Backspace Lesson #5: Bringing it all Home

I've spent the month of June walking you through pieces of my conference experience. By now, you know I had a great time (hello, understatement), but now it's time to wrap it up.

At the end of the May 2011 Backspace Conference, I hugged a lot of great, new friends, exchanged tons of cards, and promised to stay in touch. But beyond that, I promised myself to bring it all home. The lessons, the tips, the tricks, the details, the BOOKS, just everything, and apply it to my writing.

So, what did I do?

I pulled out my much-loved MS and a blank Word doc and started a rewrite. At about 25,000 words, here are the biggest changes.

1. Destroy the backstory/flashbacks. (SO tough!)
2. Start the story where the story begins.
3. Tone down the description. Be concise.
4. Make my MS more likeable. Snarky's great until it steps over the line to annoying/depressing.
5. Cut some of the extra characters. As Mr. King writes, kill your darlings.
6. Tension on every page (thank you, Mr. Maass)

I'm enjoying the first draft process and learning that, yes, I'll be able to do it again after this first book. That's an encouraging feeling and something I was really wondering about before the conference.

If you've felt the conferencing itch, there's a condensed Backspace Conference in November. All agents. 100 writers. Two query workshops and two first pages workshops with panel discussions sprinkled in. I'm still on the fence, but the early bird rate runs until the end of August.

Thanks for letting me share some of my conference fun. I'd love to hear your stories too!

-Marie

100 Words for Bad Teacher, and Praise for The Lion King!

Welcome to Monday, everyone! This week's going to be fabulous. I just know it. :)

And it all starts with a quick review of Bad Teacher.

Oh, Cameron Diaz, you’re lovely. Really. Except when you’re a drinking, drugging, cheating, gold digging teacher who thinks her breasts aren’t perfect enough.

I don’t walk into a rated R comedy expecting the perfection of Inception (LOVE that movie), so I ignored the critics. Diaz plays her Miss Halsey too well. Timberlake and Lucy Punch made me cringe-laugh with their tooth rotting sweetness, and Jason Segel? Well, I rooted for and against him the entire time.

There’s zero to like about Diaz’s character, but if you’re looking for a laugh, check this movie out when it comes to DVD.

As you probably gathered, Bad Teacher wasn't the highlight of my weekend. I had the pleasure of seeing The Lion King performed on stage here in Dayton, Ohio.

Holy hot dog!

Amazing. Inspiring. The sun rose on Elton John and Tim Rice's Circle of Life, and my heart sped up. It was emotion like I haven't felt in ages. If you get the chance to see this, you won't regret it. Your kids will enjoy it. Your parents will too. The Pridelands come to life with giraffes, cheetahs, lions, and a farting warthog I want to cuddle, Elmyra Duff style.

We're in the final stretch of June 2011. For all of you teachers out there, think of me between the hours of seven and four each weekday while you relax into your summer break. :)

-Marie

Going Green! Jealousy isn't always a Bad Thing

So, I'm jealous.

Guess why by checking out this post on Suzie Townsend's blog and this post at Janet Reid's blog which, by the way, is all about Suzie Townsend. If somehow Ms. Townsend is reading this, let the warm and fuzzies fill you up, ma'am, because I'm as green as the foliage (yes, I said foliage) in your lovely pics of New Zealand. What can I say? I love me some cheetahs!

How about another one?

I'm super jealous of the amazing storytelling in this post by the always entertaining Rejectionist. Though I'm only a lurker on her blog due to my lack of Clever (hey, honesty's the best policy), I wait anxiously for her posts on all things Life.

Another?

Hmm...well, someone at the May Backspace conference signed with an agent. I don't know who it was, but I'm crazy jealous. That person is fantastic, and if it's anyone following the Cheetah, TELL US so we can let our green-eyed monsters shine like the Vegas strip. :)

Jealousy gets a bit of a bad rap, I think. Sarcasm too. But both can be used for Good instead of Evil. Being jealous is another way to tell someone they're awesome. Sounds weird? Maybe, but hear me out. That now-agented author worked his/her butt off to write the best book imaginable, and I want nothing more than to, well, work my butt off to write the best book imaginable! I can congratulate someone else and encourage myself at the same time.

We're all in it together, people! Tell someone they're amazing. Go on. I'll wait.

Now that you're back, check out Crits for Water as it winds down. Katharine's raised over $6,400 (!!!!) for her charity. That's spectacular. No, it's BEYOND spectacular! But there's still time for more. ;)

What are your thoughts on Jealousy? How often does it come up in your writing? I'd love to hear from you!

-Marie

Backspace Lesson #4: Read, read, read. Then read some more!

The query letter workshop was an eye opener. Not so much from the 'what the heck's wrong with my query' perspective, but more from seeing the agent's reactions to the twelve queries in our YA group. Some were met with nods or head tilts or questions, others with requests for pages and one 'wow, this is hot.'

Go Koreen! ;)

We had the pleasure of sitting in a group with Kathleen Ortiz and Roseanne Wells, who were both amazing and so wonderfully honest. And I noticed that with each query, they recommended similar-sounding books for the author to read. They wanted to see a couple comparison books in the body of the query. And there were so many excellent examples from The Hunger Games of what to definitely do that I lost count. Ahh, I love me some Peeta.

Anyway!

My point (yes, I have one!) is that agents are reading, editors are reading, published authors are reading. Everyone is reading all the time, and it would be ludicrous for aspiring authors to get in a mode where we cut out our own reading. Read in the genre you write. Read outside the genre you write. Read books that sound so-not-for-you, and read the ones for which you're counting down the seconds (I'm looking at you, Original Sin). I try to get in a few chapters during my lunch hour, and when the book gets amazing, I'll bring it home and read a few more before I fall asleep.

By the way, this is the craziest thing in the world to do, because you don't want to stop. So, of course, you keep reading, and then it's midnight, and you say to yourself 'just one more chapter.' Yeah, how often do you read six or, you know, just finish the book? That's not just me, right? :)

Write like you're possessed, but read the same way. Set goals. Stick to them. And give every book three chapters before you give up. That's only fair, right?

Happy reading!

-Marie

Green Lantern. Praising the narrator and tighty whities in 100 words!

The movie opens with back story explaining the existence of three thousand (plus) alien races and their Green Lanterns, super beings who wield the power of Will.

Which is green.

Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a womanizing pilot with leftover trauma from his father’s death and who looks amazing in white boxer briefs. Jordan becomes a Green Lantern, bad things happen, and he’s forced to save Earth in a shining, skintight suit.

Which is green.

Geoffrey Rush’s narration lulls us into extraterrestrial dreamland, and I’m not a jewelry girl, but I’d accept one of those rings.

Which is…you know. ;)

That's it! We're in the countdown to summer, everyone, at least in my neck of the woods. Temperatures are scorching, but the rain's hanging around. Get ready for July. It's right around the corner!


Oh, and Crits for Water goes to the end of this month. Check it out for some last minute author and agent critiques and to give clean water to those who need it!


-Marie

Fangirling isn't bad!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 2) tickets are now available through Fandango.

Yes, I am a fangirl. I'm proud of my fangirlness. :) I also enjoying making up words!

Who else is a complete fangirl/fanboy? Show of hands. Anyone going to the midnight showing? *raises hand, then the other, waves them like a wacky, wavy inflatable arm thing*

-Marie

Backspace Lesson #3: Listen to Donald Maass

The final day of the Backspace conference was an optional workshop with Donald Maass called Writing the Breakout Novel. He spoke for eight hours with a few water breaks and a lunch. In that time, I took about thirty pages of notes. No joke.

Don talked about character development, what actually sells books (word of mouth!), and an ocean of other things in a room full of people scribbling/typing every word like our lives depended on it. But the most eye-opening parts of his workshop revolved around enhancing conflict and creating tension.

Grab a pen and paper. This will take less than five minutes, I promise.

1. What does your MG want the most?
2. What is the complete opposite?

3. Now, can the MG want both of those things?

Then show that.

Here's an example. Say your story begins with your MG getting out of prison. That's all he's wanted for the two years he was in there. To get out, get back to his wife and son, and get on with his life. Once he's out, though, Life kicks into high gear. He discovers that his wife has cheated on him and his son is mixed up with the drug dealer who landed dear, old dad in prison in the first place. There are times when all your MG wants is to go back to the shelter of prison where someone else had things under control. And it wouldn't take much. There's still a bag of cocaine in his sock drawer...

Now, that's a weak example, but think about the possibilities. All the opportunities for conflict.

Some of the other questions Donald Maass asked, and what you can do with the answer in your manuscript were:

Who is your MG's greatest ally? Take that person away.
What's one thing your MG would never do? Make him/her do it.
What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to keep your MG from his/her goal?

Guess what? MAKE IT HAPPEN!

We're storytellers. We can do whatever we want! But no one will read it if we flatten out the roller coaster. So, run your character through the mud. Give your villain the advantage. Bring on the bad. And once your character is beyond all hope, has lost everything, can't possibly solve the looming issue, take thirty pages to fix it.

I would highly recommend everyone to go through this workshop. At the very least, buy the book and the workbook, because your fiction will look completely different when you're finished. My precious manuscript has the same umbrella plot and characters, but I'm changing everything else. :) Too dramatic? Trust me, it's not. You know those books that you literally can't put down, where the author makes every, single word urge you to turn the page, where you take personal days off work because you stayed up all night finishing Catching Fire and Mockingjay? Umm, not like I've ever done that or anything. Well, I want my book to hold you in the same way. I want you to scream in frustration, smile a secret smile along with my MG, gasp at the end of some chapters. I want my readers desperate for more.

Don't you? ;) Then Donald Maass's book is a great investment.

-Marie

X-Men: First Class - 100 Words Just Aren't Enough!

But I'll give it a try.

Professor X and Magneto? Is the beginning all that exciting?

Umm, yesYesYES!

McAvoy’s smooth-talking Charles caught my eye, but Michael Fassbender stole my heart (and the show). From the childhood anger and pain to the grown-up glimmer of hope, Magneto shows us he’s more than a little complicated. He wants to believe the past is the past, but everything he’s ever learned has built the man to be an avenging angel. Sad and beautiful.

Kevin Bacon’s shiver-worthy, the training montage is playful and endearing, and the Cuban Missile Crisis tie-in is believable.

Go. See. This. Movie.

Then see it again!!!!

I started reading X-Men titles while still in my single digits and have three, ginormous boxes of comic books in the closet of my spare bedroom. Uncanny, Excalibur, Generation X. You name it, I probably have at least one (or seventy), but in my mid-teens, not too long after the Age of Apocalypse, I stopped collecting. That said, the movies mean a lot to me. Do I know all the characters? Nope. But I love to see the stills from those treasured pages come to life. And this one is, hands down, my favorite. Well, so far... ;)

If you're still on the fence about this movie, please remember that A) you can scope out Jennifer Lawrence a bit to make your final decision on Katniss casting, B) Hugh Jackson has a well-done cameo, and C) do I need to sing Fassbender's praises again? Seriously.

No. Seriously. He even pulls off the cape. Thank you, Google Images, for the yummy pic.

And for you gentlemen out there, January Jones does a nice job as the sassy and sexy White Queen.

If I lost you amongst my comic book memories, sorry! For those still with me, the amazing Zan Marie at In the Shade of the Cherry Tree tagged me. Check out my tag post here. Thanks, Zan!!!!!

And Crits for Water ends this month. If you haven't checked out Kat Brauer's awesome charity, follow the link. She's surpassed her goal. Yay! But there's still time for more.

-Marie

A New Goal! Time to Join the Challenge!

Ahh, peer pressure. Not so awesome when you're a teenager, but it seems to be an effective tool when it comes to my writing. Hmm...nope, that doesn't make a bit of sense to me either. Let me explain.

Distractions are everywhere. That's not exactly new information, so other than locking yourself in closet, putting on those 'ocean sounds' headphones that make you look a bit like the Great Gazoo, and pulling the plug on your internet connection, how do you fight back?


My answer? Great writer-friends and a CHALLENGE! So, here is your mission if you choose to accept it.


By July 31, 2011, you will have a completed manuscript ready for a read-through (with feedback) by at least one of your writer-friends.


That gives every one of us fifty one days of good, old-fashioned LIFE to writeWriteWRITE or editEditEDIT, and guess what? It's possible! Let's boil it down to numbers (hello, accountant!). If you're shooting for 60,000 words, you're looking at 1,177 per day, rounded. That's, give or take, five pages assuming a bit of dialogue.


This exercise is a lot like, well, exercise. :) Put it on your schedule like it's an appointment or a job, because, let's be honest, it is a job. We're writers. We write. Someday, there will be money involved. But back to my example. I roll out of bed (literally) around 4:30 in the morning, sleepwalk to my 'workout room' by 5:00am, and pop in a TurboFire DVD. Six days a week. It's as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth, flossing, driving to work, or any of the other hundred things I do without thinking (well, I think a little when I drive to work). Why is writing any different? By 6:00pm, I need to be in front of my laptop with at least two hours ahead of me.


Discipline, drive, dedication, desire. And the results? Well, that's up to you.


Will you take the challenge? Talk to your writer-friends, get a group together, set your goal, and go write! You will NOT regret it! :)


-Marie

Backspace Lesson #2: Be Positive!

The Key Note speaker at the Backspace Conference was none other than Jonathan Maberry, author of PATIENT ZERO and ROT AND RUIN and a slew of other books. I ran into him in the elevator after his talk and chatted for sixteen floors with him and his wife about absolutely nothing author-related. It was great! Published authors seem intimidating at first glance, but at one time (long, long ago), they were in my shoes, so imagine all the tidbits of wisdom they can share?

But I'm getting sidetracked...

Jonathan Maberry's message focused on The Power of Positivity. He emphasized that the world, especially the internet, is being crushed by a kind of gloomy despair, and at the end of the day, no one needs that. You don't need it. I don't need it. That girl in the third row wearing a pinstriped hat and glasses? Nope, she doesn't need it either. Bad things happen, true, and I'm not the kind of person who glosses over that fact, but for the things we can control (our tweets, our blogging, our actions), wouldn't we all be better off if we took a positive spin on as many things as possible? Definitely!

So, in the spirit of Positivity, I'm making a goal, right here right now, to bite my tongue on nagging complaints. 'It's hot.' 'I'm tired.' 'That celebrity's hair is stupid.' Blahblahblah, you get the idea. Will I catch them all? *shakes head* But I'll try my hardest. How about you? Any plans to be more positive? It's not going to completely alter who you are, but it might make your day a little more colorful. :)

To wrap up, let's (briefly) discuss a certain opinion piece from the Wall Street Journal. I won't link to it, because A) you've probably already seen it and B) well, I'll just bite me tongue on B). Anyway, a quick-and-dirty of the article is that YA is too dark, too pushing-the-envelope, and kids shouldn't be exposed to it. As a non-parent, I won't say that parents just don't understand (come on, Will Smith? DJ Jazzy Jeff? Yeah). But I had two parents who tried their best to give me a fantastic childhood free of the bigger and badder things in life, and I believe they succeeded, but not everyone grows up in Sciotoville, Ohio, and graduates in a class of 37 kids.

The world has teeth, and doesn't it pay to give kids/tweens/teens/young adults as much information as possible? Again, I'm no parent, but sex and drugs and rape and oppression and so many other things live in our great, big world. Education is our first line of defense. Read with your kids, and try not to judge a book by its cover. The marketing team that designed it may or may not have read the book. But, seriously, did I mention I'm not a parent? This is my own opinion and should be taken as such.

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them!

-Marie
  

One Night in Bangkok. The Hangover 2 in 100 Words!

I watched The Hangover, Part II on Saturday and wanted to share a quick, 100 word review.

The Hangover 2 (and really, the original Hangover) is the R-rated, 21st Century Three Stooges. The formula is the same as the first: three guys, somehow drugged, wake up with no memories, so many cans of wriggling, festering worms, and one missing person. But this time, they’re not in the states, and the first clues they find to their night of debauchery are a bloody finger, a drug-dealing monkey, and Mr. Chow. Ed Helms shines, half of the cast show us everything their momma’s gave them (not Bradley Cooper, sorry), and we get a, umm, happy ending.

Now, you'd think I'd learn not to blush at movies after watching Johnny Knoxville's latest in excruciating 3-D, but what can I say? There are just some things that, wow, this small town gal doesn't see coming.

In other news, the fabulous Andrew Leon tagged me on his blog. I'll go through the questions. Please feel free to not participate if I tag you. This is all in good fun!

What do you think of when you the hear the word tag?
Elementary school recess where the held-back-for-football jocks slapped us nerds (and proud of it!) so hard between the shoulder blades, we thought our lungs would forever live in our feet.

Do you think you're hot?

Well, that's certainly a loaded question...

Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.

Remember this one from my trip to the Olympic Peninsula (FORKS!). Take that, Mr. Elusive Rainbow, from the window of the speeding SUV!

When was the last time you ate chicken?

Before April 2011, but not sure of an exact date.

The song(s) you listened to recently.

Anything by My Chemical Romance. Love them! And I recently downloaded Songs for Japan. Heard Womanizer by Britney Spears at the Troy, Ohio Strawberry Festival yesterday. Seriously, it was playing over the main speakers. Yep. And I hope I don't lose any followers over this, but I LOVE that song!

What were you thinking as you were doing this?

Would GRAY WORLD, LAVENDER LOVE be a good title for my Kat Wake story?

Do you have nicknames? What are they?

Umm, I was Ohio at Backspace, but only because I was nicknaming people left and right, Zombieland style. What can I say? I'm terrible with names. I did learn everyone's actual names by the end of the conference.

Tag 8 3 blogger friends:

Yes, I changed the rules. Sorry! How about some Backspace people!

1. Laura Stanford!

2. Tonya Kuper (aka Nebraska)!

3.  Eliza Tilton!

My lovely support group for Day 2 of the conference. I love you all!

Who's listed as No. 1?

The incredible Laura! This girl could bottle Confidence and sell it at the Estee Lauder counter. We were in the same agent-author workshop (with Tonya and Eliza and a bunch of other incredible authors). Check out her query for her DARK YA, Girl in the Mirror. It sounds incredible. Can't wait to read it!

How did you get to know No. 3?

Eliza's YA Fantasy features a reptilian prince as the villain. Maybe I'm weird, but he sounds like a definite hottie to me. ;) That's about the size of my introduction when our workshop ended. The rest is...I'm not going to say history, but you know what I mean.

Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.

Dear Nebraska, You're a wonderful writer with a sassy, sexy story idea (Haute Mess!). Good luck submitting to all the agents you charmed, especially Scott Hoffman!

That's it! Thanks for sticking with me to the end. I'll be posting on Wednesday about the Backspace Key Note Speaker, Jonathan Maberry, and how his message relates to a certain Wall Street Journal article making its way around the writing community.

-Marie

Backspace Lesson #1 - MINGLE!

We all have those Social Butterfly moments, but if you're anything like me, they come on the heels of dreaded Cold Feet Syndrome. Clammy hands, dry mouth, knocking knees, nervous (and extremely loud and high-pitched) laughter. It's easier to make a beeline for the nearest restroom stall than calm down and introduce yourself.

Backspace gave me the opportunity to mingle with published and unpublished authors, agents, and other professionals in publishing. Tons of opportunities to mingle. The trick? A smidgen of confidence and diving right in.

Yes I flubbed up my pitch.

Of course I asked crazy questions.

No doubt I laughed way too loud and probably scared people away.

But those things happen to everyone. Especially the laughing thing. Please tell me someone else does that. Umm, seriously, does anyone do that? *crickets chirping* Yikes.

Anyway! It was the exceptional unpublished authors who boosted my confidence. People in my situation who weren't afraid to march up to the agent panel, introduce themselves, and see what happened. If Day One of the conference was finding my footing, Day Two was about standing taller, smiling more, and trying super duper hard to dim my hyena laugh. I give myself a 70% success rate on that. ;)

Thank you to Laura, Nebraska, Eliza, Koreen, and so many others for being brave, teaching me to mingle, and encouraging (and, at times, lovingly peer pressuring) me to take the plunge. It was beyond worth it!

How do you pump yourself up at conferences? Are you immune to Cold Feet? What's your trick? And I'm still waiting to hear about that laugh!

-Marie

May Books and Backspace Teasers!

June is here, darlings, and the heat is ON! :)

May was a great month for books!

5/11/11 - Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
I'm a YA girl. That's not a huge surprise, I know. And I usually gravitate toward the supernatural, but a friend at work loaned me Safe Haven. An emotionally damaged woman runs from her abusive husband and falls for a good man in a tiny, North Carolina Town. But her livid husband is on his way. I enjoyed this book once the husband/villain entered the story. Now, I'm not opposed to a romance. I'll swoon as quickly as the next gal, but the yummy conflict of Unconcerned Love versus He's Coming (with Jaws music) kept me reading. A sweet book with a happy ending for the good guys. hehe. See how I qualified that statement? Yeah.

5/15/11 - Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
The movie previews snagged me with their adorable main character and clean-cut love interest. I did feel there was something, I don't know, more to the story, though, so I bought the book. There was more! And, oddly enough, less. Rachel and Darcy (aka. Doormat and On-A-Pedestal) are life-long best friends. Then on Doormat's thirtieth birthday, she sleeps with Dex, On-A-Pedestal's fiance. Normally, I wouldn't root for the cheaters, but Darcy isn't what my mother would call a 'nice girl.' It's a good read as you wait for Rachel and Dex to get caught or for Darcy to acknowledge her flaws, but I doubt I'll pick up the sequel. I would certainly recommend the movie, though, if you need a no-thinking-required romantic comedy. :)

5/25/11 - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
The new Sookie!!!!! I can't say this was one of my favorites (I'm looking at you Eric-loses-his-memory-and-runs-naked-through-the-woods-YUM), but definitely not bad. The fae play a big role, Alcide makes an appearance, Mr. Sulky Intenserson (Bill) saunters back into Sookie's life, and there's hell-or-high-water drama with Eric. Charlaine Harris shows, once again, how well she makes her readers want to throw the book across the room. Then pick it back up and keep reading. :) And that, darlings, is how to tell a story!

5/25/11 - Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan
That date's not a typo. Flights are great ways to fly (no pun intended) through books. It helps that Patrick Ryan wrote a fantastic story. Twins Kyle and Judy like to compete. Well, Judy just likes to win. So when Garret, a maybe vamp with a dark aura, a talent with charcoal drawings, and a sexy 'way' about him, comes to live with the twin's family, the game is on. I loved Kyle! An out sixteen-year-old not ashamed of his feelings and completely comfortable with his body, he wants to find love. The readers want him to find love. With Garret. AND we want to know if Garret's really a vampire. Read this book. It's so worth it!

5/29/11 - When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

Please go read this book. Seriously. The journey...amaaazing. This YA spin on Carmen is intense, sultry, beautiful, and I guarantee you won't want to put it down. Solidad Reyes loves to dance. It's her life, so she surprises even herself when she turns down an enormous opportunity to instead spend the summer performing with a competitive, all-male drum and bugle corps (don't scoff, just check one out). She falls for two, very different guys, and OH MAMA, you have to read it. Twists, turns, and conflictconflictconflict. It's delicious. I had the opportunity to meet the author at Backspace, and between her being incredibly nice, the gorgeousness of that cover, and the lure of the dance, I bought it almost immediately. No regrets!

Plans for June:

My new author-friend Laura, who is amazing and will land an agent very soon, I just know it, ordered me to read City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, so I sent it to my Kindle on Monday. I met A.S. King at the conferece, but her book was sold out by the time I gave the bookseller all my money I made it to the table. From King's descriptions, I need (not just want, need) to read Please Ignore Vera Dietz. I bought five other books though and have a couple on my Kindle AND there are tons in my office staring up at me with Puss in Boots eyes. 'I know!,' I tell them. So, any one of those can round out my three for June.

But my main goal is to dive back into my Kat Wake story. I learned from describing and pitching at Backspace that the uniqueness of my story doesn't lie in the bargain Kat makes with the afterlife's gatekeeper, but in the romance. Why didn't this hit me before? Because I was so bogged down in sharpening my query and relaying 'the message' that I couldn't see the conflict. Conflict is what makes me and you and that dude in the back turn the page. As a risk-averse human being (hello, accountant!), I'm programmed to avoid conflict, and no one would want to read about my boring life. That's why I/we/readers escape into fiction. For the mess, the conflict, the disaster. For the thrills and the roller coaster. We love it. I love it, and I want to make my story stand out, so that you can fall in love with it as much as I have.

I want to make you turn the page.

What are your big reading/writing/arithmetic (umm, yeah, forget that last one) plans for June? Start with When the Stars Go Blue. Seriously.

-Marie

Back from NYC, and Special Guest Review of THOR!

I've returned from the Massive Apple and, boy, am I feeling the 'small cheetah in a big/huge/ginormous pond' soak out of my system. I miss it already!

I have so much to share about the Backspace conference. Even the word Awesome can't describe it, and that, my darlings, says something. Throughout the month of June, I'll pepper in some of the knowledge I gobbled up over my three days in NYC, recommend a ton of books by a group of amazing authors, and generally inundate you with why you need to go next year.

But for today, it's Movie Time!

I have a generous follower (mwahaha!) who volunteered to take over my weekly review while I was out of town. May I introduce...

Andrew Leon!

Check out his blog here, and enjoy the review!


If Marvel Studios has shown us one thing, it's that it knows how to cast a movie. I didn't know Chris Hemsworth before he was cast as Thor, but I can't think of anyone who would have done a better job. Everything about him says “Thor!” Men, make your significant others close their eyes when he has his shirt off. The Warriors Three are included, which is great, especially Ray Stevenson as Volstagg. Marvel could have pulled Asgard right out of a Jack Kirby drawing. It's amazing! Weak link? Natalie Portman. Anyone could have played Jane.


Thanks so much, Andrew! Any other thoughts on Thor? Love it? Hate it? Want a shiny hammer of your very own? Should I mention the, um, abs? Hello!?! ;)

June's almost here, people, and summer's around the corner! Break out the tank tops and flip-flops!

-Marie 

Building Marketable Products into Books

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Bella's wedding ring.

A Mockingjay pin.

Authors do a fantastic job of extending the reach of their story through the creation of marketable products. Is this intentional? Probably not, but it's smartsmartsmart. It's all a part of the visibility game.

Have you ever sampled a Chocolate Frog? I sure have! It's about two inches of solid milk chocolate shaped like a flattened amphibian. Absolutely nothing special, right? But I paid my two bucks and enjoyed every bite (yep, just the one). The magic of Rowling's books made that sub-par sweet a mouth-watering thing of beauty.

Have you created something like this in your book? Something small, maybe, that moves your story forward, but could also be sold to readers wanting to show their love. Like a golden pin with a bird and an arrow. I'll have one before the end of March 2012. I can almost guarantee it. And speaking of, have you seen the latest Entertainment Weekly? Yeah...awesome!

I'm leaving for Backspace today (YAY!), so my Friday post will be invisible, but I'll be back next week with a movie review from a Special Guest, as well as a recap of my first trip to a major conference!

But before I go, I wanted to mention the disaster in Joplin, MO. I don't live in Missouri, but I am a Midwesterner, and like the earthquake in Japan and the tornadoes in Alabama, this one hit me very hard. Some people lost everything they owned. Cars, homes, photo albums, Christmas ornaments. Large things, small things, some replaceable, and others so sentimental and loved that are now gone forever. There are people still waiting for loved ones to be found.

So, why do we ever wait in life? I mean, my wonderful mother is the classic example of 'well, I'm sure I'll do that before I die.' No! Prioritize the things you want to try/experience/see, and do them. Live. LIVE. LIVE!  And enjoy every second of your life. I realize there are financial hurdles that have to be cleared, but make it happen. My heart flies out to that town and the others affected yesterday, as well as those that will be touched today (yes, that storm system is doing its best to introduce itself to the entire Plains, Midwest, and Southern states). Please be safe, take warnings seriously, and remind those around you how much you care. I appreciate all of you for being part of my life. You give my cheetah her wings! 

-Marie

Pirates...On Stranger Tides, a Swashbuckling Review in 100 Words

No Knightley. No Bloom. But the latest Pirates doesn’t need them. In the spirit of the first movie, we get elaborate swordfights set to daring, dramatic music. Like the second and third installments (which I loved), there are plotlines galore. Jack, as usual, wants the Pearl, Barbossa wants Blackbeard, Blackbeard wants the Fountain of Youth. Actually, most of the characters on the border of the story want the Fountain of Youth (hello, PLOTLINES). The mermaids terrify and amaze. I loved them! And, oh yeah, there’s a shirtless, scrumptious missionary.

With a cliffhanger ending, I’m game for another round. Savvy?

Jumped right into it, didn't I? :)

Thinking of the Pirates franchise, I'm reminded of the very best episode (my opinion) of Ask a Ninja. Watch it here. Keep in mind, again, I liked the second and third movie. I ooohed when Elizabeth kissed Jack. I oh-no'd when the sword pierced Will's heart. I'm a fan. I also liked the last Matrix movie. Please, no rotten vegetables! But the Ask a Ninja review is hilarious. If you haven't seen it, scroll up and click.

Go see Pirates! Let me know what you thought of it!

-Marie

  

Encouragement When We Need It the Most

You must, Must, MUST read this post.

I've lurked on The Rejectionist's website since I joined the blogging community. Remember my Wednesday post about Cleverness? Yeah, well, the comments are always so amazingly, snorting-laugh Little Bear's Porridge!* Anything I write may fall flat, but I had to get my Sentimental Cheetah on for that awesome post.

Read it. Wallow in it. Take encouragement from it. Then go write 1,000 words. :)

-Marie

* That JUST happened! Make it stick, people. hehe

It's Not Funny if You Have to Explain It

Some people are born clever. Their jokes make us laugh in that startled way where your brain has a hiccup before it realizes it's in the presence of Awesome. And comebacks? Please! Quick, yet well thought out. The perfect combination.

Other people have to work for Clever, and alas, there are those who try for it, but never succeed. I'll quickly admit I sit on the fence between those two. Not a bad thing, but true as can be. I have to explain my witticisms. *cringe* I know! They're never funny when you have to explain them. By then, that moment of magic is gone, scooped up and tucked away by the lucky ones in that first group.

But Talking Clever and Writing Clever stand worlds apart. When we write, we can throw it all out there, then edit out the crummy, not-funny stuff. Think of a first (or second or third) draft. You wrote/typed until your pinkies cramped and your eyes went on strike. When you went back through your masterpiece, there were inside jokes and the most hilaaaaaarious quotes that on second thought need more explanation for your reader to 'get them.' I've backspaced my way through many gems (sarcasm, sarcasm).

My personal favorite held on for a couple drafts. I'm the Pierce of YA apparently, because I want so badly for a phrase to catch on. Little Bear's porridge. You say it when something's perfect, when you're feeling all kinds of spectacular. And now that I've explained it, 1) the smidgen of cleverness flew out the window and 2) you're all wondering why you follow this blog. :) Ultimately, that beauty and many (MANY) others like it died a painless death before my current version. And we're all better for it. Trust me.

Does this sound familiar? What are your truly shining mistakes? So laugh-out-loud funny when you wrote them and beyond embarrassing a month later. Sharing is caring!

-Marie

Movie Review! Priest in 100 Yummy Words

The weekends fly faster than the Cheetah!


It's Monday all over again, darlings. I'll give a rousing Good Morning to at least a dozen people who will answer with a groan and an exaggerated eye roll. In Office-speak, they're saying 'well, good morning, Gorgeous!' That's how I choose to hear it anyway. :)


But enough about me. Let's talk about Paul Bettany's Priest.

The previews scared me. Eyeless vamps snapping at an American-accented Bettany and the always yummy Cam Gigandet (another Twilighter who shows us what a difference a tan can make). I expected to jump out of my seat often. But Priest isn’t just a vampfest. Think V for Vendetta meets Vampire Western meets samurai hero drama setting itself up for a sequel. Bettany and Maggie Q create fantastic chemistry, but Karl Urban’s creepy factor misses the mark. Should’ve taken a lesson from Blue in Sucker Punch. An interesting world has been built into a not-so-terrible action movie. Give it a try.  

I'm your classic case of Loves Vampires mixed with Enormous Wussy. The Lost Boys gave me the heeby jeebies. The new Fright Night, which stars Colin Farrell and previewed before Priest, launched a flying V of goosebumps in under two minutes. Any Rated R Valentine's Day release? Not for this girl. But I heart Paul Bettany. A Knight's Tale, Beautiful Mind. Sigh. Love that man. So I braved Scaryville and don't regret it.


I'm still looking for a guest movie reviewer for the weekend I'm at Backspace. If you're interested, let me know. Thanks for visiting the Cheetah!


-Marie

Technological Tailspin, but Back on Track

I planned a Friday the Thirteenth post for yesterday, but with the Blogger mushroom cloud, it didn't happen. Obviously. So, in the spirit of the blogging community's issues yesterday, a post about technology sprang to mind.

First question: Do you save often?

Second question: Do you save elsewhere?

Third question: Do you protect what you save?

All of these questions revolve around NOT losing your data. All those lousy first drafts, delicious outlines, to-die-for manuscripts polished to a gleaming shine. Save them on your computer? Well, if it kicks the bucket, they're gone. Flittering off to the Heaven of the Technological Tailspin. Even auto-save couldn't help you there.

So, how do you keep it from happening? I'm the queen of the flash drive. Do you email drafts to yourself? Save on Google docs? Store on multiple computers? But how much is too much? Is there ever too much? :)

Some reminders of awesomeness happening RIGHT NOW!

Crits for Water - Kat's almost halfway to her goal. There are a ton of fantabulous agent/author/editor critiques to be won!

Help Write Now - There aren't many days left to bid! Signed books/ARC's, critiques for queries/synopses/partials/full manuscripts. You name it, they're auctioning it off. Wow! Between this one and Crits for Water, my greed monster is gnawing the bars of his cage. 'I want, I want, I want!' he snarls between bites. Feed your own green monster and BID!

All 4 Alabama - Another great cause after the Spring storms of April/May tore through the South. I haven't looked closely at all the auctions, but it's on my to-do for to-day (harhar, I'm hilaaaarious). But ignore my dorky humor and help those who lost, well, everything. I'm still a firm believer that disasters bring out the very best in people!


One last thing! I need a guest movie reviewer for the weekend of May 27-29. I'm so super excited to be going to Backspace (SQUEEEEEAL!), but I'll miss that weekend of movie-going. Any volunteers? My only rules are that the movie is still in theaters (first run, second run, doesn't matter), I haven't already reviewed it, and your review is not more than 100 words. Whoever is kind enough to do it will get a little thank-you something in addition to having your review posted on the Cheetah. Let me know!

-Marie

Yin and Yang - Finding that Beautiful Balance

Opposites exist only in relation to one another.

Ahhh, the wisdom of Wikipedia. :)

But there is wisdom in that statement. Without love, could we have hate? If there were no poor, would there ever be rich? Weak and strong? Diet and regular? Chocolate Frosty and Vanilla Frosty?

You get the idea. So, if all of that holds up, well, except the Frosty one (or especially the Frosty one...), then Miss Yin and Mr. Yang exist in our writing. Good boy and bad boy. Dark and Light. Good and evil. And the opposites intrique us. Take Lisa DesRochers's PERSONAL DEMONS. Luc and Gabe (Lucifer and Gabriel, Hell and Heaven) are after Frannie. Luc has dark hair, wears dark clothes, drives a black muscle car. Gabe is a blondie bear in light colors with all white furniture in his house. By the way, the author admits she included the cliques on purpose. But my point is that without the distinct opposites, we may see, GASP, similarities and be tempted to ride the fence.

But isn't it more thrilling when the cut-and-dry falls away. When the villain shows us a hint of something, just a whiff of goodness, and we start to think, 'Wait a minute...did he just...but I...' Or the hero narrows her eyes when she shouldn't. Decides not to show mercy when she knows it's right.

Yeah, you know what I mean. It's the gray area that hooks us and reels, reels, reels us in.

Do you ignore Yin and Yang in your writing? Prance about in the wonderful world of gray? :) What do you prefer as a reader? Are 'gray' characters more realistic? Do you expect to see the more black-and-white characters in books for younger readers? Do they deserve the gray as much as us old-timers (for the record, I'm twenty eight and seriously kidding about the whole 'old-timers' thing)?

Completely unrelated! I owe you all an apology. I've been a terrible blog follower lately, and I can't even blame the fact that my Blogger dashboard has been wiped clean (although, oddly enough, that has happened). Busy month, post A to Z laziness, new WIP. Pick your excuse.

I'm sorry! I love you all! I promise to try harder!

-Marie

100! Word! Review! Something Borrowed

It's that time again!

What time?

Ummmm, well, movie time! Yep, Movie Time! Here are my thoughts on Something Borrowed in one hundred, marshmallow-filled word sandwiches (no idea...just, no idea).

I LOVE John Krasinski. Seriously. His character supports, but never lies, and he pushes Dex to, well, be a man about what’s going on. What is going on, you ask? Well, Dex is sleeping with Rachel, his fiancé’s BFF. Trust me, you’ll root for them after seeing Hudson play the cliqued ME-ME-ME bridezilla. You'll tune her out and watch the adorable Krasinski. He’s pretty hilarious too.

A cute dance scene, one awwww-worthy I love you, and the shy pushover wins in the end. It felt rushed, though, so I bought the book. Oscar-worthy? Um, no, but just plain fun.  

That's it! Hope you enjoyed. This movie's light-and-happy mingles well with next week's dark-and-evil (Priest). Have you seen Something Borrowed? Any movies you just can't wait to see? How about books? Any word on the new Sookie book? No, I haven't started mine (I know, I know. Awful!).

-Marie

April Books. What's on tap for May?!

April showers? Umm, let me think.

May flowers?

Seriously, how many of you at least thought about pilgrims? No one?

The month of May has so much in store for us. Summer movie season kicks off, I'm going to Backspace (!!!!!), Mother's Day, Memorial Day. Anyone planning on camping? Cookouts? Bonfires? How about Sookie? Yes, the new book comes out this month. Mine arrived yesterday, and I can't wait for an Eric fix. Yum.

The New Year's (fitness) Resolutions are going strong! YAY! I'm still kickin' it vegetarian style. It's a lesson in discipline and makes me feel lighter, stronger. My second round of TurboFire continues. By the end of June, I hope to be in my target weight range, as well as see some proof of abs (a hugely tough goal, let me tell you). We'll see what happens. Excited!

My April books were...diverse...yes, that's the best word.

4/10/11 - Room by Emma Donoghue
In the spirit of The Lovely Bones, I thought this was a good book, a unique idea, but ultimately one of the creepiest stories I've ever read. You watch life from an 8x8 soundproof shed through the eyes of a five year old who thinks Outside isn't real, that Room and Ma and Bed and Duvet are the only really real things in the universe. After finishing that book, I was in serious need of a light and fluffy YA about vampire hotties. Or, you know, the next Sookie book. :) Did I mention that's coming out in May? Oh, I did? Hmm...

4/17/11 - Real Vampires Have Curves by Gerry Bartlett
I wanted a less serious book, and that's exactly what I got. :) Glory's a curvalicious vamp who rocked the twenties and is opening her own business in the here-and-now. Two hotties want her, she has a shifter living across the hall, and a religious fanatic is taking out vamps in Austin. I doubt I'll read the sequel, but the idea of shedding the super skinny female vamp image was cute. A little long, though, with sex scenes out of nowhere, and more accent in the dialogue than I like. The labradoodle bodyguard probably has the best lines. And he eats Cheetos!

4/18/11 - The Hating Game by Talli Roland
Such a cute, quick read! British entrepreneur Mattie Johns goes on a dating gameshow for the prize money, but gets a heckuva lot more. This book reminded me of Elizabeth Young's Asking for Trouble and A Promising Man, both of which I own and love. Snappy Brit MC with guy troubles and an attitude. It also makes me think twice about the 'reality' of reality shows. :) Definitely recommend. Talli Roland has a great blog, too, if you're interested.

4/26/11 - Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Holy. Hot. Dog. I couldn't stop reading. Writing, criting (sorry WH Crit girls), blogging, BREATHING! All were put on hold for this book, and at the end, I swear I screamed to the heavens. The government has labeled love a disease, and people are basically lobotomized at age eighteen to be 'cured.' A few months before her procedure, Lena gets infected (she falls in love). I'm still catching my breath. Everyone needs to read this, like, yesterday! I may have to pass on my copy in some kind of contest. Anyone interested?


Plans for May:

Umm, well there's that one book... :) Also, I won Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan in the Write Hope auction, and a girl at work loaned me a Nicholas Sparks book (Safe Haven, maybe. Can't remember!). That's my plan. I also want to get another huge chunk of my new WIP on paper/Word doc and go through my Kat Wake story again before Backspace.

How about your plans for May? What are your goals? Delirium? You will NOT regret it. Sookie? Yeah, me too!

Don't forget about Crits for Water! Check out Help Write Now too! And Teralyn's working toward the conference of her dreams. Stop by and help if you're able!

-Marie

A to Z Reflections and an IMPOSTER!

The A to Z Challenge ended last Saturday, and I finished it! Congrats to everyone else who took the challenge! Whether you made it to the end or fell short, it was super fun while it lasted. We talked about everything under the sun, moon, and stars in April.

On Writing.
We debated using Accents in dialogue, tried to figure out why Edward and his vamp bros always think they're right, traded tips on beating reader boredom, and discussed Jar Jar Binks and characters that weren't as well received as the author intended. I told you about Secrets in my WIP and asked about yours. ;) We even talked about blog post titles being mini-pitches. Then we waged the battle of the eX's.

On Books, Movies, and Television
I recapped my Books from March and reviewed Sucker Punch, Arthur, Source Code (LOVED IT), and Water for Elephants (LOVED IT, the sequel) in 100 words each. We dived into the world of The Hunger Games, Atlas Shrugged, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother, Twilight, and Peter Pan. And, oh yeah, Harry Potter! Holy hot dog, have you seen the new DH trailer? I finished my fan fiction discussion (hello, Mr. Malfoy!), and Taz made an appearance.

On Blogfests and Follower Praise
The Now Starring Blogfest and the Query Help Blogfest came and went. Thanks so much to everyone who sent feedback on my query! I did an I-Love-You-Followers post when I reached 100 and another gushy post toward the end of the month asking why you write ('because I must' was the top answer).

On Miscellaneous
There was a random post about balancing diet and exercise, which brought up balancing everything else in life. If I never had to sleep and could spend half as much time in the office for the same weekly paycheck, my WIP would never fall behind. :)

WOW! What a fantastic month. Tiring, sure, but worth every minute. Thanks to all of the hosts! We should do this again some time (like, next year maybe!). :)

And finally, an IMPOSTER!

Don't be fooled by the wings and spots! hehe

-Marie

Limitless Review. 100 Word Limit!

A to Z is over, but the movies never end. Thank goodness for that, right? Right.

Limitless hit the second run theater this week, and I was fortunate enough to see Bradley Cooper in a serious role. Sure, The Hangover wasn't all fun and games, but Limitless? Completely different animal. If you've wondered about this movie, here are my thoughts in, drumroll please, one hundred, delicious words.


Eddie Mora loses his girlfriend and his sanity in the same afternoon. The first because he's a loser. The second because he takes a magic pill. This untested drug opens up the eighty percent of the brain humans can't access. Now, Eddie's limitless. He finishes his book, cuts his scraggly hair, makes mega money on the stock market, but can't remember chunks of his life. Side effects? Ruh-roh! The cinematography made me dizzy, and the narration distracted from the story. And Cooper slurps blood off his apartment floor. *shudder* Interesting concept, but not as visually pleasing as I'd hoped. 


There you have it! I'll post an April book review on Wednesday and an A-Z Challenge recap for you on Friday. Summer movie season is here! What will you see? Well, other than that one on July 15. :) EXCITED!!!!!

-Marie

Zippers and the End of the Challenge

ZZzzzzziiiiiiiP

Whether you hear it in the movies, see it on television, or read it in a book, that unmistakable sound of metal teeth mashing together or ripping apart sends our brains to certain places. Maybe a cramped restroom stall, behind the dressing curtain at your favorite department store, or even a cold and windy morning jog.

But for me, I always see a dilapidated building, a blond man, and the coolest hero in the world.

Have you guessed yet? :) For the letter 'Z' and my final post for the A to Z Challenge, let's talk Buffy, zippers, and unhealthy relationships.

In the whirlwind that was Buffy's Season Six, Joss Whedon gave all of us Spike-lovers a break and let our Blondie Bear have a taste of his Slayer. They finally kissed as the music swelled at the end of Once More with Feeling (a real kiss, people, not a Buffy Bot kiss). Another tease in Tabula Rasa, which might be one of my favorite episodes.

Then the zipper.

Punches, insults, kicks, threats, kisses, zzziiiiiiP. And they brought the building down. My college roomie and I just looked at each other with owl eyes and 'O' mouths. Did they really just...nah, surely not...oh my...are they...and then the episode ended.

HOLY HOT DOG!

It was certainly a night to remember. That season focused on unhealthy relationships and decisions. Buffy had Spike, Willow had crazy magic (drugs), Dawn turned all kleptomaniac, Xander left Anya at the alter, Anya scurried back to the Vengeance Demon fold, the Nerd Trio (LOVE THEM) tried out villainy, but in the end, characters died, Friendship won out, and Spike got a soul. Good times!

Have you ever written a zipper sound into your writing? Is it the best way to begin a love/sex scene? It was effective on that Buffy episode, but so awkward. Maybe that's why I remember it so vividly. Yeah, um, I'm positive that's the only reason I remember that episode. hehe

The A to Z Challenge comes to an end today. My posting schedule will relax back to three days a week starting Monday. It's been a wild ride! So many new faces and fantastic blogs. If you made it, congratulations! If not, there's always next year. :) I'll do a wrap up some time next week, but for now, enjoy the weekend!

-Marie

You! Yes, youYouYOU!!!!!

Why do you write?

The million dollar question, right?

Why do you write?

The notoriety? The money? The warm and fuzzy feeling when you see your name in print?

Why do you write?

To get your story out there? To share a message? To meet other people?

Why do you write?

To go to conferences? To make your free time worth while?

Why do you write?

Because your characters are just as important as real people? Because they have voices that deserve to be heard?

Why do you write?

For me? For your mother? Father? Siblings? Super awesome cousins or friends or blog followers?

Why do you write?

How about for you? Yes. For YOU!

Because YOU are important. YOU are the million dollar question. YOU are notorious, money, warm, and fuzzy. YOU have a story, a message. I want to meet YOU on blogs, at conferences, in your free time. YOU make your characters important and loved, give them voice. Write for YOU. Exist for YOU.

YOU are everything. Never forget it. :)

A big thanks to Christine for unknowingly inspiring me to do this oh-so-sappy post. I appreciate all of you! Thanks for visiting my tiny piece of the world.

-Marie

'X' Marks the Spot. Ex-loves in your story

We all have ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, ex-somethings. We loved them, laughed with them, left them (because, of course, they never left us. No sir). They shaped the way we view the world. They even contributed to the people we are today whether we admit it or not. :)

So, it makes perfect sense that exes show up in our writing, especially in the land of YA. At seventeen, all I wanted was a boyfriend. All the popular girls had boyfriends. All the popular guys had girlfriends. I needed in on that! It was the best of times...for a while. Then came the worst of times. Major heartbreak occured and left me and all of my friends (bless them) in a wallowing pit of ice cream-laden misery. I believe the concept of peanut butter pancakes with chocolate and marshmallow syrup came into existence over a break-up.

And the world is better because of it.

So, how do exes shape your story? Do they pine for your MC? Is there vicious hate going on? How about a best friend hooking up with an MC's ex? Oh, the possibilities! And all of them make for a dramatic, earth-shattering plot twist. Those only-too-real happenings keep me coming back to YA over and over, remembering my own experiences and wishing I had another chance to do it all again. :)

-Marie

Voracious Readers - Taz prefers e-books?

If you want to be a good writer, you need to read voraciously.

Be a voracious reader.

Read with voraciousness at a minimum Level Orange.

You hear/read these things all the time (okay, so maybe not that last one), and for the most part, we do and we are and we try. So, why is it that every time I see the word 'voracious,' I think of one and only one thing?



Yes, ladies and gents. Taz.

Though he may not be the most well-spoken or mild-mannered of his species, Taz embodies the word 'voracious.' Having a very eager approach to an activity. This is the first definition that Google gives me. Actually, that's not true. The very first is 'wanting or devouring large quantities of food,' which does fit. *nods head, nods head* But my point (I think I have one) is that we writers can learn a lot from Taz.

1. Be yourself. If we all reach Taz levels of Awesome, no one will mind if we spit everywhere, destroy massive trees, buildings, and assorted cartoon characters in our personal vortex, or write what's in our hearts.

2. Eloquent speech is for television and radio personalities. Not a great speaker? The idea of approaching an agent or editor in a packed room at a conference makes you hyperventilate? Well, that's why we write, but never forget the most important thing Taz teaches us. See #1.

3. E-books rule. I bet my Kindle could survive a Taz tantrum. Paper books? Oh, you mean confetti? heh

4. For further emphasis, see #1. It really is important.

A big congrats to KATRINA who won my crazy-mistake Deathly Hallows Part 1 Blu-Ray giveaway! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter. :)

What are you voraciously reading right now? April's coming to an end. Don't you want to read one more book before Sunday? Come on. I know you do. Everyone's doin' it (can you say 'peer pressure?)! :)

-Marie

 

Water for Elephants. The Circus Spectacular in 100 Words!

I'm switching 'W' and 'V' in the A to Z Challenge. Yep, it's happening. :) I hope you'll forgive my second switch of the month, but I was fortunate enough to see Water for Elephants last Saturday. I didn't want to keep my review in limbo for too long. Feel free to eat up these delicious one hundred words with a golden spork!


Robert Pattinson plays Jacob, a Cornell almost-grad who loses everything when his parents die the day of his final veterinarian exams. He hops a circus train to escape his life. With a schizophrenic ringmaster (Waltz), a bewitching main act (Witherspoon), and a four ton elephant, Jacob keeps busy. Pattinson shows us he’s more than a sparkling tween idol, but Waltz steals the show with his terrifying Jekyll and Hyde routine. Witherspoon is lovely, the menagerie impresses 'rubes' and moviegoers alike, and Rosie the Elephant reminds that animals feel, understand, and love just like humans. A beautiful two hours!




And that's it!


April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month, and this movie was a great reminder that our furry friends need a hand every so often. Open your heart when you're able. Trust me. You won't regret it!


AND another Water for Elephants fan, the lovely Zan Marie at In the Shade of the Cherry Tree, is five followers away from a major milestone. Can anyone help her out? It'll be fun. Would I, could I, lie to you?


I'll announce the Deathly Hallows Blu-Ray winner tomorrow! Thanks for everyone who threw out their fave characters. We all know the Cheetah likes her bad boys. *cough* Malfoy *cough*


-Marie