Monday, November 5, 2012

Jumbled

My family has had quite a time these past few weeks, some good and some bad. My writing got sidetracked for a while, but I'm hoping to get back on that. Um, yeah . . . not going to be as easy. My mind is still distracted and the twins are due any day now. Good thing I'm not under contract or anything like that.

Anyway, just for fun, and since I likely won't have any new writing out for a while, Unchanged is going to be free November 7th through the 9th. Three whole days!

Also, you can still go here to vote for my short story, "The Attic".

Thanks!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Short Story Contest, Part II

I made it to round two! Go me! If you haven't read or voted for my story "The Attic," you can do so here. Thanks everyone!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Voting has begun . . .

You can now vote on my story in the America's Next Author Contest! It already got one five star review. Yay!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Short Story Contest

Just a few days ago I submitted a short story to the America's Next Author contest and I'm pleased to report my story was accepted! Both my story and profile will go live on October 9th. Exciting!

Friday, September 14, 2012

For Writers without Agents

A good friend of mine sent me this link. Harper Voyager will be accepting manuscripts from unagented authors for two weeks! This is extremely good news for those of us whom agents keep rejecting. Or even those who don't want to bother looking for an agent in the first place (it takes a lot of work, and it's boring). I'm definitely going to try and have a manuscript ready by the deadline. What's 70,000 words (preferably 80,000, as they say) when I could have a contract with a major publisher? Speaking of words, I better go add some to my manuscript. I've got a schedule to keep.

Friday, August 24, 2012

My DIY Table 2.0 & Chairs

This is not a DIY blog, but after my most recent project, I'm just so proud of myself I need to post a picture. If you're not into DIY, feel free to ignore me. Otherwise, continue on for the steps I took.

I don't have any before or during pictures, because I'm just too impatient for that. So I will just say that the table, which I got from my dad who inherited it from his aunt, was originally a dark wood color. You know, a normal person's table. At first I painted it a sort of faded lime, which my husband got free from his old work. Then I decided I didn't like it and an amazing idea popped into my head. I thought, what better use for that can of Rust-oleum Aubergine spray paint that I bought just because I like the color and don't have any other practical use for?


Brilliant. But just in case you're considering getting yourself a can (I ended up using nearly three), please note that your first coat will be less aubergine, more HOLY CRAP THAT'S HOT PINK. Which is exactly what I thought. But I was already committed and I'm not afraid of color, so I persisted. And I'm glad I did. To finish it off, I coated the legs with spray sealant, and the top of the table with some brush on polyurethane (I find the spray stuff doesn't work quite as well on a surface that will get a lot of use).

As for the chairs, which somehow appeared in my dad's garage in a box, as things do, they were that weird orange color wood sometimes has. And the fabric on the cushions was this sturdy, ugly weave with specks of brown and orange. I painted them with a few light coats of Rust-oleum Heirloom White spray paint (after deciding I was too lazy to sand and prime, by the way) and finished them with some spray sealant. After I removed the fabric (and about a million stubborn staples) from the cushions, I covered them with some fabric my dad brought home from China (my dad's house apparently has a wealth of DIY materials). I was reluctant to cut the fabric at first, but then I remembered it was meant to be made into something and besides, it was just sitting in my closet.

All in all, my dining "room" is now that much closer to being as awesome as I know it will be one day. Once I get around to painting the walls and hanging two of this awesome yellow pendant I've been eyeing at Home Depot (and getting some candles for those candle holders), it will look amazing.

The coveted pendant.

The color is not quite as pink as it appears in the picture.

Hello, you cute little monkey!

This will not be our dining table forever, by the way. For one thing, there are only two chairs and we have a third little person who needs to sit down. Secondly, having twins means we will eventually need a table that seats at least five people, and this one just won't cut it. There's a leaf in the middle that folds down, so this will make a good console table or something like that. I didn't expect at first I would love the table with this color so much, but I do, and I will definitely be keeping it around my house in some function or other for quite a while.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Unchanged - Free Aug. 22 & 23

That's right! On August 22nd and 23rd, you can download my book Unchanged for free! Get it here on Amazon. Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Review of Unchanged

I'm pleased to announce that Unchanged has finally gotten its first proper review (i.e. not just a star rating or a review by someone I know). You can see it on Goodreads here.

"Rating Clarification: 3 / 5

If you want to see more of my reviews, check out my blog @ Moosubi Reviews!

Hmm. To be honest, I’m not really sure how to review and rate Unchanged. Compared to a lot of YA PNR Kindle freebies I’ve been reading, Unchanged is probably one of the better of the batch. Still, I didn’t love it, although I would say I still enjoyed the writing…

Unchanged revolves around two lovers – one immortal, one that keeps on dying but reincarnating every one hundred years. Similar to Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn,Unchanged has that theme that love is immortal, and cannot be stopped even through death. Although there was a definite attraction and liking between Ahaziel and Lilly, I suppose I couldn’t see their “true love”. To me, there was instant attraction, and although it didn’t bother me as it usually does, this factor probably downplayed the “love factor” for me.

Lilly, however, was a great heroine! She was definitely flawed, but also a strong and relatable character. After all, there are always times when teenagers feel less-than-perfect. Although, as I mentioned before, there is insta-love, she didn’t immediately fall into Ahaziel’s arms – instead, she was cautious and was careful in weighing her options. She was also a fighter, although not to reckless or too generous to be unrealistic. Overall, she was a smart, realistic, and likable heroine!

The side characters, however, felt a little underdeveloped for me. They seemed one-sided, and not too interesting. Part of this is because a certain portion of the book is dedicated to exploring past lives, but this still bothered me. Moreover, I felt that the final battle passed too quickly – I suppose I was looking for more of a struggle? I have to admit that Lilly’s strategy and solution to the problem was smart though – I was definitely impressed with that.

Overall, Unchanged is a pretty interesting contribution to the YA PNR genre. I also happened to get it as a Kindle Freebie, so as a free weekend read (and contribution to my challenge!), I would say I got a pretty good deal. I would recommend this book to those who are in need of a short and satisfying romance, or are interested in the idea of reincarnation."

Thank you, Rachael Woohoo!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Review Request

I'm excited to have gotten my first review request from Celise at Incandescent Enchantments! I'm very much looking forward to the review. Thanks, Celise!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Quick Update

I added two new short stories, "Simon" and "The Attic" for a total of four. The links are here.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Random Book-related Things

I'm just waiting for my toddler to wake up. He sleeps in on the oddest days.

Texts from Jane Eyre - hilarious.
DIY Bookshelves - I'm seriously considering getting my husband to build #14 for the living room. And I could feasibly do #5 for my existing shelves.
More Bookshelves - Just because I have the link bookmarked. These are a bit prettier than the others.

Good book cover - Very Magritte.

Guess what this reminds me of. Who hasn't been at least a little obsessed with goblin kings since Labyrinth? It also puts me in mind of this poem I found online years ago, but can't seem to find anywhere now.

Over the hill of Tiras Leigh,
across the Brightly Shining Sea,
come faery lords and ladies fine,
hobgoblins, nymphs, and muses nine.
To the Goblin City they fly,
under the Storm Duke's watchful eye.
Make ready now, in one month's time
the Goblin King shall take his bride.


That's it for now . . . Have a great morning!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Short Stories

I've posted two short stories under the Short Stories section (duh). They are both around 2000 words, so it doesn't take long to read them. I will be posting at least two more, so be sure to check back in the next few days.

There are other updates as well: an About Me section and an extras page for Unchanged. I love reading extra tidbits about books I've enjoyed, so hopefully this page amuses readers. I think that's all for now. Happy reading!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Mythology in YA

I love mythology. It started with the segment my 9th grade English teacher did on Greek mythology. Back then, I was fascinated with Daphne and the Erinyes. In college, I took a mythology class to fulfill an elective. My professor (who looked like Santa Claus, and even wore red frequently) touched a bit upon the Greek myths, but concentrated mostly on Norse and Irish. I took notes, of course, but rather than take them to help me study for tests, I took them as a reference for story ideas and themes. Luckily I still passed the class.

Unchanged features a little-known character from American mythology of the Pacific Northwest. The following books all deal with mythology in some form. Check them out!

Unchanged by Heather CrewsSprite by Leigh Michael
The Chosen by Sheenah FreitasBecome by Ali Cross
Eternal Youth by Julia Crane and Nolia McCartyBonded by Mande Matthews
Betrayal by Mayandree MichelPromises by Amber Garr
Sonora by Travis HallEternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Progress

My next book:


15980 / 55000 words. 29% done!

There will be vampires.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Upcoming Library Reads

Here are a few of the books I'll be reading this and next week:

I am so excited for this one. I love this series!


I was pretty impressed with Cryer's Cross, so I'm hoping McMann delivers on this one as well.


I haven't had much luck with new releases in recent times, but my fingers are always crossed.

I just finished Grave Mercy and I loved it. It reminded me of one of my mom's old historical romances, but in the best possible way and without the cheesy bodice-ripping. Actually, if I had a complaint, I would wish for more romance (not necessarily the bodice-ripping kind). I know a lot of readers don't care for romance, but I can't get enough if it's done well.



I am currently working on my next writing project (always am, actually). Unfortunately, I'm the kind of writer that requires a lot (a lot) of time and a lot (a lot) of rewrites. I worked on Unchanged for years before I finally got it right. On the bright side, most of my other projects have also been years in the making, so hopefully it won't take long to get them right now!


Monday, June 18, 2012

Nightmares

Fuseli, The Nightmare


I really have to stop reading certain books before bed. I'm not prone to nightmares, and the book I'm currently reading isn't even scary, so it must be pregnancy hormones or something. I dreamed a mystery sort of dream, complete with a house where there might be something incriminating under the floorboards, and a creepy pale-haired old woman who lived in the basement. Okay, so that doesn't sound exactly nightmarish, but you know how things seem different in the middle of the night. Later, I dreamed of my book in print, but there was a major typo. Noooooooooo!!!!! Ahem. I'm rather glad I'm getting my dreams back though, because for a while they were GONE. That was upsetting, since my dreams have always been a major source of inspiration for me, both in art and writing.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Flying

Unlike my husband, I love traveling by plane. I love going to the airport, dropping my bag at curbside check-in, and passing about a million Hudson News stores until I find my gate. Of course, since I normally fly in the morning, I have to stop by Cinnabon and whatever coffee shop is available (Starbucks or The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) to get my breakfast. Cinnabon, more than anything, makes flying so worthwhile, even though you can get it at the mall, too.

My airport is somewhat different from other airports, in my experience. For one, it's practically a mall in its own right. There are tons of [expensive] stores and food places, multiplied throughout the terminals. And there are slot machines everywhere. Seriously, in every terminal. You can go to the airport to gamble even if you're not flying anywhere (I'm not sure what security would have to say about that, however).

Anyway, tomorrow I'm flying with my mom, son, and brother to go visit my grandma in Texas. The low point of this trip, I'm sure, will be trying to keep my son occupied during the flight, because he's young enough that he still sits on my lap the whole time but old enough to want to run around and do stuff. And annoy the person sitting next to me, I'm sure. We'll be gone almost a week, doing all the fun things my grandma has planned. And eating tons of junk food, of course. I can't wait!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Today

Well, Unchanged is back to being $0.99. I'm very happy I made it free for those five days. A lot of people got copies (people I don't even know!) and more may become aware of it now that it has greater visibility. Thank you to everyone who took the time to download it, and anyone who reads it!

So, it's Memorial Day. My husband doesn't have to work today for the first time in I don't know how long. What's a broke family to do? Our so-called plans are as follows: 1. Walk the dog in the Wetlands. 2. Clean out the garage. 3. Umm . . . lounge around the house all day in front of a book/the TV/the computer. Sounds like an exciting day, right? Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Free ebook!

Starting tomorrow, Unchanged will be available for free for five days! Get it here.

March has been a rather eventful month for me, though unfortunately not where writing is concerned. I found out I was pregnant with twins instead of the usual one baby. It's exciting, but I'm going to have quite the couple of years ahead of me. I'm sure I'll hardly be able to read, much less write, since both my hands will be full. I'll have to dictate to a machine or something. Or else get on it and write another book before December!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Just a quick post . . .

In order to give you a better reading experience, I corrected a couple of typos in Unchanged, as well as a minor formatting issue, and uploaded it. The "new" version should be available soon, if it isn't already. So check it out! I think you'll find it's not half-assed or poorly written, but I would really love to know what people think of it.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Mini-review by Text Message

A friend of mine finished my book recently. He isn't a reviewer, but he sent me a "mini-review" over text message because he's nice like that. And I decided to share it here because while he liked the book, he was able to offer some criticism as well.

"Overall the story is creative and interesting. It's well written. If I am going to nitpick there are a couple of times where specific words feel shoved into the writing, like dourly, paid heed, or pontificate. Not that most people don't understand those words, they just feel awkward in the otherwise natural flow of the writing. That's all personal taste though, I guess. Storywise . . . <<<SPOILER>>> The part where they think they can only be reincarnated a third time is smart for the story. I wanted more of it. I would have liked it if that was introduced earlier in maybe a more gradual way. It's key for the feeling that there is something at stake. By the time you are going through the second flashback it's kind of like, okay she can just be reincarnated again. <<<END SPOILER>>> I don't know how you could do that but it was something I thought while I was reading it. I am very mixed on whether you need the epilogue as well. I apply that to all books though. Overall, a very good and creative story. You should be proud."

Thanks, friend!

Monday, April 2, 2012

April

It's April! My friends are working their way through copies of Unchanged. Most of them have been really supportive and spreading the word for me. For the most part, I've been getting good feedback about things like unexpected twists and character names and grammar! Haha. (I've heard about friends of other indie authors writing [perhaps undeserved] good reviews and messing up the rating system, but I promise my friends won't do any such thing just because they're my friends.)

I'm excited about some of the books I'll be reading this month. Here are the next few I'm picking up from the library:




I've heard AWESOME things about Graffiti Moon and Cinder. I've been avoiding the reviews on Everneath since I'm afraid I'll find it's just another one of those paranormal young adult novels. The cover is so gorgeous this may actually be the case, but in the meantime I'll keep my hopes up. I'll also keep my hopes up for the weather, which has been ridiculously not-quite-warm-enough-to-not-wear-a-sweater and windy as heck. I drove by a tree yesterday that the wind had pulled up. I'm pretty sure the types of winds we've been having would warrant tornado warnings in certain states.

Happy pre-Easter! I hope your moms give you lots of candy. My mother-in-law certainly will!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

It's here!

Tuesday night, over a glass of Bailey's and soy milk, I uploaded my book to Kindle. Unchanged is now available to buy, and it's only $0.99! You can get it here. I'm very pleased with the story and I'm confident at least a few people will enjoy it (probably family and friends at this point, heh). It turns out I really have no idea how to promote it without being annoying or spammy. I think I'll head on over to one of those Goodreads groups that allows authors to talk about their own books.

Just for fun, here's a little doodle of the main characters I made one time (it's the closest I ever got to getting them right, and one of my tools was a highlighter, for crying out loud):

Ahaziel and Lilly

Anyway, there's that. Today, between taking care of my child and painting my dining room table, I'm going to try to reread The Hunger Games. I'm supposed to go see the movie with my sister-in-law Friday night, and I'm so excited! The trailer alone has the power to give me goosebumps and make me all emotional. Hopefully I don't break down in the theater. That would be embarrassing.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Coming Soon . . .

Today I found out my copyright has gone through, so I'm hoping to have time to re-re-re-infinity-read the manuscript and publish it! (On Kindle, since the agents I queried don't seem to be inclined to pick me up.) I'm really excited.

I just now decided to post the prologue. It's short. Here it is!


Prologue

He was born in the forest, from a shifting of wind and leaves. An indistinct but solid form, he was made with a detailed knowledge of his environment, a knowledge that grew every day he spent in existence. His name came to him from a whispering among the trees. He knew his place in the world and how to stay alive. He did not possess much self-awareness, only a sense of self-preservation.
Ahaziel did not feel guilt over the people he lured and pushed into the river. He inhaled their souls because doing so was his role in nature.
"You have begun to take on a human aspect," Merko told him one day. Merko was from the water, a being who pulled his victims into the ocean. He enjoyed the drowning in way that went beyond survival. A salty haze clung to him wherever he went. "That means you are taking plenty of souls. Soon you will look fully human, as I do. That will make you all the more dangerous."
"I do not take particular pleasure from stealing lives," Ahaziel said.
"One day you will. It is inevitable." Merko smiled fondly and pointed at a group of humans fishing off rocks. "Do you not adore them? Do you not thrill at how fragile they are, how unwittingly they put themselves at our mercy?"
"I do not find interest in their vulnerability. Have you ever considered they may seek us out one day? If we anger them, they may try to kill us."
Merko laughed, delighting in his role as mentor. "They can try, Ahaziel, but humans cannot kill us. Nor can we kill each other. We are here, sure as the earth and sky. We may look human, but we do not have a place among them, nor they with us."
"It seems unfortunate."
"Do not fool yourself into thinking humans matter. They will die and be reborn, but you and I and others like us will live and live. We will never leave. We will never change."
As Ahaziel watched the fishing humans with curious detachment, he thought that was the saddest thing he had ever heard.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Unchanged Excerpt

Because I'm so generous, I give you an excerpt from the upcoming book! Traditionally or on the Kindle, one day soon it will be published. Hope you enjoy.


On Friday I was exhausted, having spent half the night awakened by inexplicable terror. I'd never had a nightmare before in my life, so the sudden appearance of them was unsettling. I sat numbly through the critique in art class, not contributing my opinions of my classmates' artwork and barely listening to the opinions of others. I hated crit days. It pained me to talk about my work in front of everyone.
"Lilly?" Miss Bell prompted when it was my turn, much too soon.
I squirmed on my stool and tried to remember the words I had rehearsed in my head before class, but I couldn't make them come out properly. "Um . . ." I began lamely. "I used technical pens . . . on bristol paper . . . Instead of a mirror I used a window, and that's how my reflection looked." I drew a deep breath. That had been unpleasant.
"Hmm," Miss Bell said, contemplating my drawing. "Do you think it's missing something?"
"No," I replied immediately.
"What does everyone else think?"
"It doesn't really look like you," one boy commented.
I could feel my face burning. He meant I hadn't included my birthmark in the drawing, and everyone knew it.
"It doesn't capture your essence," someone else said.
I nodded silently, pretending to agree. Usually when someone attempted to defend their own drawing, they ended up sounding upset about the criticism.
"I think it's kind of nice," one girl said. I turned to look at her. She had shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. I couldn't remember her name. "It's very spare," she continued, "and the lines are sophisticated. If you get up close, you can see how delicate the line work really is."
"Thank you, Mirain," Miss Bell said. "Lilly, this is a very good effort. In the future, however, I would like to see some emotion in your work. I would like for us to see you in your drawings."
I stewed about that until the end of class, which couldn't have come soon enough. I barely kept from dozing off in English, revived myself for lunch, then zoned out in government. After I'd successfully made it through the day without slipping into a coma, all I wanted to do was go home and nap, dreaming about not having class again until January. However, I found my brother, Chris, Austin, and Joy waiting for me in the parking lot. They wanted to go to the Blue Shrimp, a sleepy diner downtown where we occasionally convened. I decided to go along despite my lethargic state, thinking a cup of hot tea sounded nice on such a cold day.
"Lilly's coming!" Chris cheered. She placed a hand on my shoulder, perhaps in an attempt to make up for the time we'd lost as friends the past few weeks.
"Austin's the only one who wanted to wait for you," Joy informed me snarkily as we crowded into the Oldsmobile. So much for our newfound friendship.
The Blue Shrimp didn't seem like the kind of place that would ever attract high school students, which explained why we hardly ever saw anyone we knew there. A small cafe soaked in muddy mustard light, it looked like it might appeal to people who wanted to avoid drawing attention. Like me. The booths were ugly chocolate brown, the walls a dense red ochre. The speakers whispered indistinct, boring music, but the food was good so no one really minded. How the place had ever come by its name was a mystery to everyone.
We took our usual booth in the corner by the window. I occupied the innermost seat and leaned against the glass, letting the cold seep inside me. No one had commented on the lavender sweeps beneath my eyes. They probably figured I was putting in extra hours studying or something. As if I'd ever lost any sleep over schoolwork.
Austin sat beside me, close but not touching. We barely looked at each other. It was almost as if his invitation to the dance hadn't happened. I guessed he was still coming over to my house tonight before the dance, since I hadn't heard anything different. I tried to think of something to say to him.
"Thanks for waiting," I offered lamely.
"Yeah," he returned, his eyes darting to me and away.
I slumped in my seat. He didn't seem interested in me at all. Which was okay, since I didn't think of him romantically. Still, I couldn't think why he had asked me to the dance in the first place.
As we perused our greasy plastic menus, Chris and Joy started talking about their college applications, a subject which held no importance for me. Or Brandt, for that matter. Neither of us did well enough in school to earn scholarships, like Austin with his athletics, and there was no way my mom could pay for both of us. But I didn't care. I just didn't know what I wanted to do instead.
"What'll ya have?" the red-haired server asked as she approached our table. She stared at her pad, pen at the ready. The Blue Shrimp wasn't known for its prompt or friendly service, which was probably why nobody we knew ever came here.
"The sundae, please," Chris ordered. "No nuts."
"There's only one kind of nuts Chris likes," Brandt announced slyly.
"Almonds?"
Brandt and Austin laughed, Chris looking back and forth between them in confusion. Joy just rolled her eyes and ordered coffee.
"Hot tea," I muttered. I had a couple of dollars to cover that, at least.
"Grilled cheese," Austin said. My brother decided to have the same, barely getting in his order before the server slunk away.
My gaze strayed outside and I thought longingly of my bed. I stirred my tea when it arrived, letting the mug warm my bloodless hands. I inhaled the steam and pretended I was alone. In a stylish café in some distant city. Waiting. Waiting for . . .
A figure in black across the street caught my eye. I squinted, focusing my gaze, until I recognized, with some surprise, Ahaziel. He just stood there in front of an antiques store, staring in the windows of the Blue Shrimp, watching me. Oh god. Was he stalking me? No, he was probably looking at something else. He was just out for a stroll through town . . . But why wasn't he moving? I could feel the dark weight of his eyes upon me even from across the street, even through glass. Was he angry I hadn't gone to meet him yesterday as I'd said I would?
The food arrived, distracting me for only a moment. Brandt handed me half of his grilled cheese. I held it poised awkwardly in front of my mouth, not able to bring myself to take a bite, knowing Ahaziel was watching me. I couldn't put it down, either, because then I would have to find something else to do with my hands. I tried concentrating on the conversation, but I couldn't help obsessing over the way I looked in profile to Ahaziel. Like Lee Miller, Miss Bell had once told me. I'd looked at the portrait she'd indicated in one of her art books, studying the woman's long nose, pretty mouth, serene eyes, and dainty chin. But my face wasn't like hers because mine was wary, resentful, and paranoid, my expressions mirroring my feelings no matter how hard I tried to hide them. My face had two sides, one plain and honey-pale, the other stained with that gigantic splash of pale berry-red.
I let my gaze slide cautiously back in Ahaziel's direction. He hadn't moved. Not one inch.
Doesn't anyone else see him? I wondered. Does he even exist?
I willed myself to act natural even if it was the last thing I felt. I turned back to the group and summoned a weak smile. "Any plans after the dance?"
"That's when we're going to Austin's to celebrate your birthday," Joy said. "Haven't you been listening?"
"Um, not really."
"Typical."
I glared at her as Brandt and Austin began discussing pranks they might perform at the dance, but Joy didn't notice. I bit into my grilled cheese half and chewed determinedly.
I couldn't help but glance out the window again. Ahaziel had gone.


Dun dun dun!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Me and My Books

I got this from Nafiza at Bibliophilic Monologues.


1) What do you like to do besides read/blog?
Write, of course! I have so many unfinished projects.
Although I haven't done art in FOREVER (shamefully, since I graduated), I also love drawing and painting with watercolor. One of these days (i.e. when my toddler isn't so grabby) I'd like to improve/practice my oil technique.
When I have money, I enjoy buying books, browsing Target and whatever other stores suit my desires, going to the library, and hanging out with my husband and son. (We have been known to indulge in more than one Harry Potter Weekend on ABC Family.)
2) Print or e-book? Any particular reason?
Print. I don't care what anyone says, there is no way to get the feel of reading an actual book with an e-reader, fancy "page-turning" capabilities or not. I appreciate the convenience of an e-reader and I even have one on my wishlist for those free/cheap Kindle books and NetGalley reads, but for me print books are the way to go.
3) Paperback or hardcover?
Paperback for the price. But if I can find a hardcover for cheap, I go for hardcover. I have a healthy mix of both on my shelves and it looks so awesome.

You can't see the books too well, but here's a picture of the G-Z + misc. side of my little office:


4) Do you have a favorite bookstore?  If so, can we see a pic?
I miss Borders. And Bookstar. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a used bookstore that interests me much (I don't think there are any indie bookstores in my city, but I'll have to look into it). A friend of mine used to live in Utah and she took me to a couple cool bookstores in Salt Lake City. I don't remember their names but they were great. I get most of my book online because I'm poor, or from the library. Here's my library:



5) Why did you decide to start your blog?

I'd blogged before, but I always got bored of it after realizing no one cared what I had to say. Recently, I finally finished a book called Unchanged. I thought blogging would be a decent way to promote it without being spammy. But I may have been hasty in starting this blog up because I'm still waiting for my copyright. Whoops!
6) How long does it take you to finish a book on average? 

1-2 days for YA, maybe 4-5 days if I'm not really into the book.
7) Look at your bookshelf (not GoodReads, but your physical bookshelf) and quickly pick your top five.

This normally requires a lot of careful thinking, but here we go:

The Passion - Donna Boyd
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
The Vampire Diaries series - L.J. Smith (I'm counting the original four as one)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins



8) Favorite places on the internet?

Goodreads (duh). Also the Clark County library website, Slate.com for Dear Prudence, iTunes movie trailers, and Amazon. And anywhere else I can waste time.
9) Coffee, tea, juice, or soda?

Coffee in the morning. Tea when I'm cold. Soda with certain meals, but no more than one a day. Juice only occasionally. Water every other time, although I don't drink as much as I should.
10) What’s your favorite thing about blogging?

The ability to say things I want to say which would otherwise have no place to go.
11) Favorite of your past 5 books read, plus the next 5 you plan to read.

Er, I don't have a favorite of the last five I've read. So my most recent favorite would probably be Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan.




And the next five I will probably read (after the ones I'm currently reading) are:

The Piper's Son - Melina Marchetta
Torn - Stephanie Guerra
Catch & Release - Blythe Woolston
Lightning Tree - Sarah Dunster
Angel Eyes - Shannon Dittemore


So . . . thanks for reading! Hope it was interesting.