My favorite-- a lazy Sunday

Yes, yes, yes, I complain about being busy too much. I actually listened to myself the other day and thought "oh, no, I am one of those people..." I envisioned myself with a long-neck cigarette saying "Darling, we simply MUST do lunch, if I could ever find the time, so swamped, you know how it is..." And I laughed at myself, both for complaining, and then for envisioning myself as an F. Scott Fitzgerald character without even intending to.

But, I am enjoying something delightful at the moment, something: a lazy Sunday. I woke up hours before everyone else (one of the perks to not being able to sleep past 7:30 a.m.... EVER), made coffee, caught up on emails. I'm putting in a movie, opening up the file for book #3, and writing, writing, writing as soon as I hit "post" here. And then a nap... then I might bake...

My complaints about being busy stem from not enough lazy Sundays. I had a great and brief conversation with fellow author Jessica Bell (check out her blog at http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/) about this this week-- when you're a writer, you can always be writing, or promoting, or writing, or promoting, which makes it hard to accept the need for sleeping or relaxing. 

But oh, the lazy Sunday. What are you all doing on this three day weekend? What are your favorite lazy Sunday loves.

Sizing up the competition...

...Well, not really. Before Max and Menna, I never anticipated myself writing young adult fiction, and so I'm trying to read as much in the genre as I can. I catching up, and falling in love with this genre, very, very quickly! So when my book was nominated for a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award in the Young Adult category, I was curious to read the other books in this category. I've gotten through one so far, but can honestly say that I am honored to be nominated in the same category!

The Second Trial by Rosemare Boll is the story of Danny, who unknowingly grew up the son of an abusive, manipulative father. Danny's dad abused his mom in secret, and Danny's mom did her best to cover it up. Thus, when Danny finds himself at a trial sentencing his father for the attempted murder of his mother, he is still not even sure that the abuse ever happened... and just as he starts to understand how dangerous his father is, the man is released from prison, sending Danny, his mom, and his sister into witness protection... and starting over.

I've railed before against all YA fiction writers believing that teens are nothing but angst-filled, back-talking, selfish, juvenille kids. In the case of Danny, Boll has taken every one of those attributes and made it not only believable, but understandable, and I loved this book.

Wonderfully characterized, Danny and his mother come to life on the page, revealing an unsettling tension between them. My empathy for Danny, being transplanted into a new world after discovering that his whole life was full of lies, ran deep. Nonetheless, as a woman, I felt an enormous sympathy for his mom, who tried, above all else, to do what was best for her kids and had to watch as these decisions turned their lives upside down.

Never veering into the melodramatic or trite, the book has a straightforward prose, allowing a reader to assign his or her own feelings and assessments to these extrodinary situations instead of directing. I appreciate that, and Boll's subtley building to a climax that is muted (I keep using that word), but nonetheless powerful.

An outstanding first novel!

I feel like I run with the cool kids...

... and by the cool kids, I mean the other amazing Lucky Press authors. Every time I read another Lucky Press author, I am struck by how lucky (pun intended) I am to be a part of this group.

I just finished Norah, a work of historical fiction by Cynthia Neale. By all counts, I shouldn't have liked it. I don't read historical fiction, I typically shy away from third person books, American history is far less intriguing to me than European, etc.... Everything about Norah said "not my style."

Nonetheless, Neale pulled me in and kept me enthralled with her story for more than 200 pages!

Norah McCabe is an Irish woman living in a New York city slum in the mid 1800's. Having fled Ireland, and the Great Hunger, with her family, Norah isn't like other women. She doesn't want to get married and give away her heart. She wants to have a rich, full life of her own. This is a book about a true feminist pioneer, but, as with everything about Neale's style, her portrayal of feminism in the time is masterful, muted, and beautifully written.

Neale clearly demonstrates passion for her story, and Norah is as real to me as if she lived next door. Other characters in the story come to life as well, but none so vividly as New York City. The backdrop of the city breathes in this book, becoming a character all its own and is, in fact, one of the richest elements of the novel.

While I found the pacing of the book to be a bit uneven in a few spots, I promise if you read Norah, you will have moments where you look up from its pages and find yourself surprised to be in 2011, and not 1850. It is very worth a read, and your time! Surf over to Amazon and check it out!

My favorite book... part 3, or why I LOVED Paranormalcy

I LOVE getting lost in a book. Seriously. These are the moments I live for, and those that I wish and hope and strive to create as an author. And this is exactly why I am gushing about Paranormalcy, the first novel by Kiersten White. As a first novel, it is wonderfully impressive, well sculpted, and highly enjoyable. In the genre of teen paranormal fiction (which is, apparently, a HUGE genre), this is a book to set the bar much higher than it has been. Seriously, Bella Swan, you best watch your back.

I read about this book on a blog and ordered it our of curiousity. I took it on an airplane with me last Thursday, thinking it was something to read during those pesky take-off/landing periods where I couldn't have my computer open. In actuality,

I never opened my laptop.

Instead, I got pulled into the world of Evelyn (no last name), a member of an international organization charged with documenting, tagging, and nuetralizing all manners of paranormal fiends. And just like Bella Swan's ability to block Edward's telepathy and Sookie Stackhouse's ability to read the minds of the living, Evelyn has a gift. She sees through the glamours of the paranormal, which makes her one kick butt investigaotor.

I was instantly so impressed by White's writing, and so enamored of Evie's voice, that I found myself confused when the pilot came on the intercom to say we were landing. This was then followed by four hours of sheer aggravation that I had to work before I could finish.

Evie is what a heroine shoulsd be. Strong, empathetic, intelligent, sassy, and inquisitive-- this is a role model for girls, who is as admirable as she is real. White tells of first kisses, and the heart break of discovering her past all with the same gentle, believable touch.

All in all, very impressive, and highlyl recommended. Getting lost in the book-- my favorite book activity :) And with that stretch, I think we shall call this series closed!

My favorite book... Part 2

Most of us bibliophiles have had this moment... we know MONTHS in advance when an author's next title will appear on shelves/Amazon, and we are waiting anxiously to devour it. It is, in fact, one of my favorite book moments... the arrival moment, when you are so excited and full of antcipation. I've had a few great ones in my life-- the seventh Harry Potter novel, Flight by Sherman Alexie, etc. But, one author gives me this chance about once a year, bringing me novels I devour in a day and find delightful, empty bliss within, and that novel is Charlaine Harris, who once a year publishes a new Sookie Stackhouse novel.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, these are the novels on which True Blood (the best show ever) is based. On book #7, I was mystified that I was still reading-- I typically loose interest in a series after 3 or 4 books, but for these delightful, easy reads, I was still hooked on 7 or 8.

Last week, book 11 came in the mail, and I read it in a day. While I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in Harris' vampire world (think Twilight with an NC-17 rating), I am saddened to see my interest waning. Much of the dramatic tension that so pulled me in during the first 8-9 books just feels lacking in this last book (as it was somewhat in book 10). Sookie, or perhaps Harris, just seems to be going through the motions in this last installation, and I am very hopeful that next May a new, exciting book will bring the series back to its initial glory.

Or, eventually, Harris will run out of creative ways to work "Dead" into the title of a book :)

Regardless, the anticipation is still one of my favorite book moments.

My favorite book... Part 1

I'm apparently all about the series, lately, so here is another topic I love... my favorite book _________. Part 1, my favorite (independant) bookstore.

This one is easy, and I am going to call out a store I have (unfortunately) only had the pleasure of visiting twice-- Main Street Books in Frostburg, MD. In the interest of full disclosure, They were the first bookstore to host a signing event for Max and Menna, so I am a bit biased, but my bias cannot taint the true amazingness of this place!

I love readers-- most of my friends read voraciously. I do believe there are readers who love to read for pleasure, distraction, etc., and then there are true bibliophiles, who get so engrossed in stories that they are consumed and can think of nothing else when in the middle of a good book. Readers can become biblophiles, bibliophiles get busy and are readers, and regardless of classification, they are all the kind of people I want to be around!

When you walk into Main Street Books, all you feel is "Bibliophiles live here." It's a warm, inviting space with friendly employees and a focus that is consistently and constantly on the love of books. The whole time I was there, I just kept thinking "I wish this place was next to MY house!" And I do... I can just invision finding a book and a corner and losing an afternoon at Main Street Books. If you're in the area, I encourage you to do it!

And, since I travel a lot, I am curious-- where are these places near you? I need local haunts to visit when I am on the road!

Your favorite marketing mentions...

I mention working a lot, but don't often talk about what it is. I'm a marketer... I take products and help create the tools that best describe to people what the benefits of that product are and how it can help them. This is not only my job, really, it is one of my passions. I love what I do. Its the perfect mix of creative and analytical. And it has spurned one of my all time favorite hobbies... collecting "what were they thinking" advertisements.

I'm sure we all have a list... but this blog post was spurned by a particular sight this morning that I just have to share.

1. Cottonelle's "Get Fresh with a Friend" campaign... Really? Hygiene products and you're recommending we use them with friends?
2. A book on insurance billing for massage therapists with the tag line "Manipulate your life!"
3. And my absolute favorie that I saw on a truck this morning. Premise: Advertising Lance crackers. Photo: A packet of Lance crackers sticking out of someone's back pocket. Tag line: Do You Have a Lance in your Pants? ... Really??

Any additions?

Happy Mother's Day

My mom used to let us eat ice cream for breakfast on the Fourth of July.
She read my book and was angry with me for some of the outcomes.
She used to give people the oddest gifts. If you mentioned in passing (and sarcastically) once that you liked leopard print, for every birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and sometimes St. Patrick's Day, she would buy you something leopard print.
She had this awful eggplant pants suit she wore to every special occasion.
You could say anything to her and she wouldn't judge you. She saw the best in everyone, always.

Much love to the awesome Moms out there. I wish mine was here, but I'm so glad I had her as long as I did. .

Prince Caspian and Fantasy

As I type this, I am watching the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I love, love, love this movie for three reasons:

1. I love the series and I think the movie is a really good representation
2. I love a fantasy world so seamlessly constructed that you feel enterring the real-world again is jarring, and that is exactly how I felt after I saw this movie for the first time
3. I have such a massive movie-star crush on Ben Barnes. I'm for serious. He is so dreamy!

But, the thing this movie also does for me is remind me of how jealous I am of good fantasy writers. I cannot tell a lie... I watch more fantasy movies than I read fantasy books, and it isn't a genre I naturally gravitate towards in either form, but when it is done well, I am green with envy and love, love, lover it!

  

I am in awe of people who effectively create a whole world with new rules, new creatures, and (usually) really complex and sophisticated back stories or political alignments, etc.. For example, I watch the Harry Potter movies frequently, and just watched the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring again on Easter and both movies (and all of the accompanying books) blow me away. To have that kind of imagination, to build something that rich.

 

I've written two novels and dozens of stories. I do not consider myself to be lacking in creativity, but I am astounded and in awe of strong fantasy writers.

 

So, what are the strong fantasy novels you've read/movies you watched. It's a prolific genre for sure, and one that I am suddenly re-inspired to delve into a littl more thoroughly.

Annoying annoyances in your reading

On the YAtopia blog (one of my favorite frequent visits) over the weekend, there was a post about things in books that annoy you. She covered some classically over-used occurances that always pull me out of the stories. I was actually glad for the post, because as a writer, I like to know how not to annoy readers :)

But, I want to be a bit more constructive than just pointing out annoyances. To me, the difference between a good story and a great story is seamlnessness of storytelling, i.e. never letting the way something is written pull you out of what is written. Don't let the writing interrupt your story... they should build upon each other.

So here is something that pulls me out of a story--

In third person story, switching point of view. I know it sounds odd, but I have read several books lately that are told in third person limited and spend much of their time extremely focused on one character, narrating events clost to this character, and then suddenly (sometimes within the same paragraph), you're reading about what someone else thinks in response to the main character.

Is it technically wrong? I don't know, probably not... but it is abrupt. If you are closely following character A for 50 pages and feel totally immersed in character A, and then all the sudden you hear something character B is thinking, and then you are right back to character A, its disruptive. Maybe its just me...

So what about you, dear readers. What pulls you out of a story?