Hi all!
I'm alive and well, recovering from my trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I just don't have words to describe the level of Awesome I experienced there. If you get a chance, check it out.
In other news, I'm going on hiatus from blogging. I don't want to, but I need to work on my novel. I need to work on what I want out of writing. Yes, I have ideas. Yes, I love my characters. Yes, I enjoy my fantastic writer-friends and everything I'm learning from them (you!), but if I'm going to write, I need to actually write. And revise. And have fun with it.
I still hope to put up movie reviews on occasion, and I'm on Twitter if you need to contact me.
I love you all! Make no mistake about that, and you'll be the first to know when I come out of blog hibernation. ;) Until then, enjoy life and never forget to SMILE!
-Marie
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
October Books! Reviews, NYR Update, and Grizzly Hugs!
Ten months of the year are gone. GONE! Is anyone else asking where the heck they went? Wow...just wow.
November begins the real countdown to the end of the year. The holidays pack a triple punch with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year coming at us jab, hook, upper cut! It's a smiley time full of lights and love, but also stress if we let it be. So raise your right hand. Come on...raise it...please? Okay! Repeat after me.
I -insert your name- *pause* promise not to stress *pause* because it can only bring me down *pause* and being down is lame *pause* Word! :)
My new year's resolutions are relaxed, but still in effect. I'm never happy with the scale, but I'm pretty happy with myself. November's my month to workworkwork on SOULSCAPE and get crits from my super-awesome writer-friends (May and now November Backspace! I have the best writer-friends in the entire world!!!!). Also, I want to start outlining my new YA paranormal idea. I'm wildly excited to start a new project, but I want to put everything I have into SOULSCAPE to make it as good as it can be before querying.
Enough chit-chat, right!? Time for my October BOOKS!
1. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
I had to leave my local coffee shop because of all my tears and blubbering. If I Stay focused on Mia and her choice to live or die. SPOILER! She chose life, and that's where the book leaves her boyfriend Adam. Where She Went picks up several years later from Adam's POV. He's tortured and famous and so very fixable, but not without Mia who (again, SPOILER!) left him without a good reason why (so he thinks). Now the two meet up in NYC and try to work things out. Gayle Forman's language and visuals kept me almost ripping the pages just to turn them (even more impressive considering I was reading from my Kindle, hehe). Gayle Forman, I'm so not worthy, Wayne and Garth style. Go. Read. Now.
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
While this book is dry and so very different from all of my YA choices (very, very, very, very times infinity different!), it has a good message. Positivity, healthy and meaningful relationships, taking initiative, hard work, etc. Those are the points I took from this book. The habits and principles are common sense, and each one of them weaves its way back to Positivity. No, the author doesn't harp on that word, but everything he discusses could be simplified to staying positive, being positive, behaving positively, and promoting positivity in the way you present yourself. Each one will give you such an advantage over your glass-is-half-empty acquaintances.
3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
I never imagined winning a Rejectionist auction for an ARC of Shatter Me would keep me up all night. This is the best book I've read in a while, and as you know, I've read a lot of awesome books this year. Mafi's dystopian tale of a planet lacking resources, a population starving and dying, and a political regime living the life of luxury threw me to the floor and held me there. Juliette can't touch other people. She hurts them. But when she gets a roommate in her silent prison, everything changes. Mafi creates a torn heroine desperate for contact and love, but afraid of what she could do if she gets them. But it's Warner, the ruthless, desperate, lovely villain that breathes sweet life into the story. I fell in love with his first sickly beautiful backward compliment to Juliette. There's more to him, I just know it. Too bad I have to wait until Fall of 2012 for the second book in the trilogy. *pout* When SHATTER ME releases on 11/15/11, find it and clear your schedule. You will definitely not regret it!
Plans for November:
I started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as Fat Vampire, on the flights to and from Backspace. I should be able to finish both before month end. Also, I'd love to clear out a third title from my Kindle, but I was recommended Stephenie Meyer's The Host by a writer-friend at Backspace after a description of my WIP. Not sure if there are many similarities, but it never hurts to find out.
What are your November goals? Writing? Reading? Movies? Turkey? Black Friday? hehe. This will be my first vegetarian Thanksgiving. Any ideas on alternatives to the big bird for turkey day? Quick reminder that I won't be blogging Friday or Monday (unless something at the Wizarding World MUST be shared!).
Grizzly hugs!!!
-Marie
November begins the real countdown to the end of the year. The holidays pack a triple punch with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year coming at us jab, hook, upper cut! It's a smiley time full of lights and love, but also stress if we let it be. So raise your right hand. Come on...raise it...please? Okay! Repeat after me.
I -insert your name- *pause* promise not to stress *pause* because it can only bring me down *pause* and being down is lame *pause* Word! :)
My new year's resolutions are relaxed, but still in effect. I'm never happy with the scale, but I'm pretty happy with myself. November's my month to workworkwork on SOULSCAPE and get crits from my super-awesome writer-friends (May and now November Backspace! I have the best writer-friends in the entire world!!!!). Also, I want to start outlining my new YA paranormal idea. I'm wildly excited to start a new project, but I want to put everything I have into SOULSCAPE to make it as good as it can be before querying.
Enough chit-chat, right!? Time for my October BOOKS!
1. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
I had to leave my local coffee shop because of all my tears and blubbering. If I Stay focused on Mia and her choice to live or die. SPOILER! She chose life, and that's where the book leaves her boyfriend Adam. Where She Went picks up several years later from Adam's POV. He's tortured and famous and so very fixable, but not without Mia who (again, SPOILER!) left him without a good reason why (so he thinks). Now the two meet up in NYC and try to work things out. Gayle Forman's language and visuals kept me almost ripping the pages just to turn them (even more impressive considering I was reading from my Kindle, hehe). Gayle Forman, I'm so not worthy, Wayne and Garth style. Go. Read. Now.
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
While this book is dry and so very different from all of my YA choices (very, very, very, very times infinity different!), it has a good message. Positivity, healthy and meaningful relationships, taking initiative, hard work, etc. Those are the points I took from this book. The habits and principles are common sense, and each one of them weaves its way back to Positivity. No, the author doesn't harp on that word, but everything he discusses could be simplified to staying positive, being positive, behaving positively, and promoting positivity in the way you present yourself. Each one will give you such an advantage over your glass-is-half-empty acquaintances.
3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
I never imagined winning a Rejectionist auction for an ARC of Shatter Me would keep me up all night. This is the best book I've read in a while, and as you know, I've read a lot of awesome books this year. Mafi's dystopian tale of a planet lacking resources, a population starving and dying, and a political regime living the life of luxury threw me to the floor and held me there. Juliette can't touch other people. She hurts them. But when she gets a roommate in her silent prison, everything changes. Mafi creates a torn heroine desperate for contact and love, but afraid of what she could do if she gets them. But it's Warner, the ruthless, desperate, lovely villain that breathes sweet life into the story. I fell in love with his first sickly beautiful backward compliment to Juliette. There's more to him, I just know it. Too bad I have to wait until Fall of 2012 for the second book in the trilogy. *pout* When SHATTER ME releases on 11/15/11, find it and clear your schedule. You will definitely not regret it!
Plans for November:
I started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as Fat Vampire, on the flights to and from Backspace. I should be able to finish both before month end. Also, I'd love to clear out a third title from my Kindle, but I was recommended Stephenie Meyer's The Host by a writer-friend at Backspace after a description of my WIP. Not sure if there are many similarities, but it never hurts to find out.
What are your November goals? Writing? Reading? Movies? Turkey? Black Friday? hehe. This will be my first vegetarian Thanksgiving. Any ideas on alternatives to the big bird for turkey day? Quick reminder that I won't be blogging Friday or Monday (unless something at the Wizarding World MUST be shared!).
Grizzly hugs!!!
-Marie
Monday, November 7, 2011
I. Have. RETURNED!
Hi all!
I made it home from the Backspace Conference safe, sound, and pumped! It's time to do some major revising to SOULSCAPE and start shopping it. A new idea is floating through my brain. :)
I'll have a series of posts here at the Cheetah about my Backspace education, but today's Monday. I usually give you a 100 word movie review, but I'm changing it up a bit. Still a review. Still 100 words, but not a movie.
I'd like to review the first musical I've ever seen on Broadway!
An eager youth follows a How-To book's advice on climbing the corporate ladder.
I saw this musical for one reason: Daniel Radcliffe. I wanted to see if Harry Potter could sing, dance, and wow on stage, and…ahem...I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! Radcliffe has a sparkling future ahead of him that has nothing to do with being the Chosen One.
Besides Radcliffe, John Larroquette, Christopher Hanke, Mary Faber, and the entire cast made me want to stand and cheer through the entire show.
Go to NY, see How to Succeed…, stand at the stage door. It’s an experience you'll never forget!
I didn't manage to get Daniel's autograph, as security was very tight and I wasn't at the front of themob crowd. I did get a blurry picture of him, though. SQUEAL! John Larroquette signed my playbill, and I blinded him with pictures. Such a cool experience!
On a related-but-slightly-unrelated note, I guest-posted over at REEL YA. Check out my 100 word review of the best teen movie OF ALL TIME! We can debate it out if you have other nominees for that honor. :)
And on a definitely-and-completely-unrelated note, LOL, I was a finalist in Janet Reid's latest 100 word contest! YAY! If you want to read my teary entry, go here. I'm a big fan of these off-the-cuff shorts. They're fun, challenging, and a breath of fresh air.
Also, I won't be posting this Friday or next Monday as I'll be overindulging in all things Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Have you been before? If so, what can I absolutely NOT miss?
Missed you all last week. Thanks for stopping by the Flying Cheetah!
-Marie
I made it home from the Backspace Conference safe, sound, and pumped! It's time to do some major revising to SOULSCAPE and start shopping it. A new idea is floating through my brain. :)
I'll have a series of posts here at the Cheetah about my Backspace education, but today's Monday. I usually give you a 100 word movie review, but I'm changing it up a bit. Still a review. Still 100 words, but not a movie.
I'd like to review the first musical I've ever seen on Broadway!
An eager youth follows a How-To book's advice on climbing the corporate ladder.
I saw this musical for one reason: Daniel Radcliffe. I wanted to see if Harry Potter could sing, dance, and wow on stage, and…ahem...I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! Radcliffe has a sparkling future ahead of him that has nothing to do with being the Chosen One.
Besides Radcliffe, John Larroquette, Christopher Hanke, Mary Faber, and the entire cast made me want to stand and cheer through the entire show.
Go to NY, see How to Succeed…, stand at the stage door. It’s an experience you'll never forget!
I didn't manage to get Daniel's autograph, as security was very tight and I wasn't at the front of the
On a related-but-slightly-unrelated note, I guest-posted over at REEL YA. Check out my 100 word review of the best teen movie OF ALL TIME! We can debate it out if you have other nominees for that honor. :)
And on a definitely-and-completely-unrelated note, LOL, I was a finalist in Janet Reid's latest 100 word contest! YAY! If you want to read my teary entry, go here. I'm a big fan of these off-the-cuff shorts. They're fun, challenging, and a breath of fresh air.
Also, I won't be posting this Friday or next Monday as I'll be overindulging in all things Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Have you been before? If so, what can I absolutely NOT miss?
Missed you all last week. Thanks for stopping by the Flying Cheetah!
-Marie
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