OCTOBER 2011 {Monthly Wrap-Up}

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

And so the month of October comes to a close...October is always one of my favorites because of Halloween!  But I'm kind of glad it's ending because (if you didn't notice) this month I was pushing myself to post as many posts as there were days in October.  And I'm ending with 29 today, just shy of 30!  Posting daily is a bit exhausting and next month I'll probably try for around my average 15ish. 

Speaking of a good month, I also finished the first draft of my first completed novel!  YAY!  This one is titled ELIXIR.  And I'm hoping to start going through the editing process in November and then hopefully by December I can start looking for an agent.  So...if anyone out there is good with punctuation or would be interested in helping me edit, I'd certainly be interested.  curlgurl2007(at)gmail.com

Here's what was happening on my blog in October:
Reviews this month:
ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake
SHINE by Lauren Myracle
CRUSH CONTROL by Jennifer Jabaley
FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan
SWOON by Nina Malkin
WITHER by Lauren DeStefano

Author Spotlights this month:
Amanda Hockings (discussion about her)
Kendare Blake (interview)

My Top Ten of the Moment Post:
Ultimate Villains

Some things to look forward to next month: 
Interview with author Tawny Stokes (Nov. 20)
My Top Disappointments {Top Ten of the Moment} (Nov. 15)
NaNoWriMo (yikes! can I manage?)  (Nov. 1-31)

Books on my review list: 
STATIC by Tawny Stokes
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONES by Laini Taylor
VANISH by Sophie Jordan

...and Happy November everyone!

Wannabe Writers #65 (Cliffhangers)

 I wrote the end of my book today!  I feel like shouting it off a mountain top!!!! 

Wannabe Writers is my internet writing group. My posts consist of my weekly writing progress, my problems, and any questions I need help answering. If you've created a similar post of your own, feel free to link in the comments.

Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished, but no longer unfinished!  Today, after nearly 9 months of working painstakingly on the same novel, and three years of writing stuff but finishing nothing...today I finished something!  I officially have one completed rough draft of a manuscript.  Let the hallelujah chorus play!  And the query letters begin!

My current problem(s): So, today I wrote the ending and  through out the entire process of writing this novel I've always known how it was going to end.  I had it all played out clearly in my mind.  Only, today when I got to the ending and wrote it...something entirely different popped out of my brain and onto the page!!!  It shocked me about as much as I think the ending would shock other readers!  And it's a major cliffhanger!!!  Ah!  I can't decide if this is good or bad.  

My question for today: Thoughts on cliffhangers?  Do you love them or hate them?

Book Review: WITHER

Title: WITHER
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: 03/22/2011
My Rating: 4/5-- I mostly enjoyed it.
Plot in One Word: Dystopian
Good if...you want something unique and dystopian

At age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to be twenty, and males live to age twenty-five. While geneticists seek a miracle antidote, orphans roam the streets and polygamy abounds. After Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she is desperate to escape from her husband’s strange world, which includes a sinister father-in-law in search of the antidote and a slew of sister wives who are not to be trusted. On the cusp of her seventeenth birthday, Rhine attempts to flee—but what she finds is a society spiraling into anarchy.

My thoughts...
I very much enjoyed this novel.  The plot of a doomed future where all the new generations of children are dying off young was very original, very gripping, and very well executed.  It hooked me in right away as it was something I'd never seen in a ya-book before!  And I absolutely loved the characters and the dynamics between them.  Each relationship brought something special to the story.  SO there was this great plot and great characters and even a little romance mixed in...what I found lacking was the pacing.  It didn't really hurt things enough to ruin this story for me, just towards the middle things started to drag a bit for me.

Overall I really liked this novel...it's just a couple things annoyed me slightly.  I gave it a 4/5 because of those things.  If you want to read my rant about them...you can highlight the below text.  :)

Slight spoilers---highlight to see---

Was it just me or was this book kind of like a waiting game the whole book through?  Waiting for Rhine to finally escape the mansion she's being held captive it.  Once she develops the plan to escape it was like just hurry up and get on with it and escape already!  So, finally the end comes and things finally start happening, she escapes 3 pages away from the end...and then the book ends!  This wasn't a cliffhanger...not when the story just cuts off.  So really, this entire book was one very long beginning.

And one other thing.  It doesn't snow in Florida!!!!  Not like the blizzard at the end during their escape!  So maybe the world has changed because there is some reference to the mansion being 1000 years old...but if that's the case then you gotta let us know b/c all I could think is why is it snowing now after they just went through hurricane season!  I hate when authors make stuff up just for convenience.  Okay...end of rant.

If you liked WITHER; then you might also like...
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver
MATCHED by Ally Condie

Bottom Line:  Maybe.  Borrow it though.

WoW: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

CLOCKWORK PRINCE by Cassandra Clare

Have I already done a 'waiting on Wednesday' post about this book?  Can't remember, but it probably deserves two.  I'm a big fan of all this Cassandra Clare.  But this second series (and it's first book CLOCKWORK ANGEL) have been exceptional so far.  I expect this one to be great too.  I surely be pre-ordering it before December since it's one of the those I'm just gonna have to have. 

That's what I'm waiting on this week.  What about you?

Book Review: SWOON

Title: SWOON
Author: Nina Malkin
Release Date: May 2009
My Rating: 1/5--I didn't finish it. 
Plot in One Word: Random
Good if...you want something off-the-wall, mysterious, and different.

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut . . . until Dice’s perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission?Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She’s intensely drawn to him— but not at all crazy about the havoc he’s wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible— adversary before the whole town succumbs to Sin’s will. Only trouble is, she’s in love with him.

My thoughts...  I bought and started reading this book ages ago.  (As in like 6 months ago.)  I didn't finish it, but held off reviewing it because I always thought I might go back to it again one day.  I tried to start it recently again and once again had the same problem.  I just couldn't really get back into it.

The first time around, in the beginning, there were several things that totally intrigued me.  1. The author's way with words.  She's sharp and direct and uses tons of sayings to express things.  It's different, but interesting.  2.  The plot.  The swoon-worthy Sin.  And how the two girls bring him back to life.  3.  And the overall weirdness...it was so different it was good (at first).  But ultimately--I set the book down. 

Honestly, it was weird from the beginning, but things just got too weird.  I had a hard time following along and then something bugged me beyond return.  Sin--the swoon-worthy guy--did something so utterly repulsive.  I couldn't get past it.  It was the last straw.  He was always arrogant and slightly annoying, but I liked him enough.  Then he did that one thing--the repulsive thing--and I set the book down.  I set it down pretty much the second it happened.  

My question to world out there is this--does Sin redeem himself?  Should I keep reading on?  I doubt I will.  It kind of bugged me too much. 

If you like SWOON; you might like...

BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves

Bottom line:  Skip it please!

In My Mailbox #33

'In my mailbox' is run by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a way to showcase any new books (borrowed or bought) that you got in the past week. Here's what I got:

VANISH by Sophie Jordan

An Impossible Romance.
Bitter Rivalries.
Deadly Choices.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

I just read FIRELIGHT and loved it. So I had to get VANISH right away!!! I can't wait to read this one!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Kendare Blake

Kendare Blake is the author of the novel ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD.  Which was recently released on August 30, 2011!  I wanted to interview Kendare because I loved her new novel so much!  It was spooky and unique and I can't wait to read more from Kendare!!!  So, I hope you enjoy this...


Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Advice is tough, because everyone's journey is going to be very similar, and very different. So, basic advice I can always give is read. Read a lot. Write a lot. And get involved in an informative writing community, so you can hear about the industry. There are lots of them online. This was pretty much a way of saying, go somewhere for really good advice, because I don't know anything!

How is writing young adult novels different than writing adult novels?

I think it's mostly a difference of story. The type of story being for a particular audience. This feels sort of linked to the oft-asked question, how do you write for young adults? Is it different than writing for adults? Do you think about your audience? And the answer is no. I don't think about it. I knew ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD was young adult, because the story was full of high schoolers.  But I had no idea what SLEEPWALK SOCIETY was, filled with college kids. When it came out as young adult, I was surprised.

What’s your favorite/least favorite part about writing?

Favorite: The writing. I hope it always feels like magic, this weird, wrestling pace of creation. Least favorite: I assume you mean besides waiting around wondering if something is terrible, so...it would be those moments where I don't know where to go. When the next part of the story isn't ready yet, and I suspect that I'm writing myself into a corner. Yuck.

Now that you’re published, how has your life changed (or your writing changed)?

I don't think the writing has changed as a by-product of being published. I think (I hope) that it will just continue to evolve as I continue to learn. Life has changed. I don't know why. I guess it must be that I don't feel the need to become an investment banker anymore. Yes. That's a nice feeling. Embracing the starving-artist way of life.

What books inspired you most as a writer?

Anything by Caitlin R. Kiernan is flipping sweet. Suh-weet. She's got a new one coming out soon, THE DROWNING GIRL. Can't wait. Weirdly enough, Milan Kundera was a huge influence. Makes me feel like such an idiot. Bret Easton Ellis is a force of nature. All of these people are like the honey badger. They write and they don't give a shit. These are the tried and true ones. New books and writers arrive to inspire all the time. George RR Martin is ruining my life right now. Can't get anything done until I finish his damned Song of Ice and Fire. He manages story so well. Holly Black's imagination makes me want to throw up a little, it's so good. Last year, Ty Roth blew me away with SO SHELLY. I don't know what he's up to next, but I should check.

Can you describe the basics to your writing process?

Um, hmm....basically I sit down and write. For two, three, five hours. Maybe get one, two thousand words. The writing part comes after a lot of book daydreaming. I've got to find the beginning, before I begin, if that makes sense. Then I just keep at it until I get to the end. If I'm lucky, I'll know where I'm headed by about the last third. But honestly it's more fun if I don't.

And be sure to check out Kendare Blake's author website: http://kendareblake.com/

Wannabe Writers Advice #1

Maybe I'm not published. Maybe I'm still in my 'garage-band faze' of writing, but that doesn't mean I haven't started learning stuff along the way.  I'm no newbie to writing anymore...so this column will help share what I've learned. Here goes...
Today's Topic:  GETTING STARTED

1.  Willingness.  Above all else, the first thing you need is willingness.  You have to decide and decide with conviction that, yes, I want to write a novel!  This isn't quite as easy as it sounds.  How many people think everyday 'I could write a book' and never do?  Plenty.  Finding the motivation is really hard because there are so many things getting in the way, such as...

• Time.  I just don't have the time.
• Failure.  What if I fail?  What if I write it and never get published? 
• Lack of Ideas.  All my ideas suck or have already been done.  Too bad I didn't think of Twilight before Stephenie Meyer did.  
• Worry over what others will think.  I'm embarrassed that my friends and family won't like it.  

You're never going to write anything if you can't get past these things.  As for time...set aside one hour each week or 15-30 minutes a day.  Then when your writing time comes write.  Do nothing else but write.  As Maggie Stiefvater would say "butt in chair".  Force yourself to sit down, open a word document (not the internet!), and make your fingers type!  Words will accumulate over time.  I promise.  Personally, I love to write on Sundays when my husband is watching football.  As for failure...try to push those thoughts aside.  They're toxic.  I'm still un-published and what keeps me going is the idea of someday.  Someday.  Someday everything will come together, I'll finish my book, I'll find an agent and I'll publish my book.  Or I'll just self-publish if I have to.  As for the ideas...no idea is original.  Especially, a girl falling in love with a vampire.  Ha!  Everything has been done before.  It's you and your life experiences that will make old ideas original.  As for the worry...that one's tricky.  I still don't let my husband read any of my writing.  SO, I tell him one day.  One day I will let you read it.  When I'm ready.  As for everyone else...I just don't tell them about my writing.  I blog instead. 

So once you get past all the doubt and you decide you're ready to start your novel the next thing you will need is...

2.  An idea.  I think too many people get caught up on trying to find the 'perfect idea'.  But your idea doesn't have be brilliant.  It can be about vampires or witches or whatever.  Do you think J.K. Rowling was the first person to write about a school for wizards?  No.  And she won't be the last. 

Ideas come in all forms.  Some come from dreams or books or movies or fairytales or other people or even The History Channel.  Take what you can from all over and then piece it together. 

3. The follow through.  The butt in chair part.  You have the motivation and now the idea.  All that is next is executing the plan.  And trust me; that's the hard part. 

Look for more Wannabe Writers Advice posts in the future. 
For now, here are some helpful websites: 
How to write a novel. 
Maggie Stiefvater posts:  7 steps to starting a novel (a must read),  kick-butt how to post, prepping
A million bad words

Wannabe Writers #64 (Fresh Starts)

Wannabe Writers is my Internet writing group. My posts consist of my current writing progress, my problems, and any questions I need help answering. If you've created a similar post of your own, feel free to link in the comments.

Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished and unfinished, but hopefully that's about to change.  (At least the latter of the two.)  I've been writing for nearly 3 years now and I'm very close to completing my first full manuscript. 

My current problem(s): So last week I talked about how close I was to finishing my current WIP.  I'm not really any closer this week.  UGH.  I just can't seem to finish, to pull out those last couple pages out of my brain and put them onto paper.  It's driving me crazy and what I keep doing instead is rereading earlier portions of the novel and editing things that don't need to be edited right now.

But on a different note, I'm considering doing NaNoWriMo coming up in November and I'm so excited at the idea of a whole new project.  I started playing out a this idea for a story in my head.  So, I really think I'm going to give NaNoWriMo a try.  :)  My problem with this new story is beginning it.  I can't think of a way to do it. 

My question for today: How to write the perfect beginning to a novel?  Suggestions?

Book Review: FIRELIGHT

Title: FIRELIGHT
Author: Sophie Jordan
Release Date: 09/07/2010
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Dragons
Good if...you want something intriguing and romantic

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My thoughts...This book was mesmerizing, impossible to put down, and one of my new favorites.

You know, I've had it sitting on my shelf for forever now--collecting dust--while something held me back.  It's funny because the dragon/shapeshifter plot was the one thing that drew me to this book and simultaneously it was also what turned me away from it.  I guess I liked the concept, but felt perhaps it was just too good to be true, hard to live up to.  But surprise surprise!  That so wasn't the case!  This novel exceeded all my expectation and then some.  :)

Let me start with the characters.  Loved them!  Jacinda is fiery and spunky and lovable.  While Will is sweet and caring and so swoon-worthy.  Then the mythical element to this story.  Loved it too!  The twists and turns kept coming and certainly kept me on the edge of my seat as a reader.  All I know it that I'm putting in an order for the 2nd novel, VANISH, right now!  I want to read it as soon as possible!  That's how much I loved FIRELIGHT!

If you liked FIRELIGHT; then you might like...

TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

**Special note:  You might be wondering why I just compared this novel to TWILIGHT.  I did it mostly because there were a couple moments of Twilight-ness towards the end of the novel when the romance picked up.  If you're a Twilight lover you'll like this, and if you're a Twilight hater...don't worry, overall this book is nothing like Twilight and Jacinda is nothing like Bella. **

WoW: Crossed by Ally Condie

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

CROSSED by Ally Condie

After reading MATCHED, I've been anxiously awaiting this one.  :)  Dystopian all the way, but one of the few I didn't hate.  I hope the second in the series lives up to the first.  What about you?  What did you think of MATCHED.  The release date for CROSSED is 11/01/2011. 

Can't wait. 

That's what I'm waiting on.  What are you waiting this week?

Book Review: CRUSH CONTROL

Title: CRUSH CONTROL 
Author: Jennifer Jabaley
Publication Date: June 9, 2011
My Rating: 3.5/5--Decent.  It was okay.
Plot in One Word: Hypnotism 
Good if...you want something light, fun, and quick

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control.

My thoughts...This was a fun, quick, and cute read.  Light and easy.  This is going to be a short review because I don't really have much more than that to say about it.  I liked the characters, the setting, the plot.  I didn't love it, but it was enjoyable enough and worth my time.  The best part was probably the ending...it ended how I expected, but hang me kind of hanging on the edge of my seat.  So, to sum it up...I liked it but didn't love it.  That's about all I have to say.  :) 

If you liked CRUSH CONTROL; you might also like...

BEASTLY by Alex Flinn

THE JULIAN GAME by Adele Griffin

In My Mailbox #32

'In my mailbox' is run by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a way to showcase any new books (borrowed or bought) that you got in the past week. Here's what I got:

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

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.

I've been waiting to read this one forever! And was a very nice surprise, in my mailbox, came a copy from Shalena of Writer Quirk. So sweet and such a surprise. :) Thanks, Shalena! A very exciting Sunday!Have you read DIVERGENT yet? What did you think of it?

Random Ramblings: GHOSTS

I'm going to throw this one out there. I think Ghosts might be the newest trend in YA these days. Okay, I'm probably the last to realize this as I'm usually about one step behind, but don't you guys think so too? They're starting to creep up everywhere. Spooky.

Once upon a time there were Vampires, then Werewolves made a quick appearance. After HUNGER GAMES hit it big, Dystopians followed quickly after. Over the summer I noticed a rise in Mermaids. And now, it's Ghosts.

So to name a few...here goes:

AFTER OBSESSION by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel (09/2011)

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake (08/2011)

THE EVERAFTER by Amy Huntley (09/2009)

IF I STAY by Gayle Forman (?)

HAUNTING VIOLET by Alyxandra Harvey (06/2011)

THE GHOST AND THE GOTH by Stacey Kade (10/2010)

RUINED by Paula Morris (08/2010)

WAKE INTO ME by Lisa Cach (03/2011)

SHATTERED SOULS by Mary Lindsey (12/2011)

HEREAFTER by Tara Hudson (06/2011)

SHADE by Jeri Smith-Ready (05/2010)

ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY by Kim Harrison (05/2009)

In conclusion, I guess since YA became popular there have always been ghost stories. (Those dates by the titles are release dates, btw.) Although, I do think more recently there has been a surge in the stories.

Did I leave any YA ghost stories out? Let me know.

Wannabe Writers #63 (Finishing)

Wannabe Writers is my Internet writing group. My posts consist of my current writing progress, my problems, and any questions I need help answering. If you've created a similar post of your own, feel free to link in the comments.

Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished and unfinished, but hopefully that's about to change.  (At least the latter of the two.)

My current problem(s): I'm at 67K, I'm wrapping up the climax, entering the resolution faze, and very nearly finished writing my novel!  YAY!  Ending a book has got to be the hardest part in the first-draft writing process.  I guess by the end you just grow tired of the story and desperately want to hold a finished copy in your hands.  You grow antsy and tempted to take the easy ways out.  Like just killing all your characters off. 

My question for today: How to finish a novel?  A broad question but if you have any advice for the end, let me know please.  :)

WoW: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

HALLOWED BY Cynthia Hand

The sequel to the novel UNEARTHLY, one I very much enjoyed about a half-angel on a mission.  Loved the love story to this one and I'm so very excited about this sequel.  What about you?  Did you enjoy UNEARTHLY?

That's what I'm waiting on this week?  What are you waiting on?

NaNoWriMo is coming up in November...

...and I'm strongly considering participating!  Maybe.  I think.  

I say I'm going to do this every November.  I've never actually done it.  The timing has always been very wrong.  But this year it just might be right.  I'm very nearly finished with the novel I'm currently working on--ELIXIR--and this might just be what I'm looking for to get me started on something new.

For those who don't know what it is... National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short) is held in November. Participants begin writing on November 1st, and set out to write 50,000 words by November 30th (yep, that's 1667 words a day). The focus is the output--quantity not quality. No editing. No worrying. Just writing.

And yet, the whole concept freaks me out.   Maybe because I am the world's slowest writer ever!  Pressure doesn't help me write much faster either.  Anyway, I'm thinking about doing it.  Anyone else out there considering it?

Goodreads

I while back I created a goodreads account...and I've never really used it.  I'm trying to change that and get more involved in the world of books.  Anyway, if you have a goodreads account too you can find me at...

http://www.goodreads.com/sarahdarlington

Anyone else also on goodreads?  What do you think of it?  Is it worth my time?

Left on the Shelf to Die

Welcome to Left on the Shelf to Die!  I felt like doing something different today.  And thus a new meme is born (or not, we'll see how this catches on). 

Not going to happen because I found a similar meme on another author's site.  :/   Bummer.  She just happened to think it up one week earlier than me.  Oh well.  

MY PICKS THIS WEEK ARE:

HALO by Alexandra Adornetto

GONE by Lisa McMann

SWOON by Nina Malkin

I bought HALO for it's pretty cover--awesome, isn't it?--and never got around to read it.  I bought GONE because I loved WAKE and FADE by Lisa McMann, but never got around to reading the final book in the series.  And then SWOON...I can't remember why I bought it, but I started to read it and then just stopped.  A couple incidents annoyed me and I've always wondered if I should try to give it a 2nd chance.  Which one do you think I should revitalize and read? 

Random Ramblings: The Climax

As I am nearing the end of my novel.  Finally!  I've come to the climax.  And so I thought I'd do a post about it.  I once read, "That a beginning sells your book, but the climax sells your next book."  But what makes for a great climax?

I guess it's that final object standing in the MC's  way.  Right?  Where everything finally comes together, mystery is solved, and the good guy wins.  But how many great books have you read where the ending, where the climax specifically, was just kind of lack-luster.  It happens all the time.  There are books I absoluely loved and yet the climax was only so-so.  Usually by the end I've invested so much in the story that a so-so climax and ending won't distory a story for me...they usually just leave me wishing I could re-write it.  You get to the end and you think "that was it".  It happens to me constantly when watching movies. 

So, here's a list of books I thought only had so-so climaxes and endings:
BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer
AFTERLIFE by Claudia Gray
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver
MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins
PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles
Some of these were fantastic books, they just came up slightly short at the end.  Basically, they could have been a little better. 


Didn't you love the climax in the first Harry Potter book?



And some endings I loved:

Any HARRY POTTER novel
UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand
DIE FOR ME by Amy Plum
HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Perhaps the reason some endings come up short is because the author is saving the good stuff for book #2.  But I hate that.  I love when, like HUNGER GAMES, a novel can stand alone...without it's 2nd or 3rd part.  To me TWILIGHT was like that.  I almost wish I never read past TWILIGHT.  I didn't need the others.  It felt complete on its own.  But so many novels save the good stuff for later.  What if there is no later?  Some books I've read and loved in the past never had sequels.  I never got all my questions answered.  :(  Anyway, I'm just rambling now.  You guys have suggests on what makes for a great climax?

In My Mailbox #31

'In my mailbox' was started by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a way to showcase any new books (borrowed or bought) that you got in the past week. Here's what I got:

CRUSH CONTROL by Jennifer Jabaley

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control.

Book Review: SHINE

Title: SHINE
Author: Lauren Myracle
Publication Date: May 1, 2011
My Rating: 4/5--Really good! Worth your time.
Plot in One Word: Drama
Good if...you want something serious and thought-provoking

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.  Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

My Thoughts....This novel was so not what I typically go for in books.  What I usually go for?  Paranormal Romance, basically.  This was a whole different kind of book.  Best described as a contemporary/realistic/drama/mystery.  It was an adult book with adult themes and adult situations featuring teenage characters.  To me this can hardly be described as YA.  Just because the characters are young doesn't really make the book Young Adult, right?  I mean this book takes on some series issues--sexuality, hate crimes, rape, drugs, pretty extreme violence, rasism, etc.

So, that being said.  I still liked this book.  It was well written, the characters were well developed, the suspense was held high throughout, and the southern atmosphere added something special to it.  It was hard to put down despite the extemely serious nature of it.  I was rooting for Cat and I had to keep reading just to see if she'd solve the mystery of Patrick's attack. 

Anyway, would I recommend this novel?  Sure, if you're up for something pretty serious.  I did cry at the end.  Would I recommend buying it?  Nah, check it out from the library.  It's something you'll probably only want to read once.

Wannabe Writers #62 (Being Ready)

Wannabe Writers is my Internet writing group. Basically, my posts are about my current writing progress, my problems, and any questions I need help answering. If you've created a similar post of your own lately, feel free to link in the comments.

Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished! Been trying this whole writing thing for nearly 3 years now...and here I am...still unpublished and unfinished. I mean, you'd think in 3 years time I would have a completed novel. I don't. But I'm not giving up.

My current problem(s): So I've been trying to focus all my energy on finishing my novel Elixir.  It's getting there...slowly.  But as the end is nearing, I've been considering sending out my query letter to agents vs. e-publishing.  I'd love to see my novel in hardcover on a bookstore self someday.  Isn't that the ultimate writer's dream?  At the same time e-publishing has such a great appeal.  It's like instant gratification in a way.  If I e-publish I would be able to get my book out there immediately and without the possibly hard critque and rewrites an agent might give. 
I'm kind of getting ahead of myself.  My book isn't even finished yet.  I've just wondering lately if I'll ever be ready to send out something to an agent.  I think there are people out there who will like my book, but it's the professionals out there who  I think are gonna tear it apart.  My writing is average.  I'm not being negative or self-doubting, I'm simply stating face.  It's just...I know I'm not the worlds best.  And let's face it, very few are.  I'm just wondering...even when I finish my novel...is my writing good enough to send out to agents? 
My question(s) this week: How do you know when you're ready?  When you've reached your "million bad words" so to speak?

Book Review: ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD

Title: ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD
Author: Kendare Blake
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! I loved it!
Plot in One Word: Ghostbuster
Good if...you want something spooky, fresh, and utterly captivating.

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.  So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

My Thoughts...Hold your breath! I was completely enthralled by this novel.  From beginning to end it was a wild ride of mystery, suspense, and originality  It was spooky, gory even, suspenseful, and perfect for the month of October.
 
So, why did I buy this novel to begin with?  The pretty cover.  The cool title.  The interesting ghost hunter synopsis.  And especially the male narrator (you don't see too many of them in YA).  With all those factors, why not right?  But what I hardly expected was how much I loved it.  Each character added a different flavor to the story--from Cas, to his witch mother, to his frantic mangy black cat, to Carmel the "queen bee", to Thomas the telepath, to Anna the murdering ghost.  I read another review that complained of the lack of characterization.  As if!  The characters made this story great.
 5 stars easy!

I guess the only area it kind of was lacking in was the romance.  The focus was mainly on the mystery and solving the mystery.  So, any romance was just kind of on the side, extra.  I wished it would have been developed more.  Still, that didn't take away from me loving this story and thinking that perhaps in future novels it will be.

Also, not for younger adults?  Yes and no.  This book had plenty of f-bombs, gore, murders, and intense situations, but I'm pretty sure your average 14-year-old can handle it.  An 8-year-old, no.

WoW: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event--hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine--that spotlights upcoming books that are eagerly being anticipated. My can't-wait-to-read choice for this time around is...

SPELL BOUND by Rachel Hawkins

The third book in Rachel Hawkins' HEX HALL series.  Not due out until March of next year, but I couldn't be more excited for this one.  Another I will certainly be buying.  You know, HEX HALL was pretty good...but it was the 2nd in this series: DEMONGLASS that made me fall in love.  DEMONGLASS was pretty great.  If you aren't familiar, I suggest you get familiar and before March. :) 
Oh, question: Does anyone know if this is the last in the series?  Just curious.  I don't really want it to be over.

That's what I'm waiting on this week?  What about you?

ULTIMATE VILLAINS {Top Ten of the Moment}

Don't you just love spooky?  And in honor of Halloween my October 'Top Ten' list is Ultimate Villains!  What are your favorite bad guys?

Here's my all-time favorite villains...
10. KING LECK from GRACELING  --This novel doesn't get enough credit.  It was pretty amazing.  And the antagonist, the evil king, Katsa has to defeat is ruthless and his grace of persuasion--his special power--is what makes him so scary. 
9.  THE GOVERNMENT in any dystopian novel such as HUNGER GAMES, MATCHED, UGLIES, POSSESSION  --Part of why I'm not the biggest dystopian fan.  It's been done.  We know the government with the all-powering dictator is the bad guy.  Yes, they're always spooky, but give me something more original like a vampire.  :)
8.  DAMON from VAMPIRE DIARIES -- Here's the vampire I mean.  I didn't love love this novel.  I mean the show is way better.  But when Damon's character is first introduced he's downright crazy/vicious/menacing.  Very bad boy; very much makes the book (and the show.)
 7.  THE GANG from PERFECT CHEMISTRY  --They beat Alex within inches of his life.  Enough said.
6.  DIMITRI as a STRIGOI from the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series  --I love Dimitri.  Ultimate hero and love interest to Rose, but when he chances to Strigoi at end of book 3...watch out.  His red eyes, obsession, lethality and love letters/kill letters to Rose are just plain creepy.  I must commend Rachelle Mead--it can't be easy to dream up a character so flawlessly wonderful who can turn to villainous. 
5.  VALENTINE from the MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series  --Okay.  He's kinda bad...sorta.  In many ways he's just a weaker version of Lord Voldemort (who is Cassandra Clare kidding, really?), but for his evil plans and the way he tortured poor Jace as a kid he makes the list. 
4.  THE DREAM WORLD from NEVERMORE --This book gave dark paranormal a whole new meaning.  The intensity that grows over the course of this novel is by far the spookiest part.  Varen keeps getting caught in horrible situations and I was desperate to turn each page the whole book through. 
3.  THE HUNGER GAMES from the HUNGER GAMES  --Let's face it; 90% of the time in this book Katniss is just plain trying to stay alive.  She faces countless bad guys and not all of them in human form.  The worst/ most brutal has got to be the Hunger Games arena its self.  Spooky.  I would have died in 5 seconds in that place. 
2.  THE ZOMBIES in FORREST OF HANDS AND TEETH  --This book plain creeped me out!  No seriously, it was so dark/horrify that I never ever want to read it again.  I rated it poorly, simply because the Zombies eat all the characters I loved.  But as for scariness factor: a perfect 5/5.
1.  LORD VOLDEMORT from HARRY POTTER --Wanted for the murder of hundreds of muggles, torture, and just plain evilness.  Not to mention, no evil villain is complete without his band of loyal followers aka Death Eaters.  It doesn't get much badder.

What are your favorite YA villains?
{Top Ten of the Moment is an adaptation from a meme Swimmer @ Breaking the Bookshelf created.  I miss it, so once a month I do a post of my own.  If you make a similar post please feel free to link it in the comments bellow.}

Next month's top ten post: Top YA Disappointments
Last month's top ten post: Birthday Wish List (books I currently want most)

In My Mailbox #30

'In my mailbox' is run by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a way to showcase any new books (borrowed or bought) that you got in the past week. Here's what I got:

SHINE by Lauren Myracle

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Get anything good this week?

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Amanda Hocking

If you keep up with my wannabe writer posts you will know that I am considering self-publishing my books as e-books when I finially actually finish one of them.  (At the rate I'm going that might be awhile...but anyway, on with my point.)  So, why do I admire Amanda Hocking?  B/c she did just that. 

You've got to read this article I just discovered.  Here. 
Bascially it talks about Amanda Hocking and how she tried going traditional publishing routes and when that failed she decided to e-publish.  And currently she sold over 450,000 copies of her books last month alone.  Later in the article it said she makes 70% of the money off them and sells them anywhere from 99cents to $2.99.  I should know.  I've bought 7 of them.  So, I did a little math.  Let's pretend that each book sold for $1 and 70% of 450,000 is $315,000.  Holy crow! 

That was just my bad math---then I found another website.  Here.  It claims she's made 1.5 million. 

So, maybe the success stories are few and far between.  Whatever.  This is inspiration enough for me today.  On with my writing...

OCTOBER 2011 {Upcoming Releases}

SILENCE by Becca Fitzpatrick
(HUSH, HUSH #3)
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.
Release Date: 10/04/2011

SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs
(Author of FORGIVE MY FINNS)
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster. Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though. Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters. These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
Release Date: 10/04/2011

EVE by Anna Carey
Where do you go when nowhere is safe? Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her. Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.
In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.
Release Date: 10/04/2011

THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater
With her trademark lyricism, Maggie Stiefvater turns to a new world, where a pair are swept up in a daring, dangerous race across a cliff--with more than just their lives at stake should they lose.
Release Date: 10/18/2011