The Paperback Shack....

So.... Today's blog post is about used bookstores... Let's hear it people. Yay or Nay?

Monday, I went out in search of a novel that neither Borders or my local Library had. So I mosied on into a local used bookstore that I heard about but never visited.


I loved it! They had a huge selection! And that surprised me...In my honest opinion, I think that the independently owned stores are going to thrive in the future staying a float while the corporate stores sink.

I got a personal experience there that I don't think the massive chains offer. The employee working chatted at me with at least twenty minutes on her love of books, what she likes to read, and what books she thought I might like.

And I'm sorry, when I walk into my local Borders or B&N I don't ever feel that way. It's all mechanical and maybe it's just my area, but when I ask for help in finding a book, I always feel like I'm bothering the associate I'm asking.

Maybe some people think different. Maybe it's just me. I'm so the type of person that would rather go to a hole in the wall type of place--that has spirit-- than go to some modern, swanky place that is all the rave.

In the end, I think if you've never gone to a used bookstore, you should try it. You never know what you might walk out with!

Cheers!

A New Kind Of Mythology...

I love Greek myths. Well, I pretty much love any kind of mythology. So this year is proving to be awesome already, with the releases of all the modernized Greek Mythology books.

I don't know about you guys, but when I was in school, we had a special semester of english that was completely dedicated to mythology. It was without a doubt my favorite part of the class all year.

So you can imagine my excitement when I read about all of the re-imaginings that are being released this year...

And here's one of them. This week's Book of the week is: The Goddess Test by: Aimee Carter.

Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails...(summary from goodreads)

You know I'll be reading this one...

Out of all the the god's, Hades is my favorite. Many people look at me and ask why? Sure, he's dark, brooding, and is capable of wicked behavior. But, in my opinion, there's more to him than that. And I like the fact the he remains mysterious. How about you? If you love mythology as much as I do. Which god is your favorite and why?

Cheers!

Do You Have The "Write" Stuff?

Good morning Literary World!

I hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend and is ready to kick their week off with a bang!

Today we're going to talk about rejection and how to deal with it.

Listen, we have to face the fact that there are billions of people in the world with billions of different personalities. Not everybody is going to like your work. And if you write fiction, it's subjective. One person may love what you've written while another one might not.

We all get the rejection blues. Every writer at some point in their career has received their fair share of rejection letters.

So here are some tips on handling rejection.

1. If you, for any reason receive a rejection letter, do not email the person who sent it, and harass them. I get it. You've slaved over your piece, you think it's perfect, and it may be --- but there may be other reasons why it was rejected. You don't want to damage the relationship with the publishing professional in case you want to submit to them in the future.

2. Chalk it up as experience. That's a line my mother always tells me. So maybe you didn't get where you wanted to be with your first novel. Move on to the next one. That's the beauty of being a writer. Our minds are a creative canvas. I know you have more than one stellar book brewing in that little brain of yours.

3. Don't give up. I'll admit, getting rejection after rejection can seem daunting and depressing. But I can't stress self- belief and perservearance enough. (I know. I talk about it a lot.)But its true.

I hope some of this helps!

Cheers!

Keep On Keepin' On

To round up the week and take you into the weekend, I thought I'd leave you with a little inspirational quote.

Self-doubt. We all have it every once in a while. Sometimes life deals you an unfair hand and it can lead to added stress.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.~ Sylvia Plath

Should Hollywood Make Novels Into Movies?

Today's post was sparked by my utter disappointment in the movie Beastly, which I saw yesterday, with my sister.(And my sister who is an RN mind you says she felt like she was watching a homemade movie)

I really enjoyed the book and I WISH I could say the same for the movie, but I can't. In fact, what makes me the most disappointed is that I wasted ten dollars on a ticket when I should have just waited until it came out on DVD.

Now, most of you don't know that I write sceenplays, so when I go see a movie, maybe I over analyze it while I'm watching.Sometimes, I find myself shouting no- no, you shouldn't open it there or the dialogue doesn't flow. And a lot of people blame the actors. It's not necessarily their fault.

When actors are thought of for the movie, they do a screen test together to see if they have chemistry. In my opinion, for Beastly, Pettyfer and Hudgens had none.

A lot of their scenes together weren't believable. Their affection for one another looked forced and awkward. I found myself laughing during scenes that were supposed to be serious.

I can say though, that I adored Mary-Kate Olsen as Kendra and Neil Patrick Harris as Will.

With that said, it brings me back to the title of this post. Should Hollywood Make Novels Into Movies? Yes. If they do it right.

Let's face it, the movies are NEVER as good as the books, and there is no way they can be. Mainly because a novel can be up to 500 pages and some of the things have to be left out.(Nobody wants to sit through an 8 hr movie)But you should be able to sit through a film and be like, yeah they really did a good job on that.

EX. Harry Potter movies~ Even though the books are better, the movies are still Brilliant!

In conclusion, I have to say that Beastly was a monstrosity and I'm not talking about Pettyfer's make-up job.

Now let's hope Lionsgate does a stellar job and doesn't screw up The Hunger Games.

This post is not meant to discourage anyone from seeing Beastly. I'm just stating my opinion. You might think different.

Cheers!

Beauty....Is Only Skin Deep...

I did a post on this book a while ago, making it book of the week. Like I said before, I'm a huge fan of re-tellings and Beauty and The Beast is one of my favorite fairytales.

I am a beast.
A beast!
Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll, stay this way forever ruined unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a lovely, quick, and fun read.

You know the author does a good job of sucking you into the story when you feel like you see the whole thing unfolding before your eyes. In the beginning, I despised Kyle. I went to school with at least a dozen of guys who were just like him. And when he turned into Adrian, that's when my dislike slowly started to fade. You see, a whole different side of him. Yes, he hated what he had become( a beast.) But, in my opinion, once he starts to accept it and change his whole outlook on life, that's where the real beauty in this story unfolds.

As for Lindy, and maybe this is because this is told from Kyle/Adrian's Pov, I felt like I could relate to Kyle/Adrian more.

Personally, I never thought looks were that big of a deal. There is so much more to a person that what they look like on the outside. To me, inner beauty is much, much, much more important.

Pick this up! I'm certain you'll enjoy it!

Cheers!

True Love Can Overcome Any Obstacle....

As most of you know, I have a new novel being released as of October 2011. So I have a little treat for you... Here is the teaser trailer of The Truth About Delilah!!!!

When In Doubt.... Write About It.

I don't know about you guys but, I write or read 24/7. Very seldomnly will you find me without a book in my hand or away from the computer.

It seems like everyday I get a new idea and have to write it down. And I know sometimes, the whole writing process can seem daunting but, it's important that you push through, letting that creative mind of yours do the work.(if you're as passionate about it as I am, it's not work.)


Here are some important tips to ensure you have the best possible book, when writing.

1. Don't rush it. Don't just write to write. Take your time and develop your story from beginning to end. The story flows better when a lot of thought is put into it.

2. Create real scenarios.(if your writing fantasy, that's different.) Most people want to really put themself in the character's shoes. For me, if I can't relate to the character, it's an epic fail.

3.Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite. No novel is going to be perfect the first time around. Sometimes, it takes three or four times rewriting it to get it where you want it to be.

4. Have fun!

Hope some of these help.

Cheers!

Jane Eyre... Do you know where the wicked go?

Jane Eyre has to be without a doubt one of my most favorite novels ever... So what do I do with my favorite novels? I re-read them.

Honestly, it's been years since I've read the original Jane Eyre. So when I saw a reading challenge posted on goodreads, naturally, I hopped right on board that bandwagon.

Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester.

The loneliness and cruelty of Jane’s childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman's quest for self-respect.(summary from goodreads)

If you love Jane Eyre the way I do, this reading challenge would be an excellent way to fall in love with a classic all over again.

And the movie comes out this week! I can't wait to see it.

And some more fantastic news! The author of Jane (the modern re-telling of Jane Eyre.) Has a new modern adaption coming out... Of Wuthering Heights!!! And it's called Catherine. Look out for that. You know I will be.

Cheers!

Pittacus Lore Walks Among Us

Okay. I'm gonna be brutally honest here and tell you that I bought this book for two reasons.

1. The guy on the cover is hot.

2. One of the co-authors is from my home state.(gotta support my fellow Ohioians)

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.
I AM NEXT

Truthfully, I didn't think I was going to like this book.I bought it and thought hey, what the hell, I'll give it a try.

But..... I was totally wrong.

Half-way into, I found myself flipping over page after page, dying to get to the next part.

I got completely sucked into John's world. And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Paradise, Ohio reminds me of the small town in Ohio I grew up in.

And also because it was action packed. Between John being on the run, developing his legacies(special powers), and trying to deal with normal teenage things (even though he is not normal) like your first love as a teen, this book provides all of that and more.

I'd recommend I Am Number Four to anyone. And if you're like me and think you might not like it, you could be wrong... Because I ended up loving it!

Now... I can't wait to see the movie... Let's hope that doesn't disappoint.

Cheers!