I'm Back! And a Bit About Indecisiveness

Hello fellow bloggers/blog readers! I must apologize for the lack of blogging this month. Me and mine have had a difficult month (for a hint at our hardships, see the chicken). But now that we are all healthy again, it seems like the sun is shining a little brighter, the flowers are blooming, and the weather has turned warm. Then again, it could be that spring arrived while we were quarantined to our house!

Anyhow, on to writing stuff. So, my 2-year-old has a new favorite movie. She's watched it about 500 times this month (not much else to do while your sick!). And we've all memorized the songs.

Can I hear a woo-hoo for Disney's Tangled!!!?

Anyhow, we were watching the extras on the Tangled disc and you know what?

The movie had three different beginnings before they finally decided which one was the best! Sound a little indecisive?

This indecisiveness totally sounds like me! But it is typically my endings that get changed. My point is, nothing you write is set in stone (unless it is being published and by then, it will be perfect). So embrace change--Disney does, after all, and they've been in the story-telling business for a looooooong time! Think of different endings/beginnings and don't be afraid to write more than one! Sometimes the best comes after the story is written.

And just so you know . . . It is GREAT to be back!

DIVERGENT :: A Bookanista Review (aka Veronica Roth = Genius)

Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT = Wow. That's all I have to say.

AND...

READ THIS BOOK!

This book is proof that you can write an outstanding story, with really tough characters, without using sex or swearing (okay, there are a few minor cuss words). And for a writer to be able to do that, she has to be a pure genius. So I guess Veronica Roth = GENIUS!

Blurb from Amazon:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

And in the words of fellow Bookanista Veronica Roth--via Amazon again (these are precious words so read them twice!)

Q: What advice would you offer to young aspiring writers, who long to live a success story like your own?

Roth: One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldn’t rely on it, because it’s not guaranteed and it’s not permanent and it’s not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writing—the characters, the story, the words, the themes—and make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they don’t warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you don’t fall apart.

(By the way, this book comes out May 3!)

For more Bookanista reviews, check out:

Elana Johnson visits Dark and Hollow Places
LiLa Roecker gets silly over Spoiled
Christine Fonseca has a passion for Possession – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger marvels at Moonglass – with giveaway
Jamie Harrington adores Invincible Summer
Shelli Johannes-Wells is in the grip of Possession
Scott Tracey bathes in Blood Magic
Carolina Valdez Miller interviews Invicible Summer author Hannah Moskowitz
Jessi Kirby praises Playing Hurt
Shana Silver presents a Guestanista gushing over Between Here and Forever
Gretchen McNeil parties over The Anti-Prom
Carrie Harris sings out about Shift
Rosemary Clement-Moore applauds Abandon
Sarah Frances Hardy enjoys Me Jane
Matt Blackstone loves Like Mandarin
Corrine Jackson delights in The Duff
Stasia Ward Kehoe discusses Displacement

Princess of the Midnight Ball :: A Book Review

Is it already Thursday? I swear time is speeding up. SWEAR! Anyhow, Thursday means a book review. And if you want to know what books other writers LOVE, you have to check out the links below! My fellow Bookanistas will only review books that they can gush about.

Last week I read Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball.

Rose is one of twelve princesses forced to dance through the night in an underground palace. The key to breaking the spell lies in magic knitting needles, an invisibility cloak, and—of course—true love. Inspired by "The Twelve Dancing Princesses,"this novel is as captivating as it is fresh." -From Amazon

What I liked about this book: Seriously? You really want to know? The knitting! Or, more importantly, Galen, the guy who does the knitting. Have you ever thought of knitting as sexy? Well, IT IS! Read the book and you'll see what I mean.

What I Liked About the Characters: Galen. Yes, the knitter again. He's also a rugged soldier with an awesome work ethic (I must be getting old if I think a guy's work ethic makes him attractive) and cheerful disposition.

I like the princesses, too. They're all named after flowers. And they're all unique.

The Other Thing I Liked: Jessica Day George can really write! She's got a talent for weaving words into mental images. Things feel real in her writing, sincere, and true.

So if you need a captivating, beautiful book that will hold your attention from the beginning to the end, check this one out!

In other news, Check out Jessi Kirby's blog for an awesome giveaway!

As for the funky spacing on the links below, all I can say is: Sometimes I hate you blogger.com! (All right, hate might be a bit strong, but I think you know what I mean.)

Sarah Frances Hardy delights in Divergent

Veronica Rossi marvels at Moonglass
Stasia Ward Kehoe raves about Rival

Christine Fonseca gives a Guestanista video review of 11 Birthdays
Jamie Harrington is giddy for Texas Gothic
Beth Revis features Between Shades of Gray all week--with giveaway!
Megan Miranda gushes over Blood Magic
Myra McEntire introduces "Bookanistas Give Back" - with prizes!
Jessi Kirby wants to be Like Mandarin
Gretchen McNeil sings about Spoiled
Carrie Harris loves The Lipstick Laws--with giveaway!
Rosemary Clement-Moore is ensnared by The Demon Trapper's Daughter

Keturah and Lord Death :: A Book Review

So, it is Bookanista Thursday again, which means my fellow writers and I are reviewing books that we LOVE. (For a list of Bookanista author bios, click here.) That's right. If one of us is reviewing something, it means we Lurrrrrrrrrve it. So today I am thrilled to rave about Martine Leavitt's book Keturah and Lord Death.

The one thing I have to ask, though, is: WHY ISN'T EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK??? IT IS AMAZING!

Lost and hungry after following a stately hart through the forest, Keturah encounters Lord Death, who is ready to take her. Keturah spins a story that she leaves unfinished and extracts from Lord Death a promise that if she finds her true love in a day, she can go free. But Lord Death is falling in love with her, and as the villagers begin to sense her alliance with this horrifying figure, her life twists and turns on itself. -Exerpt from Amazon

What I liked about this book: Martine Leavitt is an incredible writer! She is a pacing and setting genius. Not once was I bored with her prose, and not once was I bored reading about the small-village setting of this book, or the many memorable characters. Pure Genius!

What I liked about the main character: Keturah is a smart, selfless sixteen-year-old. She outwits death (and more than once), she puts her friends happiness before her own, and she takes the initiative to solve her own problems.

What I liked about death: He is utterly untouchable . . . at first. But even death has his weaknesses. Like falling in love with Keturah. And letting his love for her give up his death-hold on others.

The other thing I liked: The ending! It was a dose of perfection that left me utterly satisfied. I closed this book and went to sleep with a smile on my face. No cliff hangers, no to-be-continued, just perfect satisfaction.

Now, if you want to know what these other writers fell in love with enough to blog about, click on a link below.

Stasia Ward Kehoe spotlights Strings Attached

Corrine Jackson jumps for Bumped

Jen Hayley peers into Clarity
Carrie Harris is mesmerized by Memento Nora
Matt Blackstone visits The Ninth Ward

Elana Johnson reveals the cover of The Eleventh Plague
LiLa Roecker wonders What Happened to Goodbye
Christine Fonseca wants to be Like Mandarin
Jamie Harrington falls for Falling Under
Shelli Johannes-Wells visits Dark and Hollow Places
Beth Revis discovers Lost and Found
Carolina Valdez Miller is wild about Wither
Megan Miranda swoons for Anna and the French Kiss

Write-Hope Auction

The kids affected by Japan's earthquake and tsunami are in dire need of help. An organization called Save the Children is trying to help. So is Write-Hope. They're banding together with some amazing literary professionals to try and raise some money.

So, the peeps over at Write-Hope are auctioning off a whole lot of juicy awesomeness . . . like:

A 30-minute Skype chat with the incomparable Meredith Barnes, professional godsend at Fineprint Lit.

From YA author Robin Bridges: a critique of your first chapter (or first 20 pages) and a Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) for $30.

From YA author, mad scientist, and prom chaperone Carrie Harris: a pre-order of Bad Taste in Boys and a 20-page critique of a YA/MG manuscript.

And that's just to name a few. There are all sorts of goodies! So go check it out!

My Fair Godmother :: A Bookanista Review

I have sung Janette Rallison's praises before. She's one of my favorite authors! (Someone PLEASE make one of her novels into a movie!) When I lay in bed reading her books well into the night, I laugh furiously, face pressed into my pillow, and pray I don't disturb my husband. That's how good her books are.

So today I am thrilled to be reviewing MY FAIR GODMOTHER.

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

What I liked about this book: Absolutely everything--but mostly the humor. Rallison takes ordinary, swoon-worthy fairy tales and points out their major, drastic flaws in a way that will have you laughing and crying until the very end of the book.

What I liked about the main character: At first you don't like Savannah. She's gorgeous, everyone loves her, life's perfect, and she takes it all for granted. Until her boyfriend dumps her in favor of her older, smarter, more organized sister. And then Savannah realizes she's got a lot of growing up to do and you can't help but love her.

The Romance: As always, Rallison builds this up to frustrating proportions before giving any type of relief. The romance is smoking.

The other thing I liked: Well, there are too many other things that I liked to pick just one. First of all, the mysterious Black Knight was absolutely yummy, even if we couldn't see his face. And the other love interest, the boy Savannah goes back to the dark ages to save? Even yummier. And then there's the little curse Savannah has--if she tells a lie, an amphibian grows in her mouth, but she's put in predicaments where the truth can't be told, so she's spitting out a lot of amphibians.

All in all, this is a book that will be on my all-time favorites list.

For more of my fellow Bookanistas' reviews, check out:

Shanna Silver praises Possum Summer
Carrie Harris falls for Head Games
Rosemary Clement Moore travels Across the Universe
Katie Anderson goes Retro
Corrine Jackson celebrates Where She Went
Stasia Ward Kehoe sings about The Mockingbirds

Elana Johnson shares her love for Like Mandarin
Christine Fonseca purrs over Save the Cat
LiLa Roecker is sweet on Like Mandarin
Shelli Johannes-Wells explores Dark and Hollow Places
Carolina Valdez Miller gushes over Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Write Hope :: For Japan's Children

So, you all know of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that have hit Japan. And yet, our lives seem to go on uninterrupted, unchanged, unimpacted, while millions of Japanese are suffering, and thousands have already died.

Well, thanks to fellow writer Medeia Sharif, I was informed about Write Hope, a blog solely created to help the children of Japan. Here's what they have to say:

Welcome to Write Hope! We're an international group of Kidlit writers with a connection to Japan. Some of us have lived there. Some of us speak the language. Some of us love the culture. Some of us simply think Japan is exotic and mysterious.

We want to do our bit to help. To that end we have formed Write Hope. We're busy preparing everything now and over the next few weeks we plan to auction kidlit books, critiques, and other prizes for donation to the relief fund of our chosen charity Save the Children.

We'd love for you to be in too. Sign up, spread the word. If you have ARC's, books, critiques, swag to spare, pop us a mail. If you're a publishing professional, agent, editor, author, who wants to participate, pop us a mail.

If you want to help, pop us a mail.

Together we can move mountains :-)

So there you have it. A way to help.