My Sequel has a Cover!!!!

EEEEEP!

One of the most exciting parts for me about writing is when my story gets a face. You spend months and months equipped with an imagination and a (limited) vocabulary, but the cover...it brings another dimension of life that words simply can't reach. (Plus, it's easier to mentally categorize in snapshots rather than 400+ pages... O.o)

And I'm SO excited to share the face of my sequel to GAIA'S SECRET, also known as THE KEEPER'S FLAME, which will be released this August!

In honor of book 2, I'm doing a book giveaway of GAIA'S SECRET on Goodreads. The giveaway is from May 24 - June 23, so you can sign up for it now. The link is HERE.

Thank you ALL for your support and enthusiasm and pestering along the way!! *HUGS* *SQUEEZES*

My Sequel!! (An Update)

First of all, I must say THANK YOU for all of your support and encouragement, comments, feedback, and enthusiasm for GAIA'S SECRET! Without you guys, I wouldn't be sitting here today, writing a post about her sequel. 

That being said, the following is a result of your pokes and prods regarding GAIA #2 (thanks for the pressure, guys :P ), so I decided to shed some light on the matter. Publicly. 

I've been working on GAIA #2 for about a year, now. I had her outlined, wrote an entire draft and it was, well, all wrong. Wrote more drafts...still all wrong. SHE JUST WASN'T COOPERATING! Then the holidays hit, and no matter what I wrote, she sat and glared at me, like this:

So, I stopped working on my current draft, sucked it up, and spent a few weeks fixing everything via writing an extensive outline (it's a lot easier to alter points in an outline than it is to alter entire chapters). The result? A TWENTY-THREE PAGE OUTLINE with a separate character reference guide! O_o

Needless to say, I am quite excited and the story is moving forward at ludicrous speed (Space Balls, anyone?) and I HOPE to share her with you this summer :D

Thanks for your patience! (I know, you don't REALLY have a choice in the matter...)

Sequels and Middle Child Syndrome

WARNING: For those of you that happen to be middle children, understand that the following is merely a generalization, used for comparing the art of writing a series, and is by no means intended to cause offense.

Many of you already know about three months ago I FINALLY let my oldest child, Gaia's Secret, out into the world. Very soon after, I gave birth to her sister, Gaia #2.

"This should be EASY," I had preened. "This time I know the process, I've read tons of books and blogs about writing and I've practically got John Truby's Anatomy of Story memorized...heck, I've already got all the characters and the ENTIRE series outlined. What could be so difficult?"

*anvil drops on head*

I didn't account for the fact that Gaia #2 is a different child, entirely.

1. Birth Order Personalities (aka WHOSE CHILD IS THIS, ANYWAY?)

I mean, really, what did I do wrong? I didn't remember having so much trouble getting my first born to talk and my first born didn't incessantly fight me over word choice and sentence structure and the direction of the plot. "Time Out" wasn't working, either, in fact, Gaia #2 seemed perfectly happy sitting in that corner all by herself...not talking.

Then I found this nice little quote:

"Middle kids bemoan their fate as being ignored and often grow resentful of all the parental attention given to the oldest and the baby of the family, and feel short-shifted." - Stacy DeBroff

Ah ha! And I suppose it doesn't help that I don't have a concrete title for Gaia #2, yet... *taps chin* 

Which brings me to...

2. Favoritism (aka Why Can't You Be Like Your Sister?)

Okay, so your first child went out into the world and is doing just fine. People seem to like that child, and some people even take a moment to tell you how much they like that child. (Of course, not everyone likes your children - but you learn to be OK with that...sorta...)

Naturally you're drawn to the child that is more like you. "Gaia's Secret" was happy, fearless, took control. Gaia #2...not so much. She is melancholy, lonely, and has an overwhelming sense of emptiness. In fact, she sort of reminds me of Eeyore with the raincloud permanently over his head. Too much time with her, and I walk away feeling depressed, drowning in a sea of woe...

And that's okay.

She just wanted to know that I was there for her, that I'd be patient and give her all the time and attention she needed. Once I did that, once I let her simmer there, in that empty corner, she grew bored and came around and started talking. I don't particularly like (or agree) with what she's been saying, but I listen. I try not to compare her to her predecessor and I try not to remind her of all the work her predecessor had done. I also try not to remind her of the expectation, set by Gaia #1, that would be inevitably put on Gaia #2.

Which leads me to my last point...

3. Sibling Rivalry (aka My World is Better than Your World)

It exists. Stay out of it. Make sure each has your constant support, and let them sort it out. Hopefully, given time, they'll be able to appreciate each others' differences and how those differences make them better and more complete.

And try not to make them feel like this:

After realizing the above, handling Gaia #2 has been infinitely easier. In fact, I'm learning a lot from her and being challenged in ways I hadn't expected (like somehow keeping track of all these characters and subplots...O_O )

And for those of you that know my first born, Gaia's Secret, I want to say THANK YOU!!! You guys have been AWESOME -  leaving so many comments, giving feedback, and sharing her with friends. That support has been enabling in countless ways, and helps me better prepare Gaia #2 before sending her out into the world :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

P.S.  If any of you are/have been writing a series, PLEASE share!

Book Giveaway Contest!!

Today's post is in honor of an amazing writer and dear friend Laura Josephsen and the release of her fabulous, witty book, Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School), which was so fun to read that I finished it in one afternoon. :D ( I mean...the title is funny enough, eh?)

Sephie (short for Persephone) is in high school. *cringes* And as the oldest of six girls, she's got a huge weight on her shoulders: being the role model. Up until now, she hasn't been that concerned about it. They may bicker and fight and home life might resemble a mini-maelstrom, but at the end of the day, they would do anything for each other. (And Laura's got you loving them so much, you'd do anything for them, too!)

But Sephie's world begins to change, and we watch her take on hard challenges and grow stronger because of them.

Confessions contains a myriad of timeless themes we deal/dealt with in adolescence (and adulthood); it's about family and friendship and unconditional love and forgiveness and finding the strength inside yourself. Full of humor, love, and struggle, Confessions is a great reminder of what matters most in this life.

This is the first story I've read of Laura's, and I'll definitely be reading more of her work. She's got talent for writing engaging characters and for creating many laugh out loud moments - which I love. Thanks, Laura, for a great read!

Now...for the goods (you know that's really what you're here for :)  )

Laura's offered to give away a free, signed copy of her book to one lucky winner!

Here are the rules/stipulations/annoying-fine-print:

(1) You must be a follower of this blog.

(2) Most clever/unique/funny answer wins.

(3) "Retweets" and "blog reposts" get extra points :D

Please repost as a comment with blanks filled in (I couldn't help myself...):

You were awarded Professor of the Year at Hogwarts (yay you!) because you discovered ____(certain spell/charm/curse)__ which ___(what does it do?)__. And Mr. Filch __(his sentiment towards you).

Now...GO! Contest closes at 7PM, PST Wednesday, Aug 3rd, and the winner will be announced Friday, August 5th!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

WARNING: If you have NOT read the previous Iron Fey novels by Ms. Kagawa, and have any intent on doing so, read the following at your own risk...for, here there be spoilers. :)

I've just had the pleasure of reading Ms. Kagawa's final installment in her New York Times bestselling series, IRON FEY, and all I can say is...WOW.

Ms. Kagawa wasn't lying to us. If we thought we knew Ash before, we hadn't seen anything yet! And you'll be even more in love with him when you've read his story. Just you wait Team Ash...you're in for a treat! *fans face*

If you remember, The Iron Queen left us emotionally conflicted (um, utterly distraught? ready to throw my Kindle?). We were relieved the war between Winter, Summer, and Iron ended and the Nevernever would survive, but there was just one little, itty bitty catch. Ash, our beloved Winter Prince, realizes he can't be with the woman he loves without it physically killing him. He simply cannot exist as a Fey in Meghan's Iron Kingdom (remember dear friends, iron is toxic to faeries). So, what does our dashing knight in shining armor do? Well, he sets out on a quest to find a way to be with the woman he loves, and, in the process, discovers that in order to be with her, he must become mortal.

*gasp*

The Iron Knight begins with Ash and the infamous and seemingly omnipresent Puck (who's just as hilarious and flippant as ever) seeking out a particular, annoying cat in hopes of finding a way for Ash to become mortal. What the Winter Prince needs is a soul, and the journey to gaining that soul is treacherous and agonizing and full of heart-wrenching discoveries.

With Puck and a few other surprise (ahem!) guests at his side, Ash faces his haunting past. We finally begin to understand the "ice" in "Ice-boy." Ms. Kagawa's writerly skill and prowess forces us to live Ash's torment and agony. We feel the weight of his decision and we are devastated when he finally discovers what he must sacrifice in order to be with Meghan Chase.

Filled with adventure, suspense, humor, and romance, The Iron Knight is sure to leave the reader completely satisfied. It is a perfect and beautifully crafted ending to the Iron Fey Series, and while I'm still coming down from my happy cloud, I'm sad to part with Ms. Kagawa's rich and exciting Fey world.

That is...for now. :) She's announced a SECOND Iron Fey trilogy starring Meghan's younger brother, Ethan. It'll take place several years after the first trilogy.

Thank you, Julie Kagawa, for introducing us to such a wonderful group of "friends" and sharing their fantastic journey with us. Can't wait for more!

The Iron Knight will be released in October 2011!




*If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!


Here's a link to my review for the rest of The Iron Fey series

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gorgeous Cover!

I'll start with this. Ready? Picture it....

London.

Time travel.

History.

Dark haired hottie. *sigh* 

Is it a wonder I finished it in an afternoon? :)

German author Kerstin Gier managed to combine all elements in the first of her Ruby Red Trilogy! (translated to English this past May)

For 16 year-old Gwyneth, time-travel is real. At least that's what she's always been told. Her family had the fortunate (or unfortunate) circumstance of inheriting the gene. And, as predicted by Sir Isaac Newton, this gene would appear for the last time in her cousin, Charlotte. Charlotte was prepared all along for the day her time-traveling gene would express itself. The only problem is, the gene doesn't express itself in Charlotte, it shows up in Gwyneth. And the unsuspecting Gwyneth is thrust into 18th Century London with sneakers and her cell phone.

To make matters worse, she's got a time-traveling "guardian", 19 year-old Gideon de Villiers, who is arrogant, condescending, and...gorgeous. And the more the pair travel to the past, the more they realize they are part of a plot that could get them killed.

Unlike most "first books in a series" I've read, this one isn't a "stand alone". Nothing is really resolved. Throughout the book, the mystery builds and builds (I still don't really know what's going on), the ending is a romantic cliffhanger, and you are left desperate for the sequel (which, by the way, there is a teaser Chapter 1 at the end...that doesn't help either).

But, the story was so much fun - hilarious at times! - and I would recommend it to anyone wanting any of the said elements above. As for me, I'm impatient for Spring 2012!

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Red-Trilogy/dp/0805092528


*If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Now, if you haven't read The Maze Runner (you can read my review here) and have even the slightest hope of doing so, I might suggest you stop reading this.

Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Ready? Here goes.

It's taken me a few days to figure out what to say. On the one hand, I couldn't put this book down. But on the other hand...(I have five more fingers, yes, I know) it took more of an apocalyptic turn.

The Scorch Trials picks up right where The Maze Runner leaves off. The boys (and Teresa) are safe and being cared for by the strangers that rescued them. Except the sense of safety lasts maybe two pages before you're thrust into yet another mind-boggling, unending sense of hopelessness with the realization that this "safety net" was all a ploy, just another part of the Trials. There is something even greater, something more dangerous, they have to endure - all in the name of saving the human race from total destruction.

Their next mission: to walk north 100 miles to a new "safe-haven". Sounds easy, right? Well, maybe I should mention the 100 miles is across barren wasteland scorched into oblivion by solar flares, equipped with magnificent electrical storms with no place for you to hide, unbearable and blinding heat, and diseased zombie-humans on the prowl.

I don't feel I can give an adequate review beyond this point. Mainly because I'm not a fan of zombies and I hate being scared. That being said, this book wasn't the kind that left me waking up in the middle of the night thinking every shadow was a zombie (and, consequently, making me attack my dog). No, no, no. Despite fearing whatever monstrosity lurked on the next page, I simply HAD to turn it ("click" for you Kindle readers). I had to know what was going to happen next. With all the unanswered questions, thrilling pace, plot twists, I had to go on.

Needless to say, by the end I was exhausted, worried I was going to slowly mutate into a zombie. Well, not really. But, if you like dystopian/zombie/apocalyptic novels, definitely give these a try. Even though this particular blend isn't my favorite, I'll still read the third and final installment of his series, The Death Cure which will be released October 11, 2011.

Happy reading!

***If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

It seems I've been on a "dystopian" kick lately and need to fix that so I don't turn myself into a conspiracy theorist. That being said, I intend to go straight to this book's sequel, The Scorch Trials, before switching genres. But first, let's talk about The Maze Runner.

Thomas wakes up in a elevator shaft. His memory has been wiped clean; he can't remember his age, where he came from, or his family. All he can remember is his first name. The elevator stops, the doors open, and the story unfolds.

He's trapped in the heart of a maze with other teenage boys, some of which have survived there for a couple years. There are four "doors" that lead from their Homestead into the maze. Every day, a select group of boys, called "runners", runs into the maze in hopes of solving it. And, every night, the "doors" close--their only protection from the monsters that dwell inside the maze. The Maze Runner follows Thomas and his inexplicable need to be a "runner" as he struggles to solve the puzzle before the monsters kill the lot of them.

This book held me captivated to the very end! The pacing was so perfect it was borderline tiresome, and Dashner's world-building was incredibly thorough and "believable". If I could compare this to anything, I would say it's like a cross between Ender's Game and Lord of the Flies.

Now...to download the sequel! Where's my Kindle? :)

***If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I can safely say that from page one, my kindle didn't leave my hands. Except when I went to sleep. And when I went to sleep, I dreamt I was in a spaceship somewhere, suspended in the universe. Now, I'm not really one for 'thrillers'. And I'm pretty picky with sci-fi. The reason being that most sci-fi revolves strictly around ideas. While ideas are interesting, if I don't connect emotionally to the characters, I stop caring about the story. So here's Across the Universe: a thriller meets murder mystery meets sci-fi adventure, with strong character development and hints of romance. I'm there!

Amy has been cryogenically frozen. The process is quite painful, and Revis goes into some fascinating if not gruesome details. (No, it's not like Austin Powers. Not even close. You won't even consider being frozen after this.) She's supposed to be thawed once Godspeed (a spaceship the size of a small country) lands at its intended destination--a new Earth. The journey is estimated to take 300 years. But Amy's accidently thawed 50 years before arrival. And the ship that awaits her is occupied by a few thousand brainwashed citizens--all with brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin--that are ruled by a tyrant. This tyrant doesn't tolerate differences. It doesn't matter if Amy tries to hide her Earthen origins. Her bright red hair and pale skin already give her away.

The story switches back and forth between two different POVs: Amy's, and a boy her age named Elder, who's training to be next in command of the Godspeed. The pair work together in order to find out who's been unplugging the other cryogenically frozen passengers and leaving them to die. What they find instead are decades of lies--lies that threaten the voyage of Godspeed itself.

Of course, we're left with a semi-cliffhanger ending. I believe the second installment of this intended trilogy will be released later this year.

You can find the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/Across-Universe-Beth-Revis/dp/1595143971

Happy Reading!...and if you shirk all your other household duties, don't say I didn't warn you!

Matched by Ally Condie

Thanks to Lauren (my amazing cousin) for this recommendation! This was a fabulous story. Once I was about 39% into it (according to my Kindle), I could NOT put it down. Did I mention this was a fabulous story?

The setting is some time in the future within a dystopia that feels more like a utopia...at first. Citizens' lives are completely controlled and monitored, but that's not really a bad thing. How could it be? They've got nice homes, perfect families, and they don't have to worry about disease, famine, jobs, marriage--because Society has already chosen it for them through years and years of study and probability. But that's the problem for Cassia. She's stumbled across the beauty of choice and free will. Unfortunately, now she wants to make her own choices about everything. She can't 'go gently' any more.

At age 17 Cassia has been Matched. Society has chosen the best spouse for her--which happens to be her best friend, Xander. That's where her problems start. Not because she doesn't care for her friend. It's because she's accidentally fallen in love with someone else, someone that helps her discover what it is to feel and what it means to be free. And Society would destroy their lives before ever allowing that.

This story was like a 1984 meets Gattaca. Exciting to the very end as the world around Cassia changes with rumors of a rebellion. We're left hanging with the promise of its sequel Crossed, which will be released this November. Thanks Ms. Condie for an intriguing read!

Go check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0525423648

The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

Julie Kagawa is to blame for my delay in 'journaling'. I try to blog about books I read, as I read them. But this series was so captivating that instead of writing about book one, I kept reading. And reading. And last night, I finished! It's been awhile since I've read a series that's taken over my thoughtlife. So, Julie Kagawa if you ever, ever read this, PLEASE HURRY UP AND FINISH THE IRON KNIGHT! (book 4 in her series). I'm dying over here!

The Iron Fey series is about sixteen-year old Meghan Chase that discovers she's actually a half-blood faerie princess, her real father being the Summer King Oberon. That's only the beginning of the faerie-twisted, Shakespearean-esque satire set in the modern day. Her best friend on Earth is the comical, fun-spirited Robbie, whose actually Robin Goodfellow from a Midsummer Night's Dream, sent to protect her. And, of course, like all Shakespeare stories, Meghan falls in love with the son of the winter Queen Mab and Meghan's elven-family's enemy: the Winter Prince, Ash. He's the Hot-Boy-With-Sword: dark hair, lean, muscular, with silver eyes, skilled fighter, and an icy-demeanor that only Meghan can melt. It's...beautiful.

With technology in the real world growing exponentially, a new power has risen in the Nevernever: the Iron Kingdom. Iron is toxic to faeries and threatens to destroy all of the Nevernever. The series follows Meghan as she finds love while embracing her place in the Nevernever. It's an exciting, unputdownable adventure, with memorable and funny characters whose development I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The ending of book three is both perfectly satisfying and heart wrenching (still suffering). Ms. Kagawa's balance of action and romance is perfect--the scenes are described beautifully while capturing emotion that yanks the reader right into the story. (Which is why I've gotten nothing done all week...ahem...Ben's started to metabolize his own muscle.)

A little caution: there's some language throughout the series. It tapers off drastically after the first book.

They are, as follows:
The Iron King, a novella called A Winter's Passage, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen.

The fourth and final installment, The Iron Knight, is slated for release in the fall. AND it's supposed to be told from Ash's perspective. But please, Julie. HURRY! Don't do this to me!


***If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!