Calling out all writers-Camp Nano starts July 1st at 12 AM! So for me, that means 6 more hours! WHOO! Can't wait for it to start!
Here's some links to help you get ready:
Camp Nano
Nano Forum of Camp Nano
Welcome to Camp Nano on Nano
Camp Nano is basically Nano in July, where we are betaing (those of us that are participating in July) and then OLL (Office of Letters and Light) will have all the features up for August. You have, if you want to participate, 3 choices. 1. you participate in July. 2. you participate in August. 3. You participate in July and August. Your choice. Me, personaly, since I'm crazy, I'm going with #3.
For Camp Nano, I'm going to try and get 50k on "Reason of Rhyme" this is the plot:
A twelve year old MC with no name- or at least no one ever learns his name- from a poor, drunk family with the strange speech impediment of only being able to say things that rhyme with the last word he heard (thus earning him the nickname Rhyme, later) is taken in by a seventeen-year-old scientific/mechanical genius boy who wishes to overthrow the government for fun with the help of a 29-year-old assassin he's blackmailing into joining him. The strange trio gains members through the world of rather scary crazies, in a germophobic computer nerd and extremely feminist sharpshooter.
And if you want to be friends on Camp Nano, here's my profile, and here's my profile for nano.
But wait! There's more! There's also the July wrimo! And that is JulNoWriMo! Since I'm very insane, I'm going to be doing JulNo and Camp Nano at the same time! So my collective WC for this month will be at least 100k. Which is good, since my monthly goal is 86k :)
Come check out the most popular thread on JulNo, the High School JulNo'ers! We're so insane, that we're already on page 332 and JulNo hasn't even started yet! And we'll welcome college and middle school kids, as well (Middle school is also known as Junior High, and sometimes even Elementry School, it's Gr. 5-8, HS is 9-12, and Elementry is K-4, I know, my school system is the best, and you guys are all jealous)
Here's my profile on Julno, and here's the plot of What Happens Then, Happens Now:
FMC and her mother have just moved into a new house, in a small, remote town in the middle of no where. On the way into town, FMC saw a statute erected in the center of town, dedicated to the 'thousands who lost their lives.' FMC, however, pays no attention until she goes into the attic of her new house and notices a trunk that wasn't their before. There are initials engraved on the trunk. She opens the trunk, and amid the (I chose 30s, but it can be any era) clothing, she finds a journal. Inside the journal, a teenage girl, about the FMCs age, details her daily life, which all seems normal except for seeing odd black shadows in the corner of her eye. Otherwise, life is normal until she mentions her best friend blew off her, and their boyfriends, and was then seen walking down the street. However, her best friend has no recollection. Four days later, her best friend is dead, and more and more people are beginning to forget. Soon, her mother is ill and the black shadows are becoming more and more frequent. Half the town is falling ill, screams rock the night, and people are dying left and right. The journal ends with the young girl saying the Mayor has quarantined the town, and that the darkness and pain is overpowering, then she trails off. The FMC closes the book and shivers, then goes downstairs to Google the name of the girl in the diary. A link shows her a website dedicated to the story of "Jasey Rae Jackson (this was the name I chose for the girl in the diary)" and how a mysterious disease began with her best friend, and wiped out 80% of the towns population, before ending with Jasey herself. As the FMC brushes it off, she begins to see similar dark shadows in the corner of her eye, and wonders how much of Jasey's story was true, and what will happen now she's experiencing the same thing that teenage girl did decade earlier.... I happened to leave off with my FMC (Annie) seeing shadows in the corners of her eyes.
Hope to see you on both sites! Happy crazy writing!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Four Hundred Days: Review
When Audril, the heiress to the Lor Mandelan throne, sneaks away to Earth to save one of her dearest friends, she finds that a power hungry tyrant from her own world has begun systematically obliterating towns and cities to get her to turn herself over to him.
On Earth, she meets a wildly eccentric old lady named Teedee Venilworth whose imaginary butler/fiance supposedly holds the key to her success. But how can someone help if he doesn't exist? Could it be that creatures who dwell in shadow are not exclusive to Lor Mandela?
Book number two in the Lor Mandela Series, "Four Hundred Days", is an action-packed whirlwind of intrigue and fantasy. Join the extraordinary characters from the first book, (both the good and the evil), as they traverse the haunted corridors of Alcatraz Penitentiary, travel via portal to an ancient castle on the cliff shores of Ireland, and meet a foreboding race of mystic warriors known as the Solom.
Soar on the back of a large horse-like creature to the Northern High Forests, and discover that on the picturesque world of Lor Mandela, your friends can become foes, your enemies your allies, and just because someone dies, it doesn't always mean that they're dead.
My Review:
I liked the characters. They were funny, they surprized me, and most of all, they were just likeable.
And the bad guys were unlikeable, and I really wanted them to go cower in a dark pit and die, they just were evil!!! I really disliked them! Grrr...
I loved the plot, and how some things things didn't go exactly the way that they planned it, things mostly ended up the way that they wanted them to.
I loved how the world was believeable, and able to be picked up having not read the first book thought there were a few things I was confused about having not read the first book, but oh, well.
All in all, a good book, and you guys should check it out!
On another note, this is my first post on the tour, I'll be doing a guest post on July 11. Yep.
Author: L. Carrol
Series: Lor Mandela #2
Read: June 29th, 2011
Source: Review Copy for Tour
Reason Why: Sounded like a really great book!
Publisher: House on the Horizon Books
Published: July 15th 2011
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| 4/5 Hearts |
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| 4/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Bio:
Barely sane author of the Lor Mandela Series (Book #1 DESTRUCTION FROM TWINS and book #2 FOUR HUNDRED DAYS). Hogwarts is in my backyard, Narnia, in my living room, but my favorite is the portal in my kitchen that takes me to Lor Mandela! Hope you enjoy the journey, too!
Contact and Buy AKA Links:
Stops on the Tour:
June 28
• Stuck in Books– Drawing/Digital art Creature contest.
• Wovenstrands– Drawing/Digital art Character contest.
• Characters Well Met – 400 word Flash Fiction Contest.
• Social Network Contest hosted by: Hiba, Megan McDade, Reggie Ridgway, Annie Thompson, E.J. Wesley.
• We Fancy Books – Guest Post + Giveaway
• New and Good Reading– Author Interview
• Nicole Zoltack - Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight – Book Review
June 29
• In The Name of Books - Book Review
• Haley is Soldering Through the Writing World - Author Interview + Giveaway
• Book Pics – Guest Post
June 30
• Words I Write Crazy – Book Review
• Stuck in Books - Guest Post
• Reading a Little Bit of Everything – Author Interview
July 1
• Stuff Young People Read - Book Review
• A Book, A Girl, A Journey - Author Interview
July 2
• Ficfac - Guest Post
• The Open Vein – Author Interview + Giveaway
July 3
• Book Pics - Book Review
• For Those About to Read – Author Interview
July 4
• Songs and Stories – Guest Post
• Characters Well Met – Author Interview
July 5
• Adventures in WriterLand – Book Review
• Reading Away The Days – Author Interview + Giveaway
July 6
• O' About That... - Author Guest Post
• Authors Block – Author Interview part 1
July 7: Book Cover Release
• Carole Sutton - Author Interview
• Reading a Little Bit of Everything - Book Review
• Nicole Zoltack - Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight - Guest Post
July 8
• Fantasy Book Chick – Author Interview
• Haley is Soldering Through the Writing World – Guest Post
July 9
• Songs and Stories – Book Review
• Author William R. Potter's Blog – Author Interview
July 10
• Patti Larsen -Guest Post
• Adventures in WriterLand – Author Interview
July 11
• For Those About to Read – Book Review
• Words I Write Crazy – Guest post
• Pen To Publish – Author Interview
July 12
• O' About That... - Book Review
• A Book, A Girl, A Journey - Guest Post
• Author Julia Crane – Author Interview
July 13
• FicFac - Book Review
• Author William R. Potter's Blog – Guest Post
• Songs and Stories – Author Interview
July 14
• Stuck in Books – Book Review
• Lisa Flaus – Author Interview part 2
• In The Name of Books – Guest Post
July 15: Four Hundred Days Book Release
• Patti Larsen – Author Interview
• Wovenstrands - Book Review
• Pinnacle Writing - Author Interview
Singular: Review and Giveaway
Patrick Clark is a moral philosopher and a terrible human being. After living a selfish, indulgent life, he probably deserves cancer; probably deserves death. But in 2045, living forever in paradise doesn't take faith or good deeds - it just takes money.
In the depths of Singularity a new consciousness has awoken. As it struggles to become free from the immortality machine, its limitless rage threatens the living and the dead alike.
The fates of Patrick and the nameless, faceless machine creature are intertwined with each other and with sinister, utilitarian plans for the future of the nation and humanity.
My Review:
This book made me think. Patrick was a philosopher, and he had these ideas and theory's that sometimes boggled the mind, and that were really interesting.
I loved how far people would go to do something that hadn't been seen before. And how some people had that capacity to lie, and to lie that well. And to have that good of a poker face.
I enjoyed watching Patrick go through his surgery, and then the result of that surgery. It really makes you think about mortality, and what it means to be alive, and what it means to be dead. Quite interesting.
I really had fun with all the tech that was in this novel, Singularity in particular. It's amazing what humans can come up with to prolong their own lives. Just incredible. I really liked that.
This was a very good book, so if you want to read it, look below!
Author: David F. Porteous
Read: June 19th-29th, 2011
Source: Virtual Book Cafe Book Tour Review Copy
Reason Why: Sounded like a book to read!
Publisher: Createspace
Published: February 27th 2011
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| 4/5 Hearts |
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| 3.5/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Giveaway:
I hosting a giveaway of this book, Singular. It'll be a print copy, and for the US and Canada. I'll pick a winner via random.org on July 14 so you have 2 weeks for you guys to enter.
To Enter:
In the comments, tell me something that you think you'd like about this book.
For Bonus Entries, 1 each,
-follow this blog
-follow me on twitter
-add this book on Goodreads
David F Porteous was born in 1980, but was asked for ID in a bar as recently as February 2011. Yes, it was dark, but still.
He attended Cockenzie and Port Seton Primary School where he learned to spell and write his name in cursive. The value of these once impressive skills has been substantially undermined by subsequent technological developments.
In 2002 he graduated from Napier University in Edinburgh with a degree in Marketing Management. His honours dissertation asserted that there was a bright future ahead for DVD rental stores. Over time this assertion proved to be both wrong and stupid.
(He is not giving back the degree).
David has been a stand-up comic, poet, voice actor and social research consultant. He stuck with the consulting because it was only thing people paid him for.
Singular is his first novel.
Contact and Buy AKA Links:
Stops on the Tour:
May 16 - Spotlight at The Virtual Cafe' Blog
May 19 - Guest Blogging at Ashley Book
May 23 - Guest Blogging at Been There, Read That
May 25 - Author Interviewed at I Can See More Clearly
May 27 - Guest Blogging at Magician of Oz
May 31 - Guest Blogging and $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway at Wise Words
June 2 - Author Interviewed at Immortality and Beyond
June 6 - Author Interviewed at Reviews & Interviews
June 8 - Guest Blogging at From The TBR Pile
June 10 - Author Interviewed at Immortyl Revolution
June 13 - Author Interviewed at BK Media Entertainment
June 14 - Guest Blogging at Cladestine Sanctuary
June 16 - Guest Blogging at Watery Tart
June 18 - Author Interviewed at Written In Blood
June 20 - Guest Blogging at Bibrary
June 22 - Review and Giveaway at The Phantom Paragrapher
June 24 - Author Interviewed at Margaret's Paranormal Romance
June 28 - Review and Giveaway at Rhodes Review
June 30 - Review and Giveaway at Words I Write Crazy
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by The Virtual Book Tour Cafe', no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely of my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
Will The Time Come #5, June 30th
The Time Will Come -
Every Thursday l am going to list a book which l really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!
Want to join in?
- Pick a book you have been meaning to read
- Do a post telling us about the book
- Link the post up in the linky
- Visit the other blogs
Today's post is going to be a mix of another book that I've been meaning to read, and the other is ones that I meant to read, and have since posting about them.
It was the assignment of a lifetime. . . .
Brilliant marine architect Hannah Bryson has been given the job of a lifetime. A U.S. maritime museum has just acquired the decommissioned Soviet submarine Silent Thunder for public exhibition. It s Hannah s job to make sure that every single inch of the legendary nuclear attack sub is safe for the thousands of visitors anticipated. Enlisting the aid of her brother, Connor, they examine the enormous vessel and delve into its long---and lethal---history.
But is it really a trap?
In the course of their investigation, Connor discovers a mysterious message behind one of the ship s panels. But before he can figure out what it means, there s a deadly assault on Silent Thunder. . . .
Though the U.S. government tries to warn Hannah away, she ll stop at nothing to find the ruthless mastermind behind her brother s death. Even if it means joining forces with a mysterious man who may be even more dangerous than the enemy she has sworn to bring down. As Hannah finds herself in the crossfire of an epic standoff, her only hope for survival is to unravel the sub s explosive secret. But someone s willing to kill to make sure Silent Thunder stays silent. . . .
Brisk, exhilarating, and filled with authentic details, Silent Thunder is what you get when you team the biggest name in suspense with the stunning plot twists of an Edgar Award--winning author. Get ready for a page-turning thrill ride!
Why the time hasn't come yet...
It's a mix of being busy with library books (all these books I'm doing for WTC are ones I own) and not having or reading the first book that features this character, Shadow Zone. But I will get to this book! It really sticks out on my shelf, it's on the top with my favourites, and it's a hardcover, so it's lying down, and splitting the pop that I haven't had yet with the ones I that am/have. Yep.
Now for part 2. Of my previous 4 Will the Time Come posts, I've read 5 of the 5 books posted.
Elixir by Hilary Duff and review
The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee and review
Pulling Princes, Stealing Princes by Tyne O'Connell and reviews
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and review
Yeah, I wanted to read these books more after displaying them on WTC posts, so I read them pretty quickly after the posts.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
WWW Wednesday #12, June 29th
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing for starting this!
I am currently reading The Lovely Bones, and I'm quite enjoying it!
I just finished reading Stealing Princes 2 days ago, it was good, look for my review on Saturday!
I'm going to read Lucky next, it looks good!
What about you guys? Happy reading!
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing for starting this!
What about you guys? Happy reading!
Waiting on Wednesday #8, June 29th
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Expected Publication: December 6th 2011
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
What is a Writer? I'd Really Like to Know!
What is an writer? How do you get to be an writer? How do you get to be a good writer? These are questions I'd really like to know.
I mean, I have over 200 ideas, over 40 WIP's, and 2 finished novels.
So what is an author?
Well, an author is someone who strings words together to form sentences, paragraphs, ideas, characters, plot, stories, that come together.
Well, ok, good enough. Now for the next question. How do you get to be an author? You write, and you keep writing, and you get the hand of it, practicing and practicing, and having fun, too, because if it's not fun, then why do it?
You write stories, you write tales. You write and write and you love it and you have fun.
It should be something that other people would be interested in, too, because if others aren't interested, then you would most likely not show it to other people, and then it would rot away on your computer or something unless you came and shook it up a bit from time to time.
It should be something unique, or something that hasn't be put in that way yet.
But how to do that? That's what I want to know. I want to know how to be good, what words, what doesn't, how things work, how people work, how they understand, what they don't, and just the basic question. How do I write?
By putting words together, yes, but how to make it interesting? One time when I put work up (mind you, something that I'd only spent 5 minutes on, and about 3 hours before it was due) I was voted off at the first time, when there was way worse pieces of writing up there like this one bit that was 3 run on sentences, and about 200 words or something. The main comment I got? To format it. Which is funny, since I wasn't the one to post it. It had tabs as paragraphs on Word, but when it got posted on the forum, WriYe, the tabs weren't recognized and so yeah. There weren't many comments on the writing itself, out of seven pieces of feedback, 3 where it was about proofreading (like I said, 5 minutes writing the piece) 3 were more general plot things, though 1 of them thought the MC was a guy, which is pretty funny, since it was a girl, don't know if they read wrong or if I didn't write it right, 3 had mentions of the paragraphs, 1 person liked it, and 1 person liked it but was one of the proofreaders, too.
All in all, there wasn't much help on the writing aspect.
So I'd like to know, what makes a good author?
I mean, I have over 200 ideas, over 40 WIP's, and 2 finished novels.
So what is an author?
Well, an author is someone who strings words together to form sentences, paragraphs, ideas, characters, plot, stories, that come together.
Well, ok, good enough. Now for the next question. How do you get to be an author? You write, and you keep writing, and you get the hand of it, practicing and practicing, and having fun, too, because if it's not fun, then why do it?
You write stories, you write tales. You write and write and you love it and you have fun.
It should be something that other people would be interested in, too, because if others aren't interested, then you would most likely not show it to other people, and then it would rot away on your computer or something unless you came and shook it up a bit from time to time.
It should be something unique, or something that hasn't be put in that way yet.
But how to do that? That's what I want to know. I want to know how to be good, what words, what doesn't, how things work, how people work, how they understand, what they don't, and just the basic question. How do I write?
By putting words together, yes, but how to make it interesting? One time when I put work up (mind you, something that I'd only spent 5 minutes on, and about 3 hours before it was due) I was voted off at the first time, when there was way worse pieces of writing up there like this one bit that was 3 run on sentences, and about 200 words or something. The main comment I got? To format it. Which is funny, since I wasn't the one to post it. It had tabs as paragraphs on Word, but when it got posted on the forum, WriYe, the tabs weren't recognized and so yeah. There weren't many comments on the writing itself, out of seven pieces of feedback, 3 where it was about proofreading (like I said, 5 minutes writing the piece) 3 were more general plot things, though 1 of them thought the MC was a guy, which is pretty funny, since it was a girl, don't know if they read wrong or if I didn't write it right, 3 had mentions of the paragraphs, 1 person liked it, and 1 person liked it but was one of the proofreaders, too.
All in all, there wasn't much help on the writing aspect.
So I'd like to know, what makes a good author?
Teaser Tuesday #12, June 28th
Teaser Tuesdays is a bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Today's Teaser comes from The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold on page 45.
"The air in my heaven often smelled like skunk-just a hint of it. It was a smell that I had always loved on Earth."
That is a very strange thing to like!
And from my own book, The Soul Collector on page 5.
"Time for an explanation, since like I said, hi and bye. A nod didn’t fit into the equation."
Happy reading!
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Today's Teaser comes from The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold on page 45.
"The air in my heaven often smelled like skunk-just a hint of it. It was a smell that I had always loved on Earth."
That is a very strange thing to like!
And from my own book, The Soul Collector on page 5.
"Time for an explanation, since like I said, hi and bye. A nod didn’t fit into the equation."
Happy reading!
Monday, June 27, 2011
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #3, June 27th
What happened in the past week:
Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #2
Teaser Tuesday #11
WWW Wednesday #11
WOW #7
Will the Time Come #4
A-Z Reading Challenge Start
I Have An Update #2
Monthly Meme:
In My Mailbox #3-June
Week 25 Reviews:
Game of Thrones
Supernova
The Pearl Savage
Next
Die for Me
The Katyn Order
None of the Above:
Giveaway of Michael Scott Books
My Dogs and Don't Eat...(Fill in the Blank)
Ok, this was a pretty good book, lots of posts, and some random ones. Hope to increase the random ones-I don't want to be boring :) __ posts in 7 days is very good. I hope I can bet it next week, but next week there won't be any exams whatsoever, so I'll have a lot more time. I'll also be watching a few shows, I've already watched Game of Thrones (finished it the day after I finished the book) and they include True Blood, Doctor Who 2005, and possible Charmed. Plus all the ones that I'm watching episode by episode as they come out.
I now have a meme or a challenge for every day of the week, so now I have an
For Week 26, I am hoping to read Anybody Out There, Singular, Pulling Princes, Stealing Princes, The Lovely Bones, Lucky, Bait, Vanished, and Pursuit. Plus more PDF's, and nano books :) I really need to read these nano books!
Currently Listening To: Doctor Who Episode
Currently Reading: Pulling Princes
Currently Watching: Doctor Who
Recuperating from her injuries, a mystified Anna returns to Manhattan. Slowly beginning to remember what happened, she sets off on a search to find Aidan — a hilarious quest involving lilies (she can't stop smelling them), psychics, mediums, and anyone there who can promise her a reunion with her beloved...
A fast-paced, laugh-out-loud-funny look at fitting in while still standing out...
How many fit boys can Calypso handle?
Calypso has decided that Prince Freddie is the one for her, but does her new roommate, the privileged Lady Portia, also have designs on him? To make matters worse, Calypso's best friends Star and Georgina are no longer her roommates; they are living instead with Indie-a new student and a real princess! Poor Calypso is feeling left out. How could her plans have gone so horribly wrong? Readers who have been anticipating the next installment in the Calypso Chronicles won't be disappointed as Calypso takes on more boys, bunnies, and Brits in her hilarious and inimitable style!
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
I Have An Update! #2, June 26th
What I'm Writing: I'm still writing what I was writing last week, got a bit done, but no real notable change. I swear to have added at least a chapter to each WIP by next week!
What I'm Editing: I'm still editing HDC, and FV, and LOYW and SC, and gotten about 1 page. So I really need to hurry up with The Soul Collector, because I really want to use my nano proof copy, and that expires at the end of the month.
Monthly Word Count: 144, 779 words
Yeah, I know, not as much as last time, but next time, there will be more!
In My Mailbox #3, June 26th-June
In My Mailbox is a meme started by The Story Siren that I'm doing monthy, but looking at this post, am going to move to weekly, it'll just be easier.
For Review:
Death Whispers
Witch Song
This Business of Children
From the Library:
Oh My Goth
Plague
*not a book*
Breakthrough recorded by Colbie Caillat
Bought from Library Sale:
Dead After Dark
Lover Beware
Lover Revealed
Promises in the Dark
Heart-Shaped Box
The Masquerade
Chains of Ice
Finding the Lost
Kiss them Goodbye
Bought:
(I wanted to spend my birthday money, that I got last month) on books, but my parents have stalled. I will get 5 books, hopefully on the 13th, I REALLY WANT TO READ STARCROSSED! The bit that's offered on the publisher's site for reading is 5 chapters, ends on pg 99. But the worst part? IT ENDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE!! WHAT'S THE END OF THE SENTENCE???? See, that's why I need to get it!)
Won:
Die for Me (Thank you, Books for Company!)
The Katyn Order (Goodreads)
Supernova (Thank you, Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me and C. L. Parker!)
From NetGalley:
Cinder and Ella
Lost in Dreams
Misfit
The Poisoned House
Deviant
Ciao
In Trouble
Ultraviolet
Two Moon Princess
Ashfall
The Book of Lies
Frost
Queens of All the World
Spellbound
The Twisted Thread
The Beginning Of After
Ashes
Notorious
Heart of Evil
Sacred Evil
The Evil Inside
Before Cain Strikes
In Seconds
Count Down to Love
Liar's Kiss
The Chair
Frame Up
In Their Blood
Shrouded in Silence
Thunder of Heaven
The Ambition
Feast
One Man, One Murder
The Glitter Scene
Nick of Time
The Constantine Codex
Darkness Falling
Where Demons Fear to Tread
Ashes of Angels
Unearthed
Guilty as Sin
Beg for Mercy
Dark Awakening
The Lost
The Dark Enquiry
The "What If" Guy
Yeah, I kinda went on a NetGalley request spree. It was fun!
For Review:
Death Whispers
Witch Song
This Business of Children
From the Library:
Oh My Goth
Plague
*not a book*
Breakthrough recorded by Colbie Caillat
Bought from Library Sale:
Dead After Dark
Lover Beware
Lover Revealed
Promises in the Dark
Heart-Shaped Box
The Masquerade
Chains of Ice
Finding the Lost
Kiss them Goodbye
Bought:
(I wanted to spend my birthday money, that I got last month) on books, but my parents have stalled. I will get 5 books, hopefully on the 13th, I REALLY WANT TO READ STARCROSSED! The bit that's offered on the publisher's site for reading is 5 chapters, ends on pg 99. But the worst part? IT ENDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE!! WHAT'S THE END OF THE SENTENCE???? See, that's why I need to get it!)
Won:
Die for Me (Thank you, Books for Company!)
The Katyn Order (Goodreads)
Supernova (Thank you, Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me and C. L. Parker!)
From NetGalley:
Cinder and Ella
Lost in Dreams
Misfit
The Poisoned House
Deviant
Ciao
In Trouble
Ultraviolet
Two Moon Princess
Ashfall
The Book of Lies
Frost
Queens of All the World
Spellbound
The Twisted Thread
The Beginning Of After
Ashes
Notorious
Heart of Evil
Sacred Evil
The Evil Inside
Before Cain Strikes
In Seconds
Count Down to Love
Liar's Kiss
The Chair
Frame Up
In Their Blood
Shrouded in Silence
Thunder of Heaven
The Ambition
Feast
One Man, One Murder
The Glitter Scene
Nick of Time
The Constantine Codex
Darkness Falling
Where Demons Fear to Tread
Ashes of Angels
Unearthed
Guilty as Sin
Beg for Mercy
Dark Awakening
The Lost
The Dark Enquiry
The "What If" Guy
Yeah, I kinda went on a NetGalley request spree. It was fun!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
My Dogs and Don't Eat...(Fill In the Blank)
My image for my google account is a picture of my dogs, Dobby and Winky.
Winky is the one looking at you with those soulful eyes. Dobby's the one at the bottom right corner looking at you a bit funny. My doggies are so cute, don't you agree?
One thing that I say constantly around them is "Dont eat __(something that they were trying to eat that they shouldn't have) that!" They really eat a lot of things that they shouldn't. Like grass after the lawn's been mowed (and with a 3.9 acre yard, that's a lot of grass) Like weeds. They like weeds, like dandylions and such. They'll eat them instead of getting busy so we can go back inside and get away from the bugs.
Oh, I forgot something.
They used, and did again today, eat their poop.
They haven't done it in a while, but then today there was an incident. I woke up to my mom yelling "Bad Boy" at Dobby (the doggies where sleeping with me last night, and then around 7 my dad came and took them outside, and my mom started yelling and stomping around at 10) and when I got up, she told me the story.
Dobby hadn't gone all his poop on his morning poop walk, and had pooped all over the main floor (my house is a bungalow, my room is in the basement. And it's a good thing that my dad's a carpet cleaner, he cleaned the living room carpet) and he wasn't done so my mom took him outside to finish.
While she was doing that, Winky, that cute, innocent girl you see there, ate Dobby's poop. They used to do it when they were younger, but they'd grown out of that habit, or so we hoped and thought.
Apparently, if they have an opportuinty, they will do so.
And so when I got upstairs, it smelled really, really bad, feces mixed with the smell of air freshener, which wasn't really working well, with the doggies in their room, which is also the laundry room (we have a door on eihter side, one from the garage, the other to get to the hall leading to the front of the house, which is boxed by a bathroom and a closet on either side of the opening.
My mom said that she was mad at them and didn't want to see them (The laundry room also has a walk in pantry, a door at one end, and a gate at the other, so that the doggies don't get into the food)
Silly doggies. They'll never learn, will they? But they're just so darned cute!
Oh, another thing that they like to eat? Socks (Like the ones that Dobby finds in my room and takes out to try and eat) and cardboard. The latter is a toy, that they can have, since they once destroyed a toy meant for a big dog (and they are pretty small) in about 1 day, so we give them cardboard to destroy, Dobby likes digging in the corners to he can, I dunno, play with it, get a peice to chew or something.
The people that we house them with when we go on vacation (about once a year, but they're not going till I move out) call them the "terrible two". Have any guesses why they're called that? Yep, those are my doggies! What about your pets? Any funny or silly or annoying stories?
One thing that I say constantly around them is "Dont eat __(something that they were trying to eat that they shouldn't have) that!" They really eat a lot of things that they shouldn't. Like grass after the lawn's been mowed (and with a 3.9 acre yard, that's a lot of grass) Like weeds. They like weeds, like dandylions and such. They'll eat them instead of getting busy so we can go back inside and get away from the bugs.
Oh, I forgot something.
They used, and did again today, eat their poop.
They haven't done it in a while, but then today there was an incident. I woke up to my mom yelling "Bad Boy" at Dobby (the doggies where sleeping with me last night, and then around 7 my dad came and took them outside, and my mom started yelling and stomping around at 10) and when I got up, she told me the story.
Dobby hadn't gone all his poop on his morning poop walk, and had pooped all over the main floor (my house is a bungalow, my room is in the basement. And it's a good thing that my dad's a carpet cleaner, he cleaned the living room carpet) and he wasn't done so my mom took him outside to finish.
While she was doing that, Winky, that cute, innocent girl you see there, ate Dobby's poop. They used to do it when they were younger, but they'd grown out of that habit, or so we hoped and thought.
Apparently, if they have an opportuinty, they will do so.
And so when I got upstairs, it smelled really, really bad, feces mixed with the smell of air freshener, which wasn't really working well, with the doggies in their room, which is also the laundry room (we have a door on eihter side, one from the garage, the other to get to the hall leading to the front of the house, which is boxed by a bathroom and a closet on either side of the opening.
My mom said that she was mad at them and didn't want to see them (The laundry room also has a walk in pantry, a door at one end, and a gate at the other, so that the doggies don't get into the food)
Silly doggies. They'll never learn, will they? But they're just so darned cute!
Oh, another thing that they like to eat? Socks (Like the ones that Dobby finds in my room and takes out to try and eat) and cardboard. The latter is a toy, that they can have, since they once destroyed a toy meant for a big dog (and they are pretty small) in about 1 day, so we give them cardboard to destroy, Dobby likes digging in the corners to he can, I dunno, play with it, get a peice to chew or something.
The people that we house them with when we go on vacation (about once a year, but they're not going till I move out) call them the "terrible two". Have any guesses why they're called that? Yep, those are my doggies! What about your pets? Any funny or silly or annoying stories?
Giveaway of Michael Scott Books!
Go on over to The Tales Compendium for a chance to win Michael Scott books! You can choose between the first, the second and third together, or the 5th one that just came out! Nice, isn't it?
Week 25 Review: The Katyn Order
The German war machine is in retreat as the Russians advance. In Warsaw, Resistance fighters rise up against their Nazi occupiers, but the Germans retaliate, ruthlessly leveling the once-beautiful city. American Adam Nowak has been dropped into Poland by British intelligence as an assassin and Resistance fighter. During the Warsaw Uprising he meets Natalia, a covert operative who has lost everything—just as he has. Amid the Allied power struggle left by Germany’s defeat, Adam and Natalia join in a desperate hunt for the 1940 Soviet order authorizing the murders of 20,000 Polish army officers and civilians. If they can find the Katyn Order before the Russians do, they just might change the fate of Poland.
My review:
I loved this book! I loved the history, the budding romance, and the war effort, even if it was mostly in vain, they took out some nasty Nazis. The history was of something that I'd never thought in connecting with WWII, but it's something that happened. I've just never really thought of Poland before-I don't even know where it is, except that it's in Europe, and I'm guessing now that it's near, or borders, Russia, and it's in between Germany and Russia.
But this book showed me a world that I had rarely thought about, and just opened it wide open. I enjoyed all the places, all the characters, and how everything was aimed for the Katyn Order. It just wrapped up so beautifully, even if tinged with sadness, the main objective of the characters for the better half of the story, wasn't fulfilled, and it was left without answers why it wasn't, just that it wasn't, and there was one element to blame, but we didn't learn why. That why would be great to know. It's just kinda killing me, there's so many options!
But this was a great book, so I'm glad I won it on Goodreads! You'd better check it out!
Author: Douglas W. Jacobson
Read: June 24th, 2011
Source: Won
Reason Why: Sounded really good!
Publisher: McBooks Press
Published: May 1st 2011
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| 3/5 Hearts |
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| 3/5 Books |
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| 3/5 Stars |
Week 25 Review: Die for Me
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.
When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.
Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.
In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.
My Review:
I truly enjoyed this book! It was pure awesomeness! I read it in about 2 hours, from 10 to 12 am, so I was tired, but what is sleep when you're reading (like on Monday) and besides, it's summer, and the summer holidays, so I deserve some time off! (And I'll stick to that, don't tell my parents!)
Paris was a unique setting for a book, despite it being quite popular, I'd only read 1 other book set in Paris before this, a Christine Feehan novel, so it was fun to read a book set in Paris from a teen's perspective. It was a new and exciting, and I quite enjoyed myself. I loved how Kate was into art and museums, it was nice to see all the history.
And then there was Vincent. Vincent isn't like other boy's and girls, he's a lot like a zombie, but not rotting, not mindless, and not wanting to eat people. He's just a corpse that's not so corpse-y. I loved Kate and Vincent's relationship, it was just something that was supposed to happen, and I read it very quickly.
Some things that I want/expect/still have questions about are that how Papy reacted to the name "Numa" and how strong Kate was when Vincent was volant, and was fighting the bad guy. I think they're linked, and I think Papy knows more then Kat would expect him too...I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
This was a great book, so if you can, check it out!
Author: Amy Plum
Series: Die For Me #1
Read: June 22nd, 2011
Source: Won
Reason Why: Sounded really, really great!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: May 10th 2011
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Week 25 Review: Next
Welcome to our genetic world. Fast, furious, and out of control.
This is not the world of the future-it's the world right now.
Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why an adult human being resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction-is it worse than the disease?
We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps; a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars; test our spouses for genetic maladies and even frame someone for a genetic crime.
We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes. . . .
Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems, and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn. Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions, and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect.
The future is closer than you think. Get used to it.
My Review:
I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of scientific aspects that were a bit confusing, and long winded, and some of the character jumps made it hard to make all the connections, but near the end, it was all coming together, little pieces that just fit, and suddenly made sense, it was like reading a puzzle, with all the pieces, and we got all the edges at the beginning, and slowly we worked our way inward to the more complicated pieces, until it was almost done, and there were just a few snaps, and everything fell into place and it made sense.
And that was a very long analogy of how reading this book felt to me. Might not feel that way for others (since everybody's different) but for me, that was what it was.
The ideas in the novel were very scary, if you think about it. In the back, the author has 5 points that he made from his research.
1. Stop patenting genes.
2. Establish clear guidelines for the use of human tissues.
3. Pass laws to ensure that data about gene testing is made public.
4. Avoid bans on research.
5. Rescind the Bayh-Dole Act.
And from reading this book, I agree. The things that people did...if half of the things that happened in this book, happened in real life, it'd be enough to think what the future would hold, if there'd really be any life at all.
I agree with the Washington Post, "chilling" is a very apt description of this book, but "amazing" and "complex" suffice, too.
It you're looking for a medical, scientific, or a thriller, then check this book out, you won't want to miss it!
Author: Michael Crichton
Read: June 22nd, 2011
Source: Library
Reason Why: Sounded like a really fantastic book! And it was!
Publisher: Harper
Published: November 28th 2006
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| 4/5 Hearts |
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| 4/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |