It is finished

Somewhat. : )

Tune in Tuesday (19) & Top Ten Tuesday (10)

I've been writing, writing, writing for NaNoWriMo so again there isn't a teaser this week. Aww, I'm going to have to read like 5 books in December to make up for this month. Anywhoo, moving along to Tune In.

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger at GReads. Hop on over there and join in the fun!

I've been on a Bruno Mars kick this week. I just love his voice and he is just so cute! I just want to put him in my pocket, carry him around all day and let him sing me songs. Ha Ha. Here are a few of my faves from him.

 

Travie McCoy: Billionaire ft. Bruno Mars (LIVE ACOUSTIC)

I love the acoustic version of this song.

 

Runaway Baby - Bruno Mars

I just love this upbeat song. Has that old school feel.

 

Voices in my Head - Bruno Mars

 

The Other Side - Bruno Mars feat. Cee Lo Green & B.O.B

 

And of course

 

Talking to the Moon - Bruno Mars

Love this song!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic: Top Ten Author I want at Thanksgiving Dinner

 

So exciting! Ok, so I have to have my late greats table.

 

Shakespeare, Faulkner, Hughes, Hurston & Tolkien

 

Then my para-bunch

Meyer, Rowling, Harris & Ward

 

Lastly, a couple contemporary & YA

 

Sparks & Collins

 

Oops, I went over by one person. Anyways, I think this would be a great dinner.

Tune in Tuesday (18) & Top Ten Tuesday (9)

Well, I haven't been doing much reading so I don't have my book with me to do Teaser Tuesday but I can do Tune In and Top Ten.

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger at GReads. Hop on over there and join in the fun!

So I created a writing soundtrack when I began writing my novel for NaNoWriMo (BTW I changed from the paranormal to the edgy YA. I swear the story wants to get out of me, its just not coming out right) and I've decided to post two songs which remind me of the protag and her bestie. I have to say my book starts off pretty dark so these are not the happy bubblegum teenage girl songs you would expect.

 

Scar - Fefe Dobson

This song reminds me of the protag and her issues in the beginning of the novel.

Innocence - Halestorm

This is for the protags best friend. She is hardcore. That's all I can say.

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic: Top Ten Unread Books on my shelf

 

Wow. Yeah I have tons of books waiting to be read on my book case. Here are a few:

 

 

Write Thoughts (3): Writing Contest

I know everyone is deeply immersed in the NaNoWriMo challenge (I'm failing miserably at it BTW but that a whole 'nother blog topic) however, there is another writing challenge in association with National Writing Project being judged by Junot Díaz, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao and Drown. Mr. Diaz has a great way of creating a strong voice with his characters. This contest is called:

Creating the Voice: Narrative Voice Contest with Junot Díaz
choose a topic below, narrative should be no more than 1,000 words in length

First Person:Without naming or describing your narrator, write a story in which you make the narrator’s age, personality, and philosophy/outlook on life evident through his or her voice.

Second Person:Write a story about an ordinary day in the life of an extraordinary person, such as the president, supermodel, or a homeless boy. Narrate the story entirely in the second person.

Third Person:
Write a story in which you describe a person using only attributes generally considered negative (for example a character who is usually late, sloppy, and mean), but through the voice of your narrator, make that character likable.

Entry details here. Contest ends November 30th. Finalists will receive signed copies of Díaz’s books and the winner will receive a special Oscar Wao prize pack. So for those who aren't participating in NaNoWriMo this month or those banging their head against the wall (like me) and just needing a break, check out this contest. Happy Writing!

Book Review: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Leading up to the premiere of Breaking Dawn: part 1 I wanted to review the books of the Twilight Saga since I read them before I started my book blog. Countdown to Breaking Dawn: Part 1! Four days remaining! I probably won't go see it this weekend. I think I will save it for Thanksgiving Weekend. Anywhoo, on to my review of New Moon.

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

"Shoot, I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then Edward threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table...I tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. I felt the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm-into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires." Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Ok, this is the book were all us Jacob lovers fell in love! I know Bella loves Edward and blah blah blah however, she painted an amazing picture of Jacob in this book. She might be in love with Edward but she was subconsciously infatuated with Jacob. She played it off by wishing he was her brother, saying that he was her best friend, yeah yeah, I think that was the only way she could deal with the mental guilt of being in love with two people. Or could just be wishful thinking, I'm so not a fan of Edward. He's kind of a creep if you think about it. Sure, he looks 18 but mentally he's in his 100s. 100? Why are you falling in love with high school girls? Shouldn't your mental capacity outextend the giggly confused high school girl wants? See, pervy, totally not a responsible adult.

Anywhoo, back to the book, personally I was glad that Edward disappeared for the majority of the book and we got to see the relationship between Bella and Jacob grow. They are fun to read about, their relationship is easy and I had way more aww moments. Plus, we got witness his transformation as well. I enjoyed that we learned about the Quiliete legend along with Jacob. There were a lot of meaty details in this book that weren't in the movie. This book was so much better than the movie to me. And, say what you want, but the four blank pages counting the months was genius to me. Bella was out of it, depressed, I think it was a great way to move the story along without boring us with whiny details of self-pity.

I enjoyed this book. I was glued to it for hours and I finished it in one day and moved right onto Eclipse. I do have one thought though, part of me felt like Bella was begging to become a vampire more for vanity and the idea of how cool it would be to be a vampire as opposed to this insane love she has for Edward. I don't know why I just saw him changing her and her going, 'awesome, ok I'm out, peace.' I don't know, I think she fell for Edward because he was a vampire and if he was normal she wouldn't be that into him.

Just thought I would share this:

Love love Taylor Lautner but Jacob in the book was much much bigger. I would love to see the actor who could play the Jacob that is in the book. Eventhough I know how the story ends I'm still Team Jacob. He was a much better choice for her but as teenagers were never chose what is best for us.

Follow Friday

BuBussy Busy today so I only have time to do one post.

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read  This weeks featured blog is MotherLode and the weekly question is:

 

Q: In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran’s Day tell us about your favorite soldier and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.

 

My Daddy!! He is retired now but is definately my favorite soldier.

 

Book Review: Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

"Think I could turn that boy bad?"

My two best friends--my only two friends, really--follow my gaze and laugh.

"Trevor Hoffman?" Beth scoffs. "No way, Jen."

"I bet I could," I say, shrugging.

"Why him?" Beth asks. "Why not any of the other nerds sitting there with him?"

"Because," I say slowly, "he isn't your typical run-of-the-mill geek. Trevor Hoffman is different. He would be a little more difficult to take down--more of a challenge, you know?"
Jen's teenage life of rebelling and sneaking out is growing stale. In an effort to combat her boredom, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a nice geek, into a "bad boy." Unexpectedly, she is pulled into Trevor's world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even--ugh!--bowling. Jen discovers that hanging out with Trevor isn't so bad after all.

But when Trevor finds out about the wager, all bets are off.

I loved this book! As you can read from the synopsis this book starts off with a bet. You basically know where it is going to go with the typical beginning bet then a realization followed with the blow up ending. However, this book is a different journey. You know where it begins, but the heart of this book takes you into the Jen's past with her parents and "the Fosters", a childhood of abuse and tragedy. We go into her psyche and see just how she has chosen to deal with all that she has had to endure. It gives such a good explanation for why she is the way she is, tough, hard to reach and difficult at times. Throughout this journey you meet Trevor and you see his interaction with Jen and it is, ah, great. Cindy has a way of writing in some great guy lead character, I tell you (see Henry in Heart on a Chain). Halfway through, honestly, I almost forgot about the bet. The story grows so much bigger than turning geeky Trevor into a bad boy. You can see the shell on Jen breaking away slowly and her growing as a person. Trevor has a transformation as well but not like you would think. You no longer see Geek Boy and Rebel Girl, they become like Romeo and Juliet or something. One thing I liked about Trevor was that he stuck to his guns, he knew who he was and how he was raised. He was so self-confident not the "typical geek." Every once in a while, though, I would cringe while reading because I knew he would have to find out about the bet and I was dreading it. I loved the relationship that developed between the two and I didn't want anything to mess it up. Although Trevor is Mr. Manners, you just know when he finds out its not going to be good. I won't go any further into what happens because you should read the book!

Cindy is a great writer. The story just flows, her writing isn't complicated. Reading this book was enjoyable and although it had it moments of sadness, you appreciate the characters more by the way they deal with the struggles in this book. Conclusion, this is a great, enjoyable read. The characters are great, the writing style is great, the book is great. Go read it!

Thanks again to Cindy for letting me participate in the Virtual Book Tour and I look forward to reading more from her!!

Guest Post: Author Cindy C. Bennett on Getting Published

Getting Published – Not for the Faint of Heart

By Cindy C. Bennett

As a writer, when you finally get to type (in your imagination, not in reality) “the end” after slogging away for six months and seventy-six thousand words, a sigh of pleasure and relief escapes. You think, “I did it! I’m done.” Of course, that’s far from the truth.

After more months of editing and formatting, when you’re sick to death of your book, when you feel you have polished your manuscript as much as possible, you begin the journey to publication. “How hard can it be?” you think, with hope and expectation giving you giddiness. Then you begin to explore. And you realize you have to write a query letter—not just any query letter. A letter that is short, concise, and will sell your book as the best ever written within the first ten seconds of the query.

I will say that most authors are not the best at this task. We like to expound, to use more words and give more details than necessary for the most part. Trying to condense your seventy-six thousand words into 300 seems an impossibility. After weeks of rewriting, sweating, and crying, you finally have something that you think just might sound semi-interesting and professional. You then learn that you must query an agent, not a publisher. Most publishers won’t look at you without an agent. After seeking out your top three choices of agents (why would you need to send to more than three, they’ll be vying to publish your book) you personalize and then snail-mail or email your queries.

Then you wait. And wait some more. Finally, a response … er, rejection. The first of many. Eventually you develop a propensity for stomach cramps every time you see your mail box, or open your email. This was my life for quite some time. And then I had the good fortune to meet some other writers, ironically in an online class for learning to write a winning query letter, since apparently mine was lacking somewhere as it wasn’t getting the point across about the awesomeness of my book. Through our correspondence in the class, and the decision to follow the class by reading and critiquing one another’s works, I discovered the possibility for self-publication from one of the authors.

Hallelujah! It was as if the heavens had opened and a light shined down on me. I could do this myself and no longer have to dread rejections? Show me the way!

You might wonder how this has anything to do with Geek Girl, which is clearly being published by Sweetwater Books, and not by me, myself, and I. I’m getting to that.

I did actually self-publish Geek Girl. And oddly, no one was lined up to buy the book. It didn’t fly off the virtual shelves. Imagine my surprise! The final kick came when I asked a small bookstore about having a book signing, and was told they would only have me if I had a publisher. So with dread I went back to the drawing board, so to speak. Only this time, I was looking for a publisher who would accept a self-published book for consideration.

I found a few, all small presses, all of them refusing to even look at you if you do have an agent. I only received two rejections before I opened my mail and found an invitation from Angie Workman at Cedar Fort, Inc., to send my manuscript, along with some additional info such as previous sales and a synopsis (another difficulty!). My heart began to pound, I was lightheaded, and that tiny spark of hope reignited. However, it was still with deep apprehension that I hit the send button with the manuscript attached.

When I received the “Congratulations! Cedar Fort is pleased to publish Geek Girl” email, I think I reread it three or four—or twenty—times to be sure it said what I thought it said. And sure enough, it did. What an amazing feeling that was, to finally have someone give my baby validation, to say, yes, we think this book is good, and we want it, and to be willing to take a chance on something I’d written (thank you, Angie!).

The whole process of getting published is a strange, wondrous, ulcer-inducing ride. No matter which route an author chooses, self-publishing or traditional publishing, it’s worth any amount of headache and heartache when you get that very first email with the subject line, “from a fan.” And so, to all my fans who’ve read or will read my books, and even to those readers who hate them, I say thank you for making my journey complete.

Thanks Mrs. Bennett for stopping by and sharing her publishing knowledge with us aspiring writers. Don't forget to stop back by later for my review of Geek Girl as a part of her Virtual Book Tour!!

Waiting on Wednesday (19): Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber (TBR December 6, 2011)

Beresford doesn’t remember much about his past or how he came to live in the chutes and crawl spaces of the posh high-rise that shares his name. But when rock star and teen sensation Melody McGrath moves to an apartment on the fiftieth floor, he knows he has to be near her. Although she doesn’t realize it, Melody is threatened by more dangerous forces than her manipulative stage mom and the pressures of life in the spotlight. The owner of the glamorous building has been hiding a fatal secret within its walls, and Beresford puts all his plans at risk. Will Beresford and Melody be able to escape with their lives (and love) intact?

Teaser Tuesday (17) and Tune In Tuesday (13) and Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! 

  

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"Today her drab school outfit has been replaced by an expensive white dress and her blonde hair is done up with a pink ribbon. Reaping clothes."

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger at GReads. Hop on over there and join in the fun!

I heard this first song on the radio last night and I had no clue who sung it but it was so catchy. I just had to find it.

Colbie Caillat - Brighter than the Sun

I'm probably late but this is a great song. I love it! While searching for this song I came across this other song that fits perfectly for my main character in my WIP.

Caitlyn Taylor Love - Even if it Kills Me

I'd never heard this song before today. I have to add it to my writing soundtrack.

Lastly, I just love this video, more than the song.

Rihanna - We Found Love

Plus the guy is sooo cute!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic: Top Ten Books I read that were outside of my comfort zone

Beowulf we read and dissected in school, wasn't bad just not my cup of tea. Dune and Fahrenheit 451 were my dad's books, he kept them lying around the house growing up. I tried to read both, read about half then stopped.

The Chamber and The Client were both pretty good books if you like legal dramas.

Shame On It All, Addicted and Skyscraper all erotic novels. Which there is nothing wrong with Erotica, these were just a bit much for my taste, yet I read them all. Hmm, what does that say about me? Lol.

The DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons were bandwagon books. Everyone was reading them so I did too. I liked the DaVinci Code movie.