Writing Fears

You know when that lightning idea strikes and all of a sudden you have this stellar concept for a new book? I know you know this feeling.

Here's my question. Is it only me, or are you guys ridiculously paranoid about sharing new ideas for fear that they'll get stolen?

And what extremes do you go to to keep your manuscripts safe? Me? My fear is that the computer will crash and my story will get lost, so in addition to having Carbonite, I email myself all of my manuscripts.

How about you? What are your writing fears?

New Extremes

I have heard of all sorts of crazy things writers do in an attempt to finish their manuscripts. Things like:

• Don't put on makeup, don't brush your hair, and wear a robe all day so that you can't go out of your house (Erm . . . that would me be. Downside is when someone knocks on the door and you answer it).
• Shave half of your head so that you look too horrible to be seen in public until the hair grows out. Spend housebound time writing.
• Send your modem to school with your kids (before wireless) so that you can't get online for eight hours a day.
• Handcuff yourself to your desk and send the key to work with your husband.

What extremes do you go to?

(And that is not me in the photo)

Congratulations Veronica and Elana!

My first congrats goes to Veronica Roth, author of DIVERGENT (and fellow Bookanista). The Bookanistas made a celebration video of creative genius because, well, Veronica's book is AWESOME! And it is #6 on the NYTimes Bestseller list! Wow. So deserved.

To see the aforementioned video of creative genius, follow the link (and this time I am in it).

AWESOME VIDEO

And a second congrats to Elana Johnson, whose book POSESSION was released last week. I had the pleasure of attending her launch party and can I tell you--it was the biggest launch party I have ever been to! Elana is loved. Her book is loved. Last week was a week packed with awesome.

(The picture of shoes? It rocks. That's why it's on there. Too boring without it.)

Bad Taste In Boys :: A Bookanista Book Review

All right, first of all I must respond to my anonymous commenter who informed me that because I have nothing negative to say about the books I am reviewing, my reviews aren't really reviews. So, just for the record (and I have said this many times before) I ONLY REVIEW BOOKS I LOVE, BOOKS ABOUT WHICH I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD TO SAY.

Anonymous also pointed out that I should have learned how to write a proper review, pointing out a book's weaknesses, in school. Well, if they taught how to write a review in high school English, I was asleep that day. And I didn't go to college (okay, I did a little bit of college, but never any English classes). So I only write good things. ;) If you don't like it, don't read it.

And now, on to the review.

Someone's been a very bad zombie.
Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steriods are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town . . . and stay hormonally human.

This book is awesome! The humor! The characters! The broken off body parts! Carrie Harris does a phenomenal job of making totally disgusting things, like a zombie biting a chunk out of the main character's lip, seem not so disgusting--and she does it with humor. Pure genius. No wonder Carrie Harris is married to a ninja doctor.

This book has romance, horror, science, medicine, a nerdy/hilarious sidekick brother who wears elf ears, humor, dismembered zombies, medicine. And it's teen appropriate. Brilliant job, Carrie!

Bookanista=a group of writers who reviews books. And we only review books we love! Wanna find out what writers read and love? Check out these other blogs:

Elana Johnson gushes over Blood Magic
LiLa Roecker adores Hourglass
Christine Fonseca sings high praises for Possess – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger applauds A Need So Beautiful – with giveaway
Megan Miranda has a passion for Possession
Carolina Valdez Miller sees beauty in Between Shades of Gray
Shana Silver celebrates A Need So Beautiful
Stasia Ward Kehoe delights in Delirium
Carrie Harris thinks Wrapped simply rocks
Rosemary Clement-Moore is giddy about Hourglass
Sarah Frances Hardy finds the awesome in Okay for Now
Myra McEntire welcomes Blood Magic author Tessa Gratton into the Fort