sleeping Beauty, but what kids take away is not that evil witches and dragons exist...or anything evil for that matter. What they take away is that they can be beaten.

What made me decide to write this post was an interview I saw with Neil Gaiman on YouTube. It covered a lot of his works -- his book Coraline, the fact that it was being made into a movie, and his new children's book The Graveyard Book, which won the 2009 Newberry Medal. There was a bit of controversy that it may be too scary for kids, but from what I've read of it, it's got about the same tone as Harry Potter when it came out. And it's a fascinating read for anyone, with little jokes for adults and kids throughout, well written, smart, and provocative. True, the book may start with a triple murder...but most stories start with an important death. Harry Potter started with a double murder, The Secret of NIMH started after Mrs. Brisby was widowed, and while the Scarecrow didn't die in The Wizard of Oz, he was torn limb from limb by the flying monkeys.

Anyway, there's really no right or wrong answer, I'm just curious why we've decided to treat our kids with rubber gloves more and more over the years. Kids used to be raised on the Grimm's Fairy Tales, and those were very morbid, but they taught us love conquers all, good defeats evil, and magic really does exist. Now we have very watered down versions of the original tales with the dragons' defanged and the witches' warts removed. And with these new prettied up versions of the old tales, are the heros really as heroic as they once were if the villains that they're overcoming are now mere shadows of their former selves? How heroic would Harry Potter have been if Lord Voldermort had been just an angry man with a grudge against kids instead of a murdering sociopath? Or if the dementors had been just hooded guards? What if the prince from Sleeping Beauty hadn't had to fight that dragon to get to his love?

Where have our heroes gone? And why do we feel that we need to diminish their struggles to protect kids from the real world. Neil Gaiman uses an amazing quote by G. K. Chesterton at the beginning of his book Coraline:

"Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

What do you think? Do you think it was wrong to show us those scary, mature things when we were kids? Do you think that we should protect our kids from the darkness of the real world for as long as we can, or do you think that kids know there is darkness in the world, and these little stories and things are a message of hope that you can beat the witches? Let me know in the comments.

And judge for yourself. You can listen to Neil Gaiman's entire book The Graveyard Book on his site here. -- Read by the author! Very cool to see.

Also, here's the original interview -- a long interview, but a very, very interesting one.

I Swore I Wouldn't Do Another Review

I know I said that I wouldn't do more of these -- and I won't -- but I have to talk about Blaze by "Richard Bachman", aka Stephen King.

I've loved Stephen King since I was a kid. He was one of the first adult books I ever read -- I believe it was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, but I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, the point is, I really like him. Most of his books are enjoyable to me. They may not always be legendary, but they always provide me with entertainment. I am unfortunate enough to say that I have only read one of the "Bachman" books: Roadwork.

The difference between King's books and Bachman's books is a very noticeable tone change, while the style of writing stays about the same. Bachman books are always sad books, in my opinion. While King focuses on the more fantastic and horrible events, Bachman's stuff is about ordinary people who just happen to get the shaft. His books are, I think, some of King's best work. They always pull on my heart strings.

Blaze is no different. Blaze is about a man named Clayton Blaisdell, Jr -- aka Blaze. Poor Blaze used to love to read when he was little, and he wasn't too bad at math. Unfortunately, he lived in a broken home with a horrible father who got drunk and angry one day and threw him down the stair...and the took him back up...and threw him down again. Now Blaze doesn't think as good as he used to. Reading and math aren't easy like they used to be. They're hard now.

Blaze grows up to be big. Really big. 6'7 big. And like most big, stupid people, he's recruited as the intimidator in a bunch of crimes. He meets a man named George who decides to pull of the biggest scam ever by kidnapping a rich family's kid. However, George dies just before the scheme can begin. Blaze, not knowing what else to do, decides to continue with the plan.

Blaze is structured to alternate every now and then between Blaze's current situation during the kidnapping, and every now and then a chapter or two about Blaze's life growing up in, basically an orphanage.

This book, like a lot of other Bachman books, puts a regular guy in a horrible situation. My heart went out to Blaze. After he kidnaps the kid, he begins to view the kid like his own son. He grows to love the little guy, and like a mama bear protecting her cubs, becomes fiercely protective. As you read, you begin to like Blaze. He's not a bad guy, just dumb. And after reading the rough life that Blaze has had, you feel so bad for him. This pity or sorrow or whatever you call it is increased when you realize that, although Blaze wants to, he can't keep the kid. You find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place. I couldn't pick who to root for, simple and sweet Blaze, or the cops who are just trying to get the kid back home.

If you like Stephen King, this is a must to pick up. He really shines here. If you're on the fence about it, pick it up anyway. The story is so heart wrenching, you'll find yourself almost in tears by the end.

Challenge Update and Musings

Well, first I'll get to the update about the challenge. I have officially finished my first novel of the New Year -- Shana Abe's The Smoke Thief.

This one was an interesting read to say the least. I picked it up because it was one of the only fantasy books that the Wal-Mart in my hometown carried, and the storyline intrigued me. The story is about a clan of dragons -- or, rather drakons -- that live in a secluded village in England. One thing I liked about this book was the presentation of the dragons. The ones mentioned in the novel -- I'm not ruling out other powers in dragons not mentioned -- could transform (Turn) between a human form, a dragon form, and a smoke form. This was interesting, because, unlike one of my friends who is actually consulting the Dragonology book because those are "the accepted guidelines for dragons" Abe did whatever she pleased with these. I like stories that take things that have been done a lot, like dragons, and turn them on their heads.

Another interesting thing about this novel was the behavior of the dragons. They were intelligent beings, basically humans with enhanced senses, but they were also driven by instinct and ancient decrees. When the Alpha male dragon meets the Alpha female dragon, they were supposed to wed. However, in case you haven't guessed, the heroine does not agree with these practices, and so she spends a lot of the novel fighting her instincts and her natural attraction towards the Alpha male.

This is where things get a little wobbly. The storyline is intriguing: Dragons are forbidden from leaving their little shire. However, Rue -- the heroine -- hates the society. She feels out of place, and the idea of marrying because of custom or nature rather than love disgusts her. So, she fakes her own death and moves to London where she uses her Gifts in the art of thievery. She becomes known as The Smoke Thief, and has all sorts of nifty connections to the seedy London underbelly. Of course, they eventually find her, and she's supposed to return, but the dragon's magical diamond has been stolen by another rogue dragon, and so the two Alphas must team up to get it back. Intriguing for me. Not your typical fantasy story.

However, the story seems to get bogged down with the two characters internal musings about each other. I love him, but I don't. He disgusts me, but he's so sexy. I love her, but I also want her. She's mine by nature, but I want her to return my feelings. There are several times in the novel where the action totally haults because the Alpha male gets a little too horny and tries to go all the way with Rue. All in all, though, I thought it was okay. I think it was good for me, because it was much different than the sword and sorcery fantasy that I usually read, and more romance than I'm used to reading as well.

With that out of the way, I thought I might talk about favorite authors. Is there an author that you grew up reading? Someone that, once you could read adult books, you just couldn't get enough of?

When I was in middle school, I got to read one of my first really long books. I'd read all those children's classics -- Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Harriet the Spy, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Chronicles of Narnia -- but my first really adult book was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King. From there, I believe I moved onto The Dead Zone. I read a good portion of Stephen King's bibliography during my middle school and high school days. I read every King book I could get my hands on: Misery, Cujo, The Dead Zone, Christine, The Talisman, the entire Dark Tower series, Black House, Dreamcatcher, etc.

Then, my friend turned me onto fantasy with the Shannara books, and I started reading every fantasy book I could find. Mostly, books that take place in our world were left behind. The next book on my list, however, is Blaze by "Richard Bachman", aka, Stephen King, and when I read the introduction the first couple of pages, I felt a unique and bizarre feeling. It was almost like a bridge had been built to the past, and I wasn't a almost 20 year old college student anymore, I was an 11 year old kid reading under his covers with a flashlight and the lights out after everyone else had gone to bed. It was a great feeling, like visiting with an old friend that you haven't seen in years (and King's habit of addressing his readers as 'Constant Reader' probably helped a little, too). Do you have any authors that, when you read them, they take you back to your childhood or teen years?

50 Books Challenge in 2009

So, PJ Hoover has an absolutely awesome idea for 2009. Her goal is to read 50 books by the end of the year. Since I read 30 in 2008, and 26 in 2007, this will be a challenge for me -- but a good one. I need to read more instead of sitting around doing nothing. I watch probably way too many movies. Don't get me wrong, I love movies. At one time I had considered becoming a director and going to college for film and stuff because I loved to watch movies. Anyway, so this will give me the kick in the butt I need to read more.

Anyone who wants to participate in this little adventure is more than welcome to. She has rules for her posted on her site, but said that you can change them however you want to suite your situation. For the most part, they work for me, but I'll have to tweek them a smidge.

My rules
* Cannot count anything you've read before
* No picture books.
* Reading my own books doesn't count. Even if I read them 50 times during revisions. (I don't have an books per say, but I won't count any of the stories I write or revisions or anything)
* Reading critique partners manuscripts doesn't count.
* Mix it up. This was a great idea. I'm gonna try to add in some YA, and branch out beyond fantasy, which is what I've been focusing on. I'm gonna try to work in some Non-Fiction as well.
* When making my list, leave room for spontaneous reads, new releases that are "must reads", and anything I happen to pick up at the library during a given week.
* Record what I read on Goodreads. (I don't know what Goodreads is, so this is some what up in the air at the moment. However. I always keep a running account of books that I plan on reading, and books I've already read on my website here. It also contains what I've read for the past 3 years.) I don't normally talk about what I read, but if something really speaks to me, I'll try to pass the recommendation onto you through the trusty ol' SoaM here.

With that said, you may be wondering what I plan on reading. Well, I've got a few things bouncing around.

1. The Smoke Thief - Shana Abe (This is one that I started a while back and never got to finish because school kicked me in the teeth.
2. Homeland: The Legend of Drizzt Book 1 - R.A. Salvatore (My roommate got me this for Christmas)
3. The Golden Compass
4. The Subtle Knife
5. The Amber Spyglass - all by Phillip Pullman. Yes, the infamous His Dark Materials trilogy. One of my friends got it for me for Christmas last year, and I haven't had the chance to read it yet.
6. Blaze - "Richard Bachman"
7. The Inferno - Dante (trying to work in some classics)
8. The Rocketeer - Peter David (I've had this forever, and I liked the movie, so I decided I wanted to read the novelization.)
9. My Father - Nancy Sinatra
10. The Chamber - John Grisham
11. The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson (Because I'm a Superman nerd, and this intrigued me)
12. Te King of Torts - John Grisham
13. The Children of Hurin - J.R.R. Tolkien
14 & 15. When my money comes in from my refund check (and after I have budgeted out my money so I don't go crazy broke) I'll have to figure out a way to get my hands on The Emerald Table by P.J. Hoover, and I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy, debut's for both of them, and I can't wait to read them and support them.

I think I'll leave it off there. I want a few surprises and too much planning will make reading seem like a chore.

Sherlock Holmes

I love mysteries. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Encyclopedia Brown books. The thought that a kid could be so smart, and he could help his friends, and even the police sometimes -- I thought it was awesome. Also, the EB books made you turn to the next page for the solution, so it gave you a chance to solve it yourself. I loved that, too.

When I got older, I read the Hardy Boys, and when I got older still, I read the Hardy Boys Casefiles, which was Hardy Boys for adults, with Frank and Joe, but they were grown.

When I got into middle school, I started reading the Sherlock Holmes books, and my love of mysteries grew to a whole new level. I had never encountered a character like Sherlock before. He was maladjusted, you didn't always like him, and he was rarely nice. Being so smart left him being somewhat of a social outcast, and his only friends was Dr. Watson, the only person who was patient enough to put up with his moodiness.

I started watching Sherlock Holmes movies -- a few of the ones with Basil Rathbone, the movie Young Sherlock Holmes, The Great Mouse Detective, the show Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, anything really. I was intrigued by the surely detective. I wasn't always happy with the TV and movie adaptions of Sherlock though -- many adaptions had reduced a lot of his character flaws down, thereby making him a friendly, happy, well-liked, but extremely smart guy. That's just not Holmes. A few good recommendations that were pretty good but weren't by Conan himself would be The Baker Street Irregulars, and the movie Young Sherlock Holmes.

Then, I saw the TV show House. I had avoided it, because I don't normally watch much TV -- a lot of them seem to be the same crime investigation shows with a different cast -- but after a few episodes I knew where'd I'd scene Dr. Gregory House before. He was Sherlock Holmes!! He walked with a cane, he had one really good friend who was patient enough to put up with his characer flaws, he was addicted to drugs, he was maladjusted and cynical, and he was extremely smart and solved cases most people were stumped by.

Now it seems they're gonna try to bring back Sherlock Holmes to the modern public. I saw on Yahoo news, where there's two new Sherlock Holmes movies in the works. One of them is a Columbia pictures comedy that is supposed to star Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrel that I'm hoping will be as good as The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, and not totally stupid. The other one fills me with hope, though. It's a Warner Bros. film, and when I saw who they got to play Sherlock, I thought, Wow, if they couldn't get Hugh Laurie, that guy could definitely do the part justice. They got Robert Downey, Jr. His smart alleck, cynical personality is perfect for the crabby detective, and with what I've heard about Iron Man, this movie will be fantastic, and hopefully be a box office smash.

I'm daring to get my hopes up. Don't let me down Hollywood!

Books and TV

I don't really have much to talk about today, but I do have some news that was pretty cool. My town is not a town that is known for its readers. The only bookstores we have are a used bookstore, and our Wal-Mart, and slowly but surely, our Wal-Mart has been reducing the book section down to Junie B. Jones, other kids books of that nature, and self help books. But it looks like our Wal-Mart is starting to exand their stock a little more. The other day, I am happy to report, I saw Twilight Fall in the flesh...er...page...along with the book that Lynn Viehl advertised a few days ago -- Death Angel. My only let down was that I couldn't find The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu. I frantically checked my money supply. I was going to buy them and have SoaM's first book give away, but sadly, I was broke. So, in a few months, I may have a book give away, if by then everyone doesn't already have those books, ha. We'll see, though -- money is looking tighter this semester.

And in other news, I saw the last episode of Death Note the other day -- God bless you, my lovely DVR -- and I have only this to say: HOLY COW!!! AMAZING!!!

That's really all. I'll try to have something cool to post later this week. I'm stewing ideas.

Book Plugging

I just realized how out of the loop I was today. I went and visited PBW's blog, and her post reminded me of several books I've been looking forward to reading. So today, to make up for that, I'm just gonna give you guys a little bump and some info about some books that have come out that you should check out.

First on the list is the one that reminded me of the others. Lynn Viehl has a new Darkyn book out -- Twilight Fall. It just came out today. This is the 6th novel of the Darkyn series chronicling the tribe of vampires. The last two Darkyn books released -- Evermore and Night Lost -- appeared at the 12 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. Lynn has announced that there will only be one more book in the series, and then it will be finished. From what I hear, these books keep getting better and better. If you're into dark fantasy/romance, go check these books out.

Next on the list is a new release by Holly Lisle -- The Ruby Key. This was released on May 1st, and it's the first in her new YA series Moon and Sun. I've been looking forward to this release for a long time. Snippets from her blog have made me foam at the mouth in anticipation, and as soon as I can get my hands on some money (which, sadly, may be a few months) I will buy this and revel in its awesomeness. Definitely pick this one up.

Third on the list is yet another release by Holly Lisle -- Hawkspar. This is the anticipated sequal to the amazing Talyn, and it is #2 in what will hopefully become a series following in the world of Korre. If you remember the splash that Talyn made, you know you can't miss out on this one. Another one that I will pick up as soon as I can, since I devoured Talyn.

And finally, Odd Thomas is back in his quircky, beautifully tragic adventures in two released -- Odd Hours and In Odd We Trust. If you haven't started reading the Odd Thomas series yet, I recommend that you go out and get them now. They are spectacular. Odd has such a sad/hilarious view on the world: to see the tragedy and the comedy in most situations. And he's up to his usual wise-cracking. For a while, the story seems unlike the other Odd books, but by the middle, Dean Koontz cracks open and you see the quick, hilarious, odd ball (ha ha) conversations that you expect from Odd. In Odd We Trust is trying something new. This one is a prequal to the amazing Odd Thomas, but that's not all it does differently. This book is done in a graphic novel manga style, which I can say only makes me want to read it more.


Sorry that the post isn't anything special, but I'm kinda out of it today, and I've got a lot to do to get prepared for the play. I hope you enjoy these recommendations and remember that none of the author's tell me to do this. This is on my own and because I like spreading the word of fellow writers. I remember some contraversy about that a while back and I just want to remind everyone.

Twisted Tales

This is a post I had planned a while back. I found it saved as a draft and thought I'd post it for you guys.

A while back I mentioned that I found an interesting book. It was called The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. It's the "true" story of Alice of Wonderland. In it, Princess Alyss Heart is from an alternate dimension called Wonderland, and she's next in line for the throne when her crazy aunt Redd kills her mother and takes the throne for herself. Then, Alyss and the kingdom's best mercenary, Hatter Maddigan, flee and accidentally wind up in our world. Recently I've noticed more and more books and exposing the “truth” behind many of the myths and stories we've come to know an love. The King Arthur movie, that Santa's Slay movie with Bill Goldberg, The Looking Glass Wars, all the way to The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, we love hearing a new twist on the old classics. I can't help but wonder what other stories will be re-examined, and who wind up writing them?

• The story of a man who almost ruined everything. Rumors have spread that some scientists in England discovered a way to travel through time. The discovery was accidental, but shows to actually have many practical applications for the field of ancient history. Everything begins to fall apart, though, when one of the top minds who helped develop the time travel device goes missing – along with the device! Now it's a race against time – and through it – to discover where the missing man went, and get the device back. This summer's action packed read! It made number 3 on the New York Time's bestseller list, James Patterson's next thrilling novel, Where's Waldo?

• Hansel and Gretel came to America expecting to make it big. Unfortunately, the biggest thing the 400 pound twins found were the costumes they have to wear everyday at The Gingerbread Mansion, a small, rundown local amusement park. They feel unfulfilled and homesick, but things look like they're turning around when they save a pro-wrestling agent from a mugger while he's on vacation. They're soon on the high rise to fame, but things take a turn for the worst when they get an invitation to go on a guided hike through the Colorodo Rocky Mountains. It seems a jealous and bitter amusement park manager is determined to get her best employees back . . . or else. “Cannibals, candy, and an astounding trapeze act, this book is fun for the whole family.” -- Charlie Chuckles, Radical Reads Magazine. “Judy Blume does it again . . . Hansel and Gretel: The Tales of Two Tubby Twins is a fantastic read for all ages.” -- New York Times
  

Last one, I swear, but these are so much fun to write.

• Georgia Rogers just wanted to have a good baking party. It was December, and the semi-finals for the Sweetsville Cooking Contest were just around the corner. She really wanted to blow the judges away with a holiday treat. When she goes to the library to do some research on some of the more obscure holiday treats, she stumbled across an ancient and tattered cookbook. Intrigued, she took it home. She was unaware of the terror held between the pages of that decrepit, leatherbound book, for when she decides on a recipe to try, she unleashes the bloodiest, most horrifying thing the world has ever seen. “King reigns supreme!” -- Michael Mitchellson, Maniacal Mystery Magazine. “Stephen King's The Gingerbread Man gave me chills. I'll never look at my favorite holiday treat the same way again.” -- Martha Stewart.

What are some old stories that you want to see rewritten? Or what better yet, what would be your take on some of those old stories? Let us all know in the comments.

Evermore Success

As most of you know, and as I mentioned earlier, Lynn Viehl over at Paperback Writer released the next installment of her Darkyn series, Evermore.

Well, she has some big news:

"#7 on Border's and B&N's romance bestseller lists
#16 on Border's Group overall fiction mass market paperback list
#22 on B&N's overall fiction mass market paperback list
#23 on B&N's overall mass market paperback list
#96 on USA Today bestseller list (that's everything, hardcover, trade & mm)
And, deja vu, Evermore will come in at #21 on the next New York Times extended bestseller list."

This is absolutely huge. Go over to Paperback Writer and congratulate her. She absolutely deserves it, and more.

No, I Never Drink...Wine...

But I do read vampire novels.

January 2nd marked the release of Evermore, the new book in the Darkyn series by Lynn Viehl.

The Darkyn series, for those of you who don't know, is what Lynn considers a "dark-fantasy" series about vampires. There are 5 novels to the series, the fifth being Evermore, and another coming soon, Twilight Fall. There's also a novella, Midnight Blues, available for free on her sight, and a few short stories also set in the Darkyn world. All of those are available on her site, for free download as well.

Still not convinced to go check it out? Night Lost, the fourth in the series, was a USA today bestseller.

And, finally, if you act now, you can enter Majorie M. Liu's contest (January 2nd post). Send her an e-mail (marjoriemliu@gowebway.com) to enter and if you win, you win the first four books in the series!

So what are you waiting for? Go! Buy!

What I've Got Ahead Of Me

Well, I didn't get to finish Velocity before the New Year ended. I was halfway through when the ball dropped. The last few days of 2007, I decided I wanted to take advantage the "After Christmas sales", particularly the book sales. I also picked up some books from the Library...and some books from yard sales.

So, counting all that and Christmas, here's my new stack:

I can't wait to get cracking with everything! Here's to the reading of '08!

Finished!

Finished it at 5! It was fantastic, a great ending, and it wrapped everything up very finely. I really liked it. I've been busy the rest of the day. I'll be back to trying to figure the plot out of its sticky mess tomorrow. It's been a great break, though. It's amazing that a series I've grown up with is ending, though. Now what'll I occupy my time with?

In Hiding!

What's this? Another Thursday's Doodle? No! It's my "Special Edition Celebration of the Release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Doodle!" And then, I'll be in hiding, because I'm super paranoid about getting spoilers before I finish the book. So, I'll be absent until I finish the book. I can't wait to get it and I hope you guys enjoy it, too. This is pretty big for me. I've grown up with this series, so its ending is monumental. I can't imagine what J. K. Rowling is going through, she's spent more time with the cast than I have.

Happy reading everyone!

Free Books! REALLY?!

But not from me. Nope, they're from good buddy S. William Shaw. He's having an awesome give away to promote his novels The Santa Mysteries and Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato. He's giving away free e-book copies of his book to anyone who e-mails him, and! (as if that wasn't enough!) he's giving away ten free paperback copies of one of his books away too. All you have to do to get the free e-book is e-mail him with the subject "free book" or to win the paperback copy, mention the contest on your blog/website, and send an e-mail with "book contest" as the subject and a link to your post. Then he'll draw the names. What are you waitng for??!! Send those e-mails!!!

Writing Update

I'm still plodding along. I finally got inspired last night, and typed like a mad banshee for several hours. I didn't go to bed until about 2:30 in the morning. I was exhausted, and I wasn't finished with the plotting yet, but I felt like I understood the characters a whole lot more. I gotta give some nice ladies some credit though. The method of plotting I'm trying I've really never heard of before. It's kinda a mash up of what I learned from Rosina Lippi's workshop and Lynn Viehl's workshop. If I finish this thing this time I'll owe them big.

I just finished reading Diplomacy of Wolves, which was fantastic, by the way. I really like the way Holly Lisle designs her worlds. There always so rich and distinct and original. Everytime I read her I get big green goosebumps of envy. I've started on Vengeance of Dragons and I'm enjoying it immensley too. Of course, if I don't finish it before the seventh Harry Potter book comes out, I'll lock myself in my room like I did when book 6 came out and go on a marathon reading spree until it's finished. Ever since I saw a video on the internet where a guy ran down the street shouting the end of Harry Potter 6 while people were still reading it, I've been extremely paranoid. If anyone did that to me, I'd make sure that no one ever found their remains, mwahahahaha!

Anyway, that's all the updates I have for now. Not much going on in my point on the world right now.

Tagged!--Eight Random Things

I've been tagged for the eight random things meme by MerylF over at Characterisensation. I've done this meme before, but it's fun, so I'm glad to do it again! So here's the rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each participant posts eight random facts about themselves.
3. Tagees should write a blogpost of eight random facts about themselves.
4. At the end of the post, eight more bloggers are tagged (named and shamed).
5. Go to their blog, leave a comment telling them they’re tagged (cut and run).

Now...eight random things...what can I tell...?

1. I didn't always want to be a writer. I've told people that because it's true in part, but writing has been an on again, off again idea since I was in Kindergarten. Other careers I wanted to pursue: movie actor, archeologist, cartoonist, rock band lead singer, and a photographer.

2. The first thing that inspired me to be a writer was the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. It was what got me into scary stories, and a good chunk of my story starts were supposed to be scary stories. In fact, one of my most prized possessions is an autographed book by R.L. Stine. Funnily enough, what I considered to be my first complete story, I also considered it a scary story. I later realized I had written a fantasy long before I knew what it was and long before I actually liked fantasy. See the other eight random things for my history with fantasy.

3. I like to draw. I draw little doodles and cartoons all the time...mostly during class, ha ha. I get bored pretty easily, and drawing those doodles helps me stay awake. I listen and draw at the same time, so I can absorb the info, but I'm actively doing something so I don't fall asleep. Note taking isn't the same.

4. I'm very anal about my books. If I let my friends borrow any of my books, I lecture them about how they should try not to crease the spine, try not to open it too much, try not to bend the pages--not rabbit ears!--and so forth. I nearly destoryed my copy of Dreamcatcher by Stephen King when I was in middle school, and I haven't treated a book like that since then. I want to keep them as new as possible.

5. I love dogs. I have three right now, and when I move out on my own after college I'll probably have more. I have a half dachsund (I have no idea if I spelled that right...) half scottish terrier dog named Socks, I have a full blooded dachsund named Jimi Hendrix, and I have a half miniature doberman pincher, half teacup chihuahua named Ebony.

6. Another random book fact about me: I have to have my series all in one form. If one book is paperback, they all have to be paperback. If one book if hardcover, they all have to be hardcover. My Maximum Ride series is in paperback, so I'll probably wait to buy the third until it's in paperback, my Chronicles of Narnia series is all paperback. My Dark Tower series and my Harry Potter series is mostly hardcover, but a few are paperback, so I plan to buy the offending books in hardcover to fix it.

7. I'm extremely clumsy. Just a few minutes ago, I tried to leave the bathroom, kicked the door as I opened it, fell forward, and shut myself half in and half out of the bathroom with the force of my kick. Then I had to find something to grip so I could regain my balance enough to open the door and pull myself out from between the door and the door frame.

8. My body spray of preference: Old Spice. The smell really has nothing to do with it. In fact, I really can't tell many of the body sprays apart--most of them smell too similar for me to tell. The reason I buy Old Spice is because of the commercials. I'm a huge fan of the Evil Dead movies--stupid as they may be I love to watch them and laugh at them--and since Bruce Campbell, the star of the Evil Dead series is in the Old Spice commericals, it is immediately my new favorite spray.

Okay, reading this, I realize how boring of a person I am. Next time I get tagged I'll probably only be able to come up with three things. Anyway, I don't really know enough people to tag so...TAG! If you read this, you're tagged. Do it if you haven't yet, and make sure to link to it in the comments so we can check it out.

Tied to the Tracks

I was over at Rantings and Ravings of an Insane Writer when I found a link to this: Rosina Lippi is spreading the word about her new release, Tied to the Tracks. The meme looks absolutely fun, and even though there's a prize, I didn't know it when I found the meme. I'd have done it anyway, just because it's fun.

Five Reasons the Best Writers Come From Hogwarts

1. With all the ghosts you always have reliable research.
2. It's the deadliest safest place in England
3. The constantly changing staircases would make visitors finding your writing room rare.
4. Bogarts are perfect for getting scary ideas.
5. If your muse is in a particularly bad mood, you can always find what you need at the Room of Requirement.

Remember to check out Rosina Lippi's new release. And the meme is just plain fun!

Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi. July 3, 2007. ISBN: 0425215326

"[This] is a hilarious, smart, sexy novel with a heart of gold." -- Susan Wiggs

"[Lippi] turns her buoyant creative talents to the romantic comedy genre with an effervescent tale of a trio of offbeat Yankee filmmakers plunked down deep in the heart of Dixie." -- Booklist

Read an excerpt. (Adobe Reader required) Watch the book trailer

You can find Tied to the Tracks at Amazon , Barnes & Nobel, Borders, Powells, or at your local independent bookseller.

This meme has been entered in the Tied to the Tracks contest, originating on Rosina Lippi's Storytelling2 weblog. If you'd like to enter the BUCKS & BOOKS meme contest, get the rules here.

Saying Goodbye and Update on School

One of my best friends is moving to Alaska. I know that as people grow up, friends grow up and move away, but she was supposed to go to a college that was only a few hours away. She was still in driving distance. Alaska is all the way across the country. Her flight was this morning. Still, she's really excited to go, where she'll have a great job and be living with her aunt, so I'm happy for her, but I'll still miss her, and I hope she stays in touch, but even if she doesn't, I'm glad that this happened, and I wish her luck.

Now, onto school. It's school. Is there really anything left to say? I'm up to my eyeballs in work, so I'm writing this quick and then I have to get back to work. Not much to report. I pulled my grade up from a D to a C. (For those of you that don't live in the states, an A is excellent, a B is good, a C is average, a D is poor, and a F is failing.) What does that mean? That if I can keep my good grades up than my credit will transfer, I won't lose my scholarship to my college and I won't have a math in my Freshman year. (Can someone say, "Booyah!"?)

So what's going on in the blogosphere?

Holly Lisle's having troubles, so she'll be offline for a week. If you have the time, send your good wishes to her, she sounds like she needs them.

PBW is still having trouble with blogger. Apparently she can't save any drafts, so most of her entries will be improved until it can be fixed. She's also having a give away of what she's read this week. (She reads more in a week than I have in two months. She's like the bionic woman or something!) So that's worth a look as well.

Jean is having a Summer Bookpack Giveaway.

PJ is waiting on news for her Viable Paradise submission.

Meryl just got a really great job, so head on over to her job and congratulate her.

Well,that's all for now. Back to work. Ugh, math...

Later!

Rollercoaster day.

Not a bad day, not a good day--an up and down kinda day. For example:

Bad: Good news that might or might not work out, didn't work out.

Good: Other good news opened up that will work as good or better.

Bad: Caused enormous avalanche of metal pots and pans by coughing (not kidding.)

Good: Got replacement Lemon Demon t-shirt.

Bad: Was the wrong size.

Good: Got Vengeance of Dragons and Courage of Falcons today!

Bad: Late to work.

Good: Other good news that got canned has new hope!

So, like I said, it's been an up's and down's kinda day. My plotting is going okay, but not great. Mostly, I find that I can't concentrate very long on it because I'm too burned out from work. I'm trying to work on that right now. I can't wait to get started on the Secret Texts books, but first I have to finish Armageddon's Children. So that's really it for now. I'd love to go more into depth about my 2 good news items or how much or how little progress my writing is having, but I can't share the first two yet (don't want to jinx them) and writing wise...you know everything. Writing has been slow going/not at all through this week. I need to catch back up because I want to write, I just don't have the energy.

Here's to a better week.