Book Club

So this month for Fall Book Club we read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. This is a story about Jacob, a teenager who travels to an island off the coast of Wales in an attempt to decipher his grandfather's mysterious last words. Included are romance, mystery and time travel.

In all honesty this isn't a book I would normally pick up. However, overall it's an easy read and I found the main characters to be well rounded and interesting. There are two things I really liked about this novel:

1. It has a unique story line. It isn't like anything I've ever read before--which is a huge plus in my opinion!
2. The vintage photos are the real thing, they haven't been doctored up. I found myself anticipating the next photo, excited to turn the page. It sort of jarred me out of the story, and made it easy to put the book down (which is never a good thing), but it was such a neat idea that I liked it more than disliked it.

One thing I disliked about this novel:

1. The ending. It really left me hanging, and not in a good way. It just stopped in the middle of a scene.  Does anyone know if this has a sequel?

Scary Factor 1-10: I'd give it a 5.  Not all that spine tingling. Probably the most frightening part is what he discovered in the basement of the house. (You know you want to read this!)

What do you think? Have you read this book yet? If not, do you intend to? I'd love your opinion whether you're participating in the book club or not. If you'd like to join in the fun, visit Tracey Niethercott over at Words On Paper.

Falling Into Books Blog Hop

Fall is upon us! For my family, this means an annual trip to the pumpkin farm which includes a hay riddled tractor ride, feeding longhorns from the palms of our hands and chasing one another through fields brimming with plump orange pumpkins. It also means caramel apples, dappled sunlight cast through gold and crimson leaves, and spooky tales read to vivacious children the entire week leading up to Halloween.  (I'm really big on traditions! It's bad. :P)

In my opinion, there is nothing better than digging into a delicious book when the weather turns crisp and cool. Thanks to Michelle over at Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS! we are kicking off the fall season with a fabulous book hop. Here's your chance to stockpile some goodies to keep you company during the long spooky nights that lie ahead!  Because personal taste in literature is as diverse as my lipstick collection, I'm offering up four great options for you to pick from should you win. If you aren't familiar with a title, simply click on the book cover to read its synopsis.

Hardback

Paperback

Hardback

$10.00 Amazon E-Gift Card

If you already follow via GFC, go ahead and check it off on Rafflecopter. All other entries below are optional, the more times you enter, the higher chance to win. And don't forget to visit the rest of the fabulous participants when you're finished here!

Missing It

Your children love you, they want to play with you. How long do you think that lasts?...We have a few special years with our children, when they're the ones that want us around. After that you're going to be running after them for a bit of attention. It's so fast Peter. Just a few years, and it's over. And you are not being careful. And you are missing it.  (Extract from Hook (Peter Pan's wife, Moira)

Lately these words have been haunting me.




Friday I took my children to the park. I haven't done that kind of thing in a while, just spent time alone with them. Just them-no cell phone, no computer, no current read. It was strange, sitting there over my cheese and crackers with only the sound of their laughter, and the light breeze blowing bits of grass clippings in slow furry whirlpools near my feet. My son's voice could be heard from across the way. I looked for him but only found a beefy tree, its branches so tightly woven that the leaves formed this opaque shield of sorts. In a sing song voice he called out, "Can you see me? Can you see me?"

And I thought to myself, No. I don't see you. I teared up, there on that isolated bench, wondering how I'd gotten to this point. Of course it wasn't the silly tree that I was thinking about, it's the way I've changed as a person. It's as if I don't see my children the way I used to, that I'm missing them. I often wonder how people, but women especially, balance their career with family. It wasn't that long ago that I took my kids to the park several times a week, arranged play-dates, sat with them draped over my knees on the floor of the city library during story time. I was a good mom. Really I was. Now I'm...well, I'm different. I'm busy.

I've seen this from time to time, the absent mother. Last week I had to wait in a parking lot with my foot firmly pressed on the brake, as a little girl danced into the store with her mom. While the little girl pirouetted haphazardly, dawdling in front of my vehicle, her mom chatted on the phone, staring at the sky. I kid you not, eyes blankly riveted at the sky. Clearly she was in her own world, unaware of what was happening around her. We all know how insane parking lots can be, and not everyone is expecting a two foot person to go streaking out in front of them.

Anyway, I'm not looking to blame or find fault. We all have our moments. I guess my question is, in working hard, in pursuing our dreams, how do you find that happy place where no part of your life is suffering? Is it even possible?

This is my favorite wallow song, hope you enjoy!

Unfinished Business

Hello all! This last week has been so crazy busy that I haven't been able to do more than leave random comments here and there. I finished revising my MS last Thursday night (yay! I met my deadline) and then I played hooky all weekend. Part of playing hooky involved reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children for the Fall Book Club I joined over on Tracey Niethercott's blog. There's still plenty of time to join in if you're interested! Fun, fun, fun!

So the weekend's over and today I thought I'd stop procrastinating and address some things I've been putting off.  A week or two ago, erm, just went to get her link and I guess it was 18 days ago, Alleged Author tagged me for a game where I'm supposed to reveal some things about myself that won't scare away my followers.  I must admit this sort of made me chuckle, since a good many of my active readers write stories that are so frightening they almost make me want to pee my pants!

I've put this off for the most part because I absolutely hate talking about myself. Not sure why, I guess it's just one of those things. But now, not only Alleged, but also Rachel Bean has asked the same of me. Rachel has very kindly awarded me with The Versatile Blogger Award and the Liebster Award. If you haven't met these two gals yet, you really must make a point of doing so! They are both very funny and absolutely sweet!

Thank you Rachel!!

Ten random things about me:

1. My parents'/siblings' nickname for me is Kissa (this is merely tolerated and certainly not encouraged).
2. Purple is my favorite color, and when writing I have this ridiculous habit of trying to make everything purple.
3. I have a great love for Jif peanut butter and eat it by the spoonful.
4. I grew up overseas but am 100% American.
5. My toenails are blue right now and I can't decide if I look like a mermaid or a corpse. 
6. I like to fix things and do most of my own home repairs.
7. Like a good many girls, I used to be a tomboy: racing boys on my bike and using my bare feet for brakes till my toes were bloody and raw, climbing trees and onto roofs. Hmm, maybe I was more like a monkey than a tomboy! Now I'm definitely a girly girl. Dresses, makeup --shoes, and all. 
8. I believe in taking care of our planet through recycling and such--but only because it belongs to God and for no other reason.
9. I've been told separately by a good many friends that they hated me when they first met me. Apparently I have this unintentional snotty persona that doesn't serve me well. But somehow I manage to grow on people--you better look out!
10. Don't you just love the smell of rain? I do too!

Okay, now then. Who to pass these awards on to? The last time I tried to be diplomatic about this, it completely backfired. So here goes:

Alleged Author

Kirsten Lopresti

The Golden Eagle

Lost and Forgotten

Think Dream Inspire

Writing to the Edge of Darkness

Erin at Seventh Story Studio

E.R. King

I Aspire To Be

Miss Cole Seeks Publisher

Now I'm off to read up on everyone's blogs.

Read for Relief

Many thanks to Erin Bowman, Caroline Richmond, Tracy Niethercott, and Sara Enni for organizing Read for Relief--a fundraising effort to help those hit the hardest by Hurricane Irene in August 2011.  It's heart rending to see so many having lost everything. If you were wanting to help but unsure how to go about doing it, this is your chance, my friend.

Many have generously offered prizes to help raise money--and the prizes are beyond awesome! Read for Relief is set up as an auction with bids taking place within the comments. Love it! (I'm also obsessed with Ebay, what can I say?) Sooooo, what might the prizes be?

Well, here's just a few of the goodies up for auction right now: 

1. First Chapter Critique and a signed copy of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL by Suzanne Young
2. 10 page Critique by Associate Editor Sarah Dotts Barley, Harper Collins Children's Books
3. Signed Copy of THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab
4. 30 page Group Critique by Operation Awesome
5. Query Critique by Agent Joanna Volpe, Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation
6. Full MS Critique (proof reading/ line editing) by Rachel Bateman, freelance proofreader
7. Editor 10 page Critique by Erica Sussman, HarperTeen 
8. Signed Hardcopy of OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW by Kate Messner (Due for release this fall)

Squee! Are you kidding me? There's way more than this up on the block and more to come. Some auctions close Wednesday, September 14th at 10pm EST. This is such a great cause, if you can, please try to spread the word!

Extraterrestrial Deer Legs? Really?

Have you ever heard a song and loved it so much that you played it on a constant loop, over and over, until it's so ingrained in your brain that you even hear it in your sleep? Yeah, me too. When Katy Perry's Teenage Dream released last year, E.T. was the song responsible for my liking her music. It was the first song of Katy Perry's that I downloaded. It complemented the MS I was writing at the time and the words had my imagination sparking like a firework (hehe)! Anyway, I only just came across the music video today, and all I can say is that I'm happy I didn't see her 'take' on the song before I formed my own opinion. Wow, talk about different! (In both awesome and not-so-awesome ways!) And I'm not sure why she keeps using Kayne West?? His lyrics are...well, you'll have to see for yourself. Just be aware that it does have some explicit content.  Here's what Katy P. had to say about the video:


"In the end of the world scenery, a human may not look like everything we'd imagine it to look like," Katy explained on her decision to cast albino model Shaun Ross. "[The ending is] almost kind of symbolic. It looks a bit like the beginining of time in the end of time. Like an Adam and Eve situation, like trying to start again in a post-apocalyptic world."




Without further ado:

Get More: Katy Perry, Music, More Music Videos

Here's the album version--so you can hear it without all the extras. (lol, try not to dwell on the spelling mistakes, if you can!)



So what do you think?

Campaign Challenge #1 Into the Light

Yay! The first Campaign Challenge is here! The rules: "Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!"


Click here to enjoy fellow campaigner's awesome stories!

Into the Light

The door swung open. Stark white burned into the darkness; so stunning I couldn't raise my eyes to meet it. 

What trickery was this? 

At first unsure, I waited. 

Yet the door remained open.

I crawled blindly toward it, the cruel ground biting at my knees. Cloying mist, the sweetness of which stuck to the very surface of my teeth, filled my oppressive tomb. Black laced my legs and my arms, slithering over my skin, drawing me back, summoning me into the shadows. The embrace so seductive that for a brief moment I forgot myself…forgot the battle…forgot my way…

Stay

My name played across the air, whispered against my ears, and I hesitated. The moment fleeting as that pause between life and death. So insignificant, yet lavish. Unaffordable.

I sank lower, and with that shift the illusion shattered. It was my panicked soul that lurched me forward, nails finding purchase against crevice. How long before the light abandoned me? If only I could walk! I clawed harder, desperation stabbing deep.

Finally at the brink, I stretched into the light, and my fingers glowed clean. Screaming erupted, furious and hot at my back, I crossed the threshold and the door swung shut.  

Out With the Old, in With the New

Swim season is officially over. At times I thought we weren't going to make it to the end, but we held fast and trudged our way through. Above is a pic of my kiddos at their award party. My eight year old received a Coach's Choice award for 'Most Improved Swimmer' and a neat towel embroidered with her name, a dolphin, and 'State Swimmer'.  It was a proud moment! But whew, what a grueling sport! I NEVER want to go through that again, and the kids feel the same way. You can read about our swimming adventures here and here, if you like. So, with lazy summer drawing to a close and school back in session, I'm thinking I need to make some drastic changes around here.

I have to admit that all summer long I've had this disjointed feeling. Like I'm floating around with no real sense of purpose, unable to get any one thing done. Sort of like when you go to the grocery store without a list. Your intention is to purchase milk and bread, but the second you enter the store you're overwhelmed and distracted by the bright shiny things lining the aisles. And then you end up walking out with beer and gum. It isn't until your hubby goes to make a sandwich later and can't find any bread that you realize you didn't actually accomplish what you'd set out do.

Well that's my life as a writer. I have a million and one things to do and I'm so completely overwhelmed that I can't begin to tackle the load.

Lately I've noticed some of my awesome blogging pals making lists, and then implementing a plan to get it done. I need that! From past experience, I know that I get more done with a list, and I perform better whilst under the gun.

I think it might be best if I tackle one thing at a time--don't want to get so frustrated that I quit before I get started. My most pressing project right now is polishing BOUND (my MS) to the point I'm content enough to set it free. I know I'll never actually be happy, there's always something that can be improved upon--but I am willing to settle on content. So my deadline is 2 weeks, people! Two weeks to get my a** in gear and I'm hoping you all will hold me accountable! See? I wrote it here, now I have to stick to it, no excuses, period.

Also, on a fun note, Prerna Pickett over at The Sands of Writing has honored me with a few awards. I sure do love awards! Prerna describes herself as a "little Indian woman who thinks of herself as a girl"--see how cute she is? She's survived a crazy monkey attack, writes YA and is the coolest chick! If you haven't already met her, you should head over to her blog asap!

Thank you, Prerna!!!

So the deal here is that I'm supposed to share seven things about myself and then pass these awards to five more bloggy friends. Five? Shah, right!

1) Unfortunately I don't have anything near as cool as a monkey attack to reveal, and I certainly don't hang with movie stars--although I did work with Kirstie Alley's niece while I was in college. Does that count? Kirstie used to come into the restaurant and have her niece wait on her. Hmmm, yeah, not as cool as Leonardo DiCaprio.

2) In a way I'm like Rumpelstiltskin (but don't worry, I don't want your first born, my four are plenty)-- the only person in the world with my name at the moment. (hence the alias)

3) When I was fourteen I crashed out in a youth hostile in Paris with some girl I'd never met before. (I got the top bunk--I rock) My parents sure were trusting, I don't even let my kids play up the street if I can't see them, let alone go to another country without me.

4) Ever since I was little, I've always checked my shoes and the bed for spiders and other little critters before using them. My hubby thinks this is weird. But I think he's the weird one! Who wants to sleep with uninvited guests?

5) I hate mayonnaise, ketchup, and a good many other condiments, now that I think about it.

6) I'm a total klutz. I tripped over a divot in my front yard and actually had to have my ankle scoped as a result. True story!

7) Come on! This is sooo freaking hard! One more, one more...ugh...well, growing up, I wanted to be a vet, a doctor or a scientist--I hated writing with a passion and would have rather shaved my head than come up with a term paper.

Wow! I had to seriously dig deep for those random factoids. Now then, the question of who to pass these awards on to. This part has me completely stumped. How do you pick only five when you have scores of people you think are deserving. I don't want to say "Feel free to take the award" because, let's face it, no one ever does.

I want you to have these awards, no, don't look over your shoulder, I'm talking to YOU! If you've made it to the bottom of this post, you are sweet and oh so deserving of them, (and probably a few Excederin to boot). So here's my own 'Lindy Juiced Up Rules' and you Must follow them (please).

1. Copy and paste the awards onto your blog post
2. Jot down seven ridiculous things about yourself--come on, we all want to know more about you!
3. Pass on the awards to your deserving friends!

I'll be coming by to check-- and you wouldn't want to hurt my feelings would you?