Justified Lunacy

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

2012-01-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis (From Goodreads):In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Mary has always been taught one thing: Stay away from the fence that surrounds the village. The Sisterhood has always known what's best for the village while the Guardians protect. When she watches her mother turn into one of the unconsecrated she is turned over to the Sisterhood. But with an inquisitive nature, Mary is learning that the Sisterhood have secrets. Secrets they don't want the village to know, including that life exists outside the forest of hands and teeth.

When the gates fail and the unconsecrated attack the village, Mary is forced to run, venture through the gates she was warned to stay away from. With a small group, she aims to find the last haven away from the unconsecrated, to find out whether the stories from her mother are true. She heads out to find the ocean. As they venture deeper down a path that is surrounded by the unconsecrated, will they manage to escape from the forest of hands and teeth?

It's taken me a while to read this book and I wasn't disappointed. For a zombie novel, it had the right amount of psychological tension and drama as Mary learns that the truths she thought were real about the world around her anything but real. I liked how the horror elements were described without overly abusing the gore factor that are present with most zombie novels.

Mary is a strong character, but at times can be annoying as her mind is always focused on finding the ocean no matter what other obstacle she may encounter or whoever else may be affected. The relationship drama between Mary, Travis and Harry was built on and could see the real emotions she felt towards the two boys. I felt sorry for both boys for different reasons, but due to not wanting to spoil anything I'm not going to say a word about what those reasons were.

As a post-apocalyptic, zombie novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth was an interesting take on the zombie genre and with a lot of character development. I'm looking forward to picking up the other novels in this series.

Source: audio book
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: #1 of 11

2012 YA Reading Challenge: #1 of 50

Everything in a neat little package

2012-01-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of travelling in the past month (mainly back and forth between the lovely Gold Coast and cold country NSW). There is a positive about spending 12+ hours driving each way, though. It gives me a lot of time to think and reflect on my characters, story or loose ends I need to cover.

When I think up my plots, I have so many different elements and events all happening at the same time that it can sometimes get confusing to try and make sure everything is tied in a neat little package at the end. One secret weapon I use to keep everything together and to track is a mind map. I find that by visualising all the paths that are taking place within a plot will help me track what needs to happen with all those little loose ends.

Tying up loose ends in novels is probably in the same league as the debate over standalone vs series. If there are still questions to be answered and I know that the next in the series isn't going to come out for another year, I might be content to wait or I might also feel let down over how the first one ended. When I read and I know it's a series I do like a little bit of tantalising info to keep me wanting more, but I don't want a twist right at the end that leaves it open on a cliff hanger that doesn't answer anything for me (but there have been cliff hangers that I have been satisfied with).

What about you? Do you prefer all loose ends to be neatly tied up or questions that leaves you wanting more? What about writing endings? Do you find it easy to write the ending and tie up the loose ends?

Are you a pantser or an outliner?

2012-01-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

As I'm writing my current WiP, I was motoring along with full steam until I ran into a block. This is usually what happens when I try to write on the fly. So, this question is interesting. Can you write better with or without an outline?

I do try to write without an outline. I like to see where my character takes me, an I often know what the ending is going to be. It's the damn middle that really gets me blocked. Then I find for the middle that I do require some basic outline (which I don't force myself to stick to). I guess this is just to help me have plot points that will help me find that path to the ending.

How do you write? Do you prefer an outline or are you a pantser?

What do you fear?

2012-01-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Fear. Nearly everyone has some sort of fear, whether it's spiders, dark, or even something simple such as fear of failure. I'm a weird one. I love spiders, snakes, dark and creepy places... I blame my cousins for taking me on thrill rides and haunted houses at carnivals when I was no older than 6... but change, I can handle change, but something about doing something so out of my comfort zone scares me. I like to know what to expect and what I'm doing, but I don't let that stop me from moving forward.

When writing horror, I like to explore the different fears, trying to create the right sense of emotion and fright in every character and scene. So, today I thought I'd list a few of the familiar, interesting and weird phobias that people can have.

Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.
Algophobia- Fear of pain.
Astrophobia- Fear of stars or celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia- Fear of asymmetrical things.
Atelophobia- Fear of imperfection.
Bibliophobia- Fear of books. - Something I'm definitely not!
Brontophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.
Cacophobia- Fear of ugliness.
Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns.
Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school.
Eisoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
Ephebiphobia- Fear of teenagers.
Glossophobia- Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
Gnosiophobia- Fear of knowledge.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia- Fear of long words.
Mnemophobia- Fear of memories.
Mythophobia- Fear of myths or stories or false statements.
Necrophobia- Fear of death or dead things.
Pentheraphobia- Fear of mother-in-law
Phasmophobia- Fear of ghosts.
Sciaphobia- Fear of shadows.
Scriptophobia- Fear of writing in public.
Sophophobia- Fear of learning.
Verbophobia- Fear of words

This is only some of the phobias that were listed. Check out Phobia List for even more. In my current YA horror, I'm actually using the simple fear of ghosts and the dark, mixed with the fear of memories (mnemophobia) because my character has amnesia.

So, what are you scared of?

Resolutions? Do you have any?

2012-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

Every new year I aim to stick to a few resolutions I make... most of the time, the resolutions are broken by the end of January. Yeah, why do I make them then? I love giving myself some goal to achieve. Why I can't keep them is simple... Life!

Life gets in the way, especially when I say I'll eat healthier, do exercise each day or focus on my studies more. These sound easy to keep, but when life gets busy, it is easy to get lost in all the commotion and activities that are required to do. This makes it easier to pick up some fast food snack or something else to break the resolutions.

This year, my resolutions are going to revolve around my writing (and this year I'm going to keep them :D). I'm going to:

Complete the novels I've started and query at least 1 more.
Focus more on blogging on a steady schedule, as well as replying to comments and commenting on more blogs.
Get out more reviews for my critique group.

I think these are resolutions I can keep this year.

What about you? Do you give yourself resolutions for the new year? What are some of your resolutions or why don't you have any?

2011 Stats & Winner

2012-01-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

It's the start of the new year. It's supposed to be a time of fresh beginnings, and I guess it is. This year marks the start of a new career in a new town (yikes!). So, to finish off the year, here are some stats I achieved in 2011:

No of Books read: 51
No of Pages read (according to goodreads): 15669

Chalanges:
2011 Debut Author Challenge: 14/12 - success

2011 Aussie YA Reading Challenge: 5/12 - abysmal failure
2011 YA Reading Challenge: 49/50 - nearly there, yeah I actually read 2 adult books to push me over 50 (blame school work for that)

Last Book Read: Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita
Longest Book Read: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (594 pages)

And, now to really bring 2011 to a close, I have a winner to announce for my Christmas Giving Giveaway

And the winner is, picked from random.org:

Jovy Sauva who nominated her daughter to receive 2 books.

I will contact you very soon in regards to the books.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the contest. I hope everyone had a fantastic start to the year.

The Best of 2011... According to me

2011-12-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already the end of the year. As an end to the year, I thought I'd put up a list of my favourites of 2011.

Favourite Reads of 2011:

5. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Why: A different take on Angels. Plus, there's the guy, Tucker.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Why: This has been the year of the dystopian novel. Divergent included a unique world full of danger, secrets and control. What more could you want?

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Why: This was the first sci-fi I read and I loved the mystery and danger taking place in space.

2. The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roeker

Why: I heard a lot about Liar Society before it came out and I wasn't let down. Secret societies, lies and death. The ingredients for a perfect mystery.

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Why: Dystopian meets fantasy. This is like Xmen in a crumbling future, and I love Xmen.

Top releases of 2012 I can't wait to read:

5. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Why: I loved Unearthly and can't wait to read the sequel.

4. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Why: Reincarnation, a countdown to something and a murder... sounds enticing, doesn't it?

3. Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Why: An underworld and tempting fate. Just sounds tempting.

2. Tempest by Julie Cross

Why: Who doesn't love time travel?

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Why: The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor... that pitch is just awesome

What are your favourite reads of 2011? What are you looking forward to?

Christmas Giving Giveaway

2011-12-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

Since it's only a couple of days before Christmas I felt in the giving spirit and wanted to have a giveaway. This giveaway is a bit different. It will allow you to nominate someone else to receive a present. You will be able to choose whether the nominated person will receive a $20 gift certificate from Amazon or 2 books (which you can select).

But don't worry. Since this is all about the spirit of giving, you will also receive a choice of 1 book from Book Depository.
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The contest will run until December 31st and the winner will be randomly selected on January 1st. I will email both nominated and the person who nominated to get shipping details. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

I'm Back

2011-12-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

It is indeed a busy time of year with arriving back home, preparing for Christmas, preparing to move and preparing for a new job all at the same time.

I had a blast over in Japan. I did things I will probably never do again (yep, my brother even dragged me to a maid cafe... that was so... cutesy). It was also my first experience with Disney and Universal Studios and, even though it was in Japanese, I still thoroughly enjoyed all attractions and rides.

The best part of the holiday was that I got to spend my birthday at Disney. When we checked into the hotel I even got a birthday card from Mickey Mouse... I felt really special, and such a big kid.

Now I'm back and pretty much as soon as I was off the plane, the next day I was in the car for a fifteen hour car ride to look at the school where I'm going to be teaching next year... yeah, I've got a lot of homework because they managed to give me all the starting units that I can prepare for over the holidays.

Now, it's only a week away from Christmas and I'm busy preparing for a family Christmas, not to mention trying to arrange everything so I can move and start teaching late January. But, I always like to keep busy.

So, how has everyone else been?

Going Offline

2011-11-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

For the next couple of weeks I'll be quite busy. Yep, I'm going to Disneyland (well, Tokyo Disneyland) for a long deserved holiday. When I come back I'll be fresh and ready to continue writing and blogging and everything else I've been neglecting.

So, for now, I'm signing off.

Review: Minder

2011-11-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Minder by Kate Kaynak

Synopsis (From Goodreads):Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn needs to learn how to use her special abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control.A stray thought can burn a building to the ground.And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads.But it's still better than New Jersey,especially once she meets the man of her dreams?

After getting attacked one night, Maddie Dunn does the impossible. She fights back with her mind. Her life is turned upside down, told she is a "Minder", a person who possesses telepathic powers, she is transported to Ganzfield, a secret training facility with people just like her, but they're not. The majority of kids here possess pyrokinetic (fire) powers and mind control, she is the only minder.

Here, she meets Trevor, a person who she instantly connects with. It could be the fact that he is also a loner at the facility. He is telekinetic, someone who can control objects with his mind. He also feels he is dangerous to be around, just like Maddie. They fall hard and fast in love as if nothing can tear them apart. But, there are some secrets bout this facility that are kept hidden and some enemies that want it destroyed.

Kate Kaynak has created an interesting world that is similar to X-men in many aspects, but also resembles an ordinary high school. There's the popular kids/bullies (mind controllers) and the lovable geeks (pyros). All characters a very well-rounded and it was good to see all the flaws and weaknesses that teenagers with such powers have.

Even though the relationship between Maddie and Trevor happens too quickly, and it felt a bit unrealistic at times, I felt they were the perfect couple. Both of them were outsiders at school. Maddie was the only Minder and Trevor was the only telekinetic, and both of them were dangerous to be around when they were asleep. It can easily be seen why both would turn to each other.

Minder is the fantastic introduction to the world of Ganzfield, and the perfect start to this series. The book was a quick read, packed full of emotion and turmoil. I look forward to picking up Adversary and the rest of the books in this series to see where Maddie and Trevor go next.

Source: e-book

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #30 of 50

2012 Reading Challenges

2011-11-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to participate in some reading challenges (most I'm actually winning at), and it has come time again to sign up to next year's challenges. I know I'm going to have a lot of commitment with a new job and everything, but that's not going to stop me from reading. For next year, I'm going to sign up to 4 challenges:

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE:

To read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.

RULES & GUIDELINES:

You must have a Blog to post your reviews or be a member of Goodreads.
Your blog must be written in English.
Deadline to join is May 31, 2012.

BOOK GUIDELINES:

Must be a young adult or middle grade title.
Must be the author’s YA or MG debut, released in 2012.
If an author has a previous novel published for adults or children, they can still qualify for the challenge.
If an author has a previous YA or MG title, they do not qualify for the challenge.

Here's my list of books I'm aiming to read:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Tempest by Julie Cross
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legend
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
Undeadly by Michele Vail
Katana by Cole Gibson

Challenge guidelines:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
You can move up levels, but no moving down.
Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.
You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug - I really need to catch up on my TBR list
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children
Some of the books I'm aiming to read are (these are the ones I've got on my shelves):

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
Haven by Kristi Cook
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Run's January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012.

The Rules:

Anyone can join.
You don't need a blog to participate.
Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post on Jamie's blog.
Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.
No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

There are four levels:

The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels. - I'm going all out and aiming for 50.

Details:

Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books - I'm not going all silly, but I think I can get 5 more than I read this year out... hopefully
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Out with the old, in with the new

2011-11-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

Change is good, and I thought this blog needed a change and a new design. Thanks to the fantastic Lori at Imagination Designs who created a fantastic new design for me.

The design isn't the only thing I've changed this week. I finally decided to join Twitter. Yep, I never thought I would, but now I am.You can find me at:

So, what do you think of the new design?

The Perfect Cast

2011-11-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

I know when I write stories (and even read them), I love to have an idea of what the main cast will look like. I thought it would be fun to create a list of who I think the perfect cast would be for my novel, Shadow Embraced.

When it came to picking my main character, Scar, it was actually a challenge. Scar is feisty and really loves to fight. She also has a dark side which she continuously fights to control.

Even though Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass, Let Me In) is 2 years younger, I love the way she can play the violent roles and still show a vulnerability.

Next up is the love interest, Daemon. He is always in control, suave and really doesn't like to be kept in the dark about anything.

Chase Crawford would fit perfectly into that, not only from his role on Gossip Girl, but also because I loved him in the Covenant.

What can I say about Jynx (a.k.a. Snow as Scar likes to call her)? She definitely holds a grudge and isn't afraid of confrontations, or any consequences that may come from those confrontations.

For her, I think Elizabeth Gillies from Nickelodeon's Victorious would be perfect. From that show, she has already proved that she can play the scary character without losing any flair.

So, what about you? Do you like to picture what actors would be the perfect cast to fill your novels? When reading, do you place actors into the roles so you know what to visualise?

YA Violence: When is it too much?

2011-11-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

I, for one, loves reading and watching violent scenes. For some reason, all those action scenes really draws me into the story. This is probably why I love writing them. As I was having breakfast and discussing with my brother how to mutilate and kill the creatures in the sequel to Shadow Embraced (yeah, not exactly a good eating conversation), it got me thinking about how much violence is too much in YA novels. I hate reading novels where they get up to the fight/action scenes and it's over too quickly, or don't use enough descriptions to really draw me into what's happening. But how much violence is too much?

Do you like reading violent scenes? Is there a point that you just want to stop reading or skip the scene completely?

A post in which I admit defeat

2011-11-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know it's only the first week of Nano, but I do know when the sensible thing to do is give up. Just too many things have been thrown at me this month. In 3 weeks I go over to Japan (and the planning never ends), not to mention work to pay for said Japan trip, I've got one Shakespeare course that I really, really have to pass, and now I have to also get things packed up so I can move at the end of the year. This week I received a call saying I've got a permanent teaching job for the start of term 1 in January.

So many things that I have to get done. That doesn't mean I'm going to give up on my Nano novel. I actually love the idea that my new time frame is to have it complete by Christmas time (so I'm just aiming to complete Nano in two months rather than just the one).

Yeah, so how is everyone else's November's going?

So much drama means little Nano...

2011-11-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

Why does November have to be a month packed with so much drama? I somehow injured my back at the end of last month and I'm also trying to finish preparing for a trip to Japan which is at the end of the month.

And, if that's not a lot, my sister and her boyfriend has recently moved into our small 3 bedroom townhouse (that makes 5 people living under the one roof) and it makes it hard to concentrate especially since I need to walk on egg shells so I don't upset anyone, and now I've turned to going and sitting out by the pool to get some "ME" time.

I have found out some things:

It's hard to write when there's people around making noise.
It's emotionally draining to try and fit family and writing and holiday planning into the one day (boy, I was asleep before 8:30).
Sitting by the pool in Spring might be quiet, but my feet have been eaten alive by mosquitoes.

It's only the start of the month and I'm already tired. I'm just going to keep powering on and telling myself "I can do it!"

Are you having any better luck with Nano? What do you do to get away from distractions?

Review: Shatter Me

2011-11-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Synopsis (From Goodreads):Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in 264 days, not since the accident which made the reestablishment lock her up for murder. Juliette has the power to kill someone by just touching them. Locked in an isolated cell with no contact, Juliette thinks that's how she's going to spend the rest of her life. That is until Adam gets placed in the same cell as her. This must be a test or a trap because not only did they place a boy in her cell, his is familiar. Juliette knows him from some place before her life in the cell.

When the two are forced from their cell, only then does Juliette realise she was right. It was a test. Adam was planted in her cell, a direct command of the military general, Warner. Warner is obsessed with Juliette, ever since he discovered what she is capable of. He pulls her out of the life of solitary and gives her food and beautiful clothes, and the chance to have the world at her feet. The only catch is that she agrees to work for Warner and use her touch to torture his enemies.

And then there's Adam. He remains close to her, and is the only one capable of helping her escape. Juliette must keep fighting Warner's advances until she can get away or be forced to use her curse for his psychotic purposes.

Tahereh Mafi has created a thrilling debut in a dystopian society where the world is falling a part and diseases and food shortages are destroying the population. Even though Juliette is despised and feared, mostly by people who don't understand what she can truly do, she has remained strong and kind. Juliette's voice comes through strong with every word, especially the contradictory thoughts that has been scratched out, such as:

~~It's a home, a centre for troubled youth, for neglected children from broken families, a safe house for the psychologically disturbed.~~ It's a prison.

It's easy to see how all the horrors Juliette has faced could lead her to kill herself, but still she doesn't. Her life is the one thing she can control.

Adam and Juliette go perfectly together. Both of their lives have been hard and it is easy to see why they need each other to lean on, but then there's Warner who would do anything to have Juliette all to himself. He is venomous and would do anything to have power, which includes having the power Juliette has. Warner dangles all the enticing, but poisonous, fruit in front of Juliette expecting her to do whatever he wants because he can provide her with food and clothes and attention, the things she has not had in her life.

Mafi's writing is beautiful and unique. From the first word the reader is pulled into Juliette's head and stays there. It reads like it is actually inside a broken 17 year old's head. I really loved how Juliette still has a value of life, even though no one else has shown her any courtesy like that before. She is only one of the elements that makes this book a page turning rollercoaster.

With an X-men feel in a dystopian society, Shatter Me is an exciting read and I can't wait until the sequel to see more of Juliette and Adam.

Source: ARC courtesy of Allen and Unwin

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #29 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #14 of 20

Let it Begin!

2011-10-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Where did the month of October go? It's now November and NanoWriMo has officially started down here in Australia and I'm hoping all my planning hasn't been in useless. This is the first year I've got a pretty solid idea about the novel and where I want it to go. All I have to do is meet the 2k limit I've set for me each day and I'm sweet.

And now I'm here, really trying to figure out how to start the novel... dang, I hate finding that first sentence. You can find me under cherry_chez over at the NanoWriMo site. Good luck to all those participating.

So, who else is getting excited about Nano? What sort of planning did you do for the novel? If you're not participating, do you have anything exciting planned for November?

Ahoy! Sea Serpent?!? Blog Hop

2011-10-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Kerri over at Craft Junky has been working hard to organise a choose your own adventure blog hop. To catch the start of this story go here.

Do you still go?

The sea-slicked deck rattles noisily as an unseen force strikes the ship repeatedly. Balanced precariously against the rail you dig your nails into the siding desperately reconsidering the whole venture. The captain staggers wildly too stubborn to fall, glaring out at the ocean around him with blazing contempt.

Crewmen stumble about on deck desperate to know what is going on, they slip and tumble under the assault shaking the ship. You wince as one of the men collides with the railing before plummeting limply over the side. You can see spot where he hit the water bubble and roil but he doesn’t resurface. The remaining men give into panic as the ship starts noticeably titling towards your side. The dark sludgy water is a lot closer than it used to be.

Captain Contemptuous barks furious orders trying to bring his crew back under control. It looks to be working too. That is until the tentacles come smashing up through the deck like horrific mutant daisies. One by one, the greasy limbs drag the crew down through the floorboards, until all that remains is you and the captain. A tentacle gropes blindly at his leg looking to take him, without pausing, he removes a large knife from his belt and buries it deep into the creature’s flesh. The tentacle spasms beneath the blade, smearing bluish-black ichor across the remains of the deck as it retreat.

“You!” The captain screams swinging his blade in your direction. “You did this! You cost me my crew. I’m going to gut you where you sta-…”

Fwoosh!

A burst of water rockets up along the far side of the ship. The towering funnel continues upwards as if it were a dagger aimed for the heavens. A loud twisting roar of monstrous rage booms across the ship like thunder and for an instant the colossal wave stops moving entirely, and all you can see is the smouldering green eyes at its core, then that moment passes. The wave crashes down on the deck as though it were cement and not water suspended above you. The force sends you tumbling backwards over the railing.

You hit the icy water like a sledgehammer. Plunging down into its depths, your last glimpse of the ship is of a massive serpent entwining itself around the hull and Captain Contemptuous cursing angrily after you for bringing this beast down upon them. His rage maddened eyes glowing with the same luminous fury as the eldritch serpent consuming his ship.

The murky water presses in around you, crushing you with promises that something much worse than the serpent is waiting for you down here. Your world spins rapidly around you as you sink. You’re no longer sure which way is up anymore. Direction has no meaning in this oppressing black void.

You’re not sure how much oxygen you have left. If you don’t find your way back to the surface, you could die down here. Twisting around, you strain to see something in the darkness surrounding you. The icy blackness plays tricks with you. Is that area of black nothing ‘above’ you really lighter than that other patch of black nothing? Or is it your imagination? You struggle to push down your mounting fear as best you can, but nothing makes sense down here.

Suddenly an icy finger runs down your spine and you spin round to face this new threat. Floating there in front of you as clear as day is your beloved. Seemingly unaffected the cold depths, she smiles brightly at you. A luminous white glow surrounds her as she beckons you to follow her.

‘That’s not her.’ A weak voice issues from somewhere inside your head. ‘You need to get to the surface. Go up!’

She looks back at you, a look of concern spreading across her face as she drifts away from you. Her beckoning grows more frenzied the longer you remain frozen. Your indecision could wind up killing you. What do you do?

Do you: Follow your beloved

Do you: Listen to the voice urging you to go up

Go back: Stay where you are and hope it's friendly

Or Start over

Review: Liar

2011-10-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

Micah is a liar. Everything she says is a lie, so how can you know what she's telling is the truth? Now her "after school" boyfriend is found dead in Central Park, a place where they spent so much time together, she is forced to tell the truth. But how can anyone decipher what the truth is when everything else out of her mouth is a lie? Rumours start to circulate around the school about who killed Zach, but it's not just Micah who is being accused.

As Micah tells her story, there's only two questions left to answer. What is Micah's secret? And, what really happened to Zach?

What can I say about this book that won't give away all the secrets? Justine Larbalestier does an excellent job of creating a confessional type story told from Micah's perspective. From the first page where Micah promises to tell the truth all the way to the end the reader is kept guessing as they try to figure out which version of the story they should really believe.

Even though Micah is an unreliable narrator, it works. Throughout the story, Micah changes the story and announces that what she's told the reader has, in fact, been lies. This kept the twists and turns coming and had me thinking about what was really happening. Even some of the truths that I thought were lies turned out to be real, or so she leaves the reader believing. The story is split into three parts Before (Zach's death), After and family history. This helped build Micah's character and showed her motivation and reasons for why she's the way she is.

I can't really say much more about what lies or truths she did say without giving away any of the twists. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to be kept guessing or for those who likes to solve a good mystery, because that's what Micah is, a good mystery, as the reader tries to figure out if she is telling the truth, or everything is a lie.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #28 of 50
2011 Aussie Reading Challenge: #4 of 12

A new experience is always welcome

2011-10-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Out of all my university days I have never pulled an all nighter, so I decided what the heck. Due to work, I've been working through till 1 am and haven't managed to get much done, so I decided to stay up and get a 1500 word essay on Romeo and Juliet done.

Hey, it was me and my sister (yep, she stayed up too), with the entire season 1 of Pretty Little Liars and really ~~boring~~ indepth articles on Shakespeare. I made it and I am not even tired (5:30am here at the moment).

It's always good to allow yourself to know new experiences, especially as a writer. Now, if I need to know what it feels like to go without sleep for close to 24 hours then I'll easily be able to write one.

So, do you like to experience new things? Has anyone done the all nighter and been like me who's left their assignments till the last minute?

Endings: Happy or Sad?

2011-10-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a happy ending, but sometimes I actually like a story if the bad guy wins (if done well). I've seen several movies where the villain succeeds and I wouldn't have picked any other way to end on.

I think it's more of a challenge to end on a sad note and still leave the reader fulfilled, although I have never actually read any novels where the villain does win. I've been thinking about the pros and cons of happy vs sad endings, mainly because my Nano novel might not exactly end on a happy note (yes, I've already planned the ending). It's a Horror so I think I can get away with it.

So, what does everyone else think? Do you prefer happy or sad endings? Will you read a novel where the bad guy wins if it is done well?

Review: Die for Me

2011-10-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Synopsis (From Goodreads): In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Amy Plum has created a thrilling debut set in the romantic setting of Paris. Kate is struggling to deal with her parents deaths after they die in a tragic car accident. Moving to Paris with her older sister, Georgia to live with their Grandparents doesn't help her to feel less depressed. Instead of spending night after night out like her sister does, Kate recludes to Parisian art and reading at coffee shops.

When Kate meets Vincent, he helps her to move on and feel happy for the first time since her parents deaths. As she begins to fall in love with him, she learns that he is a revenant, someone who has died while protecting others and is destined to save the lives of others over and over again. Kate is pulled into a war that has existed for centuries between Vincent's revnants and those who are destined to destroy people. Kate must decide whether the safety of her own life is more important than Vincent.

From the moment I'd heard of Die for Me it was at the top of my list to-read, and I'm glad I did. The idea of Revnants were interesting. Beings destined to die over and over again so that they can rescue other people, now who wouldn't want to read that? Kate was an honest and typical teenager who's dealing with a lot of grief, but that doesn't stop her from doing what needs to be done, and she is also very protective of her older sister.

The relationship between Vincent and Kate developed at a believable rate, and with it being set in Paris, you can't go wrong. The twists and turns Plum throws at the two as they move through their relationship, which leads up to a thrilling conclusion. Plum has created a unique and thrilling paranormal romance and I can't wait to see where the story continues in the sequel.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #27 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #13 of 20

Can't believe it's nearly November

2011-10-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

This year I've signed up for NanoWriMo (again). For those that don't know, it's the National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write 50k in one month. I'm lucky this year I have several ideas floating around, and I have already started plotting. This is a lot better than last year when I ended up having no idea at the start of November.

November is looking to be a quiet month for me with only one uni course and work to contend with, but since I'm going to Japan at the end of the month, I'll need to push myself to get more at the beginning.

So, what am I writing? A YA Horror by the name of The Making of Amber Wright (seriously I had the title before I even had the character for this one).

A mysterious girl with no memories and only a restaurant badge with the name Amber wanders into town and is taken in by the town doctor. As her memories begin to return she starts to question what is real and whether these memories are even hers. This is made worse by the appearance of faceless ghosts and creatures intent on getting to her.

When people start disappearing and only she can remember them, she starts to question "who exactly is Amber Wright?"

I'm actually looking forward to tackling this novel and can't wait for November to begin so I can jump straight in.

Who else ~~is crazy~~ has signed up to NanoWriMo? Have you got any idea of what to write yet?

It's Spring for crying out loud!

2011-10-13T01:03:00.000-07:00

It's Spring down here and it's hot, yet I still manage to get the flu. After spending the week in bed, as well as a trip to the physio... how I managed to throw my neck out in a coughing fit is a mystery to me. I'm back up and about, trying hard to edit Shadow Embraced and prepare for NanoWriMo... as well as complete my uni work.

I'll be back next week (I promise) with my regular posts. Expect a lot more about Nano since I've already got a fully formed idea, just need to do some last minute plotting.

Random Acts of Kindness: October Signup

2011-10-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Book Soulmates hosts this fantastic monthly event which encourages people to sign up and give (as well as receive) the gift of books. If you haven't checked it out, jump over to book soulmates.

Rules
• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month. {Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
• Please, once you receive a R.A.K., email or tweet {Vanessa} so that she can update the Google doc. There are a lot of requests for this!
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

My own wishlist can be found at the Amazon. I wish everyone a good October.

Making tough decisions

2011-09-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've recently received some valuable feedback regarding the plot of Shadow Embraced, so I've been in major revision mode. But, along the way I've had to make decisions as to what to change and what I really want to keep.

During my edits, I've had to be very selective about which advice I follow. So, what I learnt during this process is:

Writing, and reading, is very subjective. One person may hate something, some element of the story, while another may love it. I have learnt this by being a part of a critique group. Not everyone is going to love the story.

So, how do you make the tough decisions when it comes to writing? Do you have anyone reading the story before it's complete?

Why I've been missing... and back now...

2011-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

That above picture explains it all. I've had my final stretch of uni wrapping up (as well as a new class starting), not to mention work finally kicking into top gear, so I haven't had time for much lately.

What I got done:

8 weeks of readings I'd fallen behind in and posted a comment on the forum (in 2 classes)
2 essays & 1 research project on how children learn
Working over 30 hours (while still studying)
Doing a Shakespeare test without having read the material (boy, that was fun)
30,000 word (so far) major edit to Shadow Embraced, thanks to some fantastic feedback I received for it.

That's my previous couple of weeks. I'm now back (with only 1 course to go until I graduate), and I'm not going anywhere.

So, what has everyone been up to?

Review:Divergent

2011-09-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis (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.

Veronica Roth has created an interesting world in Divergent where everyone is divided into five distinct factions based on five personality traits (brave, selfless, intelligent, honest and peaceful). When Beatrice is put through the standard test to identify which faction she must "choose", she discovers that she's a Divergent. She is one person that has the ability to choose from a number of factions, she also is told that if anyone were to learn her life could be in danger. When it comes time to choose her faction, she has to decide between her Abnegation family (selfless) and that of Dauntless (brave). What she chooses suprises everyone. She chooses Dauntless.

As the initiation starts, Beatrice (who decides to change her name to Tris) has to prove that she is as brave and strong as the others who only sees her as a Abnegation stiff. She soon learns that being a Divergent helps her succeed in the trials, but she has to learn why being a Divergent is so dangerous and who, if they found out what she was, will stop at nothing to kill her.

Divergent is a compelling debut that shows a structured dystopian world and the power struggle that could play out if one group would be given all the power. Tris and all the other characters all come alive. Just like the different factions, she is strong, brave and selfless (even though she doesn't think she is). Four is also a strong character who, even though he does things to pick on and make Tris stand out, really cares for her, and their rollercoaster relationship is compelling.

The faction of Dauntless, there's no other word but, wow... the scenery Roth has painted inside the mountain and the actions, mostly which include jumping on and off speeding trains and jumping off cliffsides, really provided a thrilling read. Put that with the dangerous mystery of what Divergent really means, and why those who have been named it often are found dead, makes Veronica Roth's Divergent a page turning thriller. Anyone who loves Dystopian novels will definately love the atmosphere that Roth creates. I look forward to the next in this new trillogy.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #26 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #12 of 20

Campaigner Challenge #1

2011-09-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Rachel at Rach Writes has posted the first challenge of the campaigner challenge. The goal is to write a flash story of 200 words or less using the opening phrase of "the door swung open". I've decided to challenge myself extra hard and (a big surprise) my story came up at exactly 200 words.

The child
The door swung open, revealing a small silhouette standing on the doorstep. A small girl in a white dress stepped forward. Rain dripped from her chestnut braids.

“Are you okay?” Danielle asked. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. There were no cars or any sign of how this small girl ended up here at this hour. “Are you lost?”

The girl walked straight past Danielle. Her bare feet left wet footprints behind her. “It’s coming,” the girl whispered in a barely audible voice.

“What?” Danielle followed the girl down the hall. A crack of thunder echoed around the corridor, making her jump. “Do you want me to get you some help?”

“It’s coming.” The girl stopped in front of a closed door. Her small hands, turning the knob with ease, pushed it open. “You can’t hide.”

Danielle flicked on the light and looked into her room. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The girl moved over to the mirror.

Danielle couldn’t take her eyes off the reflection. The rotted flesh hung from the white bone of the skull. Sunken sockets, with no eyes, stared back.

“I’m coming!” the girl whispered as the lights flicked off and the door swung shut.

Top 100 YA Novels

2011-09-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is a list that is making its way around the blogs at the moment. I found it at Becky's Barmy Book Blog and thought it would be fun to see which books I have actually read.

Alex Finn – Beastly *
Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
Ally Carter – Callagher Girls (1*, 2, 3, 4)
Ally Condie – Matched *
Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills *
Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1*, 2)
Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1*, 2, 3, 4)
Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1*, 2*, 3*, 4)
Christopher Paolini – Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1*, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5, 6, 7)
Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1*, 2*, 3)
Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
Holly Black – Tithe (1*, 2, 3)
J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1*, 2)
James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
John Green – Looking for Alaska
John Green – Paper Towns
Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3*)
Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
Lemony Snicket – Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1*, 2*, 3*)
Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
M.T. Anderson – Feed *
Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Maria V. Snyder – Study (1*, 2, 3)
Markus Zusak – The Book Thief *
Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time *
Mary Ting – Crossroads
Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Meg Rosoff – How I live now
Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road *
Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1*, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2*, 3*, 4*)
Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
Neal Shusterman – Unwind *
Neil Gaiman – Coraline
Neil Gaiman – Stardust
Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8*)
Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1*, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Scott Westerfeld – Leviathan (1, 2)
Scott Westerfeld – Uglies (1, 2, 3)
Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
Stephanie Meyer – The Host
Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

* On my bookshelf, just waiting for me to get around to reading.

Okay, so I have more on my bookshelf than I've read. I've really got to get around to reading all the TBR pile that keeps growing and growing and growing. I think they need to stop putting out new, fantastic books so I can catch up.

So, how many books have you read from the list? Which books are you dying to read but just haven't gotten around to?

Nothing is original, it's just the way you twist it...

2011-08-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been told plenty of times that nothing is original anymore. Well, they are sort of right. Most things have been done these days, but anything old can be given a fresh light with how the writer twists the idea.

I write paranormal and horror, so I always look for ways to describe old creatures or legends in new ways. In my current WiP I even have a unicorn bent on killing my main character (that's mainly because my brother dared me to put a unicorn into the story). Well, my twist on the old unicorn (apart from it being a savage beast), is that it's actually a were-creature. Yep, it's a man who can transform into a unicorn.

How does one take an old creature/theme and give it a new twist? These are some ways I think up my twists:

Research
All themes, legends and creatures have many differing origin points. A good way to find an original twist is to look at the different elements in each of the points and mix-and-mash until you have something different and unique.
Mix the old with the new
All the creatures used came from old tales. So, the trick is to see where they fit into the modern society. Add some technology, modern dress and emotions, and you've got a different creature.
Move in the complete opposite direction
Have a look at what the standard creature or legend looks like and do something or add something totally different and unexpected (take my unicorn for example).
Insanity does help
Well, as a writer, it's okay to be a little bit crazy. I always love thinking up new and unexpected ideas for my stories that (I hope) haven't been done before. But, when I'm in writer mode, I can become a bit obssessed and think about these things constantly. Yes, even when I'm at work I'm thinking about the best way to kill a water elemental in the bathroom (that was a messy deal) or kill a unicorn. Yes, I hear voices and I'm proud of that.

So, how do you create original twists to your writing? Where do you get your ideas from

I'm a campaigner

2011-08-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

That's right! I'm a campaigner!

Rachel Harrie over at Rach Writes has created a wonderful opportunity for any blogger/writer/author who wants to get their name out and meet other like-minded bloggers. This is a fantastic way to build an online presense and I can't wait for the fun to start.

So, if you're a writer and a blogger, come join in the fun.

Review: Stolen

2011-08-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Stolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Amelia knows one thing... she's dead. She doesn't know how she died and she doesn't know who she was before drowning. She is forced to relive her death over and over in what she can only call nightmares. But, when she finds a boy, Joshua, drowning in the same river she did, she knows she has to help (but doesn't know how since she's already dead).

Lucy Christopher has created an intense tale of kidnapping and survival written as a letter from 16-year-old Gemma's eyes to her captor. Gemma is on her way home to London from Bangkok when she is kidnapped. When she wakes up, she finds herself in the Australian outback.

Gemma soon discovers that even if she tries to run, there is nothing or nowhere she can run to. As she gets to know her kidnapper, Ty, she has to find the will to survive if she ever wants to see home and her family again.

Christopher has beautifully written a story on such an intense topic. The letter allows the readers to become close and to understand her emotions as she becomes conflicted over whether to hate, pity or care for Ty. Ty is indeed an intriguing character. Yes, he did kidnap her, but he was always kind to her and did not force her to do anything she didn't want. In his mind, he kidnapped Gemma to get her to a better place.

The Australian outback is painted perfectly. Even though I'm Australian, it is some place I haven't bee yet, but the scenery surrounding Gemma and Ty created vivid images which made Gemma's survival and need for Ty even more apparent.

For such a serious topic, Christopher has created a captivating story that paints the intense scenario that is all-too real through the eyes of the victim. Overall, Stolen was a non-stop rollercoaster as the reader becomes close to Gemma, and even Ty, as she tries to escape, survive and wonder if she's ever going to see home again.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #25 of 50
2011 Aussie Reading Challenge: #3 of 12

Writing out of a corner

2011-08-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

My brother always tells me that when I write my MC into a corner all that is needed is guns, ninjas or zombies. I'm not sure I agree with the three methods, but it is true - sort of. One way to get out of a corner is to create an action that forces the character to move, to do something that will power the plot along.

I'm always getting into trouble where my character has too much reign over the plot that they end up in some situation or circumstance that I can't see any way out of (yeah, one of my MC's in a story I've benched at the moment decided they wanted to act all crazy and dangerous that they got put in a padded cell... now that's a corner. I think I'll just chuck a ghost into the cell with her, which does work since it's a ghost story).

That's not the only corners a writer can encounter. What about needed to defeat a foe when the hero is so at a disadvantage that there's no way out. This is where I'm at with my current WIP. My MC (after sneaking out of the house) goes to a club and is attacked by a water nymph who's actually made of water. What's the worst place to get trapped with this sort of creature? Yep, a bathroom... so, now I have to figure out how to kill a creature made of water in a room of water, and she's only got a lighter, a can of mace and a pocket knife.

Wow, that sounds like a case for Magyver. Oh well, whatever the solution is, it's going to be messy.

So, how do you write your characters out of corners? Have any of you found your characters up against villains that have no obvious weaknesses? Any suggestions on how to kill a creature of water?

Review: Hereafter

2011-08-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

Amelia knows one thing... she's dead. She doesn't know how she died and she doesn't know who she was before drowning. She is forced to relive her death over and over in what she can only call nightmares. But, when she finds a boy, Joshua, drowning in the same river she did, she knows she has to help (but doesn't know how since she's already dead).

When Joshua makes it out of the river alive, they form a bond and he focuses on trying to find out who Amelia was when she was alive. After the two discover that Joshua can only see Amelia because he is a seer, someone who's purpose is to hunt ghosts and exorcise them, they have to fight the coven headed by Joshua's own grandmother, avoid another ghost determined to get Amelia to himself and discover the truth about Amelia's death.

Hereafter was definitely a different paranormal romance. Amelia is already dead so no one apart from Joshua can even see her. This romance proved to be interesting and developed well.

Hudson has created an intriguing debut with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Eli, the ghost determined to get Amelia, is a devious villain, while Joshua is sweet and caring. These two guys are the only ones that have any real contact with Amelia and it makes the story interesting to see which side she will choose. Even though the love story between Amelia and Joshua is a bit silly with the fact that she is a ghost and Joshua is not, the tension between them is enough to continue reading.

Hereafter is a fast read with great characterisation and an original spin on the paranormal market. I look forward to reading more about Amelia and Joshua's romance in the next book.

Source: NetGalley

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #24 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #11 of 20

I'm back

2011-08-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, the two weeks have flown by. I can't believe it's the end of August already. This is what I've been up to in the last couple of weeks:

* Finished Teaching. As soon as I was done (and finished the 2 assignments that were due tha same day), I was on a 9 hour overnight train trip.

* Had the most important interview in my life, the one that tells me whether I'm suitable to teach or not. Really freaked out about that one. I'm glad to announce that on my 12 hour car trip home I received an email that said, "I have been recommended as suitable to teach". Yay!

*Finished reading 5 books. Yeah, they've been audiobooks, but they are a lifesaver when I haven't had time to sit and read.

* Wrote 6 new chapters of Dark Sight. The car trip really helped, especially when my father refused to let me drive.

* Out of fun and boredom, I created mock covers for Shadow Embraced and Dark Sight. You can find these on the right column.

What I still need to do:
* Catch up with Uni so I'll actually pass it.

* Get back to reviewing for my crit group.

* Finish Dark Sight b mid September, which is totally possible since I actually have an outline of what I want to happen (and my mc is being very cooperative).

So, what has everyone been up to while I've been gone?

MIA... taking a break

2011-08-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been around much lately, but when life gets in the way it "really" gets in the way. I'm in my 3rd and final week teaching (which is going fantastic... but tiring), and apart from that there's uni which I'm so falling behind in and work (I can definitely do without the 10 hour nights over the weekend).

As soon as I finish teaching this Friday, I'll have to rush and get my teaching portfolio ready and on Saturday catch a 12 hour train ride down south to attend the official interview that will tell me whether I'm suitable to teach (YIKES).

So, I'll have to go on a break for the next 2 weeks until I catch up and finally get some sleep. See you all when I get back.

July Wrap Up

2011-08-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy month. This month I started back at uni, as well as going out on my final teaching practicum which is taking up the majority of my time, but I'm loving it.

What I read:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Human.4 by Mike Lancaster
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Books I bought:

Yeah, I'd rather not go there. With all the bookstores closing (how sad) and able to get books for $1-2, it meant I needed a shopping trolley to remove the books I managed to get my hands on.

Writing

Finished my final (hopefully final) edits of Shadow Embraced and have been querying.
Started writing my new YA Horror, Dark Sight.

R.A.K.

This month I sent out one book to Anna @ Anna's Book Blog.

I look forward to signing up to R.A.K in August.

So, how has everyone's July been?

Kids aren't dumb

2011-07-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

I write young adult stories so I always try not to talk down to my readers, but it's only now that I'm in the classroom that I realise how smart they are, especially when they think you don't know what you're talking about.

The amount of questions I've been asked just trying to gauge my knowledge of the subject is phenomenal. so, now I know, even though I write paranormal and horror that I really need to know my world and characters inside out or else the reader will not be satisfied.

How do you prepare to write? Do you know the world before you start or do you jump straight in?

Wish me luck

2011-07-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today I start my third and final teaching prac, the one prac that is more important than the other two. If I can prove myself competent after one week, I'll be in the classroom by myself - without the supervision of my mentor teacher. YIKES!

If that's not scary enough, in just 4 weeks I'll be sitting for my teaching interview, which I need to pass. Ooh, I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's a scary kind of light that reminds me that next year I have no idea where I'll be, but I'll be a new teacher in a classroom full of teenagers...

Life just keeps moving forward.

Back to the Dark Ages

2011-07-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

The electrical company are doing work on the power poles and I received in the mail a letter saying the power was going to be switched off for the majority of the day. This is not goo. How am I going to live.

And precisely at 8, in the middle of doing this post, the computer and everything goes dead. Now I need to figure out how to entertain myself for 8 hours. Isn't it funny how we've become so reliant that electricity is an essential need.

Would you be able to survive without electricity? What would you do to entertain yourself?

P.S. I love my iPad...

A week of highs

2011-07-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I really should be feeling this way, but I'm feeling great. After suffering chronic migraines for most of my life and nothing has ever worked that the doctors prescribed, my boss suggested a naturopath.

She has placed me on a very strict diet. It's been 2 weeks since I've had any caffeine, sugar, fatty foods, anything with colours or additives... pretty much any of the nice stuff. And, I'm feeling great.

It also helps that my mind has been so clear that I'm powering through my new story, and Shadow Embraced is getting great feedback and requests.

Boy, if I knew cutting out all of the bad stuff from my diet would have this effect, I would have done it a while ago.

Just what I needed...

2011-07-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well, after no more than 3 hours sleep due to seeing the final Harry Potter movie (which definitely lived up to my expectations), I am feeling more energised that I've been for a while. I've been in a sort of slump at the moment when it came to writing and I didn't know which project to tackle or what to write next, but as soon as I got home all the ideas started flowing.

Ooh, I can't wait to start writing it.

The end of an era

2011-07-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a decade, but now the countdown to the final movie is nearly over. It's premiering here at midnight and I am eagerly anticipating it. I've had my 12:04 cinema ticket for the past 3 or so months. I actually feel sorry for the cinema workers because the cinema I'm going to is having a massive marathon of a run for the final film tomorrow. The cinema is going to stay open 24 hours showing a session every hour throughout the day.

Even though I was practically grown up when I discovered Harry, I've read all the novels and seen the films. I remember picking up the first one (and I didn't even know it was the first one, so I was lucky there) in college when the first three were available and quickly devoured those.

It's going to be sad when the journey is over, but I'm hoping the movie definitely lives up to all the excitement and thrills that it definitely deserves to go out with a bang.

So when did you discover Harry (if you discovered him)? Is anyone excited to see this final film?

The end of the book store

2011-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is the sign that here, down in Australia, has been seeing a lot of at shopping centres. The two main giant book store chains (Borders and Angus & Robertson) are all closing their physical stores, but are still continuing in the online market.

This is sad, but also good as a book buyer since I've managed to get so many books for 50-85% off that I'll probably never get around to reading. So, is this the way the future of book companies are going to be. No more brick and mortar stores, but all online with more available e-books than actual physical books? I'm very impulsive so I liked walking into a book store and picking up some random book that I'd never heard of before and walking out with it, not really expecting to buy anything.

What do you think? What do you think is the future of brick and mortar stores?

Random Acts of Kindness - June wrap up

2011-07-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

R.A.K. is a fantastic project hosted by Book Soulmates. It was a blast to participate in this month. I managed to send out two books books:

to Franny @ Mind Reader

to Cicely @ Cicely Loves Books

And I received 1 this month:

from Cherie @ mystrez.blogspot.com

I enjoyed participating in June and look forward to signing up for the fun of July and passing on some more books.

Needing to catch up...

2011-06-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Even though it's only the second week of Uni, I already have so so so much to catch up on, and then there's the 7 literary books I need to read. I'll be taking a week away from this blog to try and get a good cover on my subjects especially before my work starts back up next week or I will be duplicating the look of the picture above.

I hope everyone has a good week.

Birthday Blowout First Page Contest with Victoria Marini: Contest Entry

2011-06-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Blowout First Page Contest with Victoria Marini hosted by Shelley Watters starts today!!! Below you will find my 250 word entry. Hope you enjoy it and feel free to leave some comments.

Good luck to all the participants!

Title: Shadow Embraced
Genre: YA urban fantasy
Word count: 55,000

The pale girl knocks me back against the fleshy wall of the crowd with a couple of hard hits. I scramble away from a woman in a purple dress, my eyes on my opponent. Over the pulsing music, the crowd still keeps up their tribal chant.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!”

This is my first time at The Basement--innovative name for a club set up on a second-storey. The dim lights and smoky atmosphere make the graffiti on the walls blaze. Between the pinball machines, sagging lounges, and the close-pressed crowd, there isn't much room to manoeuvre.

“What are you waiting for?” the girl hisses. She could be Snow White with her porcelain skin and long, raven hair. “You started this. It was just between me and her.” She extends one long finger towards my best friend, Alex.

Alex watches from the sideline. I don’t know what she did to piss off this poisonous cow, but now I want blood.

“Come on, Scarlet,” Alex calls.

I take my focus off my opponent and glare at her. I hate it when she uses my name.

My opponent launches at me. I snap back to the fight just in time to shield my face from her punches. It all comes down to waiting for an opening. She’s fast, almost as fast as me. It’s difficult to maintain my balance enough to strike back.

I duck under a right hook and seize my chance. I throw an uppercut and knock her pale ass to the ground.

Check out this first page contest

2011-06-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

The awesome Shelley Waters is holding a first page contest on the 25th-27th June.

This contest is only open to YA, Middle Grade, memoir, pop-culture non-fiction, and women’s commercial fiction.

So here's how the contest will work:

Be sure your work fits into one of the following genres: YA, Middle Grade, memoir, pop-culture non-fiction, and women’s commercial fiction.
Sign up on the link below.
On June 25th, post your title, genre, word count and the first 250 words on your blog for critique.
From June 25th through June 26th, hop around to the other contestant's blogs and critique their first 250 words.
On June 27th, come back to my blog and post your final entry on my dedicated contest entry blog post. Be sure to include:

Your email address
Title, genre, wordcount
Your polished first page (250 words) Don't stop in the middle of a sentence.
Where you follow me
Where you spread the word

If the contest wasn't awesome enough. Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency is the judge.

Now, who wouldn't want to enter that?

Review: Between Here and Forever

2011-06-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

All Abby's life she has had to live under her sister's shadow. She has never been able to be as good as Tess. Abby thought that once Tess went off to college then everything would change and she would be able to live her own life away from the comparison. Then the car accident happened which put Tess in a comma. Now she is only seen as poor Tess's sister.

Abby devotes her life to Tess, spending most of her afternoons at the hospital. She thinks if Tess can wake up she will be able to get on with her life and live without the constant stigma of being Tess's sister. Then she meets the mysterious boy, Eli, who she believes will be able to wake Tess up. What she finds on her quest to wake her sister up is something about herself as well as her sister, something that she had never seen but has always been there.

Elizabeth Scott has created a believable story of family secrets and self-discovery. Abby is just an average teenager who lacks self-esteem who has always had to live with to comparison of her perfect sister. Anyone who's had to live in someone else's shadow can easily relate to her. Even when given a compliment, she doesn't know if people are feeling sorry for her or just seeing her as her sister.

Eli is another character that is full of mystery and problems himself. All the characters in the story have their own background and little quirks that makes them believable.

The mystery of who Tess was, drew me into the story as Abby tried to solve the big secret that Tess was keeping, one she had never paid close enough attention to. As Abby searches for the answers, she also has to learn that she can live her own life, free from the stigma of being Tess's sister.

Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #23 of 50

Been a bit distracted

2011-06-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't been around a lot this week or have really done much reading or writing, something I really have to force myself to do before uni kicks off again. I'm one that probably hasn't been on a real holiday for over ten years. My holiday's usually consists of going to my country town home (where I end up cooking and cleaning for my father). Or taking a couple of days off and going to a theme park which I live 30 minutes from... so, that's a normal holiday for me.

This year is different. My brother and I decided we would be going over to Japan and when the airline we were going to book through had 50% off I couldn't resist and I started to make the bookings. We're not going till the end of November, but this week I've been planning all of our accommodation and finding up any other information that we need (apart from being our first major holiday, this is also our first international holiday and first time on a plane... hey, my parents were drivers and even drove 4 days to get across Australia for a holiday when we were young).

I know it's a while off, but at least I can relax knowing that we've got all the accommodation and airfares fixed. Now we just have to save up to be able to afford everything... plus a lot in spending money.

Now I'm going to tear my eyes away from Tokyo Disneyland (yep, I'm definitely making this a priority since I live NOWHERE near a Disney and just call me a big kid who wants to go there very badly) and get back to work.

So, what has everyone else been up to this past week?

Review: Mercy

2011-06-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Mercy ‘wakes’ on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business… or thinks they do. But Mercy has a secret life. She is an angel, doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new ‘persona’ each time she does, in an effort to resolve a cataclysmic rift between heavenly beings. The first of a brilliant new series sees Mercy meeting Ryan, an eighteen-year-old whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is presumed dead. When another girl is also kidnapped, Mercy knows she has to act quickly and use extraordinary powers to rescue her, even if it means exposing her true identity. Ages 13+

Mercy is an angel who doesn't know what she's done to be living in this limbo called her life. She is doomed to return to earth repeatedly, sliding into someone else's life in order to fix a problem. Mercy doesn't remember much of the previous lives, all she knows is that the girl's she leaves have ended up in a better place.

When Mercy wakes up on a school bus bound for a small town called paradise where Carmen, the girl she's taking over is participating in a combined school choir she doesn't know what she's in for. The family taking her in while she's in the town has a sad past. Two years ago their daughter was kidnapped without any trace. Almost everyone has given up on finding her alive, except for her eighteen year old brother, Ryan. Mercy knows she has to do something, that this is the reason for her being placed in this life. But can Mercy find the missing girl without putting Carmen in danger or making her life worse for when she wakes up?

Rebecca Lim has created a very unique angel story. Mercy is very confused about who she is and why she has been placed in this life, but she is also a strong and believable character. And as Mercy fumbles to get a grip on this new charge and understand everything about Carmen, this allows the reader to get even closer to her as it really feels like she's experiencing everything for the first time.

There is enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning and heart racing as Mercy discovers more secrets and lies that the family and town has. This book not only has one mystery about the missing girl, but also the mystery surrounding Mercy's past. She is searching for her soulmate and answers as to why she's living these girls lives, and it's hinted throughout the novel, but as the first mystery is solved there are still those questions that makes me want to read the next in the series just to find out more.

Mercy is a perfect book for any angel or paranormal fan. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Source: NetGalley

2011 Aussie Reading Challenge: #2 of 12
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #22 of 50

When is it overdone?

2011-06-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

I have this one character who is screaming to come out, even though I'm in the middle of writing another story. The one thing is that her story is actually a paranormal romance. There are just so many YA paranormal romances out now so the problem "is paranormal romance overdone?"

I have to admit that some that I've read follow an exact formula, but there are some that are very different. The one thing that they all do have is the love triangle. I don't think I've read one without two guys vying for the girl's attention.

I have to admit that I still love the paranormal romance, as long as the girl's a kick-but, take-no-crap-from-anyone type. So, this is when I ask you:

Is paranormal romance overdone? Or is there still some room for stories that add their own twist on the genre?

Review: The Cellar

2011-06-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Cellar by A. J. Whitten

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.

But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she’d ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she’s dating the living dead before it’s too late for both of them?

A. J. Whitten has created a Romeo and Juliet story with zombies. Meredith and Heather are sisters constantly haunted by the tragic loss of their father from a car accident which has left Heather with scars. Meredith is scared for her sister because she is withdrawing into herself and they aren't talking like they used to.

Meredith has more to worry about when the new guy next door takes an interest in Heather. When Meredith dares to investigate him she sees something in the cellar that makes Meredith believe he's a monster, but no one will believe her. In fact, every one who comes into contact with Adrien absolutely loves him. How can she make Heather and everyone else in town that he's a monster before they all become dinner?

I didn't know what kind of story I'd find when I first started reading The Cellar. The Cellar is a horror with a central love story. The writing was pretty good and graphic, but that's how I like my horror stories. The one thing about this story is that nothing came as a surprise due to the story being divided into three POVs (Meredith, Heather and Adrien), and because of Adrien's perspective, it didn't keep the reader trying to guess what's going to happen. Because I love mysteries in my horror about what/who the monster is, this is the one main part that let it down for me.

This divided POV also hindered me from really feeling any connection to the characters. Each of the POVs were individual and unique, and from viewing every side of the story it was hard to decided who to root for, or feel sorry for, more.

That being said, The Cellar was an interesting story full of action, romance and horror, the perfect companion to sitting at home during a stormy night and reading.

Source: NetGalley

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #21 of 50

Interview: Jessica Brody

2011-06-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Jessica Brody is the author of adult novels the Fidelity Files and Love Under Cover. Her YA novel, the Karma Club came out last year and her new YA, My Life Undecided is being released on the 7th June. It was my pleasure to be able to interview Jessica about her new novel and her writing.

1. Jessica after writing two successful commercial fiction books for adults, The Fidelity Files, and Love Under Cover, what made you decide to write YA?

I like to say I didn’t choose YA, it chose me! I never even had a second thought about writing it. But when I came up with the idea for THE KARMA CLUB, at first I tried to plot it out as an adult novel and it felt all wrong to me. Then I started to think about it as a story about teens and suddenly it all started to fall into place. Of course, I had no idea how to write a teen novel. So I started reading a bunch of YA fiction to get a feel for the genre and I fell in LOVE with it. I then wrote out 50 pages of the story, showed my agent and asked, “Am I even close to the mark here?” She read it, liked it and told me to keep going with it. She said I had a “natural YA voice.” I think that’s code for “you’re still 17 at heart” (which I still feel!). I’ve been writing exclusively YA ever since!

2. Can you tell us a little about your new book, My Life Undecided?

I can tell you a lot! Haha. But I’ll stick to the elevator pitch. MY LIFE UNDECIDED is about a fifteen year old girl, notorious for making bad decisions, who enlists the help of the online blog reading population to make her decisions for her and vote on how she should live her life. But she soon discovers that some things in life simply aren’t a choice…like who you fall in love with.

3. How did you get the idea for writing it?

This book was definitely one of those “aha!” moments that I hear writers talk about. My husband and I were watching TV, an ad for a reality show came on and I said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a reality show where you could vote on what the characters did. As in, “who they went out with?” or “Whether or not they forgave their backstabbing best friend.” Like American Idol meets The Hills. We both agreed although it would be cool, it wouldn’t be practical from a production standpoint since they shoot those reality shows months before they air. I was not deterred though. I said, “Fine, I’ll write it as a book,” and then marched up the stairs and in ten short minutes, wrote a page-long synopsis for what would become MY LIFE UNDECIDED and sent it to my editor. She wrote back right away saying that she loved it and the book was born!

4. The main character in My Life Undecided has a real problem with making decisions. Do you have a hard time making decisions, and what’s one decision you would put on the blog to let everyone decide for you?

GREAT question! I often do have a hard time making decisions. I second guess EVERYTHING. But in the end, I just have to remind myself to go with my gut and not look back. If it was a mistake then the best I can do is learn from it and move on. Life would be so boring without mistakes! As for the blog, I would love to post a poll for every time I have to choose something to wear for an event or special occasion. I’m SO fashionably inept. It would be so cool if I could just upload my entire wardrobe and then have my blog readers piece together outfits for me. That would make my life SO much easier!

5. What’s up next for you, are you working on anything beyond your next YA novel, My Life Undecided?

Ooh, I have TONS of fun stuff in the works! Some I can talk about and some I can’t…YET! My next book is called 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER. It will be released in Spring 2012. I just finished all the edits. I’m so excited about this one! It’s about a spoiled teen heiress, famous for her partygirl antics and tabloid headlines, who’s forced by her ever-absent mogul father to take on a different low-wage job every week for a year, if she wants any hope of receiving her trust fund. I had SO much fun writing that one. And it was recently optioned for film! So fingers crossed it actually gets made! How cool would that be?

And right now I’m working on the first book in a new sci-fi trilogy I just sold called UNREMEMBERED. It’s about a sixteen year old girl who wakes up amongst the wreckage of a devastating plane crash with no memories. She's forced to piece together her forgotten past with only one clue to her identity-- a mysterious boy who claims she was part of a science experiment 100 years in the future.

6. If you could have dinner with any fictional character who would it be and why?

Um, okay, I’m going to have to say Edward Cullen. Because…well, yummy! ‘Nough said.

Thank you Jessica for taking the time. And here's a little peak of what My Life Undecided has to offer. Remember My Undecided Life is released on 7th June.

Random Acts of Kindness - May Wrap Up

2011-06-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

This was my first time participating in R.A.K., hosted by Book Soulmates, and while I didn't receive anything this month (although I have been contacted so I should be receiving something shortly), it was a blast to participate in. I sent out three books:

to Ruby @ Ruby Reads

to Jen @ a book and a latte

to Brigit @ the Book Garden

I enjoyed participating in May and look forward to signing up for the fun of June.

Review: The Vespertine

2011-05-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Synopsis (From Goodreads): It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

A hauntingly beautiful historical fiction set in the 1800s. Amelia van den Broek is sent to Baltimore to attend school and partake in other ladylike events. When she receives glimpses of the future she is suddenly the centre of the town with not only her friends but also strangers calling on her to tell their fortunes. With the start of a forbidden romance with an artist, Nathaniel, Amelia tries to hold onto the life that she is building. But, when her visions turn dark, she finds herself accused of causing the misdeeds herself.

The Vespertine was beautifully written and drew me into the historic setting of the 1800s. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but the plot and the mixture of the historical setting with the supernatural kept me reading. Amelia is a strong character who, despite the era this is set in, has a very independent voice. All of the characters were believable and enjoyable, but I would have liked to have learned more about Amelia's and Nathaniel's powers a bit more throughout the story.

Saundra Mitchell has created an elegant story, perfect for curling up on a sofa and reading.

Source: NetGalley

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #20 of 50

Recommend:

BEA: Droolworthy books (Best of 2011)

2011-05-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

There are some fantastic books available this year, a lot of them are from debut authors, that I just can't find enough time to read everything. But, here are some of the ones that have really caught my attention:

The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roeker

I was anxious to get this as soon as I heard about it and I was not let down. Kate is a modern day Nancy Drew complete with pink hair and pearls. Full of intrigue and mystery as Kate gets drawn into the mystery surrounding her best friend's death. She is pulled into this mystery by the person she leasts suspects, her dead friend. A perfect book for anyone who loves mysteries.

Die for Me by Amy Plum

A paranormal that takes place in Paris, what more can anyone want? It's at the top of my reading list and after finding it down at the book store, I just need to find time to read it.

Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

A debut YA from popular adult Australian author. I have taken workshops with this author and she is fantastic, so I really wanted to get this story without knowing what it was about. But now I do, it really makes me want to read it more. Late night parties and night creatures, just check out the tag line "Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength."

Possession by Elana Johnson

This is a book I'm eager to read. I'm loving the range and quality of dystopian novels available at the moment and I've heard really good things about Vi and the controlling society she has been forced to endure. And I did a little happy dance when the Arc I won arrived in the post today. I can't wait to read it.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I love mysteries and a girl surviving a car accident that killed her best friends but has no memories of how she ended up in hospital... now, what can go wrong with that?

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I'm currently reading Last Sacrifice and love the world that Richelle Mead has created. I really look forward to seeing where this spin off of Vampire Academy leads, especially seeing more of Sydney who is one of my favourite characters.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Ooh, witch stories. I love everything paranormal, especially witches. I remember sitting around with my friends making up stories about witches and haunted houses that belonged around the block from where I was growing up. Just a premise of a story like that being more than a story really captures my interest.

So, what are you looking forward to this year?

Armchair BEA: Introductions

2011-05-23T04:45:00.000-07:00

BEA, also known as Book Expo America, is happening in New York and, alas, I could not make it... this could have something to do with it being in a whole different country on the opposite side of the world thing (although I did get the sudden inspiration to dip into my brother's savings for a couple of plane tickets... he did not like that idea much though).

Instead I'll be participating in armchair BEA. Why? Because it costs nothing and I can participate at home.

Today's post is all about introductions. I'm an Aussie book blogger who is currently studying to become a high school English teacher. I read way too much and have over 50 books (not including those on my iPad) that are sitting on my bookshelves just waiting for me to read.

So, here's a little big about me for all those wanting to know (even those who really don't):

I read everything and all in YA (just call me a big kid at heart).
I really want to go to Japan... planning to get there at the end of the year.
I love everything Horror (but more of the psychological than the slasher).
I write YA and am working on several projects at the moment.
I play the guitar and dabble in writing my own songs.
I am very impulsive... especially when it comes to buying books (hey, I can't help that the book store was having a closing down sale with 75% off and I walked away with over 10 books).
I've already purchased my tickets for the midnight Harry Potter... can't wait to see the concluding movie.

I look forward to meeting up with anyone else doing the armchair BEA. It's going to be just as good as being there (and that's me acting positive).

So, who else is participating in armchair BEA?

Review: Cryer's Cross

2011-05-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

The small town of Cryer's Cross isn't supposed to have anything bad happen, that was until a freshman girl disappears without a trace. But life goes on and for 16-year-old Kendall she pushes forward even though with her OCD she is freaked at seeing Tiffany's desk empty each day. Everyone thinks it's just a sad occurrence that would only happen once in the small town, that is until Kendall's boyfriend, Nico goes missing. The town is put into crisis mode, but still no one is able to find any trace of Nico. Kendall does know something is wrong with this situation and when she starts receiving graffiti messages on the desk where Nico used to sit she knows deep down that it could only be from Nico, meaning that Nico could still be alive. As Kendall jumps into the mystery of the disappearances with the help of the new, and irritating, Jacian, she comes to learn that the small town of Cryer's Cross has some dark secrets and a dark past that doesn't want to stay hidden.

Cryer's Cross was an intriguing story full of quirky characters. Kendall, even though she had OCD, was a strong character who was not afraid of who she was or of letting her OCD define her, in fact it was the one part of her that helped her throughout the story and in pushing her further into the mystery.

Even though I did not find the story scary, the mystery kept the plot moving forward and some of the scenes created were chilling with the twists and turns that Kendall had to face. This was definitely a story that had me on the edge of the seat as I waited for the mystery to unfold.

McMann does a good job of creating the characters and their relationships as they struggle to uncover the truth of the small town and what really happened to the missing students.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #18 of 50

Recommend:

Too tired to post...

2011-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was meaning to do up a review before going to work and schedule it to come out later... but, silly me forgot about it. Now, I've just gotten home from work, finishing my jr burger and coke from McDonalds (where would we be without 24 hour drive thru's?) and thinking to myself, 'why am I sitting in front of the computer at 2:30 AM trying to think of something to write?'

So, instead enjoy a clip from Family Guy (you've just got to love Stewie)...

Is it just me???

2011-05-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

I can't "just" watch a movie anymore. I have a tendency to analyse everything in the movie (and combine being a writer to all the film/music/drama classes I've studied... I really pay attention to everything).

I have become increasingly interested in playing the "what if" game when it comes to stories and the characters choices, especially when I feel the plot should have gone a totally different way. I like to imagine what would happen if the characters make a different choice, or if something within the plot was different.

This does create some interesting ideas, and also gets the creative juices flowing. But, am I crazy (okay, don't answer that) or do other people do this sometimes?

So, does anyone else do this? If you're not liking how a story is going, do you like to imagine something else happening to change that ending?

Review: The Royal Treatment (Princess for Hire #2)

2011-05-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Desi Bascomb's job as a princess substitute has gotten a whole lot more glamorous now that she's advanced to Level 2 within the Facade Agency. Magical make-up, roller-skating celebrities, and the chance to see Prince Karl again are just some of the major perks. Not to mention, she's landed the role of Fairy Queen in her school's production of Midsummer's Night Dream (opposite her best friend's crush. Which is a little weird, but at least he wears a donkey head during their kissing scene). Life should be perfect, but Desi can't seem to shake the feeling that there is more going on with the agency's magic than she's told. Like why is this mind-bending power exclusive to royals? Is it possible that there could be a bigger way to make an impact in both parts of her life?

After progressing to a Level 2 in the Facade Agency, Desi thought life couldn't get more glamorous. But, life has just got a little bit more complicated. She's landed a role as the fairy queen in a Midsummer's Night Dream where she has to kiss her best friend's crush, she's crushing on a prince she knows she'll never be able to have and she has a strange feeling that the Facade Agency is hiding a big secret about the magic it uses. Desi doesn't have much time to ponder about the Agency when she's got a list of talents she needs to perfect for her princess subbing duties, a play to prepare for and also trying to figure out her own magical gifts. So much to do, but that's only the life of a princess sub.

Once again, Desi's life is a rollercoaster as she gains a promotion within Facade and now has other responsibilities put on her as a Level 2 sub, making this an exciting and fun read. All of the characters are larger than life with unique personalities that makes you want to laugh, cry or scream. The Royal Treatment fits in perfectly with Princess for Hire.

This story finds Desi trying to work out the secrets of the Facade Agency and also her own magic potential, all while struggling against her conflicting feelings over her prince charming and her best friend's crush. Put all this with the adventures Desi finds herself in as she subs for princesses and you have a funny and charming story. I would suggest the Royal Treatment to anyone who is looking for a light-hearted read or can imagine themselves subbing for royalty.

Source: Netgalley
Release Date: May 3rd 2011
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #18 of 50
Recommend:

The Writer's Diet

2011-05-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy lately with final university assignments and trying to keep up with my writing and critiquing duties (which I'm seriously failing at at the moment). Whenever I get this busy, I get rather sloppy with what I eat... usually spending time in front of the computer eating chocolate and drinking coffee.

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking about fixing my diet and getting ready for Summer (since it just finished I've got 3/4 of the year to get ready... that's plenty of time).So, it's diet time and not just for eating right.

I've also decided to start the writer's diet. What is a writer's diet? Well, it consists of three parts.

Read:
Read as much as you can. This will help you know what's being published and allow you to see the different styles out there.
Review:
Even if you don't properly publish the reviews when you finish reading the book, by looking at what you liked about it and if there were any negatives will help you develop your writing skills. Another good way is to join a critique group. Besides from getting reviews from your novel, you'll also be able to critique the other members and learn to pinpoint little mistakes in your own writing.
Write:
The most important part of the diet. It's important to write and get into a habit of writing regularly. This is the only way your skills will be able to review.

So, that's the diet I'm starting. Who's with me?

Review: Savannah Grey

2011-05-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Savannah Grey by Chris McNish

Synopsis (From Goodreads): 15 year old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realise its savage intent.

15 year old Savannah Grey is just trying to find a place she belongs. She's moved from foster family to foster family, never really able to settle down and fit in. She doesn't know why she always has to be on the move or why she keeps her distance from everyone around her. But, when a strange attraction to the new boy, Reece brings her to realise that there's something growing in her throat that has great supernatural powers, she discovers that she has to protect it and learn how to harness it before the evil creature that's hunting her catches up and destroys her. When the time comes, will Savannah be able to harness the power within her to save herself and all the ones she cares about? Or will she do anything to give it up and just be normal?

Chris McNish has created a unique horror story in Savannah Grey. It started off slowly, but by the time the true evil had made itself known it was into a captivating story that was probably rushing a bit to much to reach the end.

Savannah Grey is a guarded character. She doesn't like anyone to get close to her, especially with the unconscious need to protect whatever it is that's growing inside of her throat. But she does have a big heart and care a lot about her best friend Nina and her foster mother, this is the character that I really loved. Too bad she was full of a lot of insecurities that nearly overshadowed the caring heroine.

I loved the monsters that McNish created. They were full of originality and personality (yes, even the monsters had personalities) and they were definitely what made this story interesting. Also I have to say that the romance created between Savannah and Reece was fantastic. He was a character created who gave her strength and also provided obstacles which gave the story plenty of twists and turns.

This doesn't mean that I didn't like Savannah Grey. It was an interesting story, and definitely an original take on the monster story. The one thing that I felt was a let down was the pace with it being either too slow or too quick, I found myself having to re-read parts to see if I missed parts. Besides from that, Savannah Grey is definitely a novel for anyone that loves horror and dark paranormal.

Source: Netgalley
Release Date: April 28th 2011
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #17 of 50
Recommend:

Random Acts of Kindness - May

2011-05-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing a lot about this and thought I'd sign up this month. For those who haven't heard, is a project hosted by Book Soulmates is to show random acts of kindness by signing up and gifting books to other participants.

Rules

Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month. {Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

I look forward joining in this month.

Review: What Can't Wait

2011-05-05T02:30:00.000-07:00

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez

Synopsis (From Goodreads): “Another day finished, gracias a Dios."

Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. And they expect her to marry a boy from the neighborhood, to settle down, and to have grandbabies. If she wants a job, she could always be an assistant manager at the local grocery store.

At school, it's another story. Marisa's calc teacher expects her to ace the AP test and to get into an engineering program in Austin—a city that seems unimaginably far away. When her home life becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere—and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants—other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over.

What Can't Wait—the gripping debut novel from Ashley Hope Pérez—tells the story of one girl's survival in a world in which family needs trump individual success, and self-reliance the only key that can unlock the door to the future.

Marissa wants to be more than what her family expects her to be. Her family expects her to marry, work hard and stay around her family to help them out. Marissa wants so much more. She tries hard at school and is even taking AP calculus to get into a good university to become more than an assistant manager at the local grocery store. With all her family and work obligations, Marissa finds it hard to keep up with her advanced classes and sometimes she even thinks that she will never be able to achieve her goals, but her calculus teacher believes she can be so much more than Marissa even believes.

When her life gets unbearable Marissa will have to decide whether she should, or even could, put her needs before her family, and when the time comes, will she be able to leave everything behind to live her own life.

What Can't Wait is a gripping debut novel about making the hard decision between family commitments and personal desire. Marissa is a very strong character who really cares for her family. She watches her niece, cooks for her family, works long hours and gives half her pay to her family, and she even manages to keep up with high level courses in order to gain admittance into a proper college. Even for people who don't know the Mexican culture that Marissa comes from will be able to relate to her because of her desire to please her family and not let them down, but also the desire to achieve more than what her family expects.

What Can't Wait is a roller coaster of emotion as Marissa is faced with the ups and downs of high school and family commitments, all leading up to her making the biggest decision of her life. When it comes time, will she actually be able to leave her family and start her life?

Source: Netgalley
Release Date: March 28th 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #10 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #16 of 50
Recommend:

When Characters Scream

2011-05-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Don't you just hate it when the voices in your head just won't shut up. I've been busy lately with trying to keep up with uni work as well as family commitments and writing, but still I'm trying to start a new writing project.

Usually I have several ideas brewing at a time, but this time, the character that was developing in my head just wouldn't shut up. She really, really, really wanted me to start her story.

How can I say no to that.

So, meet Seraphine (or Sera for short). She is a modern day Cassandra who has visions of death, which is a very useful gift to the underworld. That is why her and her brother are on the run from the paranormal creatures that killed their parents. But, where can they hide when there's a bounty on their head and all the paranormal creatures out there are out to collect?

So, have you ever had characters that scream to be written? How vocal are your characters?

Review: Girl Wonder

2011-05-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin

Synopsis (From Goodreads): As if transferring senior year weren't hard enough, Charlotte Locke has been bumped to lower level classes at her new school. With no friends, a terrible math SAT score, and looming college application deadlines, the future is starting to seem like an oncoming train for which she has no ticket. Then Amanda enters her orbit like a hot-pink meteor, offering Charlotte a ticket to something else: popularity. Amanda is fearless, beautiful, brilliant, and rich. As her new side kick, Charlotte is brought into the elite clique of the debate team—and closer to Neal, Amanda's equally brilliant friend and the most perfect boy Charlotte has ever seen.

But just when senior year is looking up, Charlotte’s life starts to crumble. The more things heat up between Charlotte and Neal, the more Neal wants to hide their relationship. Is he ashamed? Meanwhile, Amanda is starting to act strangely competitive, and she's keeping a secret Charlotte doesn't want to know.

Talented newcomer Alexa Martin delivers a poignant story of first love, jealousy and friendship, where the ups and downs of senior year have never been so complicated. What else can Charlotte do but throw her hands up and ride?

Charlotte has always been encouraged to achieve her highest and in her family where her father's a professional writer and her mother's a university lecturer, it's important to score the highest grades and think about what she needs to get into the best colleges. Unfortunately life isn't that easy for her. Being diagnosed with a learning difficulty which hinders her maths level, she doesn't have the right grades to get accepted into the same gifted school that her brother is in, it doesn't even admit her to the gifted program at her new school.

So, with a new school, no friends, the need to please her parents and college applications all on her shoulders, she doesn't shy away from Amanda the "Girl Wonder" when she offers Charlotte friendship and also a chance at popularity. When Charlotte and Amanda join the debate team, Charlotte meets Neal and as the two of them get closer, the more Neal urges Charlotte to keep their relationship secret. But, why does he want to keep it secret? As Charlotte's life begins to crumble, Charlotte must discover what true friendship is and how to make her own decisions without worrying about what anyone else thinks.

Alexa Martin has created a realistic portrayal of family expectations and all the trials someone would go through to find acceptance, especially one with a learning difficulty. Charlotte turned out to be an interesting character as she searched for a place to belong, both in her family and at her school.

Even though the plot started off slow, by the time Charlotte had integrated herself into the school, I was hooked. In a story that doesn't shy away from the serious issues, Charlotte is faced with many heart wrenching decisions to make as she's faced with sex, drugs and family problems. A wonderfully written story from debut author Alexa Martin. I look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer.

Source: Netgalley
Release Date: May 3rd 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #9 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #15 of 50
Recommend:

A-Z Challenge Reflection

2011-05-02T04:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, April sure was a busy month. I don't know how I made it to the end, but I did (YAY!!!) I've met a lot of great people along the way and it's been fun jumping around to see what everyone else had thought up to post.

So, what was the ups of the month? Well, finishing... duh! No, but serious, it was fantastic to get this far. There was a lot of times that I was so tired at the end of the day that I didn't think I could make that post... but I did! This challenge has really helped my organisation time. I was able to set a time to do up my post (and there was no pre-writing for me... I barely even knew what to write when it came time to post that letter). I'll have to wait and see how long I can keep this scheduling going.

I don't think there were any downs, well except for not being able to get to everyone's blogs who participated. The only thing I can comment on here is that I was literally exhausted (and not to mention putting off uni stuff to post... naughty me) but I forced myself to continue. If I wasn't so determined to finish the challenge I would have given up a long time ago, but I don't know the meaning of QUIT.

I'm now looking forward to getting back to my regular posts (and finishing some uni assignments which need to be done, unfortunately).

So, how did everyone else do at the challenge?

Z is for Zenith

2011-04-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

YAY!!!! Today is the final day of April, and the final day of the A-Z challenge, so I saw Zenith would be an appropriate word for today because we're at the peak, the climax, the highest point of the challenge. There's nowhere else to go from here (except to bed and have a nice long sleep).

It's been fun this month. I've got to meet a lot of new people and it has kicked my brain into gear by having to think about what word I needed to do each day.

Thanks to everyone who has entered my contest, and as promised, through random.org, I have the winner right here.

Congratulations Jessica Bell, who is the winner of the $30 Amazon gift certificate.

And, since I'm feeling generous, I have decided to award a second prize of $10 Amazon gift certificate.

Congratulations to Monica.

Both winners have been contacted. Thanks once again to everyone who entered. I hope everyone had such a fun month.

Y is for Yandere

2011-04-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my 300 follower contest for a chance to win a $30 gift card from Amazon. Contest ends at 11:59pm

What exactly is a Yandere I hear you ask. A Yandere is a girl who is so desperately in love that she is willing to:

kill herself for the person to protect the one she loves (for the sake of love)
kill the person she loves if she can't be with them (for the sake of love)
kill everyone else who stands against her (for the sake of love)

Okay, why am I talking about a Yandere? Well, I did need a "Y" letter word, but despite it being a Japanese anime word, it is a common character type in stories, especially romances. I have read numerous stories where the girl is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the guy (even if she has just met him). There is nothing wrong with this character type, if not over done.

Then there is the other side of the story where a girl has become so obsessed with the guy that she's willing to do anything to take her rival (usually the MC) out of the picture.

So, for your viewing pleasure. Here is the perfect example of Yandere from the TV show, Buffy (Oh, how I love ~~Spike~~ Buffy).

P.S. The definition of Yandere comes from the Japanese words Yamu meaning sick and Deredere meaning sweet. Essentially it means Sick Sweetie.

So, have you come across a Yandere in anything you've read? Do you think this character type can be seen as healthy/sympathetic? Do you think it's possible for the relationship where a Yandere is involved to be a healthy one?

X is for X-factor

2011-04-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my 300 follower contest for a chance to win a $30 gift card from Amazon.

What exactly is the "x-factor"? Well, you've heard the saying, you've either got it or you don't. The x-factor is the "got it" factor that draws you in and makes you pay attention. It's the WOW factor that has you wanting more days after you've finished reading the book.

This is something every writer strives to get. I just love books that draws me in and refuses to let go. I don't know how to explain how that particular book is special, there's just something about it whether it's the characters, plot or setting (usually a combination).

I know I definitely aim for the x-factor, even though I wouldn't know when my stories have it since it would probably change with each person and each preference. All I can do is keep striving to make my stories the best they can be, and if I love them, then maybe someone out there will also feel the same.

So, do you think writers are born with the x-factor or can they develop it? How do you know if a book has the x-factor?

W is for Waitress

2011-04-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my 300 follower contest for a chance to win a $30 gift card from Amazon.

Everyone needs their day job, right? I would LOVE to be able to sit down and write all day and all night, but unfortunately that doesn't pay the bills. So yes, in my day job I'm a ~~people watcher~~... whoops, I mean waitress.

There is also another good reason for having a day job, especially one that involves dealing with all the "lovable" people that believes they are always right and there's no such thing as a stupid question. Believe me, I've been in the hospitality industry for too long that I've heard it all and yes, there can be stupid questions such as "do you serve food" or "are you open"... you're talking to staff at the "restaurant" I think, we do serve food and we are open. It's not hard to think before you speak.

Yeah, I know it's not exactly the most glamorous job around, but the amount of interesting people I've seen is well worth all the work. As a writer, I've been able to watch people's quirks, mannerisms and attitudes. This is how I look at my job, just another outlet to research my characters... well, just until I finish this year then I'll be qualified to "teach" at high schools.

See, jobs aren't that bad. It's just what you do with the time you're there working that's what counts.

So, what do you do for your day jobs? If you could have any job, what would you want to do?

V is for Verbose

2011-04-26T02:39:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my 300 follower contest for a chance to win a $30 gift card from Amazon.

Verbose can be described as using too many words. Sometimes I have a tendency to do this, especially in the first draft of my story when all I care about is getting the plot out. But, in writing, or even speaking for that matter, all words are valuable and must be chosen specifically for the purpose.

Word choice is a very important element when it comes to telling the story. Too many words may come off as passive or may even make the reader feel overwhelmed because of all the information they're receiving. It's okay to be a bit verbose in the first draft, but during the numerous edits that occurs afterwards, each word/sentence has to be seen to have a purpose.

When it comes to eliminating verbose writing:

Eliminate unnecessary information. What background information is necessary and which is just filler. Don't overload the reader.
Eliminate unnecessary words, this can include contractions (especially when writing for the teen audience). Knowing your audience plays a lot with this. I don't know any teen who doesn't contract as many words as they can, so a story that has too many "it is" or "will not" may seem a bit snobbish and dull.
Go through the manuscript and eliminate as many "that"'s as possible. You'll be surprised at how many times "that" is just a filler and not really serving a purpose.
Go through the manuscript and eliminate as many adverbs as possible... the deadly "ly" words. See if the sentence can be explained in any other way.

Being verbose is not necessarily a bad thing, but when writing all words should have a purpose and not be a filler.

So, do you have a problem with being verbose? What do you do to get rid of your excess words?

U is for Underdog

2011-04-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

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What is it about underdogs that we can't get enough of? I love reading about characters that have weaknesses and looks like they will not win in the battle. I especially love writing them. Call me sadistic, but if the character is on the verge of death or horrible defeat that's even better. There's just something about the struggle that they make throughout their journey to reach their goal that makes them interesting and likeable.

But, I'm also the one that hate to read about overpowered characters that have little to no weaknesses. I really couldn't stand Superman before Smallville came out because Superman was always the one superhero that had too many powers with little weaknesses that the cops always called on to do their jobs. Give me the rugged rogue that has to break a few little rules if they have any chance of defeating the evil bad guy.

Even with non-paranormal settings. The underdog's journey is always interesting if they put all their heart and strength into accomplishing the impossible.

p.s. I love Glee for just this reason...

So, what sort of characters do you like? If you like the underdog, what is it about them that you like?

T is for TV Tropes

2011-04-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

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There are a few places I turn to when I'm looking for some inspiration or have hit a road block in my writing. I either go to the movies, listen to music, read something else, or I turn to TV Tropes.

For those that don't know about TV Tropes (go there immediately... but beware there might be some unaccounted hours in your day) it is a website where constant viewers assemble many story/plot/character tropes as they can.

When you're having problems thinking of any quirks for characters or something to get the plot moving, TV tropes will have it and any movies/literature/tv shows/etc that that particular trope has appeared in. Lets just say your character has pesky parents that keep getting in the way of the plot, or your plot involves the need to hide someone (possibly in a basement), or your villain's dastardly plan seems too implausible to have succeeded, there is a trope for everything.

P.S. This may happen to you.

So, where do you turn if you need inspiration? If you've been there, what's your favourite trope?

S is for Superheroes

2011-04-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

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I absolutely love superheroes. They open up a whole range of possibilities and imagination. I also used to wish I could have some sort of superpower. Not that I wanted to be a superhero, I just thought it would be cool.

That's why I decided to write a hero/villain story. So, let me introduce SWAYED (hey, another S word) which is set in a world overrun by heroes and villains. My 2 MC's are a part of that ~~unfortunate~~ crowd and have to decide whether to become the hero or villain of the story. This first chapter is from Jett. Take a guess at which side he chooses.

---

Since when did the Wicked Witch of the West decide to take over the world? That's the first thing that popped into my mind when a flying monkey robot busted through the classroom window. Oh well, it meant missing the rest of Maths. I could live with that.

The class erupted into chaos, most of the students rushing toward the window to gawk at the action taking place outside.

"Come on, everyone," Mr. Willis said from the front of the room. The beads of sweat clinging to the thin strands of chestnut coloured hair made his bald patch glisten beneath the lights of the room even though the mop of brown hair tried to cover it up. "Just like we've practiced."

I turned my gaze away from him and stared at the fight occurring outside. An idiot with a bulky frame that bulged out of a red, skin tight Lycra suit with a big white "CS" smeared across the front. His legs looked like stubby white fish crammed into sausage casings. How in the hell did he fit into those tights? A gawky red mask covered his eyes, making his blond hair stick up in protest. He fended off the constant stream of attacking monkeys while a floating TV displayed a chuckling freak disguised as Ned Kelly with a metal helmet that covered his entire head, leaving only a slot where his eyes peered through.

"Jethro," Mr. Willis' voice snapped me out of my daze. "Jethro Matthews."

I turned my attention even though it's way more interesting watching what's happening outside. A vein bulged in Mr. Willis' forehead as he stood in the door, hands on hips. Everyone else had already evacuated.

"We need to go…" He was cut off by the whistling of an object zooming toward the room. His eyes stared out the window. He looked like a marble statue with how white his face had turned.

I ducked just as a large, utterly out of control figure crashed through the window, sending shards of glass flying in every direction. Jumping behind a desk, I shielded myself from most of the onslaught. He zoomed over me, barely missing my head, and collided with the wall on the other side and crumpled into a lumpy ball.

I looked over at the doorway. Mr Willis was no longer there. Too bad for making sure all students were safe before evacuating.

“Stand aside, citizen.” The hero jumped to his feet, sticking out his chest and placing his hands on his hips. “Captain Supremo has the situation well under control. There is no need to fear.”

"What are you talking about?" I screamed. "You were the one to put me in danger."

These heroes thought that they could crash through any building and still get their asses kissed because they are supposed to be the good guys. That was how this worked, ever since the epidemic started. That's what the reporters called it. No one knew what had given so many people superpowers, but at the moment there were over six heroes in operation, as well as their nemesis', and that's just in this suburb. But, it all started here and that's why the town officially changed it's name to Centralnova. There were too many of them out there, and the thought of the heroes brought a bit of bile up my throat.

Captain Supremo walked past me and back to the busted window, flicking his white cape over his shoulder. “All part of the job, citizen.”

"Don't you even care?"

Captain Supremo just continued walking.

Fed up, I looked around and grabbed the first thing I could lift. Gripping my hands around the legs of a plastic chair, I swung it at the hero and it slammed into his back before he even realised what I was doing.

Stumbling forward, he dropped to his knees. For good measure, I hit him a few more times - maybe six or seven - until his unmoving body curled up on the ground. KO.

I looked up to where the flock of monkeys remained stationary, floating in mid air. Their gazes darted between me and the unconscious hero.

Maniacal laughter boomed around the area. The floating LCD screen entered the room through the gaping hole. The Ned Kelly impersonator sat behind a desk, stroking a monkey robot. He looked like a corny movie villain..

“Well, well, it looks like my evil monkeys have defeated you,” he said.

If it wasn't bad enough to be nearly killed by a hero, I wasn't going to stand by and let any villain take credit for my work. Using all of my strength, I tossed the chair at the screen. It shattered the picture with a shower of sparks.

In a chaotic flurry, the monkeys turned and started away before the monitor dropped to the ground.

So, if you had any power what would it be?

R is for Regret

2011-04-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

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Once upon a time there was an 11-year-old girl who had a fight with her best friend. The next day she finds out the friend died in a house fire. I bet you're saying this is cliched, right... never getting the chance to say sorry is just an overdone plot. Unfortunately that little girl was me. I guess that's why I hate fights. I'm not passive, but I don't like leaving a situation in the middle of a fight.

Regret is a part of life. Anyone that tells you they have absolutely no regrets then they're either very lucky or is not really living. Every choice we make has two or more outcomes, so there's always a possibility of thinking back and wondering "why did you choose that path". It's what makes life interesting.

Same goes when reading and writing. It wouldn't be interesting if the character was always making the right choices, always winning, never wanting to look back and think about how things could be different. No one would want to read that.

Regret is a part of life and it's how you choose to deal with that regret that makes the story more interesting. You can either learn or fall into the "would've, could've, should've" frame of mind... I choose to move on. There's no point with handing onto the past and the choices that I could have made.

So, do you have any regrets? Is there any moment you would like to go back and change?

Q is for Quality vs Quantity

2011-04-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

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I'm a perfectionist. It took me forever to write my first novel (and I'm not talking about the practice ones and half started ones that I have lying around on my hard drive somewhere). It took me around 4 years, but that was with researching (yeah, mine's a vamp novel but I researched my butt off), world creation, character creation and writing... I just had to get everything perfect.

For my new story, I've learnt my lesson and I've actually given myself some goals that I'm aiming to meet. This is where quantity vs quality comes into play. As writers, it's the quality of work that people take notice of. But, writers also need to keep busy and always be working on another project.

How does one balance the quality vs quantity dilemma?

revise, revise, revise... put that manuscript away for a month and come back with fresh eyes.
get yourself beta readers/critique group (they're invaluable).
set goals. Have that date set that you need to have the first draft finished by.
always have another project to start working on as soon as you write "THE END".
HAVE FUN... you'll never get anywhere if you don't enjoy what you write.

So, do you focus on quality or quantity in the first draft? Do you do anything to make sure you have both quality and quantity?

P is for Pretending

2011-04-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

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Pretending is something I'm good at. Every day I pretend that I know what I'm talking about. It's not really hard actually. If you speak confidently about something, people will start believing you.

Today I pretended I wanted to buy an iPod dock just to get a free charge... hey it worked, walk around the electronics store testing the different models it took my iPhone from a red to green status.

As a writer, it's my job to pretend. I need to pretend in order to create the characters, create their situations and make their world. It's all about pretending in order to make the reader believe that the story (no matter how fantastical it is) is believable.

How can one be good at pretending?

Speak with passion
Walk with confidence
Dare people to question

Well, how can this relate to writing? Easy... be passionate and confident about what you write and dare people to question the world you create.

So, what have you pretended lately?

O is for Outtakes

2011-04-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

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I know, whenever I look at a DVD or Bluray movie I always look to see if they have scenes that weren't in the movie. I love watching extra scenes. Novels aren't any different. I know as a writer, that there are just some scenes or characters that, even though I might absolutely love, I have to get rid of for some reason.

Here's a snippet from my novel, Shadow Embraced, that I had to get rid of because I rewrote the earlier scenes to involve a lovely chase through the woods. To sum up this scene, my MC, Scar just got busted for fighting and to teach her a lesson she is dumped in the middle of the forest by Rome the student president (who's also a werewolf) for some bizarre detention...

---

I find my hands tied, a blindfold covering my eyes, lying on the wet ground. Rain buckets down. No one says a word. I don't even know if anyone's still here. They probably ditched me out here.

Someone pins me down, my uniform sticks to my skin. “Count to five,” Rome whispers in my ear. His voice coming out in a low growl. If I weren't shivering already, I would have thought he's the cause. Slowly, I feel my hands get untied. “Then, find your way home.”

I hear him walk away. I start counting. “One... two... three...” I don't want to be here anymore. “Four... five...”

My hands tremble. I grip the blindfold and rip it from my eyes. The falling rain blurs my vision. I squint to focus, trying to figure out where the hell I am. Trees surround me. I can see the faint glow of lights coming from a distance. That must be the school. Isn't this a fun night? Left in the middle of nowhere. They will be sorry when they return and find my frozen body buried in the mud come morning.

A twig snaps behind me. A low inhuman growl wafts across the field. There's something else out here. The mud squelches as it approaches. They left me, and now there's something out here. I hate my life.

Forcing myself to my feet, I run in the direction that makes the most sense, away from that thing. There's only one thought in my head, and that's to get the hell out of here. The creature's roar echoes around me.

I turn my head and make my first mistake. My feet catch on a twisted tree root and send me crashing to the muddy earth.

I strain my eyes trying to see whatever's out here stalking me. The rain obscures my vision, but that doesn't stop me from seeing the monstrosity. Powerful raptor claws pry deep scars in the earth beneath it. Its steel-tight muscles quiver beneath the flesh, gently bristling its sleek coat of long echidna-like quills in slow, smooth waves. Large glaring eyes blaze a yellow so bright that even my night vision can’t mask it. A small jewelled locket dangles loosely around its neck like a dog tag. Its long reptilian beak parts in a horrific dragon grin. Leisurely, the creature licks its lips.

It takes half a second for the terror to hit. I bolt.

Its warm breath brushes the back of my neck. I run faster, trying not to slip in the mud. No matter how quick I move, it's right there behind me, toying with me. This is how the poor girl in all those horror movies must feel.

Every muscle aches. The icy air rushes painfully into my lungs. What's the worst that can happen if I just stop and play dead right here? The creature utters another bowel-shaking roar. I take that back, it would be very, very bad. I don't want to die out here.

I glance down at a puddle of water. It ripples as if trembling from fear as well, distorting my own reflection.

'Fight,' the reflection speaks.

I must be exhausted, that or I've totally lost my mind.

'Fight,' it repeats.

Something shifts inside of me, forcing its way to the surface. Suddenly I can see everything clearly, magnified. My eyes move quickly, tracking every drop of rain as if some machine is calculating and adjusting accordingly. A vast reservoir of power surges into me, flowing from my core. My muscles pump harder, driving me forward. Automatically my body manoeuvres to avoid obstacles, so quickly that trees seem to jump out of my way. Light blooms in the distance. The school's straight ahead.

I sense the creature moving through the woods behind me. Without intending to, I find myself running up a tree trunk. Grabbing the branches, I swing myself higher. I have no idea what I'm doing. With one sharp movement, I feel the tree disappear from beneath me and I fly out into the open air. Trying to figure out why I'm even doing this, I realise something. I'm not. At some point I went from driver to captive passenger within my own body.

'Fight,' my inner voice mocks. The new driver.

I land with a heavy thud, right on top of the misshapen creature, and slam him to the ground. My whole flying squirrel act took less than a second, but I've won.

Something hits me from behind with the force of a wrecking ball. Sliding a bit, I land face down in the mud. Without warning, I'm back in control.

“Now, that was fun.” Rome stands over me. “A stupid move that could have gotten you killed if the threat was real, but impressive nonetheless.”

“What the hell?” I scream.

“Let that be a reminder.” He turns to leave. “Don't get caught fighting again.”

He walks away, leaving me lying in the mud. After he disappears from my sight I manage to muster enough energy to get up and limp back to the dorm. If every day is going to be like this one, I may have to consider escaping after all. At least the rain has stopped.

---

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little snippet from Shadow Embraced. I think this outtake was for the best since the threat is more powerful when she actually comes face to face with a werewolf.

So, do you like reading/watching outtakes? Have you ever written a scene or a character that you've had to get rid of?

N is for Never

2011-04-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

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As a writer, I think I would go stark-raving mad if I didn't constantly say NEVER. But, isn't never a bad word? Well, it all depends on how you use it. I always say never. Just take a look:

NEVER stop learning
NEVER be afraid to try
NEVER give up

See, never can be a very positive word. It's definitely a word that everyone can learn to live by.

So, how do you use the word, NEVER?

M is for Mystery

2011-04-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

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I absolutely love mysteries, no matter what genre. The hard to guess villain/ending is more thrilling and challenging to watch/read. I don't know if it's because I'm a writer or I just over-analyse situations, but I have a tendency to try and guess the ending/villain of the movie long before the finale rolls around (and usually I end up being right)... I love movies where I'm absolutely wrong. That means that the author has done a fantastic job of putting enough twists and turns, and enough potential villains into the story that it becomes a complex tale.

At the moment, my WIP is a horror mystery, and I'm finding it extremely hard to have an objective view over whether the scenes are too predictable and whether the ending will be cliche/not interesting/not scary. Because I know the story, I know every ins and outs of what's going to happen and I feel (especially around the "cheap scares" that I'm throwing in) that this story will not be as thrilling, horrific or mysterious as I'm picturing it to be.

So, how does one go about making a suspenseful mystery?

Have enough suspects to place the blame on.
If your character thinks something should happen... then it really shouldn't.
It's always the least expected (or the butler :D)... and the least expected could be the person that's most likely to because everyone expects that so they're not watching him... yes, that does make sense.
Do the unexpected... Try reading through the scene as a reader and ask "what would I do?" and then do the opposite. They definitely won't expect that.

This is where awesome beta readers come in handy. I've already ordered my brother to read the "scary" scenes and see if it's too predictable. He's also a horror buff like me who offers fantastic suggestions if it totally sucks.

P.S. As a horror buff I bow my head to Wes Craven for creating another perfect horror with Scream 4... Just got back from it and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I also didn't know what a fantastic actress Emma Roberts is.

So, do you like mysteries? Do you like to be surprised or would you prefer to know who's the villain up front? For the writers, have you ever written a mystery, and how did you handle keeping it mysterious?

L is for Lunacy

2011-04-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

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We're allowed to all go a little crazy some times. As a writer, I think it's my job to stretch the line between sanity and insanity because I'm constantly thinking of new ways to torture my characters. To have the imagination to create (or destroy) whether it's reading a book and vividly picturing what's happening to being the one creating the world. We all need a little bit of lunacy or the world would be a very boring place.

The Looney Tunes are fantastic examples of the lunacy it takes to imagine crazy events. So, here's a clip that I absolutely love where Coyote finally catches the Roadrunner.

So, have you done anything looney lately?

K is for Koala, Kangaroo & Kookaburra

2011-04-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

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Okay, I know the picture above has absolutely nothing to do with koalas, kangaroos or kookaburras, but they were the only things I could think about that start with K to do a post about Australia. And, with doing this post I noticed how weird it was that the three most noticeable native Australian animals start with the letter K.

What's with the picture above? Well, that's what I get if I drive 20 minutes. 20 minutes the other way I've got a rainforest, 20 minutes in another direction the countryside and 40 minutes north I've got the capital and busy city. Yeah I know, I'm very lucky about where I live.

So, for a fun little post here are some fun little facts about Australia:

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.
More than 85 per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast (including me :D).
Australia was originally a British penal colony for exiled thieves and murderers.
Those from New South Wales are called cockroaches, I’ll leave that to your own imagination (yeah, that was me... now I'm a Queenslander till the end of the year before moving back).
Sydney is the largest city with over 4 million people, while the capital Canberra has around 300,000.
A thong in Australia refers to rubber footwear and not a pair of tiny bum less knickers as it does America.
One of our former Prime Ministers Bob Hawke was in the Guinness Book of World Records In 1954 because he drank 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds.
Australia is home to 21 of the world’s 25 deadliest snakes.

So, where does everyone come from? Do you know any interesting facts about your home town/country?

J is for Jigsaw

2011-04-12T02:59:00.000-07:00

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I used to love family game time when I was younger and we all sat around a massive jigsaw puzzle, trying to find which piece goes where. Sometimes it got frustrating because the piece I had didn't fit where I wanted it to go, and sometimes I just felt like giving up (especially when faced with endless blue tiles of sky).

Isn't life just like one big jigsaw puzzle. You're constantly finding the pieces to put together, sometimes even banging away at odd shaped pieces to make them fit. That's how I feel sometimes, and as a writer it's my job to create a puzzle for my characters (and the readers) to try and piece together.

When will the jigsaw be complete? Well, that all depends on what you're aiming for. If you can see your goal and know exactly what you're doing, I can say that you're almost there. Just a few more annoying pieces to bang into place along the way. If you're not, there's no need to despair. Finding the pieces could be even more fun and challenging.

As for me, I can see my puzzle coming together. I'm just enjoying putting the puzzle together on my way.

So, how is your jigsaw puzzle going? Is it near complete or are you just beginning?

I is for Ignite

2011-04-11T04:35:00.000-07:00

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What do I mean ignite? It could be to ignite a fuse that will lead to some sort of explosion, but to mean, ignite is just the medicine for passion. Something has to ignite to make you want to do something, that particular moment that you decided you want to do something. I mean, my passion for writing was ignited at the end of high school when I decided to write my first story for my sister. If it wasn't from her pleasure and saying it was the best thing she's ever read (she was a bit bias... and the main character was based off her, just with magic powers) I don't know where I would be.

Whatever you do, whatever your passion is, there is always that one moment in time that ignited it. Whether there's going to be some big explosion or if it's going to fizzle out in the end, well that's just up to how determined and focused you are. I'm hoping mine will end with some massive explosion. I'm not going to give up until I reach my goals, so my fuse might be a very long one.

Tips for a long ignition:

Rejection only makes you stronger... if you continue to work to improve.
Determination is key.
Find something or someone to work for.
Decide what you're working for... what goal is it that you want?
DON'T GIVE UP!

Have you ignited something in your life?

H is for Horror

2011-04-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

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I've always grown up watching horror movies. Even when I wasn't "allowed" to, I always snuck into the room where my cousins had the movie playing just for a sneak peak. So, tonight while I was watching a Wes Craven movie I was thinking what actually goes into making a "good" horror movie. See, I'm very fussy when it comes to my horror. I love psychological thrillers or supernatural twisters, but I can't stand gore for gore sakes... I can't watch the Saw movies (literally, I fell asleep through the first one and haven't been tempted for the rest).

What are elements of a good horror?

Setting is keyIt doesn't always have to be on a dark and stormy night, but small towns that hold secrets work really well. I have seen a movie that had a lot of scares in a sunflower field and it worked really well.
The villain never stays dead
Where would the fun be if the big bad actually died on the first time the hero overpowered it? No, the hero needs to feel safe for a little while before the monster comes back with a vengeance.
It's not just the body count, but the method
Slasher flickers are usually not that impressive. I don't care about how many silly teens end up gutted, all that matters is the creativity that goes into those deaths. This also adds to the horror because the viewer knows something is coming but doesn't know what to suspect.
Cheap scares only work if they're scary and unexpected
I love cheap scares, but every time a mirror is shown in a horror movie you can be certain that they're going to do a ghost in the mirror or something. Now, doing something that the viewer won't expect is something that will really give a scare.
Make the hero question their sanity
Even going as far as question their innocence. Are they actually the monster that's out there.

I really need to consider these aspects because the story that I'm now concocting is a YA horror, and even though I've watched plenty of horrors, I've never actually written straight up horror. My stories usually end up more supernatural and paranormal fantasy. And, at least to me, horror writing is actually very hard because how would I know if something's truly scary since I'm writing it and know what's going to happen?

And, to leave you all for this fine Saturday and since I'm super excited to see this movie when it gets released on Thursday, here's a clip that I found up taken from good old Australia.

Do you like horror movies? If so, what's your favourite horror movie? Or, why don't you watch horror movies?

G is for Gonna-itis

2011-04-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

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My father is always calling me the Gonna Girl. This is because whenever I get asked whether I can do something I, for some reason, answer with "I'm gonna". This has become a very big slogan of mine, and I can so relate it back to writing and goal making.

Isn't there so many goals or even promises that you answer with "I'm gonna get around to it", "I'm gonna do it" or "not right now but I'm gonna". Even if it's just to get someone off your back that you answer with "I'm gonna".

This disease is called gonna-itis. Beware it is contagious, but there is a very simple cure. To be rid of the gonna-itis all you have to do is:

Prioritise your goals - this will help you decide which "gonna" goals you have to do first.
Learn to say no - I know it's difficult sometimes, but maybe these "gonna" goals all come out because you take on too many and are scared to disappoint someone so you say you're gonna do it.
Bribe yourself - no, that's not bad. Give yourself a little treat if you complete the goal that you say you're "gonna" do.
Get off your butt and DO IT.

Do you suffer from gonna-itis? What are some things that you say you're gonna do but really never get around to doing them? How do you get over your gonna-itis?

F is for Firsts

2011-04-07T03:59:00.000-07:00

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One reason to read and write YA is to relive and create firsts. These firsts can be happy or sad. Just to be able to go back to that one moment in time and be able to relive that first, or experience something new or out of the ordinary that you haven't experienced before. This is the main aims of YA, to be able to go back to a time of "reasonable" innocence and relive those moments.

It's funny, I'm nowhere near my teens anymore, but I can still remember some of my firsts.

First kiss: Behind a brick wall and in front of half the school... yeah, for some reason two people kissing was a big spectator sport at 15.
First loss: My cousin died when I was 10. He was the same age as me. He died on a soccer field after being kicked in the head.
First time feeling real fear: Not till I was 18. I was involved in a car accident and found out what a pinball feels like. I surprisingly walked away from that (yeah, the cops and ambulance was surprised at that as well).
First regret: 17, when I was at my friends 18th. Yeah, being brought home by the cops wasn't exactly how I wanted to end the night either... hey, I only regret going out, I was actually the only sober one and spent the night baby sitting a passed out friend.
First novel complete: Yeah, I don't really want to go there. It was written by an 18 year old who was writing for a very strict audience... baby sister (which I pleased). Let's just say that she was written into the story and turned out to be a missing princess who was sent to earth to save her... yeah, she liked it but it's not seeing the light of day.

There are some moments in life that have been engraved into my mind, but I think all these events, whether happy or sad or even embarrassing, have made me who I am today. Maybe I would want to go back and redo some of the "firsts" that I've had, but where would all the fun be with that?

What are some of the firsts you remember? If you could, would you want to go back and change some of these?

E is for Empathy

2011-04-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

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The dictionary says empathy is "ability to identify with a person or an object". I say it's being able to put yourself in "one's shoes" and as a writer I find this an essential skill. Even as a reader, it's this suspension of disbelief to be able to understand and relate to the characters that I'm reading about. I love being all teary eyed or fearful about a character, because that means I care.

This, I feel, is the hardest part of writing and I commend anyone that can get me to really feel for a character. I write a lot of fantasy and horror, but that doesn't mean I don't have to get the emotions right. It actually means that I've got to get the reader to believe the character's emotions and attitude even more because the situation is totally made up.

In my current WIP, I have a character that dreams about death. She is the modern version of Cassandra (from the Greek legends who saw the fall of Troy) and I can tell you that I know squat about what it feels like to be burdened with those sorts of visions, but even worse that no one believes her.

So, how do you become accustomed with empathy?

Watch as many movies as possible which has that sort of situation/emotion
Go and sit in the park and watch people, making notes if needed, to see how people act (hey, this was what I was told about creating believable emotions in acting)
Start an emotion diary and write down the different emotions you feel, what brings them on and how you act
Listen to music and think about how each makes you feel. Perhaps create a playlist for the story/scene you're writing.

What do you do to create believable emotions for your characters? Do you continue reading if you can't relate to the character or their emotions?

D is for Danger

2011-04-05T03:40:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my 300 follower contest for a chance to win a $30 gift card from Amazon.

Yesterday I spoke about fears (especially around clowns), so today I'll keep with that theme and speak about Danger. Call me sadistic, but when I read or watch movies, I love to see the main hero/heroine put in a dangerous situation, and the more deadly and hazardous, the more it captivates me.

The same goes with my writing. My brother jokingly states that if any of my characters could come to life they would probably try to kill me because of all the torture I put them through. I think there is something with humans that love seeing others (that they don't know) in agony or danger. This is where most fiction comes from.

But, what about decisions? I usually don't like to play safe. I love thrill rides at the theme parks. I really want to go sky diving. I want to learn parkour (you know, for writing purposes only).I think different and dangerous experiences only helps a writer to be able to convey believable emotions on the page.

So, what about you? Do you live for danger? Or do you play it safe?

C is for Clowns

2011-04-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my 300 follower contest for a chance to win a $30 gift card from Amazon.

What is it about clowns? I don't have a fear of clowns, I just find them creepy sometimes (hey, there has to be something wrong if you can fit that many people inside a small car). But, clowns are actually one of the things people fear the most, and that's probably why so many great horrors have come out of clowns and circuses.

I think it also has something to do with what clowns are meant to represent. When young, didn't most of us have dreams of running away to join the circus? I can admit that I did (for a short time... I even practised some acrobatics with my cousin). That sense of freedom and happiness is the exact opposite of what clowns represent in horror stories.

Like I said, I don't have a fear of clowns. Actually, I don't have a fear of much (mainly because I had really traumatising cousins who took me to the carnival and left me standing at the opening of a haunted house... which was just a pitch black room with people waiting to scare you, when I was six... that's just one of the things that desensitised me to horror and other fears). Even though I'm not scared of clowns, doesn't mean I actually like them... I still find them creepy.

Give me spiders. Give me snakes. Give me anything except for clowns (and maybe cockroaches... I just can't stand them).

So, how do you feel about clowns? Anything that you're really scared of that you don't mind admitting to?

B is for Blog Contests

2011-04-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

So today is day number 2 in the A to Z challenge, and I thought a nice celebration was in order. I love blog contests (even though I never win) and I decided to throw one myself. I'm nearly at 300 followers and I thought I would celebrate that milestone.

The rules for the contest:

You don't need to be a follower, but if you are the more entries you'll get.
Fill in the form below
On the 30th April I will announce the winner. That's right. It's going for the entire month and on the day that I post my Z post I will post the winner.

What is the prize? To start off with, the prize is a $30 gift card from Amazon.com. Since this will be going all month and I might be feeling generous the prizes could increase. So pass on the word and lets make this month a fun month.

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And, speaking of contests. Shelley Watters is having a contest over at her blog. It's for writers of completed MS's. It is for a twitter pitch (140 characters or less) of the novel.

Here are the rules from her blog:
As this is a contest to celebrate hitting blog follower milestones, to be fair, only followers of my blog or twitter (@Shelley_Watters) are eligible to participate (but you CAN follow me now & enter! :) )

1. Follow my blog and/or twitter (@Shelley_Watters)
2. Sign up for the blogfest using the link below.
3. Spread the word about the contest (via blog/twitter/etc).
3. On April 1st and 2nd, post your 140 character twitter pitch on your blog.
4. Go visit the other contestants and provide comments/critiques on their pitch.
5. On April 3rd, in the comments section of my contest blog, post:

Title, Genre and Word Count
Your polished 140 character twitter pitch
Where you follow me (blog/twitter). Please include your twitter handle.
Link to where you spread the word (twitter/blog etc)
Your email address where you can be contacted.

So get polishing your 140 character Twitter pitch!

Here is the pitch I'm going to be using:

"To control the creature threatening to take over her, 16-year-old Scar joins an underground fight club of witches, werewolves and vampires."

What do you all think?

A is for Already

2011-04-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

So today is the first day of the A-Z Blogging Challenge. I can't believe April is ALREADY here. This year is off to a flying start and I've realized that I'm so far behind. It's like, for this month, I haven't even started thinking about what I'll post about.

I think I need to have a plan of action for this month. So, here's what I'm planning to achieve by the end of April:

1. Finish these posts
2. Finish first draft of my Superhero story
3. Catch up with Uni
4. Read at least 5 books
5. Send out queries for Shadow Embraced

So, what do you plan to achieve this month?

Review: The Lipstick Laws

2011-03-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Synopsis (From Goodreads): At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?

April Bowers isn't just unpopular, she's practically invisible. When her best friend, Hayley transfers schools, April is forced to start the new school year alone. When she gets the attention of popular girl, Britney Taylor, she isn't going to say no even though Hayley keeps warning her to stay away from Britney. Everything seems to be going great for April, she's been able to talk to her crush Matt "hottie-body" Brentwood and she's even sworn an oath to the Lipstick Laws, making Britney and her followers her friends... or at least she thinks.

When April breaks a law she is tossed out of Britney's group and they do anything to make April's life hell, like they have for so many others before her. April isn't going down without a fight and she decides that there might be others to help her. She forms the Lipstick Lawbreakers, a group bent on dethroning Britney Taylor. But, how far will April go to get her revenge? And, is it all worth it, especially when she might not get the boy she wants in the end?

With drama, boys and good old fashion revenge, The Lipstick Laws is a high school roller coaster about how far bully victims will go before they fight back.

The Lipstick Laws was a cute and easy read. There are plenty of ups and downs as April tries to find her place in the school. April is a really likeable character, and I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to her. I'm sure a lot of people either know or have known a Britney Taylor and would have given anything to give her some payback. This is the exact book for that.

Mix it in with two guys, the hottie and the geek and you've got the exact formula for high school chaos. Amy Holder does a great job at creating a fun little read that targets the more serious issue of Bullying and how far the victims can go before they become the bullies. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Amy Holder can deliver.

Source: Netgalley
Release Date: April 4th 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #8 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #14 of 50

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