From the Corner of Megan's Mind

Ode to Past

2010-05-16T12:06:00.003-05:00

Wow, almost two years has passed since I've posted up here. That's some crazy stuff. I wonder if anyone even reads this anymore :p

Probably not. But anyways...

What's going on? What's new?

What should I read? (Cause like... I really haven't been :S)

Hit me up!

Sunday is for Secrets

2008-10-26T08:41:00.002-05:00

PostSecret...

Enough said.

Quote of the Day:

Trade your secrets and become who you are.
Frank Warren

Although It May Seem Unlikely, I'm Still Alive (Somewhere)

2008-10-25T23:53:00.002-05:00

Hey guys. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. You're actually getting a real live post from me... well, as real live as blogger gets. lol

I feel terrible. No author segments and no reviews lately.

So much has been going on over the last month that it's been hard to handle everything that I am juggling, not including the blog.

I've been really sick... really bad off for a while. I've been running tests and junk but as of now we still don't know :/. Tons of drama with the real life. Senior year's killing me.

But on the bright side, I got my acceptance letter I've been waiting for a few days ago.

I do promise, dearies -- I will try to get some posts out to you guys soon!

Authors in the Corner: Blogging with Beth Kephart

2008-10-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

Blogging with us today is Beth Kephart.

Beth Kephart spends the daylight hours as the strategic planning and writing partner of a boutique communications firm. In the early mornings, she writes. She was named a National Book Award finalist, an NEA grant winner, a Pew Fellowships in the Arts recipient, a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts winner, a Leeway Foundation award winner, and a Speakeasy Poetry Prize winner. GHOSTS IN THE GARDEN was a Book Sense pick. UNDERCOVER and HOUSE OF DANCE were both recently nominated for the ALA Best Books for Young Readers List. Visit her at her blog, www.beth-kephart.blogspot.com.

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Long before blogging became a vehicle for souls such as me, I searched for ways to combine actual color and image with words. I’d buy those blank books and watercolor page after page, blotting the tints until they dried, until I could write my poems above them. I had a colored-pencil stage. I had a scatter-the-words-across-the-page-in-varying-font-styles episode.

Then blogging entered my life (I was a little late to start, but I started nonetheless), and it was as if I’d found the key to heaven. All those photos I’d been taking had a sudden, potential purpose—a virtual home. All those stories I wanted to tell, those moods I wanted to evoke, those hanging possibilities could now be succored by a picture.

Blogging for me is about completing a puzzle—about finding synchronicities between images and ideas. Sometimes I’ll go out with my camera hunting for a specific image that might support a blog story. Sometimes I study my existing photographs until they suggest an angle, an idea. The effect, in the end, is reverberatory. Blogging enables me to live inside an echo chamber.

Thanks so much, Beth!

Quote of the Day:

Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Beth Kephart

2008-10-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

Let's extend a warm welcome to author Beth Kephart!

How did you decide to become an author?

I don’t know that I decided to become an author; I think I simply could not help myself. I’ve loved the sound of words from a very young age—the swoosh and swirl of consonants and vowels. As I grew older I discovered that writing calms me. It forces me to think more deeply. It forces me to try to understand.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

From the age of nine on, I wanted to be a writer. Only. Today I am an author, but I also run a business with my husband that does consume some 70 hours a week, on average.

Who or what’s your greatest influence?

My son. He is wise beyond measure, generous, interested in the world and in the ways that people get along, or don’t. Often I read him passages I’m working on. Usually he can hear what is wrong. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do now that he’s in college. He’s been my inspiration for such a long time.

Are you working on something right now?

I have a book coming out next June called Nothing but Ghosts, which is a bit of a mystery and a romance and also an exploration of how a teen named Katie deals with the sudden death of her mother. I have a story about a teen suicide due out in a HarperTeen anthology next year. In February 2010 I have a book due out called The Heart is Not a Size, which takes a group of privileged teens to a squatter’s village in Juarez, Mexico, where they all come to terms with different parts of themselves. I’ve also just finished an historical novel that takes place on a single day in 1876.

So at this very, very moment I’m recovering. I’m doing work for my business (which involves a lot of writing, but of another kind) and reading books that I haven’t been able to read for a long time (I’ve got to get caught up with GoodReads!). I’m also blogging most every day, which I approach in journaling fashion. I take a lot of time with each entry.

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

All the time. My first five books were memoirs, and every inch of every page was guided by the question, Could this line or reference at any future time hurt any one that I love? Will I wish I hadn’t published this two years or ten years from now? People, real people, have got to come first. I wrote thematic memoirs, therefore, in which I was using my own life to reflect on large, universal issues, such as, What is Friendship? Or, Do we ever real know the ones we love?

In my fiction I’m careful about other things. I don’t want to write a book that would inadvertently embarrass a reader. That means that I don’t write the sort of books that will ever gain true mass appeal—that I don’t have long passages dedicated to sex or drug use or the like. I’m interested in how characters deal with other issues—with loneliness, with family ruptures, with poor self-image, with loss. I’m interested in writing books that feel timeless, somehow, not immediately marked by cultural trends or brands.

What’s your favorite author? Your favorite book?

Michael Ondaatje, who wrote The English Patient, Coming through Slaughter, Running in the Family, Anil’s Ghost, and other books, is, I think, an utterly seductive writer. He makes me believe in the power of language.

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Excellent questions. I feel no need to say one word more. :)

Quote of the Day:

There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
And no song that I could sing but I can try for your heart.
-- Jack Johnson "Better Together"

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Daria Snadowsky

2008-10-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today, we have with us Daria Snadowsky.

Daria Snadowsky grew up in New York City and Las Vegas. She holds a joint B.A./M.A. in film studies from Emory University in Atlanta, where she graduated in '01 with highest honors and on full merit scholarship. As a student she wrote for Creative Loafing and Las Vegas Weekly magazines. In addition she holds a J.D. from UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law, which she attended also on full merit scholarship. There she served as notes editor of Nevada Law Journal and received the school's Carl W. Tobias Excellence in Writing Award for best student note, which was published in volume 6. She's licensed to practice law in Nevada, her present domicile. Anatomy of a Boyfriend is her first novel. Visit her website at www.dariasnadowsky.com.

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How did you decide to become an author?

I was going through a long period of unemployment, and one day I just started writing. After a few weeks and a hundred pages, I thought it might have the makings of a book. When I finished it over a year later, that's when I started looking for agents and dreamed of having it published.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

I thought of being a journalist, because I enjoyed writing, or a professor, because I loved university-life. Honestly, I still dream about being a journalist or a professor!

Who or what's your greatest influence?

Judy Blume's Forever (1975) is the central inspiration behind Anatomy of a Boyfriend. When writing Anatomy, I tried to be as honest and informative as Forever is with regard to the issues of love and sex.

Are you working on something right now?

I have ideas, but at the moment I'm concentrating on law (my other career).

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

So far, no. Certainly, I knew the sex scenes in Anatomy of a Boyfriend might raise some eyebrows, but that's not a bad thing. Whenever you write about touchy subjects, it's always going to inspire a range of reactions.

What's your favorite author? Your favorite book?

That's easy! Judy Blume is my favorite author and Forever is one of my favorite books. Speaking of Judy Blume, I actually mailed Judy Blume a mostly-edited version of Anatomy of a Boyfriend a few months before it came out. I wasn't expecting her to read it since she's so busy, but she did! She emailed me that she enjoyed it so much she had trouble putting it down!

Thanks so much, Daria!

Quote of the Day:

Everybody likes to go their own way -- to choose their own time and manner of devotion.
-- Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Let Me Tell You A Story...

2008-09-30T15:35:00.002-05:00

Once, there was this wonnnnnnnderful girl who was very sad. She was known all across BookLand as a writer of reviews. Alas, her poor temperment could take no more of her website's attitue, so she said "Good bye, horrible," and returned to her old blog. There, she will be happy for ages to come.

Know who I'm talking about?

Chelsea has returned to her old blog right here on blogger, The Page Flipper. www.thepageflipper.blogspot.com

Visit her and give her some support!

Quote of the Day:

"Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry"
--The Beatles, "Because"

Sundays are for Secrets

2008-09-28T09:59:00.002-05:00

PostSecret << click here. Self explanitory.

Feel free to share your own secrets in the comments on this post.

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Terri Clark

2008-09-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today, we get a visit from author Terri Clark!

Terri Clark has the two best jobs in the world. She works as a teen patron specialist in her local library and has realized her dream of publishing teen fiction for the readers she interacts with on a daily basis. Prior to selling her first book, she worked as a movie critic and entertainment writer, among other things. Terri currently lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and their dog, Domino. Sleepless is her first novel. You can visit Terri online at http://www.terriclarkbooks.com/.

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How did you decide to become an author?

I've always written. I still have short stories and poems I wrote as a teen. I even have a play I wrote in the sixth grade called THE RED ROSE KILLER. However, I never considered writing as a job, it's just what I did. Instead I went to college and got my Bachelor's of Arts degree in Psychology. It wasn't until I became a stay-at-home mom and found an online writer's community that I started to take writing seriously and think I could do it as a profession. I began by trying to write romance novels and I did a lot of freelance writing. I wrote for everything from bridal magazines to eco-friendly magazines, but my specialty was entertainment pieces, mostly movie reviews. Then by best friend suggested I would be great at writing teen fiction and I gave it a try. I feel like that's where I'm meant to be.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

I toyed with the idea of being a teacher and I secretly yearned to be an actress, but I was painfully shy so that wasn't going to happen. In college I planned to specialize in abnormal psych with crazy plans of sitting across a table with the likes of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. I was fascinated with their psyches and I even did a detailed research paper on serial killers that both repelled and fascinated me. People like that scared me a lot more after I had children, so I decided to just write scary things instead.

Who or what's your greatest influence?

Wow, that's a tough question. I'd say Meg Cabot was a big influence. It was after reading her 1-800-Where-R-U and Mediator series that I decided to write young adult fiction. My best friend, Lynda Sandoval, a YA author herself, has also been an incredible influence on me as a writer. But, in general, I think I draw inspiration and artistry from everything I read. That's the beauty of reading books, you learn and absorb with every page. I'd also say that working with teens, I'm a teen librarian, and having teens around my house really influences me.

Are you working on something right now?

Yes, a couple things. I have a paranormal romantic comedy that I'm working on that pokes fun at Hollywood, another dark, beach thriller and a funny vampire novel. People should check out my blog (myspace.com/terristake) and website (www.terriclarkbooks.com) for updates.

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

No, never. When I write I let myself go. I write unhindered and tell the story the way it's meant to be. It's after, when other people are reading it, that I tend to freak and worry. Mostly I worry about what my grandma thinks.

What’s your favorite author? Your favorite book?

Favorite authors, I couldn't possibly pick one -- John Green, Meg Cabot, Lynda Sandoval, Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Gabrielle Zevin, Scott Westerfeld, Karin Slaughter, Rick Riordan, Gail Giles, Laura Weiss and Niki Burnham. As for a favorite book, again impossible to pick one, but there are three that really got to me--Unwind by Neal Schusterman, Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss and Shattering Glass by Gail Giles.

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

What one goal you'd really like to achieve?

I'd really like to be known as a favorite (and best-selling) paranormal author among teens.

Thanks so much, Terri!

Quote of the Day:

It's as simple as something that nobody knows
That her eyes are as big as her bubbly toes.
-- Jack Johnson, "Bubble Toes"

100 Books

2008-09-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

According to The Big Read, the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books on this list.

The instructions:
Look at the list and:
Bold those you have read.
Italicize those you intend to read.
Underline the books you LOVE.
Reprint this list in your own blog.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. 1984 - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87.Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92.The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Of the 100 books listed here, I:
Read 33
Loved 9
Intend to read 18

Well -- At least I've read more than the average adult on this list!

Quote of the Day:

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
-- Edgar Allan Poe

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Dia Calhoun

2008-09-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today we have with us Dia Calhoun.

Dia Calhoun grew up in Seattle, Washington, where she studied ballet for many years. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mills College with a double major in English and Book Arts. Calhoun returned to Seattle to build a successful career as a freelance lettering and logo artist. Her most visible work is the logo for “Alaska” on the side of Alaska Airlines’ aircraft. She also taught typography and lettering at the Cornish College of the Arts.

Now a full time writer, Calhoun makes frequent school visits to share her work with kids. In her spare time she sings Italian arias, fly-fishes, gardens, and eats lots of chocolate. She lives with her husband, two cats, and two ghost cats in Tacoma, Washington.

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How did you decide to become an author?

I had a dynamite second grade teacher who loved poetry. She helped awaken the love of language in me. We wrote reams of stories and poems in her class. And I read stories voraciously, just gulped them down. Later, I majored in English at Mills College, where I took several creative writing classes. After college I became a freelance graphic artist. A few years later, once my business was established, I began writing every morning for an hour before work. It took me five years to write my first novel, FIREGOLD.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

For ten years I studied quite seriously to be a ballet dancer. When I turned seventeen, I had to choose between college and dancing. This was an agonizing decision (and later it was the inspiration for my fantasy novel, ARIA OF THE SEA.) I chose college.

What is your greatest influence?

My books are influenced by my inner struggles. I write about my own dilemmas in a fictionalized way. For example, THE PHOENIX DANCE was inspired by my bipolar illness. AVIELLE OF RHIA (winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature) was inspired by my psychological reactions to September 11th . WHITE MIDNIGHT by my love of land and desire to own my own land someday.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite book?

My favorite books are the ones I loved to read over and over as a child. The Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher. BALLET SHOES by Noel Streatfeld. A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L’Engle. THE WIZARD OF EARTHSEA by Ursula Le Guin. LORD OF THE RINGS by Tolkien. As an adult I found Robin McKinley’s THE BLUE SWORD, a book I reread once a year.

Are you working on something right now?

I just finished a new fantasy novel in four voices. It is my first book in first person, and I loved the challenge of trying to write four different, distinct voices. Currently I’m working on a middle grace fantasy series.

Have your ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

Not at all. I’ve refrained from writing one particular novel because I’m afraid of how I would react to it, to all the feelings the writing would dredge up. Some day!

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

I’m tying to give back to my fans by promoting literacy among teen girls. I am one of the four readergirlz divas (with Lorie Ann Grover, Justina Chen Headley, and Mitali Perkins). Readergirlz is an online book community which inspires girls to read, reflect, and reach out. You can learn more at www.readergirlz.com

Thank you so much for this interview! For more about me visit my web page at http://www.diacalhoun.com/.

Thank you, Dia!

Quote of the Day:

Thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else.
-- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Corner Reviews: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

2008-09-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
Stephanie Kuehnert
MTV Books

Emily Black lives a punk rock life. She and her friends in her small town visit River’s Edge most nights, an abandoned building that’s sort of a legend around those parts. Many bands made their start at this teenage music hangout.

When she earns a reputation of the worst kind, Emily takes matters into her own hands and forms her own band with her best friend. Now she’s no longer considered a groupie – she has her own. She Laughs attracts fans from far and wide.

But when Emily wants to leave and expand her own music, her father is upset. After all, Emily was told that her mother left them when Emily was a baby to follow the music. Well, her mother should find her if she is as good as everyone says she is—right?

But what will Emily have to do to get to the top? And what if the reunion with her mother isn’t exactly what she was expecting?

This novel has it all – girl strength, great music, and a powerful message. It would be hard not to be drawn into this story from page one. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone has found its way to, and has definitely earned a spot on, my recommendation list, and not to mention, my favorites list. I hope to see more soon from Stephanie Kuehnert!

Quote of the Day:

What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.
-- Thomas Carlyle

Sunday is for Secrets

2008-09-14T13:38:00.002-05:00

PostSecret

Quote of the Day:

There are no secrets better kept than the secrets that everybody guesses.
-- George Bernard Shaw

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View with Tera Lynn Childs

2008-09-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

How did you decide to become an author?

I never really decided to be an author. Since I was more of a science girl growing up, it never really crossed my mind. Then, after I finished graduate school and was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I spent a lot of time reading. And the more I read the more I started getting ideas of my own. Ideas of what I would have done differently, what I would have had the characters do. So I decided to try writing a book of my own.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

A million different things. I had a different dream every week, I think. Here’s an abridged list: teacher, architect, fashion designer, actress, environmental biologist, lawyer, doctor, dancer, and mommy.

Who or what’s your greatest influence?

I don’t think I can name a single influence on my writing. I tend to absorb things subconsciously (like the summer I spent at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival when I started speaking in Elizabethan English), so I’m sure I’ve absorbed many influences over the years. I do know that THE LIVELY ART OF WRITING by Lucile Vaughan Payne taunt me a lot about the mechanics of style.

Are you working on something right now?

Yes, but it’s hush-hush and unofficial. I can tell you that it is not connected to OH. MY. GODS. or GODDESS BOOT CAMP (coming June 2009) and that it involves a different branch of mythology.

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

No, and I don’t think I would. I’m a firm believer in the idea that plot is derived from character and so the action of any book will naturally develop from that characters. If my characters ever lead me to a controversial topic, then it must be necessary to the story and I could not ignore that for the sake of avoiding controversy.

What’s your favorite author? Your favorite book?

My default answer is Jane Austen and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, but I have many favorite authors and even more favorite books.

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

What color is your toenail polish?
Sparkly Caribbean blue!

Thanks, Tera!

Quote of the Day:

A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election...
-- Bill Vaughan

Corner Reviews: Serafina67 Urgently Requires Life

2008-09-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

serafina67 *urgently requires life*
Susie Day
Scholastic Press

After getting a new laptop for Christmas, our main character decides she is going to start a blog. Therein lays the creation of serafina67. Sera only has a few rules for her blog – no typing in ALL CAPS (except for when she just has to rant about her dad and the “stepmonster”), and no one must EVER speak about the Incident.

So she sets herself a happiness deadline to achieve some goals. She wants to make her mom happy. She (of course!) doesn’t want any repeats of the Incident. She wants to get a boyfriend and make new friends.

So what’s going on between her and patchworkboy? And who is this mysterious person she has befriended, who goes by the name of Daisy? Keep checking back for daily posts!

Okay… I’m going to go ahead and get this out of my system. I know that this is a book about a girl’s blog, but jeez… ever heard of spell check and punctuation? Seriously, lots of people blog, but I don’t see many of them typing this way. I also had a little trouble understanding what she was saying sometimes because of the slang terms.

Now, you may get the assumption that I disliked the book. Well, you’re wrong. Despite all of these things, I was really able to get into the story, and the person behind Daisy really surprised me. If you don’t mind those minor things, you should definitely consider looking into this book!

Quote of the Day:

I love you the more that I believe you have liked me for my own sake and for nothing else.
-- John Keats

Authors in the Corner: Guest Blogging with Tera Lynn Childs

2008-09-10T15:39:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday! WOO!

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Today ... is my birthday. At precisely 10:52am (Central Time) I will be thirty-mumble-mumble. Okay fine, I’ll be thirty-two. Not the end of the world. Right?

It’s a little scary, though. I mean, I’m now officially twice as old as when I got my drivers’ license. (Actually, since I failed the test on my birthday and had to take it again the next day, I’ll be twice as old two days from now.) I’m more than three times as old as when I had my golden birthday, when I turned ten on September 10. I don’t even want to think about how many times older I am than when I had my first real birthday party in first grade.

But the thing is ... I don’t feel old.

An old person doesn’t watch Disney Channel or read Gossip Girl or listen to Kid Rock. They don’t play Neopets or spends hours upon hours watching marathons of Buffy or Hannah Montana. They definitely don’t buy High School Musical water bottles and spiral notebooks.

I was watching an episode of Buffy tonight (the one where Willow casts a spell and everyone loses their memories of everything about themselves) and there was a part where Buffy called Dawn a kid and Dawn said, “A teenager.” And that got me thinking: How did Dawn know she was a teenager? She had no memory of how old she was. She had no ID. She couldn’t see herself. How did she know she wasn’t twelve or twenty.

Think about it. If you closed your eyes and forgot how old you were, could you guess? With no other clues, could you ... feel your age? Would you be right?

If I close my eyes and forget that I’m thirty-mumble-mumble, my brain short-circuits me right back to high school. I might as well be that seventeen-year-old, ready to graduate and take on the world. I still feel that fear and excitement and absolute belief in the future that I felt fifteen years ago. (Only now it’s kind of blurred by the fact that I have to pay bills and act like an adult ... most of the time.)

Maybe that’s why I love writing teen fiction so much. I get to indulge that inner teenager who hasn’t realized that she’s trapped in a grownup’s body. I hope she never does.

Keep your eyes open later this week to learn some more about Tera!

Quote of the Day:

I put my faith in you,
So much faith and then you
Just threw it away.
-- Paramore, For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic (Riot!)

Did You Miss Me?

2008-09-08T13:00:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! You've finally got me back (well... sort of). I'm on a computer in another town right now because guess what? I have power and water, but not cable and internet :[

As soon as I can, I PROMISE that I will flood you guys with reviews.

As for other news....

I just spent like almost four hours checking my email and wading through all my google reader posts. If I didn't read yours, I'm sorry -- I ended up just pressing "mark all as read". It's alot to keep up with!

And I'm sick :[ It's not very fun.

Thanks to Chelsea for making sure that everything was posting right!

I miss you guys, and I hope to have internet back in my home realllllly soon.

Quote of the Day:
Man, hurricanes suck.
-- Me

Authors in the Corner: Guest Blogging With Regina Scott

2008-09-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Things We Do for Love

I’m delighted to be here today. Thanks to Megan for having me as a guest! Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Regina Scott, and I write primarily historical fiction, usually set in the nineteenth century in England. My first young adult novel, La Petite Four, is available now in fine stores everywhere. I love the glamour, the interesting stories, the sheer adventure that is the nineteenth century. But when you write history, you have to research.

And that’s a love in itself.

They say write what you know. To write about a historical period, you have to know everything from what they ate to how they got around town to what they called their best friends. I’ve read dozens of books on the Regency period (1810 to 1820 in England), gone to a plethora of museums and conferences, but, for me, head knowledge isn’t enough. I have to experience it.

And that’s led me down some rather odd paths.

I’ve handled nineteenth century dueling pistols in New Orleans. I learned to fence with the epée and once fought a silver medalist from Iran to a draw. I’ve driven a coach and four around the park. I’ve danced to Hole in the Wall and the Sir Roger de Coverly, two famous Regency country dances. I’ve peered through quizzing glasses and laced up corsets. I’ve dressed up like a Regency dandy to prove it was possible for a girl to masquerade as a boy. (And it isn’t as easy as it sounds, believe me!)

It wasn’t until this year, though, that I could do the ultimate research—go to England and experience it for myself. Oh, a lot has changed since the nineteenth century, but there’s so much in England that still reminds me of the period I love so much. For example, the city of Bath holds a lot of its nineteenth century charm. One of the original spa towns, people used to go to bathe in and drink the water that bubbles up from hot springs below. Of course I had to try it.

Besides the obvious places like Spencer House, the home of Princess Diana’s ancestors, there are little known corners of London that whisper of times past. I loved seeing Hyde Park and Rotten Row, where my characters ride their horses, and Bond Street, where they shop. My wonderful critique partner Kristin and I even stumbled into this little alley off St. James’s where we found what must have been a mews at one time. Each of the lower doors would have housed a prized bit of horseflesh for the aristocracy living nearby while grooms and coachmen lived in the upper rooms. Can’t you just see the horses prancing into the yard, so proud, hear the jingle of tack and the call of the grooms? Now, that’s what research is all about, making your story more real!

If you love history or just good stories, be sure to stop by the blog I share with talented author Marissa Doyle. Nineteen Teen (http://www.nineteenteen.blogspot.com) features interesting tidbits about life in nineteenth century England, along with fun quizzes and contests. And my website http://www.lapetitefour.com has articles and more pictures on the Regency as well. Until we meet again, blessings!

Quote of the Day:

If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.

-- Virginia Woolf

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Regina Scott

2008-09-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

Regina Scott, Author Interrupted ( :] )

How did you decide to become an author?

I loved books so much, and I loved telling stories. Becoming an author was a natural fit.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

An author. I wrote my first novel in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, it was never published.

Who or what’s your greatest influence?

My faith. I was born again a few years ago, and that’s made me rethink my priorities, my vocation, what I write, and the way I write. Once you start following Jesus, there’s no looking back, only forward.

Are you working on something right now?

I’m trying my hand at a contemporary YA (shock!) about a British teen transplanted to a Florida high school. Hey, I had to get England in there somehow!

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

Not a specific topic. I do have to be careful in writing about history, though, to make sure that the story doesn’t get lost in the historical detail that I find so fascinating. I also take care to choose the right details. For example, I know they had chamber pots and outhouses, and women wore no underwear so they could use those conveniences, but that’s TMI for most people.

What’s your favorite author? Your favorite book?

Oh, this is hard! I have so many favorites on my keeper shelf! One series I’ve read over and over again since I was a kid is the Prydain fantasies by Lloyd Alexander (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King). Most recently I’ve read Revenge of the Homecoming Queen and Twisted Sisters by Stephanie Hale and laughed myself sick. I just read Shelley Adina’s first book in her new series, It’s All About Us. Friends, fashion, faith. Fantastic!

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Why write historical stories? There’s something magical to me about the past. The whisper of long skirts, the scent of lavender verbena perfume, the comfort of chamomile tea and raspberry scones. Galloping across the fields, defending your honor by sword, dancing the night away with a handsome viscount at your side. Ah, the stuff of dreams. I hope I get to share them for many years to come.

Quote of the Day:

When the whole world fits inside of your arms,

Do we really need to pay attention to the alarm?

-- Jack Johnson "Banana Pancakes"

Ma, There's A Hurricane A'Comin!

2008-08-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, guys! As many of you know, there's a tropical storm/hurricane out there. Unfortunately, hurricanes love our Louisiana culture, so it might come straight to where I am. I'm trying to schedule as many things as I can within the next few days so you're not completely deprived (while I am lol).

And if it seems like I've fallen off the face of the earth, I probably... did. lol Just cross your fingers that it's not too bad!

Quote of the Day:

The longest journey is the journey inward.
--Dag Hammarskjold

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Elizabeth Scott

2008-08-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today, let's welcome author Elizabeth Scott.

How did you decide to become an author?

I was very lucky, and things just sort of fell into place for me---I started writing in 1999, but it was until the end of 2004, after years of prompting by (very) patient friends that I sent a few short stories out to various magazines. To my shock, they got published, and my friends urged me to do more. So I pulled together a query letter for my first young adult novel (Bloom), and, in early 2005, sent it off to an agent, figuring the agent would pass and I could say, "Look, I tried!" and go back to doing what I was doing, which was writing while I was at work. (What a model employee I was!!)

Anyway, long story short, to my continued shock and gratitude, I ended up signing with that agent, and sold my first few books.

I never thought I wanted to be a writer, but once I started, I loved it, and being an author--well, that's just been icing on the cake. I'm always aware of how lucky I got--and still am.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

I never really had a clear picture of this, which is probably why I've had about six million different jobs. I actually went and asked my parents if they remembered me talking about what I wanted to be and I quote:

My dad: "I remember you wanted to read everything. You used to read my tool catalogs. And all our encyclopedias."
Me: "Thanks, Dad. Now I look like a huge loser."
My mom: "Hmmm. I don't remember anything, but let me check you baby book. Hold on....okay. Your baby book says at age four you liked reading, coloring, and building things with blocks. But I don't have anything about you saying what you wanted to be."
Me: "Oh."
Mom: "Maybe you'd better make up something."
Me: "Or confess that I seemed to have a stunning lack of ambition."
Dad: "Well, we did always have a hard time getting you to take out the trash."

Who or what’s your greatest influence?

Wow, no one's ever asked me this before! I feel like I should say my parents or list a bunch of writers or a teacher or something but I think my biggest influence is just people--the world--in general. Wondering why people think the things they do, why they do the things they do--that fascinates me. It always has.

Are you working on something right now?

I'm always working on something--but as for whether or not it will turn into anything--well, that's the thing, and it's what makes writing so much fun. (Though rather nerve-wracking at times!)

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

No. One thing my parents always told me--and that I'm very grateful to them for--is that defining yourself by worrying about what other people will think is a bad idea. I mean, if you try to please everyone--which can never happen--what kind of life would you have, really? What would happen to the part of you that's uniquely you?

What’s your favorite author? Your favorite book?

I can't pick a favorite author or favorite book! I love too many of both to ever want to narrow it down to one.

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Q: French fries with gravy--awesome or abomination?
A: Awesome.

Quote of the Day:

To be great is to be misunderstood.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sundays Are For Secrets...

2008-08-24T12:20:00.000-05:00

PostSecret day!

Frank Warren, founder of PostSecret, encourages everyone to put their secrets on a 4x6 postcard and mail them to him. He picks a handful every Sunday and puts them up on his blog.

Quote of the Day:

It was your heart that saved you.
-- J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View with Linda Joy Singleton

2008-08-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

Special treat! Today we have with us Linda Joy Singleton.

Linda Joy Singleton is the author of over 30 books, including STRANGE ENCOUNTERS, THE SEER and soon-2-B-released DEAD GIRL trilogy with Flux Books. She has a supportive husband (who occasionally builds bookshelves) and two great young adults. She considers herself lucky to live in the country in Northern CA with an office that looks out on oaks, pines peacocks and horses. For book news, personal photos and a "True Piggy Tale," check out her website http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/ .

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How did you decide to become an author?

I've had a passion for writing since I was about 8 years old. I wrote for fun up until I was 17, filling notebooks as well as typing stories. I submitted short stories with my father's help when I was in high school and received some kind rejections from magazines. Then I got married too young, got a job and gave up my writing dreams for a decade, until I heard about a local writing conference. Going to that conference revived my dreams and I joined a writing group, later a critique group and within three years I'd sold my first book.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

At first because of my love for animals, I wanted to be a vet. But about age 12, I realized needles and blood was involved, so I decided I could work in an office and be a secretary since I was a fast typist. While I wanted to be a writer, I didn't see how it could happen when I lived in California and publishers were in New York, plus I wasn't able to go to college. Fortunately, by attending writing conferences, writing obsessively and reading constantly, I learned enough to become published.

What’s your greatest influence?

When I was 13, I wrote a fan letter to Margaret Sutton, the author of the Judy Bolton mystery series. My parents had helped me find vintage girl mysteries in secondhand bookstores and I loved them so much I wanted to write my own mystery series. I was thrilled with Margaret Sutton wrote back and our letters continued over 30 years. I met her in person for the first time when she came to my high school graduation party. And years later she put me in touch with other Judy Bolton fans (http://www.judybolton.com/) and I was even able to co-write and self-publish a new Judy Bolton mystery (THE TALKING SNOWMAN) with Margaret before she died at age 98. (The original Judy Bolton series is being reprinted and already listed on Amazon...yay!).

Are you working on something right now?

I just finished writing the 2nd book in my new, DEAD GIRL trilogy: DEAD GIRL DANCING. This series is like Quantum Leap meets Touched by an Angel -- set in high school. It's serious, mysterious and humorous. The first book, DEAD GIRL WALKING, comes out in September; covers & excerpt available at http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

Not that I can think of. I write paranormal topics, which believers may consider true and non-believers will consider fiction. The viewpoints in my books come from my characters, not my own personal opinions.

Who’s your favorite author?

Too many favorite authors, but for vintage books my favorite remains Margaret Sutton. For newer books (as cliche as it may be) my favorite is J.K. Rowling. I think her books are truly magic.

Your favorite book?

Again, too many, but I'll list a few: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, Magyk by Angie Sage, Island of the Aunts by Ibbotson, Poison Study by Maria V. Synder and a new fantasy titled Savvy by Ingrid Law.

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Well I can talk a little about writing, how it's so important to me but hard work, too. I write almost every day and show up at my computer the way a 8-5 employee shows at a normal job. I love writing about kids where everything is new, exciting and magical. People who read can't help but be more empathetic to others because reading offers a window into someone else's problems. I believe that books can make the world a better place. Words, emotions, ideas are powerful. Besides, it's just plain fun to read (g).

Thanks so much, Linda!

Quote of the Day:

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live...
-- J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone

Authors in the Corner: Katie Davis

2008-08-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today, we have a visit from author Katie Davis!

Katie Davis is the best-selling author-illustrator of seven picture books, including Who Hops? and Kindergarten Rocks!. The Curse of Addy McMahon is her first novel. She lives near New York City with her two kids, husband, and Mango, the cutest dog on the entire planet.

--------------------

I'm thrilled to have my first guest blogging experience at your blog, Megan. Thank you for having me!

A young woman emailed me recently after being frustrated in her attempts to create great characters for a story she was writing. Her complaint was that everyone in her book seemed like they were made up, and of course even though that was true she didn’t want it to be so obvious! She wanted to know what was she doing wrong? How could she make her characters come alive and seem as real as the characters in the books she was reading?

While writing my novel The Curse of Addy McMahon, I learned a ton about developing characters – my big problem were my secondary characters, though. In the early drafts, I just wasn’t paying as much attention to them. I’ll probably always write like that, but at least I know that I know how to develop them so that by the final draft they won’t be flat as the paper they inhabit.

So you understand what scenes and to whom I’m about to refer, here is a description from an interview I did with Cynthia Leitich Smith (http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/08/author-interview-katie-davis-on-curse.html):

The McMahon family lore revolves around a curse. It started when Addy's great granddad chopped down what was rumored to be a fairy lair back in Ireland. Addy blames this alleged curse for all the bad things that happen in her life, when maybe she should actually take responsibility for some of them.

Addy keeps her diary in graphic novel format, which she calls her "autobiogra-strip". Through them we learn that her best friend Jackie hates her…the curse caused that? Everyone saw a mean comic she did…was that because of the curse? And worst, her dad died a few years ago, and it looks like her mom’s friend Jonathan may actually be a new love interest. That’s just gotta be the curse…doesn’t it?

So now that you know a little of what the story is, I can continue…

My favorite experience writing this book was watching the characters develop beyond the two-dimensional paper I was writing on. They feel like real people to me now, but they didn’t always - they developed after I received criticism that one character or another wasn’t fully drawn.

One reader told me he couldn’t “see or hear” the character of Jonathan. I realized the reason was because I couldn’t…so how could anyone else? I decided to give myself a leg up, and went on a search for some kind of reference material, as I often do when I illustrate. I picked a TV character upon which to model Jonathan and whose look matched how I saw him – handsome and charming. (If you’re curious, the TV show was West Wing, and the character was “Josh”, played by Bradley Whitford.)

I saw him differently than Addy would though, so when I (as Addy) ended up drawing him for her autobiogra-strip, he ended up looking like a total dork because that’s how Addy’s sees him.

I learned the most about character development (and, frankly, plot development as well), after my editor made a comment that now seems very funny to me. The book starts right before the Christmas break. The next scene was New Year’s Eve. I had completely skipped over the actual holiday! My editor told me that Addy didn’t have to celebrate it, but it seemed odd not to mention it at all.

That one little comment, scribbled in the margin of my manuscript, opened what ended up being many threads that I was able to weave throughout the story and which enabled me to bring it to a whole different – deeper - level.

For one thing, it became a vehicle for Addy’s best friend, Jackie. Addy has a Christmas gift for Jackie in the beginning which Jackie tries to open early because “She has to know absolutely everything,” Addy explains, revealing an important characteristic of Jackie’s that gives weight to a later scene (can’t tell you what it is though – it’s a spoiler!).

Another thing that was added after “The Christmas Comment” is a scene that takes place on Christmas day. Addy goes downstairs and sits alone in the pre-dawn darkness. Because of their fight, she and Jackie do not share their traditional opening of their stockings and trading candy canes for chocolate before everyone else is awake. I love that scene because it poignantly illustrates Addy’s pain at being estranged from Jackie.
I wouldn’t have thought to put that in if I hadn’t gotten the one line of critique from my editor!

Remember there are many ways to develop characters. Try to imagine their likes and dislikes, their quirks and personal habits – they’re all clues into a personality. Think of the various habits and attitudes of people you know and ascribe them to one of your characters. Whether it’s social tics, a certain way they hold a pencil, or how they always greet their friends, every well-rounded character needs something (actually, a lot of somethings!) to make them real and lure them off the paper and into a reader’s life.

Thanks so much, Katie!

Quote of the Day:

A phrase began to beat in my ears with a sort of heady excitement: 'There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.'
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Reviewer Profile

2008-08-18T19:37:00.001-05:00

Yes ma'am! Steph over at Reviewer X interviewed me! (now, it was SUPPOSED to be posted on my birthday, but things happen... so we'll all forgive her, yes? :]] )

Click here to learn (more) randomness about me!

Corner Reviews: Rumors

2008-08-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Rumors
Anna Godbersen

We all remembered what happened to Elizabeth Holland, and the tragic events that led to her disappearance. But the town has put that behind them for the most part. Many matchmakers are now beginning to worry whether or not the catch of the ton, Elizabeth’s fiancé, Henry Schoonmaker, will be out of mourning for the Season.

And now that Elizabeth’s gone, the family troubles fall on her sister, Diana. She has no problem with this—especially since she’s got her eye on a certain someone. But would it be too improper?

Word has circled around that Elizabeth’s engagement ring has appeared. Could she still be alive? What does that mean for her family? Or… for her “friends”?

Whoever said that sequels don’t measure up to the first books obviously haven’t read Rumors yet. After awaiting somewhat impatiently for this book to come out, I devoured it with extremely high expectations. And I wasn’t disappointed! It was like I read The Luxe and Rumors back to back. There was no break in the story to distract me. Look for the next book in The Luxe series, Envy, coming soon.

Quote of the Day:

The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught.
-- Marquis de Vauvenargues

Woo! Birthday!

2008-08-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

Today's my birthday! Woo!

I just wanted to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday today.

Oh... want to learn more about me? Check out my interview over at Bookluver-Carol's Reviews.

Quote of the Day:

I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane.
-- Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)

Review: The Year of Disappearances

2008-08-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

The Year of Disappearances
Susan Hubbard

Thirteen year old Ari Montero is unique on both sides of the equation: she’s half human and half vampire. That doesn’t stop her from trying to find her place on both sides. While she lives with her mother, she makes a few friends. She thinks things are going good for once. But then her new best friend is murdered.

Scared, her mother enrolls her into college in another state. She meets some more interesting people. But one by one, they all start disappearing. Her family forms problems bigger than she could imagine.

But where does she fit into this equation? With factions pulling at her from every side, she’s bound to be confused.

The Year of Disappearances was definitely a unique book. I’ve been starting to get wary of new “vampire” novels that are coming out (because, face it—it’s a growing trend, and not all of the new novels are the best). However, I was impressed with this novel. It had a unique story line that I hadn’t encountered.

Quote of the Day:

I never seen nobody move the way she did
Well she did and she does and she'll do it again.
-- Jack Johnson, "Bubble Toes"

Authors in the Corner: Jennifer Ziegler

2008-08-13T13:15:00.005-05:00

Today we have a guest blog from author Jennifer Ziegler (How NOT to be Popular). You can find out more about her at her website.

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Ever since my second novel, How NOT to be Popular, came out this past January, I get asked a lot about popularity.

"Were you popular in high school?" they'll ask. My answers usually range from "no" to "maybe a little" to "I don't know."

I guess I'm never sure how to reply because I'm not clear on what they mean by "popular." Do they mean well-liked? If so, then yeah. I guess. I didn't have any mortal enemies and I did manage to get elected to class office a couple of times. Or do they mean crown-on-your-head popular? Everyone-knows-your-face popular? Salivated-over-by-every-male-student popular? If so, the answer is loud and clear "no way!"

"What are you trying to tell us with your book?" I'll sometimes get asked. "What point does it make?"

That's also tough to respond to. See … when I write a novel, I don't try to impart some grand message or lesson. First of all, I really don't have great wisdom on any subject – I'm still figuring things out for myself. And secondly, I hate it when novels do that. As a reader, I want to be caught up in a story, not preached to. With How NOT to be Popular, as with all my writing, I'm simply exploring things. I'll ask questions that the reader can maybe think about and try to answer on his/her own, but I'm not going to tell them what to think.

So here are some of the themes my book investigates – without drawing conclusions:

What makes someone popular or not popular? Is it something you are born with or a learned skill? Can someone who is not popular look and behave in a way that will bring them popularity? Inversely, can people who are naturally charismatic somehow turn it off and make themselves unappealing?

How are popular people different from not-as-popular people? Are they bolder? Cooler? Better looking? Are they all special trendsetters? Or perhaps one or two trendsetters surrounded by a group of followers?

Is it good to be popular? Does popularity make things easier for a person … or tougher? Should everyone try to be popular? Or are there times when it's just not worth it?

I'd like to know what YOU think. How do you feel about popularity? What are your thoughts and experiences?

Maybe we can find some answers together.

Thanks so much, Jennifer!

Quote of the Day:

It's as common as something that nobody knows

Her beauty will follow wherever she goes.

-- Jack Johnson, "Bubble Toes"

I've Been Tagged!

2008-08-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by Dominique over at The Book Vault. I'm glad she tagged me, cause I was about to steal this meme anyways from someone else!

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Getting ready to go back to school! (Second grade, anyone?)

What are five things on my to-do list today?
(Does it count if I've already done one?)
1) Go to dentist (this is the one I've already done... bleh. Found out I have to get my wisdom teeth pulled)
2) Finish reading summer reading book (Big one on this list... school starts in two days.)
3) Email interview questions.
4) Clean room.
5) Finish packing

Snacks I enjoy:
Fruit
Rice cakes (Not lying-- I hate most of them, but I like the caramel ones)
Queso dip (c'mon... who doesn't?)
Frozen yogurt

Places I've lived:
Massachusetts
Louisiana

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Give to charity
Pay for my college tuition (even though it's paid... just in case)
Pay for my best friends' college tuition
Buy a (nicer) car (and by nicer, I mean one that currently runs)
Buy a house
Books! Books! Books!

I'm supposed to tag people, but I think everyone's already done this one. But if you haven't, consider yourself tagged!

Quote of the Day:

In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sunday! Woo!

2008-08-10T11:46:00.000-05:00

In case you don't know why I get excited for Sundays, I'll explain...

Sunday is PostSecret day! Woo!

PostSecret is a blog run by a man named Frank Warren. We are encouraged to send him our own secrets on a 4x6 postcard. He picks some every week and posts them on this blog.

Quote of the Day:

Can't you see that it's just raining?

There ain't no need to go outside.

-- Jack Johnson "Banana Pancakes"

Yay! Busybody Meme

2008-08-09T11:32:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Reviewer X. But unlike her, I never get tagged for memes, so I'm excited!

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR TODAY?

That would be... work. Work at 2 PM (central) and off at 7. Not so bad. Probably hang out with the boyfriend. Drop hints on what I want for my birthday. That type of thing :]

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Let's see... I haven't eaten anything yet today, so last night... strawberry frozen yogurt

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

A few days ago... apparently I had fractured my arm about a week ago and no one would believe me about the agonizing pain. So they finally took me to the hospital and bam... fractured arm (and painkillers!)

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

It's unique. I've heard alot of people like it -- does that count?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Like.. sandwiches? Turkey, I guess. Random.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

uh... no. I don't think I'll have any for quite a while.

DO YOU USE SARCASM?

3/4 of the words that spew from my mouth are sarcasm.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Yes ma'am.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Not al all. Heights and I don't mix. Especially when I'm being "safe" with a cord.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Fruity Pebbles or Capt. Crunch. My faves :]

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

I have two, but I'll name one. I don't let anyone get close to me.

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

uhm... blue shorts and no shoes.

IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

What kind of question is that? I see where our children's minds are corrupted.

Green. My favorite color :]

FAVORITE SMELLS?

Vanilla. Rain. My boyfriend's cologne. :]

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Boyfriend. Yay.

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings for movies. I can't watch scary movies. For books, I just want what would seem right for the particular book.

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

The Dark Knight

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

uh... one of the ones I need to read on my list. I haven't started a new one yet. (I feel like I'm always between books when people ask me this question)

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

an ocean looking thingy?

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?

Law and Order SVU, Psych, House.

FAVORITE SOUND?

Rain falling. Specific ringtone. Boyfriend's voice.

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Uh.. both.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

I've pretty much been to every state in the continental US. That's about as far as I've been.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

Possibly not. What do you think?

TAGGING!
The Page Flipper
And Another Book Read
The Story Siren

Quote of the Day:

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
-- Sir Francis Bacon

Liv's BDAY contest!

2008-08-08T14:38:00.003-05:00

Liv is holding a prettyyyyyyyy big contest.

Check her blog for more details.

You could win one of three prize packs!

Quote of the Day:

Their prison is only in their minds, yet they are in that prison, and are so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.
-- C. S. Lewis (The Last Battle)

So You've Seen the Review...

2008-08-07T19:53:00.003-05:00

Yep, I've gotten Breaking Dawn out of my system. However, I don't think I'm going to post a review for it. After all of the negative reviews and criticism I had read, PLUS knowing what was going to happen, I expected that I wouldn't like it.

Well, I was wrong... sort of.

I did like it. But I didn't LOVE it like I did the other three books. In fact, I felt like it was completely written by someone else. I'm not saying that I didn't have major criticisms about the novel. I did. But I kind of liked it... like a 5 on a scale to 10... you know? Kind of in between.

So no review... but you're getting other reviews that I've been putting off... soo... fair deal? Excited that I'm back to posting reviews (and reading books!)

Put in your imput!!

Oh, and btw, not announcing contest now (prob tomorrow), but.....

Random (It's a personal one, so double extra entries if you can get it):

August 16, 1991

(Tell me why you think it's important to me by emailing me at darklaceoflight@aol.com with AUGUST 16, 1991 as the SUBJ line. If you forgot what this is about, click here.)

Oh, and PS -- You have until August 15th at midnight central time to email me :]

PostSecret Sunday

2008-08-07T17:18:00.003-05:00

So if you haven't heard, the highlight of my Sundays is PostSecret. If you've never heard of it, PostSecret is a blog run by a guy named Frank Warren who encourages people to send their secrets to him on 4x6 postcards.

Quote of the Day:

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

-- Charles W. Eliot

Review: Violet in Private

2008-08-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

Violet in Private
Melissa Walker

Violet Greenfield’s back, but the question on everyone’s mind is “for how long”? Sure, she said she’s finished with modeling (except for that huge contract she landed) and going to college. And Violet’s worried that people will recognize her, or worse. . . that they won’t.

Of course, she really likes college and most of her classes. But when her ad comes out, she realizes that most people know who she is… and don’t like what she portrays in the ad. So Violet writes a piece for the campus newspaper. And it gets picked up by the Herald, she gets an offer that many would kill for: to be an intern at Teen Fashionista magazine.

But then, she’s Chloe’s responsibility. She has to deal with her when all she wants to do is be with Roger. Then, something happens that completely rearranges Violet and Roger’s friendship.

I’ve enjoyed all of Melissa Walker’s books in the Violet series. This one is no exception. When I picked up this book, it was like I hadn’t missed a single thing. The characters came back to me, and I was immediately absorbed into their story.

However, I do have one small criticism. It wasn’t enough for me to dislike the story (remember that, because I liked it a lot), but I didn’t really like how Violet and Roger’s relationship played out. When it got to a certain point, I kind of wanted to throw the book against the wall. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Still, it was a great book, and you should all immediately rush out and buy it!

Quote of the Day:

And our dreams, they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving.
-- Jack Johnson, "Better Together"

Expect another post later today or tomorrow.

Book Vault’s Birthday Contest Riddle

2008-08-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

This is the next leg of The Book Vault’s birthday book riddle contest! For more information on the contest, go here: http://the-book-vault.blogspot.com/2008/08/birthday-contest.html
Each correct answer counts as an entry into the drawing on August 29th!

Riddle: She was #71 until she and her friends found a way to get her higher on the food chain. But the main character learns that the popular crowd might be full of more betrayals than glamour and true friends.
What book is this?

Know the answer? Send Dominique an email at bookvault@yahoo.com with:

“BDAY CONTEST” in the subject line

Please include:

Name:

The Riddle: She was #71 until she and her friends found a way to get her higher on the food chain. But the main character learns that the popular crowd might be full of more betrayals than glamour and true friends.
What book is this?

Answer: (full book title + author)

The name of the site where you found the riddle: From the Corner of Megan’s Mind

Your site’s URL: (if you have one)

Please send a separate email for each riddle you answer!

Good luck!!

Quote of the Day:

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
-- H. L. Mencken

Authors in the Corner: Jessica Burkhart

2008-08-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today's author feature spotlights Jessica Burkhart, an upcoming debut author. Her novel, Take the Reins (a Canterwood Crest Novel), will be released in January of 2009.

(I know I usually do the author feature on Wednesdays, but you'll see why I didn't tomorrow.)

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The awesome Megan was kind enough to offer to let me guest blog today! Woo hoo!

So, I wanted to talk a bit about what’s coming up on my Websites and blog. :) There are going to be lots of things going on that will gear up for the release of Take the Reins and future Canterwood Crest books.

The Blog

When the Canterwood Crest site goes live, my blog will have a brand-new look. It will be THE place for the latest Canterwood Crest news including giveaways, contests, vlogs and more. I’ll be taking my camera everywhere I go, so look for brand new Diary of a Debut Author videos and follow me as I count down the days till January 27.

JessicaBurkhart.com

The events calendar is going to fill up! I’ve got events scheduled from Florida to the mid-West starting early next year. I’ll be hitting Florida book fairs over the fall and you’ll find the complete list on my Website in September. If you’re hitting the Florida circuit, maybe I’ll see you around!

CanterwoodCrest.com

This is an ALL new Website coming in September that’s just for my Canterwood Crest series from Aladdin M!X. What will you find on the site? A quiz, downloads, never before seen photos of the Canterwood Crest models and much more. The site is being designed right now and OMG, it’s going to be great. You’ll find announcements on my blog and personal Website when the site goes live.

So, there are lots of ways to keep in touch and my journey as a soon-to-be debut author is just beginning!

If you’re a writer, what’s one thing YOU most look forward to when your first book is published? Share! :)

Thanks so much, Jessica!

Until her websites are up, you can visit and chat with Jessica at her blog, http://jessicaburkhart.blogspot.com/.

Quote of the Day:

To be amused by what you read -- that is the great spring of happy quotations.
-- C. E. Montague

Quote of the Day

2008-08-04T17:13:00.002-05:00

Today starts the quote of the day... where I find and pick a quote and post it.

If you'd like to see a quote up here, email me at darklaceoflight@aol.com with your quote.

Quote of the Day:

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Well...

2008-07-31T12:19:00.002-05:00

Sorry guys...

If you haven't noticed, my blog has been a little light on the reviews for the past two weeks.

I just can't keep my mind on a book to finish it!

*there goes the big crowd gasp*

Yeah... I went from reading 10ish books a week to none...

But you all know the reason why. Once I say it, you'll be nodding too....

Breaking Dawn.

Yep. My mind's on one track, and it won't be satisfied until I read Breaking Dawn. So sorry about the lack of reviews-- I'm pretty sure that once I finish Breaking Dawn, the blog will get an influx of reviews from me.

But in the meantime, check out some of the other cool kids on my blogroll that haven't let the wait for Breaking Dawn beat them down...

Authors in the Corner: Melissa Walker

2008-07-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

Today we have with us Melissa Walker, author of the amazing Violet series. The next novel in the series, Violet in Private, comes out on August 5. You can visit Melissa on her own blog.

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I just finished a really great book, and it made me want to write about when I know that I l-o-v-e something Iʼm reading.

I know I love a book if its world completely overtakes me. This has happened with a range of authors, from William Faulkner to Mo Willems (he writes awesome picture books that are totally set in my Brooklyn neighborhood).

Just this weekend, as I was reading John Greenʼs Looking for Alaska, I got so involved in the story that even when I took a break to take a walk, I didnʼt really want to talk to my boyfriend. I just wanted to stay silent in my own mind and ponder Alaskaʼs past and The Colonelʼs present and Milesʼs future. (If you donʼt know who Iʼm talking about, that means you havenʼt read Looking for Alaska, and you really, really should. I know what Iʼm talking about here. The book is GOOD.)

Of course, John Green won a Printz Award, which is all gold-foil-literary, but thatʼs not what makes the book good. Itʼs the voice and the way a reader can get entrenched in the main characterʼs world. I like a lot of books, but I love the ones that completely overtake me and make my own reality a little hazy.

Some others that have done that for me recently include Elizabeth Scottʼs Bloom (with riveting romantic chemistry) and Sarah Mlynowskiʼs Bras & Broomsticks (with total hilarious energy).

So what books have you used the L-word to describe? Iʼd love to know.

Authors in the Corner: Linda Gerber

2008-07-29T10:12:00.000-05:00

Today we have with us Linda Gerber.

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It Takes a Village?

Writing may be a solitary pursuit, but making a book is not. At the moment, I'm finishing the final approvals on one book and digging into edits on another and I am struck by the number of people involved in the process. Here's a little rundown on the individuals involved in the success of my current release, DEATH BY BIKINI.

In the beginning, there's just me. I have an idea and I write it down. I play with it. I massage it. It comes to life and takes shape as I write the first draft of what will become the book. And it pretty much sucks. Not the idea. I still love the idea. But the writing needs some fine-tuning. A little tweaking here, a little cleaning up there. This is when I seek the input from my fabulous critique partners.

Can I just tell you how much I love my CPs? We have been together for six years and they are tireless in their help and encouragement, and believe me, during that first and second draft process, I need all the encouragement I can get.

After my CPs, the manuscript goes to my agent, who is one smart cookie. She will give me more feedback and I'll do more tweaking, and then the ms. gets sent to my editor.

I may be a wee bit prejudiced, but I believe I work with one of the best editors in the business. She's diplomatic and thorough and about as nice as they come, even when she's digging through the ms and finding all the mistakes and misses that slipped through the first few drafts. There's even a backup editor whose sharp eyes pick up anything my editor might miss. They give me their notes, and I tweak again.

At this point, the ms heads to copyediting. The copyeditor combs through and makes sure all my punctuation and grammar is correct, and that I got all my facts right. Not a fun job.

Meanwhile, the design team comes up with the cover art. I love the design team! Isn't the DEATH BY BIKINI cover fabulous? Yay, designers!!!

When the interior and cover is all approved, it goes to the good folks in printing. In the meantime, the tireless and brilliant sales team hits the pavement and gets the book into the hands of buyers, convincing them to take a chance on its success. They sold through the first print run before the release and even got DEATH BY BIKINI included in the Scholastic Book Fairs. I heart the sales team!!!

In the bookstores, the staff keeps the book on the shelves, recommends it to customers and reorders when their stock gets low. They arrange signings and events. Love the booksellers!

Finally, there are the readers, some of whom might get advanced copies before the release. They spread the word, offering reviews and telling friends what they thought of the book. Without them, there would be no purpose for the book in the first place.

So there you have it. It takes a village to make a book. Solitary? not.

Authors in the Corner: Catherine Ryan Hyde

2008-07-23T10:07:00.002-05:00

Today we have with us Catherine Ryan Hyde.

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How did you decide to become an author?

My mother was a writer when I was growing up. And I have/had two sisters (sorry to say I lost one in 2007) and they are/were both writers. Whether this is nature or nurture, I can't say. But it seems to run in the family.

When I was in the second or third grade, my mom came to school with me in one of those "parent day" things. Those days when you bring a parent and have them talk about what they do. She brought her books and talked about being a writer. Later all the kids said things like, "Wow. Your mom is really cool." Which had maybe never occurred to me before. At least, not the way it looked through somebody else's eyes. I think that might have been a factor.

Third, and possibly most important, was my sophomore English teacher in high school. Lenny Horowitz. He told me I could write. Out loud. In front of all the other students, who didn't know I could do anything. Later I found out he went back into the staff lounge and told all my other techers I was a good writer.

That was when I made up my mind what I wanted to be. Unfortunately, there's a big gap between wanting to be something and being it. But that's another story.

As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

First I wanted to be a cartoonist. Then I wanted to be a songwriter. Then I wanted to make animated films. I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I just had to find my avenue.

What’s your greatest influence?

I think I am influenced by my endless curiosity about human nature. I'm fascinated by what scares us. Also by what we do when we're scared, particularly when we aren't willing to admit it. Also by the odd ways we vent our anger, which is generally something we use to cover up our fear. I also enjoy exploring our responsibilities to one another. If we are decent people, we owe some measure of helpfulness amd respect to those around us. But what measure? Where does it start and where does it end?

I believe there are limitless novels hidden in the previous paragraph.

Are you working on something right now?

If revisions count, yes. I told my YA editor I would show her something new around the end of the summer. I wrote the last page barely over a week ago, then took off on a little mini-vacation. Now I'm home and making sure it's clean and tight, especially the parts I wrote most recently.

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

I hope not. If possible, I bend over backwards to include the parts that will challenge others the most. I don't think it's my job as a novelist to help people be comfortable. If anything I'm trying to bump them out of their comfort zone.

When I first wrote Love in the Present Tense, I had an opening chapter in which Leonard was standing on the hood of his friend Marco's car at 50 MPH. I was worried some teenager might be inspired to try that. I shared the fear with a couple of people, but they both said the same thing. They said I couldn't pay too much attention to that, or I'd never be able to write anything. Later, after selling the novel, that scene (and for that matter, Marco) was cut, but not for that reason. Because my editor thought it made Leonard seem too crazy. So I never got to find out if it would inspire others in a dangerous way. Probably just as well.

Now I just try to silence all those voices when I write. I'll deal with the reactions of readers later, when it can't change the course of the work

Who’s your favorite author? Your favorite book?

I always had trouble with stating a favorite author, because I seem to go book by book. I'll love a book by an author, get everything they ever wrote, and not feel as strongly about any of it.

So far as I know, one of my favorite authors, Jonathan Safran Foer, has only two novels (and other things that are non-fiction). Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. And I loved them both. So maybe he's my favorite author.

Books? Hard to narrow it down to one. Maybe one of the two I just mentioned. Maybe The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Maybe Flowers for Algernon. There are so many.

Is there something that I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Is the movie Pay It Forward a faithful adaptation of your book?

Not really, no. The idea itself comes through well, but they changed a lot. Not all for the better in my opinion. So many people tell me they loved the movie. Some say they've seen it a dozen or more times. I'm thinking, if they love the story that much, why not try the book? You know. See the movie eleven times and read the book once. Sometimes it's because they don't know it was a book. Which is why I asked myself the question. I'm on a kick to raise consciousness on the matter with this simple question: Did you know Pay It Forward started with a book?

Thanks so much, Catherine!

You can visit Catherine at her website, www.cryanhyde.com.

Fly To My Aid!

2008-07-22T10:05:00.004-05:00

I'm in serious need of some help.

You see, there comes that time in everyone's like where they have to face it... college.

Fortunately (or not so fortunately, as you'll see) I'm only at the applying stage now.

So I get to the bottom of the applications... and I see this blaring at me:

MAJOR: _____________

Uhm... yeah. :?

I have no idea what I'm going to go to school for.

Anyone want to help?

Review: Debbie Harry Sings in French

2008-07-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Debbie Harry Sings in French

Meagan Brothers

Johnny was only twelve when his dad died. With his mom suddenly too filled with grief to take care of them, Johnny learns how to take care of both of them. He also learns how to take care of himself – drinking, to make him buzzed.

Years later, Johnny is looked at as some kind of freak. He is pale, dresses in black, wears makeup, and listens to punk rock. He constantly gets called gay because of the way he dresses. When one night crawling into the bottle leaves him almost dead at a hospital, his mother sends him to get treatment for alcoholism at Parkview. Johnny’s glad he went, though, because if he hadn’t, he would have never discovered the band Blondie.

And even when Johnny is better and goes home, his mother packs him up and sends him to his uncle’s house in another state. And he meets Maria. And he thinks he’s falling in love. But he also thinks he wants to be like Debbie Harry from Blondie (and, well... dress like her). So does that mean he’s gay?

I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book! Meagan Brothers didn’t hesitate to dive into the confusing world of sexuality. In fact, Johnny’s struggle with his sexuality gives a clear picture into Johnny’s mindset. Great music also played a large part in this story.

I love character struggles. Sometimes they get a little too cliché in some novels, but this novel was highly original! I was captured from the first moment, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Honorable Mention

2008-07-21T19:57:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't heard yet, everyone's favorite blogger is back reviewing!

Chelsea, AKA The Page Flipper, is back from her reviewing hiatus. Check out her awesome reviews on www.thepageflipper.com.

Review tomorrow!

Contest: Undone from Reviewer X

2008-07-19T10:44:00.001-05:00

Eep! There's such a buzz going around about this book.

Want to increase your chances of getting a copy? Head to Reviewer X's blog.

She's giving away a signed copy of Undone.

Go! Now!

(Oh, and please, please, please say that I referred you :] )

Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

2008-07-18T12:35:00.002-05:00

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox has just woken up from a coma. Her parents told her that she was in an accident about a year ago. However, Jenna doesn’t remember. She doesn’t remember what her name is, her family, or anything from her life. She can figure out from the way her parents act around her that she’s the center of their world.

They try to help her remember who she was by showing her home videos from her past. Slowly, she begins to remember little pieces. But she knows enough to realize that something’s not right. She has memories of her grandmother being kind to her, but now it seems as if she hates Jenna. Her fingers don’t lace together quite right. What’s wrong with her? What really happened with the accident?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was such a moving novel. Jenna’s struggle to find out who she really is was interesting. I really enjoyed the views I got into Jenna’s character since a good portion of the novel are Jenna’s thoughts. I would have loved to hear more about some of the other characters, but overall it was an amazing novel.

New Blog...

2008-07-17T21:20:00.002-05:00

Well, sort of.

I created a new blog to keep links for my reviews in.

So if you're looking for a review, check there.

Corner Reviews.

Winner: MC2

2008-07-17T20:42:00.002-05:00

And we have a winnnnnnnnner!

Congrats, Chelsea!

Your prize will be mailed out soon.

To everyone else, thanks for entering!

And for the sake of it, November 22, 1963 was the date of JFK's assassination.

Thanks everyon!

Authors in the Corner: Daphne Grab

2008-07-16T10:44:00.005-05:00

Today, we have with us Daphne Grab.

Daphne Grab grew up in a small town in upstate New York. She has worked a number of jobs including teaching high school history, building houses for Habitat for Humanity and teaching ESL in China. She also earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the New School. In 1998 she moved to New York City where she discovered that she has always been a city girl at heart. She lives there now with her husband and children. Her first teen novel, Alive and Well in Prague, New York, was released this year.

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I think a lot of book people were read to a ton when they were little. My mom was an English teacher and my dad was a literature professor, so our house had books everywhere you looked. And I got read to all the time. Even after I learned to read my mom still read to me at night, stories we both enjoyed, and I think she did that until I was eleven and needed those last minutes before bed to be on the phone with friends talking about all the events in our junior high lives (which were considerable so we needed a lot of phone time!).

The first book I remember being read to me was SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE. Do any of you guys know that one? It’s this great story about a donkey who finds a magic pebble and turns himself into a rock with it by mistake- great premise for a story, right? It’s William Steig so the illustrations are as good as the story. I remember my dad really loved the book and would get a little choked up at the end when Sylvester’s parents unknowingly helped him become a donkey again and they all danced around together.

Which reminds me of my mom’s favorite book to read to me: CHARLOTTE’S WEB. I loved this one though I never got why my mom cried at the end when Charlotte knows she’s going to die but she’s saved Wilbur. I mean, it was sad but my mom really sobbed. When I got older I realized it made her think about one day passing away and leaving me and my sister. I think really great books like this make you think about your own life and maybe make meanings of things in new ways. I cry at the end now too.

Now that I have my own kids I get to revisit books I loved from when I was little, and I’ve already started a library of things to read to them as they grow (they are three now.) It’s going to be really fun to be on the other end of this tradition!

So what are some of the books that you were read as a kid?

Thanks Daphne!

Motivation

2008-07-15T11:06:00.004-05:00

I've got a question for you guys--

What do you do to stay motivated?

Share your answers, and get an extra entry!

Oh, and Chelsea--

Here's your motivation.

126.6

November 22, 1963 (don't forget to email the answer to this one)

So Did You Say Extra Entries?

2008-07-14T13:44:00.006-05:00

Okay... I'm bad. Third post today. (if you scroll down you'll see a book review and a slightly delirious post from 4 AM.) But I'm going to start with a new *somewhat regular* way to get extra entries to ANY contest that I hold. So here's the deal...

On the bottom of random posts (at least once a week), you'll see a random date, amount, etc. Your *correct* guess at what the randomness is referring to will get an extra entry to whatever contest I'm holding at the time. When I post the next random thing, I'll give the correct answer to the previous one. And feel free to guess more than once :]

Example (because I know I sucked at explaining that):

I would put this at the end of whatever post:

September 11, 2001

Your *correct* answer would be: terrorist attack on the US (or something like that)

Now, I might put random amounts (ex. a year and three days, 46 inches, etc) that you'll have to figure out what I'm referring to. It won't always be a date. And I probably will put personal things in the randomness (when I do... if you get it right, you'll get 2 extra entries instead of one) and I'll tell you that it's a personal one.

So... yeah, this explanation sucked. If you have any questions about this, email me at darklaceoflight@aol.com or hit me up on AIM, where my current alias is paperxxflowersx3.

So... for the first extra entry this way...

November 22, 1963.

Oh, yeah. Chelsea was kind enough to point out that I didn't tell you how to enter (comment/email). Okay. Email me your answer with whatever the random thing is as the subject. So if you're sending me an email with your answer for this one (Nov 22, 1963), then you're subject line would read: November 22, 1963.

Review: How to be Bad

2008-07-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

How to be Bad

E. Lockhart
Sarah Mlynowski
Lauren Myracle

Jesse and Vicks have been friends for awhile. They work together; they get along great. Jesse usually feels like she can tell Vicks anything. But when she finds out her mom has cancer, she doesn’t tell anyone. She just wants to get away.

Vicks has this amazing boyfriend. They’re perfect together. But once he went off to college, things seem like they’re falling apart. He doesn’t call her. It’s been two weeks. And instead of telling her best friend this, she tells the new girl at work, Mel.

When Mel started working with Jesse and Vicks, she felt like the odd girl out. They were just good friends, and Mel never really had that. She’s used to people looking down on her because of her money, being second best to her sister, or being the tiebreaker in her family. So she invites herself along for the ride.

Each of their backgrounds are completely different, but they’re all united with the same goal: to get away. And though they may not be friends now, a series of events might make them closer than they could ever imagine.

How to be Bad was awesome! I thought that the writing would be inconsistent (as I’ve had previous experience with books written by multiple authors), but the story flowed continuously. The writing was seamed together; there were no flaws to distract the reader from the story. Which is good, because this heartwarming story of a blooming friendship is one that every person should check out.

So It's 3:30 in the Morning...

2008-07-14T03:45:00.002-05:00

And I'm awake. Again. Yay.

I don't know if I can even count how many nights in a row this has been. Well, occasionally I can actually sleep (like a normal person!), but for the last... eh... few years, I've been awake at night for quite a bit.

So my question for all you lovely people is...
How do you deal with sleepless nights?

And more importantly...
Who else is awake like me?

On another note, thanks for the response I've gotten about personal things on my blog. The vast majority (I really don't think anyone disagreed, honestly) stated that personal is good... as long as the blog continues with my awesome book reviews and other features. Which, of course, it will. So I guess... consider this top part as my first personal post.

-----------------------------

And as for the blog...
I'm going to do away with schedules. They don't like me. But don't worry; you'll still keep getting all the cool things you get now, just maybe not on all the same dates. Author features will, however, be on the same days (Wednesdays, for all the kids who haven't noticed). Unless it's an exception.

And as you've guys have probably noticed, I usually do this on Sunday but I was a little busy... so here we go, at 3:46 in the morning, here is your schedule for the upcoming week...

Book reviews... two at least, one cross posted on another blog? hmm... we'll have to keep our eyes out for that one.
Guest blog... I believe From the Corner of Megan's Mind is playing hostess to Daphne Grab this week.
Extra entry opportunities... for sure one, maybe more.

Special surprise? We'll just have to see how it goes :]

Oh, and I think there's a review scheduled for later today. You know, when people are actually awake. So happy blogging!

Review: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

2008-07-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

Jody Gehrman

Geena was definitely looking forward to this summer. She, her cousin Hero, and her best friend Amber were going to spend it all together. They were going to work together at the Triple Shot Betty, have sleepovers, paint each others’ toenails…

Her daydream crashed and burned when the two girls meet and instantly clash. They are completely different, Geena admits. While Geena is classified as a typical Skater Girl, Amber’s known for her not so innocent past, and Hero looks like an overprotected innocent princess.

Enter the guys: cute Italian, Geena’s “rival”, and the hottest guy in the city. But when Hero and Amber are messed with by the hottest guy in the city, Geena swears revenge. And when the three Betties are united with a common enemy, there’s nothing they can’t do.

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty was such a cute novel! The characters continued to surprise me again and again as the novel progressed. Relationships were changed, images were changed, and the Betties were friends. This novel really showcased the old cliché with aplomb: we can do anything if we set our mind

Authors in the Corner: Sara Hantz

2008-07-09T10:00:00.009-05:00

Today we have a guest blog from Sara Hantz

Sara Hantz started writing when she ran out of degrees to study and decided it was much more fun to make things up than to comment on dry academics. Born in England, she moved to New Zealand a few years ago with her husband and two children. The Second Virginity of Suzy Green is Sara's first novel.

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School....... the best days of our lives????

When Megan asked me to blog, at first I couldn’t think of what to blog about. Then I thought, why not talk about school, as The Second Virginity of Suzy Green, is all about Suzy trying to change from being a girl always in trouble to the perfect student.

I don’t know about you, but I was told repeatedly that school days are the best days of your life. But, I didn't get it. How could they be? I was always in trouble for disrupting lessons, dying my hair non-regulation colors (well, as school shirts were blue, I fail to see how having a blue flash at the front of my hair was a problem - it matched), having a small radio in my purse and balancing it on my shoulder so I could listen to it (this was before iPods).... the list goes on and on.

I couldn't wait to leave. But once I did, school took on a whole new meaning. I thought going out to work meant no one would be telling me what to do every hour of the day (like in school). Wrong! At school, unless you do something really bad, they can't kick you out for underperforming, unlike work. And school hours being 9-4, with two breaks and an hour and a quarter for lunch, is pretty good when compared with working 8-6 or however long it takes to get the job done. And as for the long school holidays. Try swapping that for 3 weeks a year.

And let’s not forget what they actually teach you at school. I might not have valued it then, but I sure do now. Education gives you choices. So when you come to decide what career you want you're not restricted.

So, best days of my life? Not the best but, with hindsight, better than I thought. And my BFF I have known since school.

What about you, how do you feel about school?

Thanks again, Sara!

You can visit Sara on her website.

And check out my review of Sara's novel, The Second Virginity of Suzy Green, here.

I Want You! (To Share Your Opinion)

2008-07-08T12:14:00.003-05:00

Hello, fellow book lovers! I've been meaning to ask you all a question. What's your opinion on a blogger posting about personal things?

Do you guys think that I should post about personal things? Or should I just keep it strictly to books/authors/etc.?

And I'd like to think that you'll respond without a reason, but sometimes that's just not true. So, you get an extra entry to mystery contest #2 if you respond.

But, you have to have emailed me with your first entry (see post here) in order to receive the extra entry. And as a warning now and to future entries, if you do not answer the question I've asked, your entry does not count.

Thanks guys.

Review: Mercy, Unbound

2008-07-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Mercy, Unbound

Kim Antieau

Mercy O’Connor is becoming an angel. She can feel the wings coming from her shoulder blades. Sometimes, she can hear them, and sometimes they are very uncomfortable. So she knows she’s becoming an angel. And angels don’t need to eat. So she doesn’t eat. Her parents, however, are not as sure.

Out of concern, her parents send her to a clinic called Mercywood that specializes in eating disorders. Mercy can’t understand why. She can see the other girls there definitely need help. But, she knows she doesn’t have an eating disorder. She doesn’t care about her weight. But when no one else can see her wings, Mercy begins to doubt. What if she’s killing herself?

I have to admit, I did take the first line of my review from the back of the book. It just seemed too perfect not to use it. So there, it’s cited. Mercy, Unbound was an amazing book. I was a little apprehensive when I saw that it only had 165 pages, but this book continued to surprise me. The lesson Mercy had to learn was deep. The number of pages didn’t keep the message away.

I loved Mercy’s character. Kim Antieau allowed half of the novel to be Mercy’s thoughts, and it gave a clear insight on her character. The more I would read this book, the more I would hope that Mercy would be okay. If you’re looking for a deep, meaningful read with a short page count, this is the book for you.

Mystery Contest #2 (Please Accept My Apologies)

2008-07-06T15:05:00.002-05:00

Sorry again fellow booklovers. I've been working for the past few days and am just *exhausted*. I haven't had time to put together any new exciting posts, or write some reviews, or compile contest links betweeen last Thursday and today. Hopefully I'll get to writing some more wonderful reviews for all you wonderful people.

However, I will tell you that mystery contest number 2 is starting NOW!

(Sorry, all you out of US booklovers [I love you!]. Even number contest means that it's only open to US residents.)

If you'd like to be entered, please email me (subj: Mystery Contest #2) and tell me the book you most enjoyed reading this summer!

As always, you can get extra entries for blogging about this contest and linking to it.

So here's what's coming up this week:
Book Reviews (maybe start posting another review on a weekend? scheduled? I'd love some input!)
Guest blog with Sara Hantz
(hopefully!) Maintenance to the blog

Look for reviews of these books soon:
Mercy, Unbound
The Year of Disappearances (also cross posted on the awesome blog Genre of the Month)
How to be Bad
serafina67
The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Rumors
Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty
Debbie Harry Sings in French

My TBR list is now almost non existant. Uh oh.

Go! Enter!

Review: The Strand Prophecy

2008-07-03T10:00:00.002-05:00

The Strand Prophecy

J.B.B. Winner

Evolution has always been a huge part of our world. Now, it’s even bigger. We’re approaching a cycle of evolution brought on by radiation that will rapidly change everything. Prey will become predators. Predators will become prey. And humans are the most abundant in the world.

This is the message the mysterious Strand brings to the president. But when the president refuses to acknowledge it, he leaks the research on the internet. The next day, what he predicted occurs in Brazil.

Steve Cutter was a cold, indifferent scientist until his brother dies in a car accident. His brother’s daughter, Anna, has become the center of his world. He must do anything to protect her. He might even become someone else.

I wasn’t sure of what I was getting myself into when I picked up The Strand Prophecy. I had cringed at the words “It’s ‘X-Men Meets Jurassic Park…’” on the back cover. And I had to pull myself through the first few pages. But after that, I was pulled into the book. It kind of reminded me of a science fiction version of the movie Iron Man, but totally different on many different levels. I would highly recommend this book to any science fiction lover.

Authors in the Corner: Stephanie Kuehnert

2008-07-02T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today, our visiting author is Stephanie Kuehnert.

Stephanie Kuehnert got her start writing bad poetry about unrequited love and razor blades in eighth grade. In high school, she discovered punk rock and produced several D.I.Y. feminist 'zines. Stephanie received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago. Her debut novel, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone—a raw, edgy emotional tale about growing up punk and living to tell—will be published by MTV Books in July 2008. You can visit her at http://www.stephaniekuehnert.com/ or www.myspace.com/theblacknotebooks.

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Performance Anxiety

My debut YA novel I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone officially comes out on July 8th. That’s less than one week away. People keep asking me if I’m excited, which, duh, of course I am, but I’m also totally freaked.

I had a lot of different hobbies when I was younger. I couldn’t seem to settle on one particular thing to stick with (besides writing, which I’ve been doing since I learned how). I played clarinet for a couple years, then I was in Chorus, and I’ve taken guitar lessons on three separate occasions. I had a painting phase, a drawing phase, and a ceramic phase. I quit ballet for gymnastics, quit gymnastics for stage crew, and quit stage crew to act.

Eighth grade was my actress year. I was in three plays that year. I loved trying out, I loved rehearsing, and then performance time came… My stomach twisted in knots. I couldn’t sleep. I wondered why in the world did I do this to myself? I hate addressing large groups of people. I’m a shy person by nature. I’m much happier hanging out with one or two friends or in my room by myself listening to music and reading. Why, oh why, did I sign up to go out and perform in front of all these people?

Yeah, that’s exactly how I’m feeling right now. I’ve lined up this whole slew of events to celebrate the release of my book and now I realize that I have to *do* them. I’ve gotta read in front of people, many of them strangers in other cities. I’ve gotta worry if people are even going to show up. In fact, it’s kind of even worse because with plays at least I didn’t write the dialogue I was speaking or the action I was performing. I wasn’t responsible for the whole story, just a small piece of it. Now I wrote the thing and I have to perform it. And yes, I’ve been rehearsing by doing open mics and appearing at reading events with friendly familiar audiences for awhile now, but it hasn’t made it any less scary. Seriously, can we just call the whole thing off???

No. No, I can’t. In fact, Amazon.com is already selling the book before the official release date, so it’s out there right now for the masses to judge. And plane tickets have been bought and commitments have been made, so I’ve gotta do the events like I promised. *Sigh* So now I have to remember the rest of the eighth grade actress experience, which is that once I got onstage and got into my role, I loved it. It was a great rush. I enjoyed the applause and I never majorly screwed up and when I got criticism it made me a better actress. Besides, unlike acting, which was just a phase, writing is my life and is the only thing I never quit to try something else. So I really have no choice, but to step on the stage and enjoy my moment. If I’m in a town near you, I hope you will come enjoy it with me.

Thanks so much, Stephanie!

So if you haven't been paying much attention lately, this week is Stephanie week in honor of the release of IWBYJR over at Shooting Stars Mag! They have this really cool contest going on, so you should go and check it out!

Oh No! (Oops, I Did It Again)

2008-07-02T00:13:00.002-05:00

Well... I thought I had scheduled a post for yesterday of contest links, but apparently I hadn't. Sorry guys! I still haven't unpacked from my trip and all. But, later you guys will get an awesome guest blog! So check in for that laters.

In the meantime, I'll tryyyyyy to get things back the way the schedule dictates. (But, I might end up doing away with the contest links on tuesdays and do something else. Then just posting contest links when I come across them. Which is wayyy easier.)

Bye guys!

Shooting Stars Mag Likes Contests (Do Your Part)

2008-06-30T19:10:00.002-05:00

Hello again, everyone! I just HAD to come and tell you all about this awesome contest that Shooting Stars Mag is hosting. Lauren, the cool kid that she is, in honor of the release of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, got a bunch of reviewers (including moi!) to donate 10$ gift cards towards the contest prize.

Check out the post about it here, and be sure to look for I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone when it hits stores!

Oh! And before I forget, be sure to check in for Stephanie's guest blog, coming soon!

News From My Trip (The Thank-You's Are A'Rollin')

2008-06-30T14:51:00.003-05:00

Well, everyone! I was hoping I'd get a chance to post about my FBLA nationals trip day to day to keep all of you informed (whether you wanted to know or not), but unfortunately that couldn't happen. I didn't know I could survive 7 days without internet, and believe me, it was hard. Good thing I had some reviews already scheduled to post for your entertainment.

News from My Trip
Everyone, you are looking (metaphorically speaking) at one of the five members of the parliamentary procedure team that placed 5th in the nation. (granted, first would have been great, but still... fifth is pretty bomb).

Unfortunately, our candidate for FBLA National President didn't win. We were all sad.

BUT our Business Ethics team placed 8th in the nation. We're all very proud of them.

I'm just glad to be back home (with my good food... sorry, Georgia, but nothing can take the place of good cajun cooking).

So I'm Extending a Thank You...
Thanks to all of you who in some way wished me good luck with nationals! I really appreciated it. I liked knowing that you (well... some of you) come here for things other than book reviews and/or contests.

Thanks, Dominique, for being patient with my whole internet-connection problem as I got back to you about your prize.

My boyfriend gets a pretty big thanks, also. He checked every day to make sure your posts came out like they were supposed to. And, he's the one that's been responding to my emails (which I found out that I really can't live without) during my brief trip away from the world of internet.

A HUGE thanks to Chelsea (you might care to think of her as The Page Flipper) for being such an awesome person and helping me let you guys know that I couldn't post Linda's guest blog when it was scheduled.

And What's Coming Up?
I would have sworn to you before the trip that I would have all of my books that I brought with me read by the end of the trip. Well... that's not the case. I did, however, manage to read The Year of Disappearences, so let's keep an eye out for that review soon.

Possibly two guest blogs this week will be gracing the pages of From the Corner of Megan's Mind to make up for the lack of one last week.

What's this? There's a new group of bloggers surfing the blogosphere... that's right! Yours truly has joined those that run a blog called Genre of the Month. Check it out!

I did come home to find that I got books in the mail (yay, books!), so you've got a few more reviews to look forward to.

AND.... mystery contest numero 2 might be lurking around the corner.... so keep an eye out!

Review: Bewitching Season

2008-06-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Bewitching Season

Marissa Doyle

Twins Persephone and Penelope Leland couldn’t be more different. While Penelope can not wait to be presented to the queen and her first Season to begin, Persephone would rather stay at home and study. The two have one thing in common, however—magic. They both study magic under their governess’s care.

While in London, however, their governess goes missing. The twins immediately begin a plan to find her. But when their mystery links to the plot to gain control over the princess, they know they must do both—save their governess, and save the princess. And it doesn’t hurt to have a cute guy help them along the way, especially for Persy’s sake.

Since I really like novels placed during the 1700-1800s, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I say that I really liked this novel. I actually ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Once I got started, I could not put it down. I found that I could easily relate to Persephone. Although I’m not on a mission to help my governess or perform magic, her daily inside struggles are easy to relate to (especially when it comes down to her relationships). I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes novels about magic, historical fiction, and/or mystery.

Review: The Patron Saint of Butterflies

2008-06-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

The Patron Saint of Butterflies

Cecilia Galante

Honey and Agnes are two very different girls with one very big thing in common: they both live in Mount Blessing, a religious commune. While Agnes has a family with her and she tries to live a saintly life, Honey is by herself and doesn’t care to be a saint.

When Agnes’ Nana Pete comes for a visit and learns that the girls were punished in what the commune calls the “regulation room,” she decides that she’s going to take her grandchildren away. Her plan is suddenly set into motion when Agnes’s brother hurts his fingers and the commune leaders “perform a miracle” to put them back on. So she takes Agnes, her brother, and Honey back into the real world, and there, all of Honey’s questions about her past are answered.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies was hard for me to get into at first. But as the story went on, it was easier to see why the characters acted the way they did and why the plot moved as it did. It was pretty good, but one of those novels that I don’t think I’ll read again. The Patron Saint of Butterflies is, however, a novel worth looking for.

Guest Blog (Or Lack Thereof)

2008-06-24T19:14:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, Megan doesn't have internet access (Hi! This is Chelsea!), so there will be no guest blog today. :( She'll be back soon, though!

Contest Links for June 24, 2008

2008-06-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

Another Tuesday, more contest links!

Win a copy of The Hunger Games from Teen Reads

If you haven't heard yet, Keri Mikulski's giving away That Summer and A Bad Bride's Tale in her YAY for YA June giveaway.

IB Teen Blog is giving away four different books in three different contests this month!

Reviewer X is feelin lazy, which is fine by us when she's willing to give us a 15$ gift card because of it!

Cynthia Leitich Smith is giving away a set of First Daughter novels on her blog, Cynsations.

YoungAdult on myspace has two copies of Chance Fortune and the Outlaws to giveaway

The Book Muncher is celebrating her 100th post with a contest! The prize? Three books featuring hot musician guys :]

Book Chic is still giving away books on his myspace.

Melissa Walker holds weekly contests on her blog. This week, she's giving away Not Anything.

Don't forget to check out Linda Gerber's blog on Friday for an awesome contest!

Review: The Summoning

2008-06-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Summoning

Kelley Armstrong

Everyone thinks Chloe Saunders is crazy—her dad, her aunt, and even her schoolmates now. But then again, she was expelled for “attacking a teacher.” But Chloe isn’t sure what to believe about herself. She was seeing ghosts, so she must be crazy, right? There’s no such thing as ghosts, and they definitely do not talk.

So Chloe gets sent to Lyle House, a home for “crazy” teens. There she meets Rae, who has a ‘thing’ for fire, and Simon and Derek, two foster brothers who couldn’t be more different. When Chloe and Rae sneak in to look at Derek’s file, they notice that Simon doesn’t have one. Why is he here if there’s nothing wrong with him?

Maybe Chloe isn’t crazy. Rae, Simon, and Derek don’t seem to think so. There might be more than what meets the eye. And they might be the people to help her realize.

I absolutely loved The Summoning. With so many science fiction type books coming out recently, if most readers out there are like me, you start to wonder if any new good science fiction books are going to come. Believe me when I tell you that this is the book that we’re waiting for. The characters were interesting and unique, while the plot was strong and spellbounding. I absolutely cannot wait for the other two books in Darkest Powers trilogy to come out.

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by the time you read this, I should be somewhere between Louisiana and Georgia on my way to FBLA Nationals. Let me know if you're here too!

Review: Truancy

2008-06-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

Truancy

Isamu Fukui

Tack is a fifteen year old just trying to get through school. Most of us would think that it’s not so bad. But for Tack, it’s even worse. Tack lives in a totalitarian city, where the Mayor and the Educators team up together to suppress the students and mold them into good, obedient citizens. But there are some students that just won’t be quieted. This group of students is called the Truancy, and their goal is to take down this school system.

Check out the rest of my review here.

Yay for Random Links!

2008-06-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yep, I found out about this contest too late to post it with the Tuesday contests, but it'll end before the next post about contests comes up, so here we go!

A Patchwork of Books is giving away five (five!) copies of The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

Review: Roots and Wings

2008-06-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

Roots and Wings

Many Ly

Grace’s whole world centers on the two people that make up her family: her mom and grandmother. She’s never met her father, and her mom won’t tell her about him. Yet she feels that there is something missing from her life. And when her grandmother dies, the hole in her heart gets even wider.

Check out the rest of my review here.

Authors in the Corner: Jody Gehrman

2008-06-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today's Authors in the Corner features a guest blog from Jody Gehrman.

Jody Gehrman is the author of four novels and numerous plays. Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty is her first Young Adult novel and is published by Penguin's Dial books. Her adult fiction includes Notes from the Backseat, Tart, and Summer in the Land of Skin. Tart was a Booksense notable in 2005, won an RT Bookclub critics' award, and has recently been optioned for film. Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New York, San Francisco and L.A. She and her partner David Wolf recently won the New Generation Playwrights Award for their one-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She is a professor of English at Mendocino College.

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The Novel: Grappling with the Big Picture

“There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
~W. Somerset Maugham

“Writing a novel is like driving across country at night. You can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole journey that way.”
~E.L. Doctorow

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The biggest challenge in writing a novel is dealing with the scope of it; most writers start in shorter forms (i.e. short stories or poems) so the idea of churning out 300-or-so pages is often daunting. Most of us who attempt the novel find we get lost at some point in the process, feeling aimless and unsure of how to proceed.

The thing to keep in mind is you have a story to tell, and as long as you can keep the heart of that story within your sites, you’ll be fine.

This, of course, is easier said than done.

Here are some tools that may help you navigate the vast wilderness of your story:

Create an Outline: Some writers eschew outlines for a more organic, build-as-you-go technique. I’ve found an outline to be helpful, as long as I’m spontaneous enough to alter it when needed.

Different types of outlines:

§ Try a 3x5 card for each chapter. This way, you can throw out ideas that aren’t working without having to start from scratch.

§ Timelines: I sometimes use one timeline of major events within the novel, and another for events in the main characters’ lives that preceded the novel.

§ One page synopsis: Really forces you to focus in on the essentials. Also a useful tool later when courting agents/publishers.

§ 5-page synopsis: Lets you expand to cover major plot points. Also a useful marketing tool with agents/publishers.

§ Messy notes outline: If bullet points aren’t your style, a useful compromise is to brainstorm freely about your characters, their needs and desires, plot possibilities, etc.

§ Plot Map: For the more visually inclined, try boxes, bubbles, arrows, etc. to create a blueprint of major events.

Use a Logline: Screenwriters are fond of saying, “If you can’t tell your story in a few sentences, you don’t know what it is.” Hence, the birth of the logline, a 1-3 sentence TV-Guide style summary of your story emphasizing the character’s primary conflict.

Try a Collage: Cut out pictures of your characters, the rooms and landscapes they inhabit, their favorite objects, or just images that evoke the mood you’re trying to convey. Place it near where you write for inspiration.

Get Feedback: Have a trusted friend (or writing group) read your latest draft, and don’t give them too many hints beforehand about plot, themes, etc.; listen carefully to their feedback. Then, if they haven’t already volunteered it, ask them what they think your novel is about.

Consider the Dramatic Structure: Aristotle insisted that every story have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Thinking of your novel in these terms can help. What’s the climax of your story? What’s the resolution? How does each event build toward that climax? Another way of asking this: What’s your main character’s problem, how does that problem become increasingly intense, and how does the problem explode, then resolve?

For me, boiling it down to these three steps is extremely helpful:

Beginning (Act I): Set up the conflict
Middle (Act II): Complications ensue, tensions rise
End (Act III): Turn (climax) and resolution

As Somerset Maugham noted, no one knows the three definitive rules for writing a novel. With this in mind, I hope these suggestions will help you in your courageous undertaking.

Thanks so much, Jody!

You can look for Jody at her website and her myspace.

Readers, what are some of your tips to writing a novel?

Mystery Contest #1 Winner

2008-06-17T12:38:00.002-05:00

This contest got a total of 51 entries. I punched the numbers into a random number generator, and it gave me the number 39. Therefore, the winner of my first mystery contest is....

Dominique!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and stay tuned for the next mystery contest. Dominique, you've got 72 hours to email me at darklaceoflight@aol.com. Otherwise, I'll have to choose a new winner.

Contest Links for June 17, 2008

2008-06-17T10:00:00.007-05:00

Yay! I'm sticking to my schedule!! Tuesdays are for other people's contest links. So here we go...

I've been terribly neglectful and only just got around to entering Carol's contest on her blog! She's hosting two contests right now. That's how far behind I am.

Contest #1: Win book(s), bookmarks, and/or other goodies! Ends on June 30th.
Contest #2: Carol did an awesome interview with Tina Ferraro, and she's giving away your choice of either How to Hook a Hottie or Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress.

The Elite Series myspace page is giving away a copy of The Elite. According to the blog post, the contest lasts a month, and if my calculations are correct, then the contest ends July 4.

Kayla over at Midnight Twilight's book blog is giving away an ARC copy of Brooke Taylor's Undone. This contest ends on June 29.

The Story Siren is super pumped about getting 20,000 hits on her blog! Wouldn't you be? So she's asking for your feedback in a survey, and sweetening the deal with a contest.

The Compulsive Reader is giving away another ARC copy of Kitty, Kitty.

Book Chic on myspace is hosting a huge amount of contests this month! Check it out!

Elizabeth Scott wants to hear about your summer! Tell her at the same time you enter her awesome contest.

Melissa Walker holds a contest every Wednesday on her blog. This week's contest is for Why I Let My Hair Grow Out.

Check out Linda Gerber's blog on Friday for an awesome contest.

Review: The Fold

2008-06-16T14:56:00.002-05:00

The Fold

An Na

It’s the last day of school, and Joyce has to find her courage. Today, she’ll ask her crush, John Ford Kang, to sign her yearbook. But her day goes all wrong. First she gets a huge zit and leaves her yearbook at home. The worst thing, however, is after she buys a new yearbook (fifty dollars!), and finally asks John to sign it, he mistakes her for someone else.

She knows she isn’t as pretty as her sister, Helen, is. But this event seemed to prove it to her. So when her aunt wins the lottery and offers Joyce a chance to get the eye fold surgery, she embraces the idea. Trying a temporary solution only reassures Joyce of what she wants to do. She can’t understand why Helen seems so disappointed in her… until she finds out her sister’s own big secret.

From a summary like that, it seems as if there isn’t anything that someone could not like about this novel. Many of my friends highly recommended An Na, praising her novel Wait for Me. So after reading this, I just wonder how someone who so many people rave about could write a book as horrible as this?

Yes, you might have guessed it. This is my first negative review. And believe me, it was hard to write. So let’s start with Joyce. It just amazed me how selfish and shallow she really is. She only worries about her looks and her crush and completely ignores her friends and family. Speaking of which, the book doesn’t cover a lot about her family. What is mentioned is extremely brief and sometimes confusing. I would have loved to know more about almost any other character in this book, especially her sister Helen and her friends. That would have made for a much richer story (and a much better novel).

Another thing: if you totally get embarrassed because your crush mistakes your name, not once but twice (he mistakes Joyce for Helen when she’s trying out a temporary eye fold), then why would you keep trying to impress him? Seriously. She needed to get a life and faced that there was someone right in her face for her and he was much better for her, too. I wasn’t very impressed with The Fold.

Contest: Cynsations and The Juliet Club

2008-06-14T10:30:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! Now, I'm not breaking the schedule. I just found out about this contest, and it ends before my now-normal time to post contest links. So, here you go!

Cynthia Leitich Smith is giving away a copy of The Juliet Club on her blog, Cynsations. Make sure to tell her what your favorite Shakespear quote is.

If you enter, leave a comment on this post from now until June 16th (which is the day that her contest ends) telling me your favorite Shakespear quote, and you'll get an extra entry to le concours de mystère (with the help of my French book and an online translator, mystery contest).

If the scheduled post thing's working correctly, I'll be taking the ACT again at this time. Cross your fingers for a better score (not like I need a better one, anyways. lol)

Only a week until FBLA Nationals. I'm so nervous. Our school has a tradition that mustn't be broken.

Is anyone else going? Let me know :]

More Randomness... Yay!

2008-06-13T16:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm bad. I know. I just gave you a schedule and I already broke it. I'm disappointed in myself. Bad Megan! *slaps hand*

I've been reading; don't get me wrong. I just have written the reviews for them yet. There hasn't been much time between setting up that awesome new feature for you guys, work, and parliamentary practice (nationals is just a week away! eek). And if you don't know what that is, believe me. You don't want to know.

So, I'm going to try to crack down over the weekend (in between taking the ACT for the gazillionth time and work) to write some reviews for your reviewing pleasure. Some reviews for you to look forward to:

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
Roots and Wings by Many Ly
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
The Fold by An Na

AND I'm not going to disappoint you further. I did say that Fridays were going to be about my contests and/or extra entry opportunities. So! If someone can fix my problem with the stupid drop down arrow thingy not working. (see in my TBR list, that arrow thingy? I want one of those that will actually bring me to the review, instead of just listing them.) You'll get three extra entries if you can help me with this.

Authors in the Corner: Cynthia Leitich Smith

2008-06-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

Yes! The unveiling of my new feature--Authors in the Corner. Everyone's excited, right? You better be!

Today we have with us Cynthia Leitich Smith for a brief Q and A.

Cynthia Leitich Smith is an award-winning author best known for her Native American themes, humorous picture books, and YA Gothic fantasy. Her more recent titles are a picture book, SANTA KNOWS (Dutton, 2006), and a young adult gothic fantasy novel, TANTALIZE (Candlewick, 2007). She makes her home in Austin, Texas; with her husband, author Greg Leitich Smith and four bossy cats. When not writing, Cynthia is a big fan of "Monk," comics, dinosaur exhibits, theater, sushi, and ghost hunting.

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How did you decide that you were going to be an author?

At the time, I was working as a law clerk for a federal office in Chicago. I'd enjoyed law school but had never meant to practice. My plan had been to cover the courts for a major newspaper, but my husband had a patent law position in Chicago and neither of the city's big papers were hiring. My job was okay-in the Loop with nice folks and I was madly in love with the urban landscape. But it wasn't my dream.

I started scribbling stories at lunch and at home after work. It didn't take long to realize that I didn't want to be one of those people who spent their lives saying "someday." I took a deep breath, winced at my student loans, and quit to write full time.

We all have ambitions as we're growing up. As a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

I played "teacher" a lot, and I do teach writing for children and young adults quarter time at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Mostly, though, I wanted to be Wonder Woman. I loved her boots.

What's your greatest influence?

I don't think I'd be writing Gothics today if it weren't for Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate (Delacorte, 1997).

Are you working on something right now?

I just finished the final copy edits of Eternal (Candlewick, 2009), and my current focus is the graphic novel adaptation of Tantalize (Candlewick, TBA), which will be told from Kieren's point of view. Along with picture books, I learned how to read from comics, so it's sort of like writing in my real first language.

Have you ever refrained from writing about a certain topic for fear of how others would react to it?

You know, I don't worry about that. I did have a couple of friends warn me that I shouldn't write Tantalize because it might provoke banners and alienate my Native American readers. (I'd had an established reputation as a Native children's author before diving into YA). So far, neither of those predictions has come to pass.

Who's your favorite author? Your favorite book?

When it comes to a body of work, author A. M. Jenkins is steadily emerging as a favorite. I highly recommend her poetic ghost story, Beating Heart (HarperCollins, 2006), her Printz honor book, Repossessed (HarperCollins, 2007), and her gritty new "vampire" novel, Night Road (HarperCollins, 2008).

My favorite novel is David Levithan's Marley's Ghost (Dial, 2005), which is a retelling of A Christmas Carol. It appears to my affection for the Gothic, my romantic nature, and my interest in contemporary YA ties to classics.

Is there something that I didn't ask that you wish I had?

How about: what can readers look forward to next?

My forthcoming short stories will be found in Immortal: Love Stories with Bite, edited by P.C. Cast (BenBella, 2008); Geektastic, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci (Little, Brown, 2009); and Cabinet of Curiosities edited by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick, 2009).

On the novel front, Tantalize will be available in paperback in July 2007, and Eternal will be released in March 2008.

Readers should watch my site and blogs for updates on the Tantalize graphic novel and the next prose books set in my Gothic universe. See: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/, and expect big announcements soon!

Thanks so much, Cynthia!

You can see Cynthia at her webpage or on her myspace.

Readers, here's your chance to give your input! Do you like the new feature? Who else would you like to see here?

Randomness about the Site

2008-06-10T11:30:00.001-05:00

Okay, you guys! I'd love some feed back on my site if you don't mind. What would you like to see more of? What would you definitely like to see less of?

What do you like? What do you dislike?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

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I'm going to try to stick to a new schedule as much as possible, see the following:

Mondays - Reviews

Tuesdays - Other people's contest links

Wednesdays - NEW FEATURE (to be announced soon, but until it is announced, Wednesdays will remain blank)

Thursdays - Reviews

Fridays - If I'm hosting a contest, or starting a contest, the information will be here (or if there are chances for extra entries, they'll probably be there too)

If I'm online on the weekends, they'll probably just be randomness from my life or contest links that I found and forgot to post :]

So what do you think? Please be truthful!

And I'm still looking for help for the drop down arrow thingy, if any one knows how to do it!

(This is supposed to be posted at 11:30 AM if it works. lol)

Review: Violet by Design

2008-06-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

Violet by Design

Melissa Walker

Violet’s definitely enjoying her break back in her home town in North Carolina. She’s been ignoring all of her agents calls, determined to relax and be with her friends. But when she finally answers Angela’s call, she gets the offer of a lifetime. They want her to go to Brazil. She can see the world.

But in Brazil, Violet gets tangled up in a relationship that ends badly. And instead of wallowing in exercise, she wallows in pints of ice cream. Needless to say, she gains weight, and her agent isn’t very happy about it. When she gets an offer to be in a huge fashion show for one of the top designers, she couldn’t be more amazed. Except for the tiny fact that they want her to lose weight, scarily fast. Can she stay with her morals and be a true role model, or will she give into the time honored tradition of the modeling world?

And then there’s that thing with Roger. The Kiss. What does it mean to her? To him? Does he have any ties to the “I heart Violet Greenfield” that was scrawled on her locker junior year? Will she realize the truth too late?

Once again, Melissa Walker completely dragged me into Violet’s world. I was intrigued when I found out that Melissa brought out the dangerous topic of eating disorders in her novel. Not only was it interesting, but it showed readers that although many people worry about the way they look, it takes amazing courage to have the strength to turn away from those bad habits. On another note, I wanted to scream when the book was over about the tangled web that is the friendship of Roger and Violet. I can only hope to get my hands on the next installment, Violet in Private, as soon as I’m able.

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Okay, so I'm trying out that cool thing to have the posts show up at a later time, so if I posted twice today, I didn't mean to. I meant for it to post Tuesday.

I've got to figure this thing out since I won't be able to update personally with reviews and such between the 23rd and the 30th since I'll be at FBLA Nationals.

AND If someone knows how to put a drop down arrow thingy on my blog so I don't have a huge list of reviews in my TBR list, please tell me how to do it! I'd appreciate greatly!

Review: Violet on the Runway

2008-06-09T09:35:00.003-05:00

Violet on the Runway

Melissa Walker

If you had asked Violet Greenfield to describe herself in one word, she’d tell you that she was plain with a capital P. It was her friends that were interesting: Julie, with her overachieving ways, and Roger, with his immersion of pop culture and a need to prove himself. And all Violet really wanted was to be a BK. A Bee’s Knees. One of those girls. The popular ones.

Then Violet meets Angela Blythe, who represents Tryst Models, at her dorky job at the movie theater. Not only does Angela think that Violet is gorgeous, but she wants her to go to New York City. To be a model. And you know what? She might just do it.

Melissa Walker’s Violet on the Runway is a definite “yes” when it comes to book recommendations. It was amazing to see how much Violet’s character changed when she hit the model scene in New York. And more importantly, her friendships and relationships only improve how interesting Violet truly is. With so much revolving around fashion these days, it was wonderful to get a novel that not only appeals to fashion lovers, but also to those of us who just want to see a “real” character.

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Mystery Prize extra entry opportunity:

Add me to your blogroll! Leave me a comment!

(I don't mind adding you to my blogroll, just ask :] )

Contest: Mystery Prize # 1

2008-06-08T13:17:00.005-05:00

Woohoo! I told you I had it in my mind to have another contest :]

This is the start of a series of contests.

However, unlike most contests, you won't know the prize of this one. Just that it's a book.

Ways to enter:
1) Leave me a comment ON THIS POST about your favorite book-turned-movie movie :]
2) Blog about this contest and link me.

You may be able to get extra entries in other ways, but you won't know if you're getting them or not. Just know that it's not favoritism--if one person gets extra entries doing a specific thing, anyone else who does that specific thing will also get extra entries.

I've got no definite end to this contest; it'll just end when one day I post and say "contest has ended" and announce a winner.

Please take notice:

Since this is a series of contests, if you win, you're not eligible to win in the immediately following mystery prize contest. So let's say you won the first one, so you can't win in the second one. But you can try again in the 3rd. If you're confused, just tell me lol and I'll try to make it clearer.

AND as a further note: Each mystery prize will probably be different, so don't rely on what others tell you about the prize.

Thanks! Now get to entering my contest :]

Oh, and I almost forgot. The odd numbered Mystery Prize contests are open to everyone, and the even numbered ones are limited to U.S. people.

Sorry I couldn't open all of them to everyone, but it gets pretty expensive mailing out of country all the time.

Oh, and I just finished reading The Summoning from Harper Teen's First Look. It was awesome! Just as a note if any of you got a copy, also.

//EDIT//

I forgot to mention!

Tasha
Chelsea
Lauren
Booksandlove

You all already have an extra entry, if you choose to enter this contest for replying to my post about the contest ideas. Thanks, guys! They were helpful.

Review: Suite Scarlett

2008-06-07T19:46:00.001-05:00

Suite Scarlett

Maureen Johnson

Scarlett Martin’s family is unusual, even for New York City. They live in and own a hotel. The most unusual part about their family comes on the fifteenth birthday – in addition to the normal birthday gifts, each person gets a key to a room they have to take care of. Because, you see, the Martins may live in a hotel, but that doesn’t mean they’re rich. In fact, they’re a little bit further than that.

Check out the rest of my review here.

Review: Screwball

2008-06-06T08:59:00.003-05:00

Screwball

Keri Mikulski

What happens when you have to choose between your heart and your favorite pass time? For Ashley Clarke, this isn’t the easiest decision for her to make. Sure, when it came to switching teams to be on a better, older baseball team, she was concerned, but didn’t worry about it. Her main concern was her pitching.

That is, until she met Andrew. And they started dating. She thought things were going pretty well, but even she didn’t realize how things in her life were changing. She couldn’t concentrate on baseball when he was around. She even quit basketball to spend more time with him. And when he breaks her heart, she doesn’t know what to do with herself. She throws herself back into baseball, and forgets all about having a social life. But she can’t figure out what’s missing.

Until she realized there was someone who was always there waiting for her. She’s such a screwball.

Keri Mikulski impressed me greatly with her debut novel Screwball. While at some parts I couldn’t get into it as much as I’d have liked because of Ashley’s obsession with sports, other parts I could totally dive right into. Her emotions were so real and honest that your heart broke as you read Ashley’s story. If you haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet, I suggest you do! Ashley’s story will only get better.

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Score: 4/5

Yes, it was good, but like I said, I couldn't completely get into it because of the sports aspect. However, that doesn't mean you won't like it!

Review: Lost It

2008-06-04T11:19:00.002-05:00

Lost It

Kristen Tracy

Tess Whisle’s life was fairly unusual. Her parents, recently “born again”, are determined to keep Tess safe from the dangers of television, driving, and even beef. Her best friend is obsessed with creating a bomb and blowing up a poodle. You heard right. A poodle. The only thing that stays constant in Tess’s mind is the fact that she will not, will never, have sex until she is married (or at least engaged). That, and the fact that she’s absolutely terrified of all wild animals.

Then she meets Ben Easter, and her world is turned upside down. Her best friend actually goes through with her plan. Her parents leave her to go to a survival camp, and her grandmother becomes more of a parent to her than her parents ever really were. And she and Ben get closer… and before she knows it, she’s head over heels.

Kristen Tracy’s Lost It was a very cute story. It reminded me a lot of real teen life because even though all these weird things are going on, and her life is changing in so many ways, she still worries about these miniscule things. Readers who liked The Second Virginity of Suzy Green should definitely consider reading this book. Although they both initially deal with the same topic, the stories are vastly different and make you want to smile.

Contest: The Elite

2008-06-04T11:12:00.003-05:00

Both The Book Vault and Book~Adorer are giving away copies of The Elite!

And, if you haven't already, go enter Teen Book Review's contest with author Daphne Grab's guest blog to win a copy of Alive and Well in Prague, New York.

Contest: How NOT to be Popular

2008-06-03T17:22:00.003-05:00

Steph at Reviewer X is giving away a copy of How NOT to be Popular. Just give her your best tip on... well, how not to be popular. lol. You can say I referred you, if you want :]

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On other news, to make up for my lack of reviews last week, I've got a whole bunch of reviews planned for all you lovely people this week!

And, if anyone's good at html-y things, shoot me an email please! I need some help. lol

Review: The Second Virginity of Suzy Green

2008-06-03T13:01:00.003-05:00

The Second Virginity of Suzy Green

Sara Hantz

Suzy Green could not have felt worse about what happened to her older sister Rose. Her parents were even more torn up, Suzy figured, because Rose was the perfect one in the family. So when her dad’s job sends their family to another city, Suzy uses this as a chance to recreate herself and her image. She does not drink anymore. She works harder than she ever has before in school. She even thinks about joining a few clubs, until she finds out that the cool thing is…

Virginity club.

Check out the rest of my review here.

Contest: Francey

2008-06-02T19:47:00.003-05:00

And another awesome contest from And Another Book Read! This time, she's giving away a copy of Francey. It sounds awesome (judging from her review), so go enter! now!

AND on another note, I know I just had a contest, but I'm already thinking of another one. Give me your imput! Do you think I should hold another contest? What should I give away? What should the special event be? (100th post, someone's birthday, etc)

Keep in mind that I already have an idea of what I'll do for the next one, so this is for future reference.

I'd love some feedback from all you awesome people :]

And who knows? Maybe your suggestions will earn you early entries to my next contest.... I'll never tell ;]

Contests: June 2

2008-06-02T13:00:00.004-05:00

Yeah, so what? I labeled it with a date. Simply because I have a bunch to post about! YAY!

Shooting Stars Mag is at it again! The last book for the Mark it up May contest is The Death of Jayson Porter. Check it out.

Hope at Hope's Bookshelf is giving away a CD of songs relating to Siobhan Vivian's A Little Friendly Advice, and some cute buttons to boot!

The Book Vault is giving away two copies of The Swan Kingdom. It's their first contest, so go and show them a little support!

Keri Mikulski enjoyed her YAY for YA May contest so much, she's having another one this month! Her YAY for YA June contest books that you have a chance of winning are That Summer and A Bad Bride's Tale.

This weekend was the grand opening of Chelsea's new website! Most of you know Chelsea from her blog, The Page Flipper. And what better way to celebrate a website opening than with an amazingly awesome contest! And might I add, I helped decide what the prize would be, so you should feel special :] An Ultimate Reading Kit could be yours!

Oh, and just for you to know, I saw 12 Stones in concert yesterday.

They were amazing. brilliant. awesome. a great live show!

If you've never heard of them, you should totally check them out. Like, seriously. You're missing out if you haven't. They're so interactive with the audience. It was wonderful!

Favorite Author Meme

2008-05-31T19:47:00.003-05:00

YAY! It's my first time being tagged for a meme.

I've been tagged by Lenore.

1. Who’s your all-time favorite author, and why?

Hmm... what a hard question! I don't have one favorite, so my favorites are as follows:

Jane Austen: Man, that girl could write! Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite love story novels. She just has a style that is different from everything today.

Laurell K. Hamilton: She has like, what? A gazillion books out and like two or three different series written. Usually I only like one series or one book by an author, but everything that this woman puts out, I can't wait to get my hands on! Even in her debut novel, her talent was shining. She writes alot that could be placed in science fiction.

Stephenie Meyer: Okay, who doesn't love her? The Twilight series was genius. Seriously. And her newest novel, The Host, was amazing. Enough said.

Jay Asher: I recently read his novel Thirteen Reasons Why, and it has become my all time favorite book. That's a hard position to get into, so Jay automatically makes my list of favorite authors.

2. Who was your first favorite author, and why? Do you still consider him or her among your favorites?

I think my first favorite author would have to be Frances Hodgson Burnett. My favorite books when I was younger were The Secret Garden and A Little Princess.

I don't think I'd still consider her among my favorite authors. Sure, she is an awesome author, but my tastes have changed as I've gotten older.

3. Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

Jay Asher, as I just said, because I recently read Thirteen Reasons Why and it became my favorite book of all time. Simply put.

4. If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth? Are there any you’d add on a moment of further reflection?

I'd probably come out and say Laurell K. as my favorite author when I'm asked on the spot, but as I'd think about it more, more and more authors would make the list. It's so hard to pick just one!

I Tag:

Chelsea (The Page Flipper)

The Story Siren

Steph (Reviewer X)

Cassidy (Reading is for Lovers)

Rules: Link to the person that tagged you, post the rules somewhere in your meme, answer the questions, tag six people in your post, let the tagees know they’ve been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog, let the tagger know your entry is posted.

Winner: Otherspace Contest

2008-05-31T19:44:00.001-05:00

And the winner is...

Liv

Congratulations! Liv, you've got 72 hours to contact me with your mailing address.

To everyone else, thanks for entering!

Sorry Everyone!

2008-05-28T15:31:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry for the lack of reviews or contest links for this week. I've been studying for finals and haven't had the time to read anything interesting lately (except for Suite Scarlett... which I can't review for you right now, sorry again!)

However! Once finals are over, I will try to get out some reviews for your enjoyment.

Keep commenting you guyses! The Otherspace contest ends Saturday.

Oh, yeah. Chelsea's one cool kid. Check out her new site! (It's not completely up yet, but it's definitely very cool.)

Review: A Northern Light

2008-05-25T10:07:00.001-05:00

A Northern Light

Jennifer Donnelly

This is 1906. Matilda “Mattie” Gokey’s family seems to be falling apart. After the death of her mother, the responsibility of holding the family together falls on Mattie’s shoulders. She constantly has to worry about her younger sisters and their shenanigans. Her older brother ran away, and her father expects Mattie to help him on the farm. But, Mattie, a writer at heart, is determined to get her high school diploma, especially since her mother wanted her to get it so badly before she died.

She has such great potential. Even her teacher believes that she could become a great writer. That’s why she sends Mattie’s stories to a college. While waiting for her letter back from the college, Mattie receives the attention of Royal, one of the boys next door. And when Mattie gets a letter from the college offering her a scholarship, she knows she will never be able to go.

Even though he doesn’t like it, when their family becomes desperate for money, Mattie’s dad allows her to work at the hotel in town. So when a guest gives her a bundle of letters and asks her to burn them, Mattie finds it strange, but not more unusual than she has seen. Then they pull the body of the guest out of the lake. And the letters could make all the difference.

This book was actually recommended to me by a friend multiple times. So, when I got the chance to pick it up, I did, and I wasn’t disappointed. Jennifer Donnelly’s portrayal of historical fiction piqued my interest. It didn’t take long for the rest of the story to suck me into its whirl of romance and mystery. I loved Mattie’s character, especially since she loved to read.

Contest: More Mark Up May Contests

2008-05-22T19:03:00.002-05:00

Shooting Stars Mag is hosting THREE Mark Up May Contests at the same time!

Marked up copy of Tantalize.

Marked up copy of Violet on the Runway.

Marked up copy of either Such a Pretty Girl or Leftovers.

Need more of an incentive to sign up for these awesome contests? You got it! If you enter one or more of these contests, e-mail me at darklaceoflight@aol.com and tell me! You can get another entry to my Otherspace contest this way!

Review: Becoming Chloe

2008-05-22T18:59:00.001-05:00

Becoming Chloe

Catherine Ryan Hyde

Jordy is a runaway in New York City. Why he ran away is a secret hidden in his past. He does not worry about anyone else but himself… that is, until he meets Chloe. The circumstances of their first meeting were strange and even horrifying, but they linked Jordy and Chloe into a most unusual relationship.

They are teens on their own in a big city. How much harder could it get? Apparently, it could get much harder when Jordy realizes Chloe is suffering from depression. She even wants him to let her go. However, Jordy convinces Chloe to go on a cross-country trip with him to prove that the world is beautiful and witnesses their lives change in the process.

Becoming Chloe was such a thought provoking novel. While Hyde’s character Jordy seemed older than what he really was, Chloe was just the opposite. She had an almost childlike innocence around her. However, Chloe amazed me again and again with her strength and knowledge. I continued to be drawn into pondering the deep discussions that I would not have expected from a novel such as this. Catherine Ryan Hyde’s writing did not fail to deliver with this great novel.

Review: The Host

2008-05-20T17:17:00.005-05:00

The Host

Stephenie Meyer

Imagine a world without war, without conflict, no speeding, and no law breaking. Sounds like a perfect world, right? Well, this perfection comes at a price. The world has been taken over by souls, intent on fighting the humans internally and externally. They would take over the human minds, pretending to be the same while the rest of the world was conquered.

This was Wanderer’s ninth life placement into a living creature. She knew what to expect. However, she was taken by surprise when she found out that not only did her host Melanie not fade from existence as is common, but she actively fought the invasion of her mind. She didn’t win, though. They almost never do. Wanderer begins to surprise even herself when she and Melanie make an unusual friendship while searching for Melanie’s brother Jamie and the man that she loves.

We all knew that Stephenie Meyer is an amazing author, unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the past few years. Every one of her young adult novels has made the best sellers list. However, her debut into the Adult Fiction world with The Host blew my mind. It was wonderfully written, brilliant, sweet, and extremely emotional. I could barely put it down! I recommend you go immediately and get a copy if you haven’t done so already.

Now, I know I don't normally review adult fiction on my blog, but you'll have to forgive me for my deviation from young adult for this book. It was just that great :]

Clarification for Otherspace Contest: You have to comment on the original post to be entered and for any other comments to count. Thanks!

Random: New and Improved To Be Read List!

2008-05-19T19:33:00.002-05:00

Yepp! If you haven't noticed already, I recently (in addition to the contest list) added a To Be Read List. Now, the list also links to the book reviews I've done on this blog.

So... for those of you too lazy to look at the books I've reviewed to enter the Otherspace contest, here you go. Enter now.

And you love me :]

From the Corner of Megan's Mind

Ode to Past

Sunday is for Secrets

Although It May Seem Unlikely, I'm Still Alive (Somewhere)

Authors in the Corner: Blogging with Beth Kephart

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Beth Kephart

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Daria Snadowsky

Let Me Tell You A Story...

Sundays are for Secrets

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Terri Clark

100 Books

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Dia Calhoun

Corner Reviews: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

Sunday is for Secrets

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View with Tera Lynn Childs

Corner Reviews: Serafina67 *Urgently Requires Life*

Authors in the Corner: Guest Blogging with Tera Lynn Childs

Did You Miss Me?

Authors in the Corner: Guest Blogging With Regina Scott

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Regina Scott

Ma, There's A Hurricane A'Comin!

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View With Elizabeth Scott

Sundays Are For Secrets...

Authors in the Corner: Mini-View with Linda Joy Singleton

Authors in the Corner: Katie Davis

Reviewer Profile

Corner Reviews: Rumors

Woo! Birthday!

Review: The Year of Disappearances

Authors in the Corner: Jennifer Ziegler

I've Been Tagged!

Sunday! Woo!

Yay! Busybody Meme

Liv's BDAY contest!

So You've Seen the Review...

PostSecret Sunday

Review: Violet in Private

Book Vault’s Birthday Contest Riddle

Authors in the Corner: Jessica Burkhart

Quote of the Day

Well...

Authors in the Corner: Melissa Walker

Authors in the Corner: Linda Gerber

Authors in the Corner: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Fly To My Aid!

Review: Debbie Harry Sings in French

Honorable Mention

Contest: Undone from Reviewer X

Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

New Blog...

Winner: MC2

Authors in the Corner: Daphne Grab

Motivation

So Did You Say Extra Entries?

Review: How to be Bad

So It's 3:30 in the Morning...

Review: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

Authors in the Corner: Sara Hantz

I Want You! (To Share Your Opinion)

Review: Mercy, Unbound

Mystery Contest #2 (Please Accept My Apologies)

Review: The Strand Prophecy

Authors in the Corner: Stephanie Kuehnert

Oh No! (Oops, I Did It Again)

Shooting Stars Mag Likes Contests (Do Your Part)

News From My Trip (The Thank-You's Are A'Rollin')

Review: Bewitching Season

Review: The Patron Saint of Butterflies

Guest Blog (Or Lack Thereof)

Contest Links for June 24, 2008

Review: The Summoning

Review: Truancy

Yay for Random Links!

Review: Roots and Wings

Authors in the Corner: Jody Gehrman

Mystery Contest #1 Winner

Contest Links for June 17, 2008

Review: The Fold

Contest: Cynsations and The Juliet Club

More Randomness... Yay!

Corner Reviews: Serafina67 Urgently Requires Life