an announcement

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!! KEEP READING IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE!!!!!!! (not that i'm insinuating any threats, but it's really that important!!)

i am announcing a contest.

no, not my own!!! it is Tahereh's contest and it calls for you to draw upon all your writerly skills to create an entry that will amuse Tahereh and perhaps allow you to win AMAZING PRIZES!!!

(omg, i am so not kidding, either.)

seriously. check it out.

i had a great time writing my entry and i know you will, too!


(oh, and how was my weekend?? tyvm for asking, it was lovely. i sunbathed by my pool, sipping smoothies and re-reading Poison Study. some of the time. in between chores and stuff. and how were your weekends?)

*important update: i just read Kirsten's (owner of A Romantic Enters the World blog) latest post. it's fantastic--she truly captures the emotions and stages of the writing process. i had to post a link. please, if you have ever attempted to write a book, you should really click. Like, now!

fantasy friday

it's already friday again! how can this be?? um, i guess i missed a couple of days posting. i don't have any excuse except getting caught up in my summer--sorry!!

so, back to fantasy friday and fantastic book reviews!

highlighted book this week:

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson.

Katie Chandler, a small-town girl from Texas, has headed to the big city: New York. Plagued by bizarre incidents and troubling sightings of mythical creatures, she wonders if she made the right decision in leaving her safe hometown. However, her life becomes even more interesting when she learns that she is a magical immune and that the fate of the world may rest on the shoulders of her...complete ordinary-ness.

This book is light-hearted, comical, and a fun read when you want to relax. The characters pull their own weight thanks to their believability and relatability, even as they battle through crazy spells and a myriad of enchantments.

The series has four books, all of which I loved (the second was my very favorite, though). If you want an entertaining read (or four), then this is the fantasy book for you!

*sorry for the lack of spaces between paragraphs--Blogger doesn't like me today!!

i couldn't ignore them any longer

so, after my somewhat non-cheerful post yesterday, probably the last thing you need now is a post about...e-books. *cue wild cheers*. however, i feel that i should FINALLY address the polls i had a couple weeks ago...(sorry for the delay, btw). and THANK YOU if you voted!!

since clearly my reader(s) enjoy fantasy, i've started fantasy friday (which, incidentally, i probably would have started anyway since fantasy is the awesomest genre...) but, i also had a poll asking for opinions about e-books.

this is a subject i've been doing a lot of research on lately. and something i've noticed is how divided the writing community seems over the whole subject.

first, there are those who think the e-readers like the Kindle are the greatest inventions ever. this group includes elderly people who have immense difficulty (ie, cannot) read unless they have very large print. e-readers like the Kindle have a large print option and therefore allow a large number of people to read when, for the most part, they could not before.

then, many people are indifferent or undecided. sure, it would be great to have books at your fingertips within seconds after you buy them. sure, having a lightweight, portable reader is highly convenient (plus, i hear that they are even easier on the eyes than traditional print). but is it really worth the cost, and, ultimately, the limited selection of books? not to mention, in many cases you can get the physical books for the same price anyway...you don't really come out ahead in costs.

finally, there are the book patrons. this group seems to include the most dedicated readers (and writers) who know a little more about how the book industry works than, say, the Indifferents. these Patrons realize that a shift from physical books to e-books has much greater consequences than one might first realize. not only might we lose the glossy-covered books, but you could also lose that magical moment when a first-time author sees his/her name and story in print on the shelves of a bookstore. furthermore, the whole network of agents and publishers would be at risk of losing their jobs--after all, pretty much anyone can get their e-book self-published and start selling it on Amazon. why would you need agents? why would you need publishers? rejections--a thing of the past. i have heard predictions that the agents' infamous slush piles would start becoming the customers' slush piles. how would you know if a book is good if it doesn't have to go through any kind of professional scrutiny?

there is no easy answer. this issue has many more sides and points and problems, and this is only the quick summary of opinions. as a writer, this is an issue that i, and probably you, cannot ignore. we have to keep up to date on the happenings in our literary world, and, whether we like it or not, e-books certainly seem to be happening.

so where do you fit? are you an e-Book Proponent? an Indifferent or Undecided? or a steadfast Book Patron?

what do you think about all this?

monday musings

Soft, cool blades of grass tickle my feet as I breath in the warm, afternoon air. The trees, towering evergreens, are few and far between here.

I trade the grass underfoot for a worn dirt path through thicker trees. The humming of life in the air grows stronger here; it is full of the vibrant sounds of birds, insects, distant waves, and a quiet breeze. I thrill at the tingle in the air and the uncanny promise of adventure.

I pad dreamily onward, drinking in the lush green around me. I watch the waving, golden grasses where the sun breaks through. Ahead, though, the wood grows darker. More exciting.

I round a bend in the path--and halt, heart clenching in sudden stillness.

The forest is broken by an entirely wrong view: a rusty chainlink fence, and, behind it, a delapidated old trailer, sharp and painful in its ugliness. Nothing so stark and blemished should exist here. My haunt is utterly spoiled.

I turn, fleeing the sour tang of reality. Even the path back through the wood has lost its charm. I know now that it is only an illusion of perfection.

I reach the grass again, and, finally, the house is in sight.

I halt.

More than one contrast is at work here. The house I now face, sweeping and sceneic in its vast, riverfront setting, could not be more different from the painful eye-sore back in the woods.

Perhaps these imbalances show how wrong the world is. After all, indutrialization is intruding upon nature. Even within civilization itself, men are unequal, exploited. With this outlook, many people find the world depressing, unalterably broken.

But perhaps there is another view.

Perhaps these ramblings in the woods would not feel so wonderfully mysterious or thrilling if I did not know that safety and comfort lay just beyond the reach of the trees.

Perhaps even the repulsive trailer serves to keep a balance in its own way. Perhaps without the contrast between the imperfection of one thing and the aesthetic appeal of another, beauty would lose its power, its value, and its worth.

Perhaps there is a sense of balance in the world after all.

so, as always, what do you think? (try to ignore the flowery descriptions...i've been reading L.M. Montgomery lately, and it's kind of rubbed off on me.) even if you don't agree, i want to know what your opinion is.

i'm back! (and i'm introducing fantasy friday...yes, be intrigued)

YES!!!!!

the reason that your ears are now ringing (or rather, your eyes are stinging) is that i just finished my last semster of college classes before i officially graduate...uh, from high school. so now i'm officially a college student? so confusing.

anyway, today, my summer is Officially begun. i can stop stressing about finals!

...and blog with my online writer friends!!

so, without further ado...

Today Is The Announcement Of Fantasy Friday!! (don't worry, it's rated completely PG. um, maybe PG 13, but i guess that depends on the book...but i'm getting ahead of myself.)

you're probably wondering what fantasy friday actually is. good. that means you're really reading this and not skimming (note: skimming is bad...at least, it is on my blog)

fantasy friday is when i review a choice fantasy book for the week!!!!

okay, so maybe that's not astonishingly thrilling, but come on, i'm a writer/crazyavidreader. what did you expect?

today's choice: Twilight

hahaha just kidding. there is no way i am opening that can of worms.

today i'm really going to review:
The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

i haven't thus far seen this book featured on any blogs (but this is probably just because it isn't a new release. regardless, if you like fantasy, this is a must-read)

from the moment i picked this book up off the shelves at Barnes and Nobles, i knew i had to have it (this was back when it had just come out in hardback, and the fact that i was willing to pay $18 for a book i had never heard of before is a tribute to its instant awesomeness)

i was hooked from the beginning. the action drew me in, and i simply could not put it down (at least, not without suffering severe agony). i had no idea how the conflict could possibly be resolved, but i already (majorly) sympathized with the characters and i had to know what was going to happen them.

this book has everything a good fantasy needs: realistic and seriously beleaguered characters, a unique and captivating plot, a fresh setting, (a little love interest)....and some very cool fantasy elements. i don't want to give away any spoilers in case you haven't read it yet, so i'll leave my commentary at that (even though the restraint is killing me!!)

my only complaint: sometimes all the strange names and detailed history were a little confusing, but if you bear with it, everything will become clearer later on. it is more than worth the patience.


so what's the verdict? Sound interesting? Or have you already read it?

Ready, Set, Go!!!!

so i had this idea.

hey--stop laughing! i have good ideas sometimes!!

anyway. today is a super-crazy day for me. I have two finals tomorrow to study for, classes to go to, homework to catch up on, blogs to read, and last-minute Mother's Day shopping to do!!

(btw, just a heads up, Mother's Day is THIS SUNDAY. just in case you forgot. i'm not saying you did...but just in case.)

so i was bemoaning my super-crazy day, and then...it hit me.

sometimes YOU have super-crazy days, too!!!! and maybe they're even crazier than mine!!!!!

*insert shocked face* 'o'

so here's my idea. why don't you tell me about some crazy day you had, only, in the interest of keeping it internet-anonymous, you could tell the story in third person. you can also give everybody code names (like your boyfriend/husband/significant other can be Darcy. and you can be Elizabeth! and anyone annoying can be a Wickham. OR you can pick your own characters, like if you have kids, you could take a Dr. Seuss approach and call them Thing 1 and Thing 2.)

sound good? are you majorly excited??

excellent. i'll go first. (this will not be in third person. i have trouble writing in third person for some reason)

ahem, ahem.

so i (Elizabeth) had been stressing all day about my big night with Darcy.
should i wear my hair up or down?
should i dress casual, flirty, or formal??
should i use the hot pink mascara or the electric blue???
why is getting ready for a date so much harder for the girl than the guy????

it was a difficult afternoon.

when Darcy finally arrived, i was far from ready. my hair wasn't fixed. i had decided to go for a casually flirty look, but my perfect pair of shoes was missing!! half my eyelashes were pink and the other half were blue!!!

but i couldn't keep Darcy waiting, so i wiped off the mascara, pulled on the nearest pair of heels, and ran downstairs.

the night did not improve.

when we reached the restaurant, Darcy came around to my side of the car to open the door. thanks to my distraction, i didn't notice and whacked him with the door as i got out.

during dinner, i got salad stuck in my teeth, spilled water on my blouse, and accidentally snorted pasta when Darcy related an amusing anecdote. (yes, we were eating Italian. i think i also had garlic breath)

needless to say, i was stressed.

sensing my deperation for this humilating night to end, Darcy kindly suggested taking me home early. i agreed .

when we reached my front doorstep, i was sure Darcy was going to turn and run for the hills (or rather, his car). but he didn't. he didn't seem to be at all put off by my embarrasing gracelessness this evening. instead, he was leaning in towards me. i felt a fluttery sensation welling up in my chest as my eyelids drifted closed...

a light flared and the front door swung open. Darcy and i spun guilitly to see Wickham (my tyrannical brother) standing in the doorway.

"Elizabeth! you're back," Wickham said jovially. "thanks, Darcy, for bringing her home safely." the words were loaded with a subtle but clear message: the night was over.

"bye, Darcy," i said hurriedly before Wickham could do any more damage. "i had a...great time tonight."

he smiled, turned slightly so Wickham couldn't see, and winked. then, he was gone.


okay, you caught me. i made this up. but comparing it to my day today sure makes me feel better!

so what do you say? ready to give it a try? you don't even have to use a real story--you're a writer, right? you can make it up, too!

come on, what are you waiting for???

It's Almost Here...

my idea for this post was inspired by A Romantic's (a.k.a. Kirsten's) post. She asked about Summer Reading Lists, and i wanted to expand on her question a little. (oh, and if you have a summer reading list, you should head over to her blog and tell her so!)

May is finally here, and that means summer is right around the corner! during the busy semester, i have put off doing so many things, mentally dismissing them to my Summer To Do List.

but now summer is almost here (Ah!!). and it's time to face my List. (gulp)

here's what i've got so far...

1. polish up that NaNoWriMo novel and work on the sequel.

2. read.

3. write every day.

4. read some more, perhaps a nice classic.

5. do some aerobic exercise (perhaps on the Wii, so it doesn't actually feel like exercise...) (this is my mother's stipulation, by the way.) (see, Mom, it's number 5.)

6. buy some more books to read.

7. learn a new guitar song. (this would put the total of songs i know at TWO!!! try not to be too wowed by my amazingness...)

8. mm, have i mentioned reading?

9. oh, yes, and friends! i have to make time for my neglected friends now that my classes are over (or they will be by summer, anyway).

10. take my annual trip to a certain secret, exotic location and...READ!


your turn! what are YOUR big plans this summer??