Hotties of Literature Blog Event

I don't know whose genius idea it was to play casting director for the day, but I'm going to thank Brigid Kemmerer.

Without further ado, I give you Akiva from Daughter of Smoke and Bone:

Ummm...yes, please.  Err...I mean...this is Kellan Lutz. You may recognize him as Emmit from the Twilight movies (I didn't).  Did you know that was underneath all the scary white makeup?  In my estimate he fills the reqs perfectly:  tall, massive shoulders, dark hair, bronzed skin.  The perfect dangerous, deadly angel. 

Next up:  Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments series: 

Yes, that is Alex Pettyfer from Beastly and I Am Number Four.  Besides the tousled blond hair and incredible bone structure, Pettyfer has the perfect athletic body to play a shadow hunter. 

From the same book series, I give you Simon: 

That's Drew Roy from Secretariat and iCarly.  See how he could start out as the sweet boy next door and morph into super hot (yet still sweet) vampire?

For other great Hotties of Literature, visit the blogs of these great authors:

Brigid Kemmerer

Marni Bates

Jenn Rush (who just revealed the cover of her upcoming novel, ALTERED, and the model on it is smokin')

If you want to play, leave a link in the comments and I'll drop by to check it out! 

What's Your (Character's) Sign?

Nicole Krell wrote a brilliant blog post about how she uses astrology to build characters.

In short, she pulls up a good zodiac chart (like this one) to help her decide which traits to use to create well-rounded, deep protagonists for her novels.

Besides being a Virgo, I don't know jack crap about astrology.  So I looked up what a Virgo was supposed to be/act like.  Here's what I found: 

Virgos are interested in: poetry, literature (yep!), mathematics (not me!) and other scholarly pursuits, diet, exercise and projects.

Virgos tend to be: helpful, self-effacing, perfectionists, who avoid conflict.  Can be patient, observant and judgmental.  And may have a difficult time showing their feelings. 

Physically Virgos are: "a graceful figure, a roundish head, delicately-shaped lips, large and clear eyes, small, symmetrical, and refined features, a high forehead, and thin eyebrows. Also, they are thought to usually be of slightly above average height."

To me, that sounds like a pretty awesome character description.  Does it fit me perfectly? No. But could it suit a fictional figure?  You bet.

You can also use astrology backwards.  Say you want a character who is...impulsive and outgoing...but needs more fleshing out.  You can scroll through the chart looking for synonyms and you may end up with an Aries --"Aggressive, willful, powerful, assertive; enthusiastic about whatever interests you at the moment, focused in short bursts, unlikely to sustain interest in the long term; ego expression; adventurous, pioneering."

In my opinion (which may not be very valuable), the zodiac chart is based on personality generalities.  Do enthusiastic people have short attention spans?  Sure.  Some of the time.  Do I know people like that?  Oh yeah.

So the next time you need to build a new character, your answer may lie in the stars!

(Okay, okay, that was cheesy.  I couldn't help it).

The Puking House (A Parody)

There is a house,
a puking house,
where everyone is barfing.

And in that house,
there is a mommy,
a scrubbing mommy,
in a puking house,
where everyone is barfing.

And by that mommy,
there is a daddy,
a gagging daddy,
by a scrubbing mommy,
in a puking house,
where everyone is barfing.

And on the floor
there is a boy,
an up-chucking boy,
near a gagging daddy,
by a scrubbing mommy,
in a puking house,
where everyone is barfing.

And by that boy,
there is a girl,
a nauseous girl,
by an up-chucking boy,
near a gagging daddy,
by a scrubbing mommy,
in a puking house where everyone is barfing.

And by that girl, there is a baby,
Can it be? A healthy baby?
by a nauseous girl,
by an up-chucking boy,
near a gagging daddy,
by a scrubbing mommy,
in a puking house where everyone is barfing.

Oh....Well...the baby was healthy.

Five Common Things I'm Feeling Rather Grateful For

Imagine you're working in your yard on the hottest day of the year.  You come inside, dirty, hot, sweaty, and all you want to do is take a shower.  You turn on the faucet, watch the steam rise, and wash away your stank-nastiness.  As you're lathering your hair, you think, "What did people ever do without running water?" 

Those little flashes of gratitude?  Yeah, I'm feeling a lot of them today.  Here are my five:

1. My Left Arm:  Last week, I helped Hubs carry our couches to the curb.  Somewhere along the way, I pulled a muscle in my left forearm.  No big deal.  I'm right handed.  For the most part, I could make do with out tweaking it.  Until I wanted to write.  Or stir a pot and hold my baby at the same time.  Now that it's all healed up, and I'm functioning like normal, I'm feeling pretty thankful for my non-dominant side. 
2. Spell Check:  I do not know how to spell the word restaurant.  That 'u' throws me every time.  Spell check really saved me from looking like an idiot this week. Several times.   
3. A Phone with Internet Access:  I didn't want a smart phone.  I didn't want to be attached to it.  But now that I have one, I wonder how I ever lived without it.  I get so much more done every day.  Actual important things, not just surfing the internet or tweeting (although I do those things as well and it makes me happy :-)
4. Refrigeration: Can you imagine milking a cow every morning so that you can pour milk on your cereal?  Enough said.
5. Music:  How boring would life be without music?  I love how it can change my mood, or teach a lesson, or soothe a baby.  Yay for the radio and Pandora!  (And for singing off key.) 

Do you ever have those moments when you're randomly grateful for some every day thing?  Share! 


Just thinking about it will make you feel better! 

Blinding Fast Book Reviews: GRAVE MERCY and WELCOME CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE

GRAVE MERCY by R.L. LaFevers

"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?"

I need to start this review with an caveat.  I love historical fiction. I love chick assassins.  I love unlikely love stories. 

I loved GRAVE MERCY and devoured the 500-plus pages in one afternoon.

If you liked Kristin Cashore’s GRACELING, you’ll probably enjoy GRAVE MERCY.  The difference, however, is that the paranormal elements in GRAVE MERCY are understated.   The story doesn’t revolve on magic or super powers as much as it does on science and the kick-butt ability to use poison. 

It has great characters and good plot twists.  My only complaint is that it introduced characters that we don’t get to see in action all that much, but will likely get to know in the companion novels. Which I will most definitely look forward to!

GRAVE MERCY will be available on April 3.

WELCOME CALLERS, THIS IS CHLOE by Shelley Coriell

"Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home."

Chloe is a dancing taco with a shoe fetish. 

Just kidding.  She’s only my favorite Mexican food for some one small scene in WELCOME CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE.  But that’s the introduction you get this fun, outgoing, and occasionally spastic protagonist. 

Besides the excellent characterization, Shelley Coriell, does an excellent job layering meaningful subplots into this story that help you understand and relate with the Chloe.  

It’s funny and entertaining with just enough sweet romance to make you sigh.  I really enjoyed it and I think fans of Stephanie Perkins’ writing will like it too. 

What's the Difference Between a Beta Reader and a Critique Partner?

It all depends on who you ask.

In my opinion, a beta reader is someone (often a stranger) you trust to read, edit, critique, and make suggestions on a completed manuscript. It's generally a one-shot deal. They read through your cra...err...stuff, point out plot holes, character failings, and inconsistencies, etc. A beta may or may not make suggestions for grammatical changes or line edits, but that will vary from reader to reader.

The best way show your appreciation for a beta reader is to a) offer to return the favor and/or b) thank them profusely in the acknowledgements section of your book.

A Critique Partner (CP) does a lot of the same editorial chores that a beta does, but they will probably see the manuscript in multiple stages.

For instance, you may have an idea for a story, but you're concerned about it for some reason (it's too big, edgy, cliche, genre-busting, whatever). You write a couple of chapters and send it to someone who gets your writing style. They give you feedback that will help you decide if the story is one you want to pursue and helps identify potential problems.

I have a couple of CPs who receive my story in completed chunks and then as a finished rough draft. Their input helps me avoid mistakes along the way.

My CPs also act as cheerleaders, hand-holders, drill sergeants, and reality checkers (it's a real term because I SAY SO). Sometimes we chat on the phone or on Skype about writing, publishing and a whole bevy of non-writing related stuff. They are people that I like and would love to go to lunch with. And I hope to soon! I owe them dozens of meals and more thanks than a paragraph in a book's acknowledgement.

A good crit partner is worth his/her weight in gold.

Do you have both beta readers and CPs? Do you see a difference between the two?

Ten Ways I Know I'm Drowning in my WIP

1. I try to move the laundry only to realize I started the washer, but never put anything in it.
2. My four-year-old says, "Mommy, can I watch another movie?" And I respond with, "Sure...wait!  You watched a movie?"
3. The battery on my cell phone is dead by noon because I checked my email ten thousand times for more revision notes.
4. I look down at my Mt. Dew and realize it's empty.
5. I look down at my Mt. Dew and realize I poured it into a sippy cup  (this is also known as Mommymatic mode).
6. I look down and realize I'm surrounded by cans of Mt. Dew, none of which I remember opening.
7. All the chocolate in the house is suddenly missing.
8. My pants don't fit.
9. Hubs says, "You realize Pandora's been skipping for the last ten minutes, right?  You've been listening to the same phrase of Shakira over and over again."  And I say, "Yeah.  Shakira. Good."
10. I realize at 9 p.m. that it's Thursday and I haven't written my blog post yet.

Off to revise!