My Life is a Bookshelf

New Harry Potter Website

2011-07-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago, J.K. Rowling revealed her plans to open an interactive Harry Potter website for the fans. Here is one of the many articles written about it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/23/pottermore-website-jk-rowling-harry-potter

Pottermore website launched by JK Rowling as 'give-back' to fans

by: Alison Flood

Harry Potter author unveils free, collaborative website for which she has written extensive background material

JK Rowling shocked and thrilled her fans in equal measure today, with the revelation that her new venture Pottermore was set to feature a wealth of new and previously unpublished material about the world of Harry Potter.
Although the author made clear that she had "no plans to write another novel", the fresh Potter material – to be unveiled later this year - already stretches to 18,000 words about the novels' characters, places and objects, with more to come. From Professor McGonagall's love for a Muggle as a young woman, to how the Dursleys met (Petunia was working in an office); from new information about Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses, to details about wand wood, Rowling's writing will be just one part of the richly interactive, free Pottermore.com website, which is intended to bring the Harry Potter storylines to interactive life for readers.
"I had more than half of the new material already written or in note form. I literally dug some out of boxes," said the author at a press conference this morning to announce the launch of the website, which she and the Pottermore management team have been working on for two years with UK digital agency TH_NK. "I generated more material than ever appeared in the books. I thought 'who would ever want to know the significance of all the difference wand woods?' ... Now you can go and see. It's such a rich experience to do it this way."
The material will be used on the new, free Pottermore website, a collaborative project for fans set in the Harry Potter universe. "I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new generation," Rowling revealed. "I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have. Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment. Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site." The website will open first to a million users who register first on 31 July – Harry's birthday. These users will help shape the site, with its full launch to all users to take place in October.
Pottermore will also sell the long-awaited ebook versions of the Harry Potter books directly to users from October, as well as digital audiobooks. "It is my view that you can't hold back progress. Ebooks are here to stay. Personally I love print and paper. [but] very very recently for the first time I downloaded an ebook and it is miraculous, for travel and for children. So I feel great about taking Harry potter into this new medium," Rowling said. "We knew there was a big demand for ebooks but if it was going to be done we wanted it to be more than that ... I wanted to pull it back to reading, to the literary experience, the story experience, and this is what emerged."
Although Rowling's publisher Bloomsbury will receive a share of revenues from the ebooks, the digital editions, which will be compatible with all devices, will only be sold from the Pottermore website, thus disintermediating other booksellers such as Amazon. "It means we can guarantee people everywhere are getting the same experience," said Rowling, of her decision to go it alone. "[I am] lucky to have the resources to do it myself and am therefore able to do it right. It's a fantastic and unique experience which I could afford in every sense. There was really no other way to do it."
Starting with the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Pottermore will allow its users to navigate their way through the story, with all-new illustrations and interactive "moments". Users start out by choosing a magical username, and as they move through the chapters of the book they will be sorted into houses – Rowling herself has written a "vast pool" of questions to direct users to their correct home – choose wands, shop on Diagon Alley and experience life at Hogwarts, just like Harry. Points can be won for houses by casting spells and mixing potions, users will be able to comment and add their own drawings and content – and Rowling herself will be dropping in "as a normal punter" now and then.
"If you are not sorted into Gryffindor, if you go into one of the other three houses, you will effectively get an extra quarter of a chapter. You will go off into your own common room, meet your own prefect, and find out what the true nature of the house is. In the main novel you only see the houses through the eyes of the heroes. So it's not a terrible thing to be in Slytherin," said the author, who admitted it was "a little frightening" how easily she slipped back into writing about Potter. "It's exactly like an ex-boyfriend ... I've never cried for a man as I cried for Harry Potter. Now we're casually dating and we have been for two years."
The author, who has sold 450m copies of the Harry Potter books worldwide, said that she still receives a "huge" amount of fan mail – "drawings, stories, ideas, suggestions I write prequels and sequels", so she felt the site was "a really great way to give back to the Harry Potter readership, who have obviously made the books such a huge success".
"This site is a fantastic way for fan creativity to continue. It's amazing for me to be creative in this medium, which didn't exist back in 1990," she added.
For the moment, Pottermore will be restricted to the world of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but all seven books will be added in due course, complete with new material from Rowling – including, she promised, a more detailed explanation of Quidditch. "The number of geeky men who come up to me to argue about Quidditch – well, I'd be a lot richer if I got a quid for every one," she said. "They just think it's illogical. It's not. I had a speech by Dumbledore in the first book explaining why it's not illogical, but it never made it in. It will do at some point."

A space of their own

2011-07-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

A space of their own

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

2011-03-27T22:14:00.001-05:00

Finally, some news on book 4 in the Inheritance Cycle. Book 4, entitled Inheritance, is coming out November 8 of this year. I am so excited for this book. The first three in the series, Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingir are great books, but I will be glad to finally read the conclusion. This book has been a long time in coming. Thank you to Christopher Paolini for his hard work on this series. He has created a great legacy so far.

Review for The King's Speech

2011-03-05T21:44:00.000-06:00

I went to see The King's Speech today, which stars Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush. The movie is a narrative about King George VI, who had a stammer and couldn't speak well. With the help of his friend (Geoffrey Rush) he manages to overcome his stammer and become more confident in himself. This movie won several Academy Awards this year, with Colin Firth winning Best Actor. It was truly one of his best performances, and this movie deserved all the awards it received. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Review for Gnomeo and Juliet

2011-02-27T16:38:00.000-06:00

As an English Literature major in college, I have a healthy respect for anything based off Shakespeare's works. Shakespeare was a genius and there is no doubt about that. However, I have to say that Romeo and Juliet is perhaps my least favorite of his plays, particularly because it is one of his dramas that is just too dramatic. However, I went to see Gnomeo and Juliet and it was one of the cutest movies I have seen in a long time. There were parts that were slow in it, but overall, I was so pleased with it. It made watching the story of Romeo and Juliet bearable. Disney did a good job with it. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Anticipated Reads 3

2011-02-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

Another novel I would really like to read is titled Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton. This is another debut novel by an up-and-coming author. Another reminder that the publishing world does exist. I can't wait to read this one. It's books like this that remind that I need to hurry and write my novels before someone else somehow reads my mind. The book comes out this Tuesday.

First there are nightmares.

Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.

Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Anticipated Reads 2

2011-02-27T16:24:00.000-06:00

The other book I can't wait to get a hold of is titled The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. This is her debut novel, and from I've seen so far, has been receiving great reviews. I can't wait to read it! I'm always extra excited to read new novels by new authors. They make reading interesting.

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

Anticipated Reads

2011-02-27T16:17:00.001-06:00

The first book I can't wait to read this just came out this month. It's titled First Grave on the Right, and it's by Darynda Jones, a new up-and-coming author. This book is her debut novel, and it has received great reviews even on Amazon (the folks there are tough). The titled character, Charley, is a Grim Reaper and a detective. It sounds like a great novel and I can't wait to read it.

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper
Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to 'go into the light.' But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

The Death of Brian Jacques

2011-02-27T16:11:00.000-06:00

About two weeks ago, I learned that Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall series, died of a heart attack at the age of 71. I love the Redwall books, and the last one will be coming out in May. As far as I know, they will not hire anyone else to continue them. I started reading these books about ten years ago, and have loved them ever since. I am on Doomwyte right now, and afterwards, I will be reading The Sable Quean. The last book in the series is titled The Rogue Crew; it is due out May 2011. May Brian Jacques rest in peace; he created quite a legacy for children's literature.

Kindle

2011-02-27T16:05:00.000-06:00

So, for Christmas last year, I received a Kindle from my parents. I LOVE IT!! Since I have a lot of books I want to read, it's easier to have them all on my Kindle. Plus, I can send PDFs of my own work to my Kindle. It's great and I love it!! I recommend getting one if you already don't have one.

Coming to Theaters Finally!!

2010-08-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, I am a HUGE fan of Hayao Miyazaki, an animator and director from Japan. He has done several movies that were released in the U.S. by Disney under the Studio Ghibli trademark (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, and Nausica of the Valley of the Wind). His son, Goro Miyazaki, did his own movie as well, which will be coming out this weekend in the U.S. His animated movie is based off Ursula Le Guin's Tales From Earthseas novels. I am sooo excited to see this movie!

My Review for Inception

2010-07-31T12:18:00.000-05:00

When I saw the previews for this movie, I knew it would be good. I like Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor; he's really solid. The movie had many different plots but they all fit together. Great thriller until the very end (that's Christopher Nolan's style I guess). Above all, I loved the originality and complexity of thought in the plot and script. All the details were covered. Excellent movie ( 5 stars).

My Review for the Sorcerer's Apprentice

2010-07-31T12:14:00.000-05:00

First, just let me say that I had no idea what to expect from this movie. The previews for it made it seem kind of cheesy, so I wasn't really that interested in going to see it. However, it turned out to be a pretty good movie. There were definitely some deep levels of thinking involved in the plot. Great movie and I liked the acting. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

New Series by Janet Evanovich

2010-07-19T14:50:00.002-05:00

Janet Evanovich will be starting a new series based on the character Diesel. Now, we've met Diesel in the in-between books in the Stephanie Plum series. We first met him in Visions of Sugar Plums and he hasn't disappeared since. Well now he is getting his own series. I love Diesel, he is hilarious, and these books are sure to be also. The first book is Wicked Appetite. Can't wait!!

Help on Writing

2010-07-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had a great new idea for a novel (which I have already started outlining). I got kind of stuck though on some of the ideas in writing, mainly that the first draft is just that: a first draft. It is not perfection in any way. Of course, me being the English nerd that I am, I like to perfect the draft as I write, which takes considerable time away from just letting the creative juices flow. I am not kidding, when you are worried about punctuation and grammatical errors, it really does mess with your belief in yourself that what you are writing is worth the time. I checked out a book at the library called No Plot? No Problem?. It's by the guy who started the National Novel Writing Month in November. I definitely recommend it to those having trouble with starting out. Perfection can never be achieved at first but you shouldn't let that daunt your joy in the characters you create!

Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz

2010-07-16T17:27:00.001-05:00

Last month, Melissa de la Cruz released a new book for the Blood Bloods series titled the Keys to the Repository, except that the book isn't an actual novel. Rather, it looks at all the characters and has some short stories that fill in some of the gaps in the books. The book has been getting great reviews so far. I can't wait to read more of it. Cruz is also releasing Bloody Valentine (a Blue Bloods novella) in December and Misguided Angel in October. It's been a big year for the Blue Bloods novels.

My Review for Despicable Me

2010-07-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I went and saw Despicable Me, which features the voice talents of Steve Carell. This movie was seriously one of the cutest movies ever. Loved it and I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I hope it continues to do well at the box office (and I am secretly glad that it shoved Eclipse out of the top spot).

Quote of the Day

2010-07-07T18:44:00.000-05:00

Today, I heard a line that I thought served as the perfect quote.

"The world is a strange place, Gwen. Never underestimate the power of love. I've seen it change many things."

-Gaius (from Merlin)

My Library's Summer Reading Program

2010-07-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

Every summer, my library hosts a summer reading program for kids. It's a great way for kids to have fun and socialize, but also read for prizes. This year's theme was Scare Up A Good Book, and it was a blast. I highly recommend attending these free programs if you get the chance.

Rick Riordan's New Book

2010-07-06T15:29:00.001-05:00

Pretty much everyone has now heard of the author Rick Riordan and his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (which ended last year) and a movie was made about the first book. He has a new series coming out that is set in the same world. The first book is The Lost Hero and Riordan has stated that Percy will make some appearances in the books although the main characters will be entirely different. I am excited about this new book. I loved what he did with the Greek mythology in the other series, and I can't wait to see the gods and goddesses again (Artemis will always be my favorite I think).

Favorite New T.V. Shows

2010-07-06T15:21:00.000-05:00

I have to recommend an amazing T.V. show that has me hooked and addicted. It's a show made by BBC Wales over in Britain, but some television studios over here picked up the rights to air it. The show is called Merlin, and like the name suggests, it's a show about the mythological figure Merlin and his involvement with King Arthur of Camelot. The series features Merlin, played by Colin Morgan, assisting and protecting the young Prince Arthur (Bradley James) with his magic. This series is good because it focuses on the characters before they actually became the legends; Arthur is not yet king and Merlin has to keep his magic a secret from Uther Pendragon, the king. They are all just young people with huge destinies. Guinivere and Morgana also make appearances as well as Mordred and the druids. The series is a fasicinating look at the Arthurian legends. The second season just finished airing over here in the U.S. last week on the SyFy channel. A third season is already in the works over in Britain. I own the first season on DVD and eagerly await the second!

Eclipse: My Review

2010-07-06T15:11:00.000-05:00

As nerdy as I am, I was (obviously) at the opening night of Eclipse. I stood in line with lots of other people (most younger than me by the way) and I got my ticket for free because I had a coupon. The movie was (I thought) the best of the series. Twilight was my favorite book, but Eclipse is the best out of the movies. I still believe I like Jacob better than Edward, who just seems too corny for me. I first read this series in 2005 when I was still in high school. I was totally an Edward fan then. But now that I am older, I think Jacob would have been better for Bella. Now, I would marry my best friend, not the dangerously alluring bad boy, which is how Jacob and Edward are portrayed. I would choose to be with Jacob (especially if he is played by Taylor Lautner...yum). All the actors did better in this movie though. A good movie for the third book. Kudos to the director.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Movie Trailer

2010-07-06T14:57:00.003-05:00

Finally, the time for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movies has come. The last book in the Harry Potter series will be done in two parts with the first one coming out November 10, 2010. That's this year! I love knowing that Harry Potter is still every bit as popular as when the movies first started coming out. Universal Studios Orlando just opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a theme park based solely on the Harry Potter books. They even modeled the castle and Hogsmeade! I am so excited to see these movies and I plan on visiting the Harry Potter world sometime during the winter (it's the best time to travel to Flordia). I literally grew up with Harry as I was the same ages as him in the books when I started reading them. These books are very near and dear to my heart and I hope that the author will return to Harry's world someday.

Janet Evanovich's New Book Sizzling Sixteen

2010-06-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

This week, Janet Evanovich's new book Sizzling Sixteen was released. It's part of her Stephanie Plum series, which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't read them yet. They are great for a light read and they are all hilarious. A company picked up the rights to the first book of the series, One For the Money, and it will be starring Katherine Heigl.

Chicago Tribune Printer's Row Lit Festival

2010-06-16T19:22:00.000-05:00

This weekend (June 12-13) I went to the Printer's Row Literary Festival in Chicago. The festival was amazing to say the least. Hundreds of people were crowding the tents, buying used and new books, listening to authors read, getting books signed, and attending some of the events hosted by the Chicago Tribune. I am a huge reader and book lover and I enjoyed the festival so much! This was the 26th annual festival, and it has been popular and successful every year. Printer's Row is a historical street in Chicago where publishing houses used to reside (and which is now a residential area). The street and the buildings are absolutely gorgeous! My friend and I ate at this little cafe/restaurant called Pockets, where I had an amazing pizza calzone. I got to meet some authors, such as Stephen Markley (author of Publish This Book) and K.S. Krueger (the up- and- coming author of Traegonia: The Sunbow Prophecy), and get a couple of books signed. I really hope that I can go again next year and spend some more time in the shops that occupy the street.

Beauty of Creating Another World

2010-01-12T11:04:00.000-06:00

So, I was sitting in my room the other day, and I got to thinking about all of my favorite authors. I have quite a few, and some have not written anything in a couple of years. I also started thinking about my favorite series by these authors. They were really popular, and the worlds they set their books in were fabulous. Here's my thing. If you can create a world, like J.K. Rowling did with Harry Potter, then there is no reason that you cannot return to it to create more books. A good example of this is Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders of Pern series. She keeps writing the books because everyone likes the world that they are set in, and there are endless adventures to be had. Why am I on this topic? I just found out that Garth Nix, who created the Abhorsen triology, is going to expand on more books in that world, the Hidden Kingdom. Also, Phillip Pullman, who wrote the Dark Materials, is going to write another book about Lyra. I can't wait. I loved reading these two, and I am excited about their new books.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

2009-11-17T23:31:00.001-06:00

The next book in the Blue Bloods series, The Van Alen Legacy, came out in October. I love this series because of its take on the whole lore of vampires and humans. Very interesting psychological implications and philosophy in these books. According to the author, there are definitely going to be more books coming. Her next book after this one is going to be called Misguided Angel. I can honestly say that I cannot see how this story is going to go.

Update- I finally finished reading it. I love the plot line of this story, and her views on vampires are refreshing and original to me.

Keri Arthur's New Book

2009-11-17T23:27:00.000-06:00

Keri Arthur is the author of the amazing paranormal Riley Jenson series. I love the heroine in this story. She is hilariously sarcastic and kick-ass. They make a great action series as well as a romance series. Very complicated and excellent story line. Her new book is Bound to Shadows. I can't wait to read this one, as her last book was a huge cliffhanger!

Release of Fire by Kristin Cashore

2009-11-17T23:22:00.000-06:00

I own Kristin Cashore's book, Graceling, and her book that came out in October, Fire, is the prequel to the book. Graceling was filled with complex plots social rules, but it was a good read altogether. I am interested in what Fire has to offer in terms of insight to Graceling.

Green Books Campaign: The Good Soldiers

2009-11-10T12:59:00.000-06:00

The Good Soldiers by David Finkel

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

This book was printed on acid-free paper that is forest friendly (100% post-consumer recycled paper) and has been processed chlorine free. I think that the publication of books should become entirely done on recycled paper, or other forms for the conservation of trees. Millions of books are published everyday, and that is a lot of trees to be using when they could all be printed on recycled paper. I think this program is an excellent way to help save the Earth, especially by cutting back on one of the industries that uses so much paper.

Media Release:

The Good Soldiers by David Finkel

Reviews >>

An eternal tale—not just of the Iraq War but of all wars, for all time.

It was the last-chance moment of the war. In January 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush announced a new strategy for Iraq. He called it the surge. “Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences,” he told a skeptical nation. Among those listening were the young, optimistic, Army infantry soldiers of the 2-16, the Battalion nicknamed The Rangers. About to head to a vicious area of Baghdad, they decided the difference would be them.

Fifteen months later, the soldiers returned home forever changed. Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Finkel was with them in Bagdad, and almost every grueling step of the way.

What was the true story of the surge? And was it really a success? Those are the questions he grapples with in his remarkable report from the front-lines. Combining the action of Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down with the literary brio of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, The Good Soldiers is an unforgettable work of reportage. And in telling the story of these good soldiers, the heroes and the ruined, David Finkel has also produced an eternal tale—not just of the Iraq War, but of all wars, for all time.

David Finkel is a staff writer for The Washington Post, and is also the leader of the Post’s national reporting team. He won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2006 for a series of stories about U.S.-funded democracy efforts in Yemen. Finkel lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and two daughters.

http://www.dmpibooks.com/book/the-good-soldiers

My review:

I have always been interested in literature that has to do with wars, and their effects on the soldiers and the people of America. This book took me exactly where I wanted to go. I have never read such an account of military life in Iraq as in this book. I have had many family members in the military, several of whom had to undergo some of the very same things that the 2-16 battalion had to go through, but I have never heard of any accounts such as these. This book made me sad, made me laugh in some areas, and made me cry. This story is a very heartbreaking, but endearing look at the soldiers that have to fight. I found myself falling in love with all of the soldiers for their tremendous courage and bravery. My prayers go out to the families of the fallen heroes, and I hope that those that have returned are still in good health. I am in shock of what the soldiers had to endure while over there; for what they have seen, and had to do out of survival. The Good Soldiers also gives a look into the brotherhood of the military itself. I have always heard that a unit in the military is one of the strongest examples of trust and brotherhood, but I did not fully understand that concept until this novel. The struggles that these soldiers endure are ones that they must endure as a team. They have seen brothers die, and they must continue to walk forward.

My only regret is that, like mentioned in the book, I cannot fully conceive the horrors of fighting in Iraq because I have not been there. However, I can say that this book influenced me in hoping that I can understand a little bit more of it now. Another regret is the knowledge that the war is still being fought, and that we still are not sure if we are winning or losing. Kudos to Mr. Finkel for writing such an inspiring piece on some of the bravest of our men and women fighting in Iraq, and thanks to the men of the 2-16 who fought for us all those months. This is truly a story that every man and woman must read in America if they are to get a true sense of how brave our military men and women are. I hope they all learn as much from it as I did. Never take anything for granted in the United States, because everyone could be far off, and remember that there are people all over the world insuring that our way of life is secure.

National Novel Writing Month Starts Today!

2009-11-01T14:12:00.000-06:00

National Novel Writing Month takes place during the month of November. The goal is to write 50,000 words (approx. 175 pages) for a novel, and if you succeed then the you get a certificate and a badge, but what is most important is the feeling of accomplishment. Even if you don't suceed at the 50,000 words, what matters is the effort! I am definitely going to do it!

Here is the website:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Check it out!!

Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival at SIUC

2009-10-30T18:53:00.000-05:00

Right now, at my school, the Devil's Literary Festival is going on, and they have some pretty cool authors attending for poetry, prose, and fiction. I love it! I went to one of the readings today and a booksigning. It's great! Here are the authors!

Sebastian Agudelo

Sebastian Agudelo was born in Mexico City, and he earned his MA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His poetry collection, TO THE BONE, was selected by Mark Doty as the winner of the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize in 2008, and he is also the author of the artist collaboration book ON COLLECTING, published by Shandy Press. His poems have in appeared in numerous periodicals including LUCID STONE, BELLINGHAM REVIEW, MUVFAGGE, and KARAMU, and his translations of Robert Lowell and Frank O’Hara have been published by EDICIONES EL EQUILIBRISTA. Agudelo has taught at Temple University, Drexel University, and The University of the Arts, and this Fall he’s offering a poetry workshop for the MFA program at Rutgers.

Jane Alison

Jane Alison was born in Canberra, Australia, and spent two years in Australia as a small child, growing up mainly in the United States as a child of diplomatic parents. She attended public schools in Washington, D.C., and then earned a B.A. in classics from Princeton University in 1983. Before writing fiction, she worked as an administrator for the National Endowment for the Humanities, as a production artist for the Washington City Paper, as an editor for the Miami New Times, and as a proposal and speech-writer for Tulane University. She also worked as a freelance editor and illustrator before attending Columbia University to study creative writing.

Her first novel, THE LOVE-ARTIST, was published in 2001 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux and has been translated into seven languages. It was followed by THE MARRIAGE OF THE SEA, a New York Times Notable Book of 2003. Her third novel, NATIVES AND EXOTICS, appeared in 2005 and was one of that summer's recommended readings by Alan Cheuse of National Public Radio. Her latest book is a memoir, THE SISTERS ANTIPODES, published in 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It was a PEOPLE Magazine Editor's Pick and has also been published in Australia and the Netherlands. Her short fiction and essays have recently appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES; INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE; TRIQUARTERLY; YOU Magazine; and FIVE POINTS. She has also written several biographies for children and co-edited with Harold Bloom a critical series on women writers. She teaches in the MFA Creative Writing Programs at the University of Miami and at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Eugene Gloria

Eugene Gloria was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in San Francisco, California. He earned his BA from San Francisco State University, his MA from Miami University of Ohio, and his MFA from the University of Oregon. He is the author of two books of poems: HOODLUM BIRDS, published in the Penguin Poets Series in 2006; and DRIVERS AT THE SHORT-TIME MOTEL, which was selected for the 1999 National Poetry Series and the 2001 Asian American Literary Award. Gloria’s poems have appeared widely in journals, including PLOUGHSHARES, PRAIRIE SCHOONER, and THE GETTYSBURG REVIEW. He has received a Fulbright Fellowship, an artist grant from the San Francisco Art Commission, 96 Inc.’s Bruce P. Rossley Literary Award, and the Poetry Society of America's George Bogin Memorial Award. He has been a scholar at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and a resident at the Vermont Studio Center, the Mary Anderson Center for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Fundación Valparaíso in Spain, and at Le Château de Lavigny in Switzerland. He currently teaches creative writing and English literature at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

David Kirby

David Kirby is the winner of the 2009 Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award in Poetry for his collection of poems THE TEMPLE GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL. He is the author or co-author of twenty-nine books, including the poetry collections THE HOUSE ON BOULEVARD ST.: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, THE HA-HA, THE HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHT, and THE TRAVELING LIBRARY, and essay collections, including WHAT IS A BOOK? and ULTRA-TALK: JOHNNY CASH, THE MAFIA, SHAKESPEARE, DRUM MUSIC, ST. TERESA OF AVILA, AND 17 OTHER COLOSSAL TOPICS OF CONVERSATION. He has received many honors for his work, including the Brittingham Prize in Poetry and his work appears frequently in the BEST AMERICAN POETRY and PUSHCART PRIZE volumes. David Kirby has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Florida Arts Council. His poetry has appeared in many publications, including THE KENYON REVIEW, THE SOUTHERN REVIEW, and PLOUGHSHARES. A member of the National Book Critics Circle, Kirby also writes regularly for THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, and CHICAGO TRIBUNE. He currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida, where he is a member of the creative writing faculty at Florida State University.

Fred Leebron

Fred Leebron has been a faculty member at Gettysburg College since 1997. He is also program director of the master's in fine arts in creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina, and serves as curriculum director of the Tinker Mountain Writers' Workshop at Hollins University, Virginia.

He has received several writing awards, including a Pushcart Prize, a James Michener Award, a Wallace Stegner Fellowship and an O. Henry Award. Leebron received a bachelor of arts degree from Princeton University, a master's from the Johns Hopkins University and a master's in fine arts from the University of Iowa.

Fred Leebron is the author of three novels: SIX FIGURES (which was made into a movie featured at the Toronto Film Festival in 2005), IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS, and OUT WEST. He also co-edited POSTMODERN AMERICAN FICTION: A NORTON ANTHOLOGY and co-authored CREATING FICTION: A WRITER’S COMPANION. His work has also appeared in magazines and anthologies such as TIN HOUSE, DOUBLETAKE, GRAND STREET, PLOUGHSHARES, NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW, TRIQUARTERLY, FLASH FICTION, MORE, and REDBOOK. A new long story of his, “Life in Wartime,” has been optioned, and he is currently working on its novelization so that it can be made into a feature film.

L.E. Miller

L.E. Miller has published short fiction in THE PEN/O. HENRY PRIZE STORIES 2009 (for her story "Kind," which was originally published in THE MISSOURI REVIEW); SCRIBNER'S BEST OF THE FICTION WORKSHOPS 1999, edited by Sherman Alexie; and twice in CALYX. Miller holds an MA in fiction writing from the University of New Hampshire. She lives in Newbury, Massachusetts, and is at work on a collection of short stories.

William Notter

William Notter won the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award for his collection HOLDING EVERYTHING DOWN, which was published by Southern Illinois University Press in Fall 2009. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Nevada Arts Council, and Sierra Arts Foundation, and was awarded the Walton Fellowship twice from the University of Arkansas program in creative writing. His chapbook, MORE SPACE THAN ANYONE CAN STAND, was published as the 2001 Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize winner from Texas Review Press. His poems have appeared in ALASKA QUARTERLY REVIEW, AGNI ONLINE, ASCENT, THE CHATTAHOOCHEE REVIEW, CONNECTICUT REVIEW, THE MIDWEST QUARERLY, SOUTHERN POETRY REVIEW, WILLOW SPRINGS, the anthology GOOD POEMS FOR HARD TIMES, and on NPR’s THE WRITER’S ALMANAC. He received a BA from the University of Evansville and an MFA in poetry from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and he has taught writing at Grand Valley State University and the University of Nevada, Reno.

Donald Ray Pollock

Donald Ray Pollock is the winner of the 2009 Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award in Prose for his collection of stories KNOCKEMSTIFF. His work has appeared in, or is forthcoming in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THIRD COAST, THE JOURNAL, SOU’WESTER, CHIRON REVIEW, RIVER STYX, BOULEVARD, FOLIO, and THE BERKELEY FICTION REVIEW. Donald Ray Pollock was born in 1954 and grew up in southern Ohio, in a holler named Knockemstiff. He dropped out of high school at seventeen to work in a meatpacking plant, and then spent thirty-two years employed in a paper mill in Chillicothe, Ohio. Currently, he is a graduate student in the MFA program at Ohio State University and still lives in Chillicothe with his wife, Patsy, a high school English teacher. He hopes to someday teach fiction writing. He is currently at work on a novel set in 1965, about a serial killer named Arvin Eugene Russell.

Bright Star: A Film on John Keats

2009-10-28T20:16:00.000-05:00

So, I have been reading John Keats in one of my classes, and he is my favorite author yet. A new film that just came out this year, called Bright Star, is based on his love for Fanny Brawne. However, Keats died very young at 26 years of age. He was brillant, and I can't wait until this movie comes out on DVD.

Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series is coming to the big screen!

2009-10-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

I have now finished all of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and they are absolutely fantastic. But now, they are coming to the big screen! The director is Chris Columbus, who did the first two Harry Potter movies, and he is fantastic! Can't wait to see it!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2009-10-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

If you have never started this series, I highly suggest it! Hunger Games was absolutely one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and that is saying a lot. I cannot wait to read the sequel, Catching Fire.

These books are a fast read because you will never want to put them down!

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

2009-10-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

Dan Brown much-anticipated third novel of the Robert Langston series finally came out last month and I am soooo excited to read it! I have to say, Angels and Demons has been my favorite so far, but maybe this one will out-do the others!

Covet by J.R. Ward

2009-10-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

So, J.R. Ward's new novel, the first in a new series, came out last month. I cannot wait to read this one! She is so brillant with her characters and her plotline! It will be interesting to see how she stepped away from the vampires in her other series.

New Inuyasha Season! Finally!

2009-10-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, so in true nerdy fashion, I read manga and watch anime. The first anime I really got involved in was Inuyasha, and about two years ago, they stopped making Inuyasha as an anime because the series got so long as a manga. However, they are finally coming out with a new season to end the series!!! So EXCITED!

Valentine's Day Trailer

2009-09-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to see this movie!! Comes out next February!

New Moon Trailer

2009-09-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

J.R. Ward Fan Page

2009-09-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

So, I started a fan page for one of my favorite authors, J.R. Ward. Her works are truly creative and amazing. I started the fan page over a year ago, and there are now over 5,000 fans. Last week, J.R. Ward's general manager contacted me. Him, and J.R. Ward, wanted to make the fan page the official fan page of J.R. Ward! I don't think I have been this excited in a long time!

Here is the link to the fan page!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/JR-Ward/29402628230

Here is her new book which comes out at the end of September. It's the start of her new series!

New Series I am Reading

2009-08-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have recently started another new series. Rick Riordan's Percy and the Olympians. The first book is the Lightning Thief, and I am reading the second book, The Sea of Monsters. The first book was well-done. I love all these books about mythology, and it's nice to see an author who put that into a story plot. Please read it if you get the chance!

My Review for Star Trek

2009-08-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

So, I just recently saw Star Trek (finally) and it was the most amazing movie that I have seen all summer. I have never watched any of the Star Trek episodes, being more of a Star Wars fan. However, this movie made me want to watch some Star Trek. Definitely looking forward to buying the DVD when it comes out in November!

My Reveiw for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie

2009-07-24T15:47:00.001-05:00

This movie was really well done and was funny in some parts. I like how this director shows both the good and bad times that Harry has been through. I don' think it was as true to the book as the fifth movie though. I thought the budding relationships could have been a little more emphasized. They were part of what made the sixth book sooo good! I wish there would have been a bigger fight scene in the end also. Harry wasn't the only one fighting. Over all, I would give three out of five stars. The music was really good too. I may have to buy the score.

Review for Transformers 2

2009-06-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

This movie was realllly funny. Hilarious in some spots. I liked this movie, but not as the sequel to the first one. This movie was not a family movie, but was directed almost exclusively towards high school-aged kids and older. I felt sorry for the kids sitting behind me and for their parents. All of the sexual innuendo was probably way over their heads. I liked this movie because it was funny but I respected the first one more. The first Transformers was definitely a family movie. I would give this movie 3 out of 5 stars.

New Book in the Redwall Series

2009-06-09T17:42:00.000-05:00

I am going to be starting the newest book in the Readwall series, Doomwyte. I absolutely love this series. Brian Jacques is a wonderful author and the language in his books is complex. I love the characters he creates as well as the fact that he uses animals as his main characters. Great series!

Another New Series Part III

2009-06-09T17:38:00.001-05:00

Another vampire series that I picked up is the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. I started watching Trueblood last fall and learned that the series is actually based off books, so I have now decided to read them. I can't say exactly how I feel about reading this series as the television series is a little weird at times. My summer reading list is getting longer by the day! The first book is Dead Until Dark.

Another New Vampire Book

2009-06-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

Laurell K. Hamilton's new Anita Blake book, Skin Trade, came out just last week. I am only on book five or six of the series, The Killing Dance, but I am keeping an eye on this series as it progresses. Another big piece of news about the series is that somebody picked up the rights to make it into a television series. Yay!!

Another New Series

2009-06-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

Another new series I have been reading is the Dragon Fire series by Deborah Cooke, also a paranormal romance author. These books are about the Pyr, the good dragons who want to save humanity, and the Slayers, who believe that humans are parasites. The Pyr are trying to save the Earth and, along the way, they find their humans mates who will bear their children. I love this series because I have never read about dragons quite like this series presents them. The first book is Kiss of Fire and there are three out so far. The newest one, Winter Kiss, is due out in November. I will definitely be getting that book as well. (By the way, lots of eye candy on the covers).

New Series to Read

2009-06-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have started to read Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series. Riley is half-vampire and half-werewolf and this series is amazing. There are seven currently out with the newest one, Bound by Shadows, coming out this fall. I will be getting it first thing. The first is Full Moon Rising. Check out the series if you like paranormal romance but also a good plot about vampires and werewolves.

My Review for The Quarterback's Demons for J & J Book Talk

2009-06-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

I do a review once a month for J & J Book Talk. I encourage everyone to do it because I have read three pretty amazing books so far for up and coming authors. This is my review for the latest one I read.

Review: "The Quarterback's Demon" by C.K. Laurence
Review by Melissa Cornwell

This is the first mystery I have read in a long time and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The book kept me guessing all the way until the end and then I was blown away by the ending. Wonderfully complex plot. I also liked the characters very much. Kyle might represent that side of fame that all parents and family want to see: a superstar athlete with morals. I also liked the plot with Karen. I adore stories where childhood friends become something more when they get older, and this was one of those stories. Also, I enjoyed the other members of the squad. They added an extra taste to the life of cops, especially Garcia.In this story, we get both a look into an athlete's life as well as that into a cop's life. It was definitely a strange combination. I can honestly say that I have not read a story like it. I cannot imagine the research it took to write this book, but it was a job well done. I wanted to see more of the side characters developed, but for the length of the novel, they were well done. This murder mystery is great for those who read mysteries constantly, but I think it would be great for those just starting out in the genre, as it is very unique in the mystery it presents. I hope to see more come from this author.

Another hot movie for the summer!

2009-06-06T15:50:00.000-05:00

I loved the first Transformers movie. It was very well done and I can't wait to see the storyline continue.

Start of my novel!

2009-06-06T15:29:00.000-05:00

I am so excited because I have finally managed to start my first fantasy-fiction book. I am still going through the first chapter (as I have so little time to write) but my head is so full of ideas that I can't put them on the paper fast enough. I hope to have the first chapter finished by the end or middle of this next week and then moving on to the second chapter. Unfortunately, I tend to overanalyze every possible aspect that my plot and characters could take, and they are already changing in the first chapter! I see a very long and complicated process ahead, but the journey will be well worth it!

New Moon Poster is out and so is a sneak preview!

2009-06-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

The first movie was okay, but I am really looking forward to New Moon. I thought the book was the slowest to get through out of the four, but there are some parts in it, such as Bella's growing relationship to Jacob, that are essential to the novels as a whole. I am so excited for this movie! It's coming in November!

http://http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=58185785

Goneaway into the Land by Jeffrey B. Allen

2009-05-16T13:48:00.000-05:00

I just recently finished this book, Goneaway into the Land, and I absolutely loved it. Great details and very original and refreshing.

Great storyline. I hope everyone gets the chance to read it.

Finals are over and summer is here!

2009-05-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

So, I just recently finished with my college finals and I am finally free of school! No more assignments, no projects, no classes for three months!! I am so excited. Now, I get to catch up on my reading and writing! I have a huge list of books to read with more coming out this summer. Plus, there are several great movies coming out, like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince :) If we've already read the books, we go see the movies they made based on the book. I see a cycle here :)

Robert Marston Fanney's Writing Advice

2009-05-05T17:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Rob is the author of the Luthiel's Song series with two books out already and he is currently at work on a third. He is a terrific author and a very nice guy. He owns his own independent publishing company, Dark Forest Press. Here is his advice!!

Recently, a Luthiel’s Song reader asked me to answer a few questions for her gifted program school project. For my part, I was delighted to pitch in. As I was working on the answers, I began to think that they might also be helpful to other writers or just useful to those interested in the craft. In my opinion, there are probably as many ways to become an author as there are authors. Regardless, I’ll be sharing some of my experiences in the following paragraphs. I hope they help you!
1. Why are you an author?
Simple love of the thing has replaced talent for me. In other words, I don’t believe I was born with all the necessary attributes to make me a great writer. Instead, I have replaced all such things with a dogged determination. Further, I feel I have been called to write a particular story. My experience has left me with a great love and admiration for the female heroes, great and small, in my life and it is my goal to do them as much honor as possible with these tales. I do not answer this question lightly as I spent ten years working on the first novel in my series and underwent much hardship to complete and publish it. In all, I’ve spent fourteen years seriously working in the craft and never intend to stop.
2. What is a typical day in your career like?
In short, there are no typical days. One day I may be visiting a school in Georgia. Another, I may be attending a book-signing at a Barnes and Noble in Virginia Beach. Yet another, I may be holed up at my computer feverishly writing the next chapter in the Luthiel’s Song series. There is very little that is typical about being a writer. If you crave stability, go elsewhere.
3. What are some benefits of being a writer?
Well, for one, you don’t have a boss lording over you — unless you count readers who can be equally difficult to please. A second and related benefit is that writing affords a certain amount of freedom not enjoyed in other professions. But with this freedom also comes a huge responsibility. You can’t just play video games all day and hope to be a successful writer. Because the craft is so free, you need to be a disciplined self-starter — someone willing to motivate and set goals for oneself. Another benefit is that you do receive a measure of recognition for your work. Even having a few readers love your stories can be very satisfying, especially when the tales are of personal value. And the final, most important, benefit of all is inspiring others to think, to dream, to imagine and, yes, to read.
4. What are some disadvantages of being an author?
Lack of health care. Lack of a steady paycheck. Having to deal with literary agents — OK, that was a little joke. I guess if you boil it all down, the prime disadvantage for being a writer is extreme risk and uncertainty. Ray Bradbury said that writing was akin to jumping off a cliff and hoping you can build wings before you hit the ground. Or a less known author, Dani Lliteras, summed it up nicely by saying ‘each book is a miracle.’ In short, if you don’t like taking risks, don’t be a writer.
5. What kind of education do you need to be successful?
The reading kind. That is to say, you must be very well educated but don’t necessarily need a degree. And the best education you can find for writing is in reading as many books as possible. Many writers have never received a formal higher education. Christopher Paolini is one example. He got an excellent start while home-schooled, finished High School at age 15, and decided he wanted to write fantasy stories instead of going off to college. This is not to say that he wasn’t educated. Quite to the contrary, he was highly educated due to his mass consumption of books of all kinds. And, sometimes, academic education itself can get in the way. Often what they teach in master’s degree programs is terrible — that you should be afraid to write because everything must be perfect. Or, even worse — that you must be incomprehensible to sound intelligent. A genius is someone who takes a complex thing and makes it look simple. An academic does the reverse. If you want to be a writer, learn to do the first.
6. How much education is needed to be a successful writer?
As I mentioned before, formal education is not necessary, but reading education is essential. The more of the latter the better. I would also like to add that many fine writers also are college professors (Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Patrick Rothfuss). But it is my experience that academic writing does not lend itself to novel writing.
7. Is writing ever a dangerous career?
Not dangerous in the same way that being a soldier or a police officer is dangerous. For my part, I have the benefit of having been both so I think I’m qualified to speak on what is and isn’t dangerous. The danger that comes from writing is more a danger to your stability. As with any artistic career there is quite a lot of uncertainty and you have to be willing to take that on. Perhaps coincidentally, I’m working on an autobiographical comedic book called “I am Dangerous.” It’s more about my propensity to take risks than anything else. And I do think that writers can’t be too risk averse. It is a pretty risky career.
8. How long have you been an author?
Well this is an odd question and one that strikes to the root of the craft. In my opinion, there are three stages of writer — apprentice, journeyman, and master. But this has to do with level of mastery in the writing craft. In fact, there are many master writers who have never published a book! So if the criteria for authorship is publication, then I have been an author since 2003 when I co-wrote a very boring book called “The Citizen’s Safety Guide” which I don’t recommend you read. My first novel self-published in 2005 and we have now sold over 15,000 copies independently. My second novel just published this year and I hope the third won’t take too long. Since some think self-published authors aren’t real authors at all, then I further complicate the definition. But as my book has sold more copies than many professionally published books, I think I qualify, if strangely.
But, going back to the beginning, if you define authorship as the act of producing work that is read by others, then I have been an author since the 5th grade when I began writing silly stories for my friends.
9. What is your favorite part of writing?
When the words disappear and you are suddenly transported into the world you’re creating. When you experience, as an invisible eye, this odd and amazing place you’ve created. And when you fall in love with the characters so much that when they are threatened your skin pricks and you fear for their safety.
Sometimes, when you write, you can transcend your life and circumstance. Each time you do it, there’s a chance that, like Peter Pan, you might even take a few people with you. This mind-opening experience, to me, is the beauty and glory of writing.
10. How long does it take for you to write and publish a story? How long for writers in general?
The perfect book is the one never finished. That said, I gave up trying after ten years. The second only took three and one half. I hope the third takes two or less. Since I self-publish and must do much of the work producing the book, it can take a little more time. But even publishers spend six months to a year or more producing a book — even after it is written. As for other writers, some put out a book every few months, others can take years to produce a published work. The average is probably a year or two.
11. What is the average salary range for writers in general?
Everyone thinks writers are rich. This is a bit annoying. If you’re a writer, you’re lucky to make a living on your work. Ninety percent do not. That said there are a decent number of writers who do rather well — making as much money each year as a lawyer, for example. A few are very wealthy. And these are the writers everyone thinks about when the word ‘writer’ is mentioned. If I had to pick an average, it’s probably somewhere around $5,000 to $10,000 dollars per year. But this average comes from a very wide range of nearly nothing to tens or even hundreds of millions.
12. Is your career ever challenging? If yes, how so?
Absolutely! I face challenges every day. From the writing itself, to the publication process, to fighting for visibility, to dealing with reader’s opinions, there isn’t a single aspect of writing that doesn’t include its obstacles.
First, the craft of writing is very, very challenging. As mentioned above, it can take many, many years to master. And all this work with little hope or guarantee of success. All this work writing while you could have been going out to movies with friends, or spending time with family. All the lonely hours in front of your computer without a dime being paid to you. And then the submissions and rejections, the process of jumping through a hundred hoops with each publisher, the let-down with each letter sent containing the words that amount to ‘no.’
Even after you’ve beat the slim odds and produced a published work, you still have to cast it out to the world. This takes a huge effort! What few people realize is a big part of the writing job is trying to get people to read your work. Even if you’ve written the best book in the world, if no-one knows about it then it will never be glanced at, much less read. So unless you are one of the fortunate folk who have a $200,000+ marketing budget, then you must do much of the work yourself.
And even if you manage to gain visibility, you will inevitably face a very stormy sea of opinions. Some will love your work, some will hate it, others will damn you with faint praise — and all of this after you’ve written a fantastic story. Look at the readers who howl about how they couldn’t get into Tolkien or accuse Christopher Paolini of plagiarism. Look at those who called Stephen King a hack or who denigrated J. K. Rowling. And, oddly, you would hope to receive such recognition that those who dislike you end up screaming with frustration and envy! It’s a strange dichotomy. But it is what it is.
All of this may seem insurmountable. But people do break through. And what most of them had was a very deep love of the work itself. If you don’t, you probably won’t make it.
13. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Despite all of what I said above, there is no least favorite part for me. I am captivated by writing and all its challenges. There are parts I enjoy more than others. And then there are parts I sweat through. But I do enjoy it all.
14. Do you get to travel a lot because of your career?
I travel quite a bit — visiting schools, libraries, and book stores in many states.
15. What was one of your funniest experiences in writing?
Well, I’ve had many quite funny experiences. Perhaps the best was the day I was writing poetry in Algebra II class. I was writing a poem about a girl I had a crush on… Well, needless to say, my Algebra teacher caught me and she said — “Since what you’re writing is so important, why don’t you share it with the rest of us?” And the girl I was writing the poem about? She did happen to be in my Algebra class! She sat a few seats up from me. So fully expecting to be publicly embarrassed in front of this girl and all my friends, I shuffled my way to the front of class and I read my poem aloud. Then a pretty strange thing happened — everyone gave me a round of applause. Except the Algebra teacher, who gave me detention. But the girl met me after class and asked me to see a movie with her. So poetry does work, sometimes.
If you want to read the poem I wrote, it’s here. I kinda laugh at it now. It’s pretty cheesy and would make a great Hallmark card.
16. How long have you wanted to be an author?
I’ve entertained the idea of being a writer ever since I read “The Hobbit.” It all seemed so impressive and out of reach at the age of nine. I couldn’t imagine what it would take. But I never really gave up on the idea.
17. How difficult was it for you to publish your first book?
Getting it right took ten years. Then, I was rejected by over a hundred publishers and agents. Finally, I was inspired by Mark Twain, and decided to publish the darn thing myself. Quite honestly, I’m happy I did!
18. What is your favorite age group to write for?
Middle schoolers. They’re taking the first steps of self-determination and yet it’s not all so deadly serious. In High School, it seems everyone must already know where they’re going in life and have their path all planned out. But in middle school, there’s still a lot of possibility. I think this open frontier of the mind lends itself to a lot of creativity. I’m not surprised that so many middle schoolers enjoy fantasy tales so much.
19. What is it like to be an author?
At the same time it is thrilling, terrifying, and wonderful. It is the most amazing thing for people to contribute their thoughts and imaginations to your stories. In my opinion, once a reader picks up a book, it becomes theirs — a part of their own imagination. A book cannot live without a reader and it is still a wonder to me that my books live on in the imaginations of thousands.
20. What was one of your favorite experiences in writing?
It may sound a little silly, but after ten years, when I first laid hands on my finished book, no mother beholding her newborn child for the first time could have been prouder or more filled with joy. I think I’ll always remember that moment with fondness. It took quite a lot of struggle to get there and there was much more to come after. But the moment itself was pristine and I’m pretty certain it’s one most authors share.
So here ends the questions sent me by a very gifted student! If you have any more questions you’d like me to answer, please post them below and I’ll do my best to continue the dialogue. Warmest regards to everyone!

Just Released

2009-04-29T17:33:00.001-05:00

These are two books just recently released that I cannot wait to read!!

J.R. Ward's new book, Lover Avenged, is about Rehvenge, Bella's sympath brother. Looks like it will be packed with lots of fun things!!

This other one is Hunted by P.C. Cast. The adventures of Zoey Redbird continue!

Writing about Romance

2009-03-23T15:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I am currently writing my own fantasy fiction novel. There are the general worries about plot line and setting, as well as the interactions between the characters. How do you know how to relate two or three characters? Better yet, how many characters should you include?? One of my biggest worries right now is the romance between two of my main characters. How do you make it look remotely passionate without making it look cliche? Writing about a real, actual, romantic relationship is really difficult. The relationship is turning out to be really complicated.

My First Bar Experience

2009-03-01T14:44:00.000-06:00

For me, when I am writing, I draw alot of what I write about from my experiences. Granted, I am not very old, and therefore probably have not had nearly enough experiences. However, this weekend was the first time that I ever went to a bar. I am twenty years old, will be twenty-one this year, and I have never been to a bar. I am a sophomore at a university. Kinda lame, I know. But my thoughts on the whole situation? It wasn't all that it's cracked up to be. The whole college partying thing is highly overrated in my opinion. Yeah, I had fun with my friends, dancing and everything, but I don't drink. And that''s why people go to bars. So, I felt extremely out of place, but I did find something out about myself. The college partying scene is not really me.

She Murdered Me With Science by David Boop

2009-03-01T14:19:00.000-06:00

So, I just finished reviewing this book, and I absolutely loved it. If you get the chance, and you are into the fiction of the 1940s and 1950s, give it a shot.

Advice on Writing from Melissa De La Cruz

2009-01-20T21:26:00.001-06:00

1. Getting Started
Before you begin to write your story or novel, write a detailed outline and character backgrounds first. So many unpublished first (or second or third or 44th) novels begin halfway through the book because the writer has spent the first 150 pages giving us the background story instead of starting with THE STORY. Know your characters inside and out, where they came from, where they want to go, so that when you begin writing the book, you already know how they will act/react to events in the story. I love outlines. I read somewhere that Stephen King said writers who like to write outlines wish they were writing masters theses instead of novels. For the longest time, I thought this was true. Now I think he was just exaggerating. You need an outline. Even just the barest outline so that you know the story’s beginning, middle and end. Sometimes, I don’t stick to my outline.

The story begins to take off in a different direction, so I chuck the outline. But when this happens, I write a new outline. Outlines are the blueprints of stories. It will also keep you working, since you will see how far along you need to go. In general I write 10-20 page outlines, with a paragraph for each chapter in the book, describing the action that will occur in that chapter.

2. Begin Writing and Don’t Stop
Now that I am a mother, I write on Monday to Wednesday from 10am - 3pm everyday at a writer’s office. On Thursdays I do revisions at home and on Fridays I spend time with my baby. When I’m on deadline, which means the book was DUE YESTERDAY, the schedule goes whacky, and I just work ALL THE TIME and try to see my family in between.

The three-day writing week usually results in a solid ten to twenty pages. The manic work that happens during deadline crunch can result in anywhere from twenty to fifty pages a day. This is when the novel really happens.

Before I had my baby, when I was not on deadline, sometimes I didn’t work at all. I went to the movies, I went shopping, I hung out with my friends, I tanned by the pool, I read a ton of magazines. But that only lasted for a week or two. Most of the time I’m banging it out. Which means I force myself to sit at my desk and write.

Now that I am a mother, the time that I am not writing is spent with my child. I try to read magazines and watch TV when she is asleep.

When I did not make a living as a writer, I wrote AT EVERY CHANCE I COULD GET. I was a computer consultant at a major bank, but I would say I spent six hours writing to the two hours I spent working on my computer programs. I also spent weekends writing.

3. Cliffhangers are Key
How do you write a page-turner? By making each chapter end with a cliffhanger. What’s a cliffhanger? A cliffhanger is when the action reaches a feverish pitch and then the chapter ends with the protagonist hanging on a limb or about to kiss the boy or about to open the secret safe—but not revealing what is inside. It has to keep people reading to find out WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

I got schooled in crafting page-turning cliffhangers because I used to write a serial novel in GOTHAM magazine called “The Fortune Hunters”. My story appeared every month, and every month I would end it on a cliffhanger to keep readers interested in reading the next story, which they would have to wait a whole month for. Apparently, it worked. The serial novel was very successful, and I even sold it as an adult novel. But I have not had time to whip it into shape for publication, so we will all have to wait for that for now. (I even had to return the money!)

But writing THE FORTUNE HUNTERS taught me how to write cliffhangers. Also reading Michael Crichton novels. Those taught me about cliffhangers too. And of course, the best advice to any writer is to READ. You can’t be a writer without being a reader.

4. Always Say Yes To Everything
Making a living as a writer or an artist means that some years, you can make a lot of money, and some years are very lean. One of my producer friends in Hollywood said that whenever he feels like blowing a lot of cash, he looks up at the Hollywood Hills at all those half-built mansions and reminds himself that sometimes, one hit is all you can get, so don’t get too cocky. The people who started building those houses didn’t have enough money to finish building them. Yikes!

All through my writing career, I have taken EVERY assignment offered to me. In addition to big-name magazines, I have written for obscure websites, shopping catalogs, health and fitness magazines, free newsweeklies, blogs, anything and everything. I have written about my family, my sex life, my staggering credit card debt. I have endured humiliation and good-natured ribbing. I have survived to write about it. Did I want to dress up as a man and crash my husband’s bachelor party? YES! Did I want to try out every position in the karma sutra and write about it? YES! Did I want to go around New York and ask men to tell me the length of their bananas and see if they could get women to date them if they wore their inches on a t-shirt on their chest? Um...er...do I really have to..oh well..YES!

These days, I have the luxury of being able to say no to things. I would say yes to everything still, but I found saying yes was taking away from my main job of writing the books. Writing books is the only thing I have time for right now.

BTW, I only worked with Alloy on the Au Pairs series. Everything else (Blue Bloods, Angels, Ashleys, Social Life, etc.) is mine and mine alone. I just add this because people ask, and that is the answer. But I loved working with Alloy and wholly recommend working with them. If they come calling, say YES!

5. But Don’t Sell Yourself Short Either
Never take a first offer. Always try to push the deal to the farthest you can push it. Glossy magazines have paid me $1 a word, $1.50 a word, $2 a word, and at my highest, $3 a word. I’ve heard other writers can command $4 or $5 a word. So it’s possible. And it never hurts to ask.

Book advances are NOTORIOUSLY low for first-time novelists. Mine paid for three months’ rent and living expenses in New York, and that was it. (And I lived in a rent-stabilized apartment! Still, it wasn’t as small as some others I’ve heard. I’ve heard unagented writers are offered $1500 for a book. I mean, my god. That’s not even enough for a Chloe Paddington these days!) So you need to push. Ask for more. Or don’t sell them all the rights. Definitely not your movie/film rights. Hold on to stuff. MAKE YOUR AGENT WORK FOR YOU. In the end, you have to be the judge of your work. You know how much it’s worth. Publishers can always say no, but most of the time, they will try to say yes.

A CAVEAT: If you’ve pushed and pushed and pushed and they still won’t budge, take the money and do the job.

6. Write what you know, write what you love, but research is fun too
Sometimes I have really happy days when I realize I am getting paid to write the kind of stories I used to write in my notebooks when I was a teenager. I used to write soap-operatic dramas modeled on Dynasty, but starring the members of Duran Duran. I know. Very sad. Thankfully, my writing has developed since then. But I still sometimes feel like I’m fourteen and I’m just writing things that I think are really, really fun to write about.

I’ve written about fashion shows, sample sales, private school, the Hamptons, all subjects that I am very familiar with. But I’ve also written about surfing, skateboarding, college radio stations, and other subjects I’m not so familiar with. I’ve always been interested in surfing, skateboarding, and college radio, but I didn’t know so much about them so I did research. I love doing research. I love figuring out subcultures and learning new slang. It widens my horizons as a writer. So don’t be afraid to tackle new subjects, writing about what you don’t know can be fun too.

7. Finally, live a little
So many people want to WRITE but they have not yet even begun to LIVE. I think that the reason so many of us YA writers are in our 30s is because at this age, we finally can see clearly, what being a teenager really meant. When you are too close to the experience, you don’t have the objective distance with which to write about it. I can’t wait to be 50 and write about a young mother in her 30s.

Also, a lot of the fun in my books is inspired by the REAL fun I had going to clubs, covering fashion shows, trying to get into all those crazy parties, dancing on tables with my friends, indulging in a lot of boyfriend/girlfriend drama. I went out there and experienced life. I recently read about a young writer who had published her first novel (a teen romance) and she said she had never even been kissed! How can you write about boys if you don’t know what they are like? If you have never even had a boyfriend? I was quite appalled. I don’t want to read a romance from someone who has never experienced love. Puh-leeze.

So, get out there. Kiss tons of boys. Fight with your girlfriends. Go to a lot of parties. Spend too much money. Have FUN. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Make mistakes. Wear platform shoes and trip on them.

Then, a few years later, write about it. You have all the time in the world to be a writer, but you are only young and can fit into that size 2 Betsey Johnson silver micro-mini skirt once. (Ah, I remember that skirt very fondly. It came up to my upper thigh, barely covering my butt, and it got me in a lot of trouble with many cute boys.)

8. All the Usual Stuff…
How to get an agent? How to get published? I found my first agent through the WRITER’S MARKETPLACE. Are they still around? Everything is on the web now. Follow their instructions. Be patient. Try again. Don’t give up. Try to have a day job while you’re doing this, so you can still afford to shop at Barneys and get $150 dollar haircuts at Frederic Fekkai while you’re only making $100 an article (like I did).

A lot of really great writing advice is already out there-- see Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Lawrence Block’s Telling Lies For Fun and Profit.

On this page, I have tried to answer questions you guys have sent me, essentially, how do you write a fun and glam page-turner like the Au Pairs, or a sexy thriller like Blue Bloods. I hope I’ve helped.

A very successful friend of mine in Hollywood (who has a new show coming out this September on a big network and she’s the EXECUTIVE PRODUCER hello!) says, the world is ALWAYS looking for new voices, new writers. If you have talent and determination, you will succeed in this business.

Good luck!!!

xoxo
Mel

Stephenie Meyer's advice on how to get published

2009-01-20T21:24:00.000-06:00

This information came from her Myspace blog.

I've been getting a lot of the same questions this week. One in particular--how to get published--has popped up again and again. Here's my quick list response:

Step 1) Finish your book.

Step 2) Have an English teacher you trust (or someone like that) read your book and give you some advice on how to make it better.

Step 3) Follow their advice.

Step 4) Get online and research the term "Literary Query."

Step 5) Write a literary query.

Step 6) Join www.writersmarket.com (it's like $3 a month). Search through their literary agents for the ones that represent books in the same genre as the one you wrote. Make a list of promising agencies. (Literary agents do all the work of selling your book to a publisher. Once you have an agent, you can kick back and relax.)

Step 7) Send your literary query (with a self-addressed, stamped envelope) to all the agents on your list. Follow any and all instructions they give for submissions on their Writer's Market page. If the agent has a website (as many do) go there and read all the instructions CAREFULLY.

Step 8) Expect rejections.

Step 9) Keep trying.

Step 10) Keep writing. That part is more important than anyone else in the world ever reading your book. Do it for yourself.

Step 11) Go back and read step number one. Don't even think about these other steps now. Just finish the book!! (I can't stress this enough.)

Advice for Young Authors from P.C. Cast

2009-01-20T21:10:00.000-06:00

P. C. CAST’S ADVICE ON BEING AN AUTHOR:

1. If you want to be a professional author you need to approach the career like you would any other job. RESEARCH THE WRITING PROFESSION. You can begin by reading: BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott, HOW TO GET HAPPILY PUBLISHED by Judith Appelbaum, THE WRITERS MARKET, and THE AGENTS MARKET. Ignore the romanticized ideal that says being an author is something magical and mystical – that you lay around, waiting for your Muse to whisper in your ear, or for your dreams to coalesce, and then you’re simply the vessel through which all the stories flow. Ugh. Being an author is a job. Writing is work. Period.

2. Speaking of work – please remember that whatever you write represents you. No one is going to correct your errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. That’s not an editor’s job. Your editor is there to guide you into honing an already well written manuscript into the best work it can possibly be, and not to be a remedial writing coach. You need to work on the mechanics of writing and be as perfect as possible BEFORE you submit work to an editor or agent. Spelling counts! Even in emails. Get serious about that or no one will take your writing seriously.

3. What do I do to overcome writer’s block? Answer: I don’t believe in it! Again, writing is a job. When I was teaching there were many days I didn’t particularly feel like showing up at school and teaching 100+ teenagers, but it was my job and I did it (and did it well) whether I felt like it that day or not. That’s what writing is, too. Some days it’s a pleasure to be an author. Some days it’s hard as hell. Actually, most days it’s hard as hell. But I write whether it’s a breeze or whether it’s sloughing through mud, and so will you if you’re a real author.

4. Should you ask me (or any other published author) to read your work in progress, idea, summary, essay, poetry, etc.? NO. Okay – here’s the truth: another author can NOT get you published. Agents and editors can. Focus on them. Oh, and regarding allowing tons of people read your work as you write – my advice is DO NOT. If you need feedback get into a writers’ group, or a creative writing class, both of which you can find by searching the internet.

5. For the record – no, I don’t read unpublished work. First, I can’t read your work and still have time to write my own. Second, my opinion doesn’t mean anything. I can’t get you published!

6. How can you get published? That’s a question you need to research and work on yourself. See #1 above for more info. Here’s the deal: you wouldn’t walk into a dentist’s office and say, “Hey! I want to be a dentist, so could you tell me how to drill on that guy’s teeth and let me have a whack at him?” Same thing about being an author. I can’t tell you how to do it. I can’t tell you how to write a book. Those are things you need to research and then do for yourself.

7. How do you start writing? JUST WRITE. Sometimes doing an outline helps. Sometimes drawing a chart helps. Sooner or later is all comes down to the writing. There is no magic pill that makes it suddenly happen. Read a lot. Write a lot. That’s all you can do.

8. Go to book signings and buy books signed by someone with a pulse. Don’t ask anything of the author – just go. It builds up good Karma and it helps support the career to which you aspire.

9. Don’t ever download a pirated copy of any book. It’s stealing from an author and her publisher. Yes. It’s seriously bad Karma, whether you ever want to be published or not. If you can't afford to buy a book visit your public library.

So, in summary: writing is a job like any other. Educate yourself about it. No, that doesn’t mean you have to be a literature major in college. It means you need to read writers’ resource books and become knowledgeable about how the publishing business works. Yes, it’s a lot to know. Just like in any other job. No, there are no shortcuts to being published. Yes, you have to have a completed, rewritten manuscript – in an acceptable format – before you begin looking for an agent or an editor. No, an “idea” won’t sell unless you’re a celebrity, and then it’ll be ghost written anyway, and that’s a whole other issue. Oh, and be careful of Karma...

I wish you much luck in your quest!

PC

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

2009-01-13T22:43:00.000-06:00

I absolutely cannot wait for this movie!! It doesn't have Kate Beckinsale but the plot still looks interesting.

Luthiel's Song Book 2: War of Mists by Robert Fanney

2008-12-29T19:12:00.000-06:00

So, right now, I am in the process of reading the second Luthiel's Song book, War of Mists. It has just recently been released. I can't wait to finish the first in order to read the second!!

Books I got for Christmas!!

2008-12-29T19:03:00.000-06:00

My Christmas list this year included mostly books. I asked for a couple movies, but they were all based off of books hehe. My list included Graceling by Kristen Cashore and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I also included Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey. My mom also got me the illustrated version for the Twilight movie. Yay!!

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series

2008-12-18T17:36:00.000-06:00

So, I am an avid reader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward. If you love vampire romance and action, as well as a creative twist on vampires, these books are the way to go. The next one comes out next spring (April 2009), and it's Lover Avenged.

My Birthday Present- Paramore!!

2008-12-18T17:27:00.001-06:00

So, yesterday was my 20th birthday. Everybody says that there is nothing special about the 20th birthday but it is the birthday when you are no longer called a teenager. And for my birthday, my wonderful cousin got me a cd of a band that I have recently noticed: Paramore!!

Tales of Beedle the Bard

2008-12-18T17:13:00.000-06:00

I can't wait for this little book by J.K Rowling. I absolutely love the Harry Potter series (I basically grew up with Harry) and I call myself one of the Harry Potter generation. This book may be small but no less important. I hope that the author will return to the world of Harry Potter again, even if the books are not about Harry Potter.

The movie Twilight

2008-12-13T16:31:00.000-06:00

I absolutely loved this movie. I just found out recently who they picked to direct the next two films, and I am not exactly pleased.

The movie Inkheart!!

2008-12-13T16:27:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to see this movie. I love Brendan Fraser!!

Dragonheart

2008-12-13T13:48:00.000-06:00

So, I am a huge fan of Anne McCaffrey and her books. I've read the Acorna series, the Freedom series, and the Dragonriders of Pern series. I can't wait to read the newest installment in the Dragonriders of Pern series.

The Twilight Saga

2008-12-13T13:28:00.000-06:00

Personally, I love this series. The romantic tension is just amazing, and I really think that Edward is a great model for girls to look for. He's not perfect, but he is great. However, since the movie came out (which I saw 4 times), there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the books. Edward is a pedophile, Bella is a bitch, none of this could possibly happen, etc. However, bottom line is: These books are fiction. Even Stephenie Meyer has said that it is just fiction. I recall of these things going down with the Harry Potter series too. The books are just fantastic fiction. Yeah, the books do have some morals there, but they are not all necessarily bad morals.

2008-12-11T22:59:00.000-06:00

Blood Angel

Through the years
Of pain and sorrow
And through these tears
I see the light

This light, it comes
With a blinding flash
Of a woman with wings
And white sash

In her hand she wields
Excalibur and twin scythes
With soul and love
And yet heart in ice

Then comes he
With ivory and red
And whom darkness
Covers with dread

She loves this man
This creature of myth
He is all she needs
To live her life with

Yet still they come
Angels with fire
Demons and dragons
All with desire

Desire to love
Desire to free
And desire to be
Free of all things

With Excalibur and Michael,
She will bring
Peace, love and harmony
And a brighter spring

This poem is owned by me so please don't steal it!

2008-12-01T10:45:00.000-06:00

The last book I read was Brisingr by Christopher Paolini and it was absolutely amazing.

"OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide.
Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
First is Eragon's oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran's beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix's clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength - as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices - choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?"