Category: awesomeness

The Dream Thief, by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater is the best-selling author of the Shiver trilogy—about werewolves—the Books of Faerie—about homicidal faeries—the Scorpio Races—about an aquatic death race. Her new series, The Raven Boys, is about a group of teenagers on a quest to find a lost legend. The second book in the series, The Dream Thief, hits shelves this month.

Although the magical forest of Cabeswater and its ley lines have been woken, the group’s quest to find legendary Welsh king Glendower has not ended. Gansey’s obsession with the vanished king has not abated; it has only grown more intense. But the search has faltered with the disappearance of Cabeswater. The forest’s disappearance is not the only stumbling block the group faces. Noah, whose appearance depends on the very ley lines themselves, fades in and out of the group without his control. Ronan’s dreams have their claws firmly enmeshed in his reality. Dreaming objects into reality is one thing, but bringing monsters with him is something else. And Blue, daughter of the town psychic, is caught between her feelings, and the prophecy that says if she ever kisses her true love, he will die.

There is a Grey Man in town, on the hunt for the Greywaren; an object that allows its user to take objects from their dreams. The Grey Man, taking orders from his mysterious employer, isn’t the only one looking for the Greywaren. There are other strangers in town, even more dangerous than the Grey Man.

With a dark, atmospheric tone, The Dream Thief takes the mystery of Cabeswater and The Raven Boys down an even darker, more twisted path. Secrets are revealed, mysteries deepen, and hearts are broken in this second book in the series.

(Galley provided by scholastic via NetGalley)

What a Stroke Looks Like from the Inside–Part Two

So, I meant to finish up my story a while back, but as it turns out, one of the side effects of a stroke is being tired—like really tired—all the time. When you add in work, school, and doctors’ appointments, that means I’m drained the majority of the time. If you missed the first part of my story, you can find it here. But here goes….

I woke up the next day, a little before noon. I was intubated and my hands were restrained (I had my appendix taken out when I was 11, and I might have pulled out the tube when I woke up. Having the tube put back in while awake = not fun.) Anyway. I knew right away I was in the hospital, but I had no idea why. My parents and Baby Brother were there. Obviously, I couldn’t talk, but I remember them talking to me, telling me they’d take the tube out soon. My mom also told me “Bubba is here. And he brought your nephew.” I was coherent enough to think: “Why is he here? He lives 600 miles away!”

The next thing I remember is my mom bringing in one of my friends from work, who was crying her eyes out. Then, later, some of my friends from my old job. I had my contacts out by this time, but I recognized their voices. Turns out, they’d been at the hospital with my family most of the time. The Saint was in NYC, but one of them called her so I could “talk” to her, reassure her. Then the Cynic and another close friend of ours visited. My family, of course. They were almost always by my side. And later that evening, the Diva and “our” husband, who were some of the first people my mom called, came in.

The next day, I was a little more with it. Some women from therapy came to get me up, and were shocked I could walk by myself. I got to meet my nephew—he was 4 months old then—and he is SO cute! Most of my hospital stay is a blur. I slept a lot. I couldn’t use my right hand much at all. I started learning how to eat left-handed. I had a lot of visitors and phone calls (many of my patients called to check on me). I got out of the hospital 5 days later and went home with my mom.

I cannot image how difficult the day of my stroke was for my friends and family. At the hospital, they gave me tPA (the stroke drug), but it didn’t seem to help. Actually, my symptoms worsened. Late that night, the doctor told the nurses that something else was going on, and he was going in. He told my parents there was a 98% fatality rate for my condition. If I lived, they didn’t know if I would wake up. If I somehow woke up, they didn’t know what condition I’d be in. I woke up about 12 hours later, able to see, talk, and move. I knew who I was and who everyone around me was.

As it turns out, I had two clots in my brain and a tear in my left vertebral artery. I now have four stents there, and I’ll be on aspirin the rest of my life. I have reduced sensation on the right side of my body, but it’s improving. I have tingling pretty much all the time on that side. 2 ½ weeks after my stroke, I was back in the E.R. (at the orders of my neurologist’s nurse) because the tingling had gotten worse and I’d had a mild headache for two days. They think the right artery had dissected as well, but it was so small they could only treat it with medications for a few days. I stayed in the hospital 4 days that time. Since then, I’ve had an angiogram to check on my stents (they looked great). I started working again (14 hour shifts are tough under the best circumstances. Now…I don’t even have the words.) The school semester started. (I did switch to online classes this semester—French, German, and Spanish 2.) I went back to the E.R. a week ago with some brief vision changes (doctor’s orders), but everything is fine. Stents are great, no signs of stroke. I’ve had blood work and other tests done, and none of the doctors know what caused my stroke. My neurologist calls me a miracle.

Let me say this: no matter what your personal beliefs are, I know that the only reason I survived is because of God. He was there with me–giving me that feeling of peace—through it all. There is a reason I had the stroke, despite being “too young” and there not being a cause. God has a plan for this, a plan to prosper. There is no doubt in my mind.

FYI

So, in case you are wondering where I’ve been, let me tell you, I’ve kind of been wondering the same thing. Here’s the short version: last Saturday, June 1st, I had a stroke. I barely survived. I’ll try to tell you in the details—what I remember—later. For now, I’m alive, my left side is fine. My right side, on the other hand, has limited mobility currently. Of course, I’m right-handed. But my woes are a story for another day.

Right now, I’m grateful to be alive and (mostly) intact. Thank You, God.

Getting Started Again

So, after the chaos that has been my life for the past….9 or 10 months or so–work, school, break-up, depression, recovery–I finally, finally got serious about my writing again today. I’ve been doing pretty good about blogging lately, both here, on my environmental blog, and on Writing in a Dead World (if you haven’t checked that out yet, you SHOULD), but apart from writing a few pages in The Fall a few months ago, I haven’t really written consistently in…a long, long time. That sucks. And I’m tired of it. So I started doing the HTTS Ultra lessons again today. It’s been on the to-do list for a week or two now, but the procrastination monster sort of ate that list…

I had forgotten how detailed and helpful Holly’s lessons are. The results I got for the Shadow Room technique surprised me and might have generated another story idea (assuming I ever get this one written…and some others revised…and the other partially-finished MS written…). So, yeah. I’m dedicating this summer to getting my life to where I want it to be. A big part of that is writing. Game on.

Julie Kagawa’s “The Eternity Cure”

Julie Kagawa, best-selling author of The Iron Fey series, has a new book out in her The Blood of Eden series, The Eternity Cure. Set in a dystopian future where a deadly virus has destroyed most of the population, human beings are now reduced to scavengers…and to nothing more than food for vampires.

Allison Sekemoto has lost everything she cared about. Her friends. Her humanity. Her love. But she still has a chance to get one thing back: her creator, Kanin, kidnapped by the Psycho Vamp who almost destroyed her once. Following the call of blood, Allie follows Kanin’s trail and finds more than she ever bargained for.

Forced to work with an old enemy—and someone she never thought she’d see again—she races to rescue Kanin in an effort to find a cure for the disease that will wipe out all life on earth if they can’t stop it. A psychotic vampire, a vindictive Prince, and heat-wrenching betrayal aren’t enough to deter Allie, but will a more devastating loss finally destroy her?

The dystopian world of New Covington is darker and more dangerous this time around. Allie is stronger, but she’s struggling to hang on to her humanity—and her hope. The Eternity Cure takes the reader from the pinnacles of hope to the very depths of despair, on the roller-coaster ride to save earth from complete destruction.
(Galley provided by Harlequin Teen via NetGalley)

The (Changing) Habits of Readers

Okay, I admit it. I love to read fiction. Especially fantasy. Bonus enjoyability points if it’s YA fantasy. I’ve read predominantly fantasy for years now, with a few forays out into mysteries, forensic thrillers, and humor (Stephanie Plum, anyone?). I normally read several books at a time, with one “main” book that I pick up whenever I have a spare moment. Normally, these are all fiction.

But lately, my TBR pile has moved into uncharted territory for me: non-fiction. Exclusively non-fiction. What? That’s what I thought, too. Now, instead of the latest fantasy gem to catch my eye, I’m reading–and eagerly awaiting reading–books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, Pandora’s Seed, and The First Human. Granted, The First Human is reading for my anthropology class, but I’m really enjoying it and am finding it quite interesting. Pandora’s Seed also started off as reading for my evolution and ecology class–last semester–but it’s pretty interesting as well, and ties into my latest personal research into environmental issues. The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food are both about topics that I find very relevant of late, as I focus more on my health and eating healthier in general. Both gave me a lot of–excuse the pun–food for thought, and gave me more focus on how I spend my food dollars, and the statement I want to make with them.

I’ve also been doing more spirit-based reading, including The Blessed Life, by Pastor Robert Morris (pastor at my church, Gateway Church, and a phenomenally gifted speaker). Up next are the Divine Revelation books, and some more spirit-based reading.

Basically, I’ve found that my reading habits have changed lately, more closely tying in to the personal growth areas I’m working on. Instead of reading for sheer entertainment, now I seem to be drawn to books that will help me grow.

Does anyone else find that their reading habits change over time, or in certain situations?

The Habits of Readers

What makes you want to read a book? For me, there’s one sure way to guarantee I’ll read a book: if it’s by an author I’ve read and enjoyed before. That’s a safe bet. But for a new (or new-to-me) author, what’s a good way to get me to pick up the book–and then make an even bigger investment of time and money–and buy it?

The cover of the book is one way. It’s hard to place too much importance on the book cover. Honestly, I can’t even tell you the number of book covers that have intrigued me enough to actually buy the book. Here are three book covers that intrigued me enough to buy the book:

There aren’t really any common elements between. They are all just really well-done covers. If it catches my eye on a bookshelf, at the very least I’ll pick it up, flip it over, and read the back cover copy.

Cover copy is another way to attract readers. Last week, I saw the blurb for Coleen Patrick’s new book Come Back to Me:

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning-after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

I was so intrigued by the description of the book, I clicked on the link and bought it immediately (Great read, btw!) Again, there’s no list of ingredients for how to write great cover copy, but using active descriptions instead of boring passive-voice is a must, as is giving the reader just enough details to whet their appetite (and have them chasing the carrot).

A great title is also a way to get me to commit to a book. Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland is a fantastic example of this. I would have bought this for the title alone (even without the great cover and fantastic cover copy). As a writer, coming up with the perfect title is something I tend to obsess about, so I love to check out other authors’ titles, hoping to find something that will give my own Muse a nudge in the right direction.

What about you? What gets you reading?

Re-thinking this whole writing thing

…okay, not really re-thinking. Let’s just say I’m going to try something new (or, actually, old). Confused yet? Let me explain. Have you heard of Holly Lisle? If you haven’t, well, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Holly is a rarity: a mid-list author who actually makes a living with her writing. She’s smart, she’s a great writer, she knows what she’s doing, and, more importantly, she’s really big on paying it forward (she did start Forward Motion, after all). She spends a lot of her time helping her fellow writers out. To that end, she has created lots of helpful things, from the smaller workshops like How to Create a Language, How to Create a Character, How to Write Page-Turning Scenes…and she has also created huge, incredibly detailed classes Like How To Revise Your Novel and How To Think Sideways.

I was in the original HTTS class, as well as the original HTRYN class, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much difference these two classes made in my writing. The way Holly thinks, the way she breaks things down using plain language, worksheets, examples…well, it got me thinking in ways I’d never thought before (which was the point, right?). Since I don’t have much done on The Fall–in reality, I have only a handful of pages written, basically no pre-work, and haven’t touched it in weeks–I’ve decided that I’m going to take it through HTTS. I know the end result will be much closer to the story I have in my head, much more true to the vision I can see for the story. It will just be better. Yeah, it’ll be a lot of work and it will take me a while, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.

I’m a huge fan of Holly’s writing in general, and I know her courses can really get results–if you’re willing to do the work. I am. I haven’t been published, but I’ve gotten some partial manuscript requests because of her courses, and I want to give everything I can to The Fall. I’ve also decided to become one of Holly’s affiliates. I do believe whole-heartedly in her methods, her teaching, and her results, and if you have any interest in checking it out for yourself, go here. If you aren’t a writer, but you’d like to read a great book, you can check those out as well.

All Our Foolish Schemes, by Raymond Esposito

“All Our Foolish Schemes,” the second book in Raymond Esposito’s The Creepers saga, is available now. Once again, Mr. Esposito’s writing evokes echoes of Stephen King and Richard Matheson, in this tale of a world gone mad.

A devastating virus has swept the world, changing most of humanity into mindless, ravening monsters in a matter of days, sometimes hours. Even the government’s “extreme measures” could not contain this horrific virus, and the world changed to a terror-filled nightmare overnight. Too bad the zombies aren’t the only horrors the survivors have to face.

Though the group made it out of Fort New Hope, they still aren’t safe. With some of them wounded—and changed more than they know—they are now in a desperate race to stay ahead of Connor, and his pack of undead monsters. There is no doubt the Creepers are changing, evolving into something even more horrific, and they face tough choices and insurmountable obstacles in their battle to reach a safe haven. But not all of them will make it out alive.

With more page-turning action and vibrant characters, “All Our Foolish Schemes” carries on the story of The Creepers saga. Amidst a dark and desperate world, the characters readers have come to know and love fight for their very existence while trying to stay true to each other.

Taking a day off

…is hard for me. I try to do too much. I know this, but I continue to do it anyway, until I’m so mentally and physically exhausted that I just can’t take it anymore. I’m tired today. So tired. I need to write, revise, blog…but I’m tired. So I’m giving myself permission to NOT do anything constructive (much) for the rest of the day. I’m going to do this:

…while wishing I was here:

Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll burn out.

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