Tune in Tuesday (9)

Tune in Tuesday is a snazzy feature that you can find at GReads and gives you the chance to show off some of your favorite songs or new finds!

Another song that needs no Intro here guys :)

Because it's...

SIMPLY THE BEST!

NaNoWriMo Post #6 :)

Oooooo 2 posts in one day guys. How spoiled are you feeling? ;) Only kidding.

I thought I would share a few extracts from my NaNoWriMo attempt. If you follow my twitter account you may have already seen these. So, yip everything that is about to come has come out of my brain - scary place *shiver*. But here goes.

 ""I'll look after Maia! I'm a boy." he said, like that explained everything. My feminist side began to splutter and start to life at this proclamation of manhood from a toddler, but it was just too cute so I let it pass. I would give him at least another year before I grilled equality into his masculine little skull."

My mom didn't approve of my one and only friend. She had this pre-conceived notion that all football players are, well, players. And all cheerleaders are what said footballer players, um, play. Talk about stereotyping huh.… 

There is honestly no winning with her when she decides on something. She is like a bull dog, or a Rottweiler... Actually a rabbit trap would be the best description. You know the kind - the metal ones with the sharp teeth that go 'clang' when they are sprung and they either chop your foot off then and there or have you bleeding to death on the forest floor before you can get it off. Yip that is my best friend all over. 

Night everyone :)

Reasons Why ...Parents

Hi everyone, I am sorry that things have been a little quiet around here the past week or so but with NanNoWriMo going on I haven't had that much spare time and then what time I did have has been used with hospital visits to by grandmother who was admitted to hospital last week. 

But never mind about that. I have some down time finally and so you are going to get a review...well kinda a review, more like half a review. Ok it is a rant. 

Now please don't think that just because I am ranting I am not enjoying the book that I will be talking about because I really am but this is something that has been bubbling away in the back of my head for a while. 

It seems that everyone has read The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, but I only pocked it up a few months ago and it kind of set of the domino affect of pet peeves in my mind as I was reading. 

I haven't yet finished this book - I am half way through it - and like I said I am enjoying it but It has just seemed to bring together too many of my teeth grinding grievances with YA fiction lately. 

The Rant. 

Would it be impossible for the heroine in a modern fantasy YA novel to actually have a decent and well balance home and social life. I get that it makes for interesting story telling and reading when your main character is the outcast but it does get a little old though. And I understand how it works wonders for story development as our heroine goes from being the social leper to a strong, assertive, kick butt leader. But it DOES MY HEAD IN!

All it does is make me agitated and angry with the parents as their kid goes around feeling inferior to the golden younger child or Mrs Brown's pet budgie at number 23. And then it turns out that it was all for our heroines own good and that Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Phil in Australia are really sorry for the treatment that has been dished out to her over the years, but hey, it has made her into the strong, independent person she is today. And then everyone is forgiven and then skip off into the setting sun holding hands and singing Disney songs. JUST LIKE THAT! And that is what drives me mad!

Personally I would be raising hell and telling my mother to get references from guys in the future as it was her fault I turned out to be half god, fae, pixe or freaking carrier pigeon!!

And now for some SPOILERS!!!!! for the Iron King. I am only half way through the book so I apologise now if anything is pointed out or set straight later on in the book or series. 

I HATE Meghan's father. The arrogant, pompous, chauvinistic...PRAT! 

And then there is the treatment dished out to Meghan by her father's court. 

Her father basically says he can't let his enemy get a hold of her as they might turn her against him. Well ACTUALLY YOU are doing a pretty good job of doing that yourself SWINE!

And they all treat her like last weeks garbage. Excuse me but it is not Meghan's fault that she is half human, half fae. It is King Oberon's fault! You know, as he couldn't keep it in his trousers and her married mother who went of and had a one night stand - i don't care what her reasons were either (that is more a personal feeling than anything else - if you make vows you keep them, and you sure as hell don't make your child feel like an outcast)

But that is what drives me absolutely mental about this kind of book. The child getting blamed for their parents mistakes and being treated as less than a person (more often than not by both parties involved).

It drives me crazy beyond words until I want to kick the father (guess where), slap the mother and be the kids best friend. 

Ok, that'll be the rant over for the time being. Yikes, look at all the capital letters and exclamation marks...

But like I said I am enjoying the book and hopefully a proper post will be up soon on the book. 

:)

Giveaway #3 of November

Welcome to giveaway 3 of the 'Help Alex Make Some Room on Her Shelfs' giveaway. This is actually another 'Help Alex Make Some Room in Her Wardrobe that is Doubling as a Bookcase Right Now' book :)

Today's book is.

This does have some creased pages.

You know the drill!

Fill out the form below if you would like a chance to win this book.

Rules

-be a follower of me here
-INTERNATIONAL. So that is ANYWHERE. Unless you live on the moon or somewhere else that requires a spaceship...don't think my postage fund can stretch that far ;)
-Ends Wednesday 9th 9pm
-You can enter even if you have entered the previous giveaway

Take care everyone!

Giveaway! #2 of November

Welcome to giveaway 2 of the 'Help Alex Make Some Room on Her Shelfs' giveaway. Well actually this one is 'Help Alex Make Some Room in Her Wardrobe that is Doubling as a Bookcase Right Now' But you get the idea. So over the next few week I'll be popping up giveaways during my tidying out :)
Today's book is.

This book isn't quite as shiny as a new book. It does have a whopping big crease on the bottom right of the cover. But that is all.

You know the drill!

Fill out the form below if you would like a chance to win this book.

Rules

-be a follower of me here
-INTERNATIONAL. So that is ANYWHERE. Unless you live on the moon or somewhere else that requires a spaceship...don't think my postage fund can stretch that far ;)
-Ends Monday 7th 9pm
-You can enter even if you have entered the previous giveaway


Take care everyone!

Sad it is Only a CD Cover...(13)

So number 13. I had thought to stop at 10 but there were too many pretty covers to drool over so it look like there will be a few more to come.

And here we have this weeks pick.

One word guys.

Aliens!!!!! Really, need I say more. ;)

Giveaway! #1 of November

Hi guys!

I am doing the giveaway dance.

And this is the 'Help Alex Make Some Room on Her Shelfs' giveway'. So over the next few week I'll be popping up giveaways during my tidying out :)

Sound good?

So first giveaway and first book is

This is a brand new shiny copy that has been on my shelf for a depressingly long amount of time. Yeah, I know everyone - or at least it seems like everyone - has read this book but never mind.

If you are interested in winning this fill out the magic form :)

Rule-

-be a follower of me here
-INTERNATIONAL. So that is ANYWHERE. Unless you live on the moon or somewhere else that requires a spaceship...don't think my postage fund can stretch that far ;)
-Ends Sunday 6th 9pm



Keep posted for more books during the month :)

NaNoWriMo - DAY 1!

Good morning everyone.

Wait...Is 12.00am morning or really really late? Huh? *shrug* Doesn't matter.

I am making a conscious effort to avoid the word 'so' - just thought I would mention that. I have noticed I tend to put that at the beginning of every paragraph.

So (SEEEE)

Do you know what day it is today. We are now 60 seconds into November 1st and do you know what that means? It is day one of NaNoWriMo! And do you know what I am doing right now? I have began typing my story. But how can you be typing your story when you are typing this. Well, the techy savvy genius that I am, this has been SCHEDULED.

And that peeps is the answer to how to do 2 things at once! Smart or what?

Happy writing everyone who is taking part this year! May your caffeine supply never run dry ;).

Flying Blind (The Dragon Diaries Book 1) by Deborah Cooke

Out today - 31st October 2011

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

There be dragons here!

So, it has been a wee while since I have read a dragon book and I am happy to say that this wasn't a disappointment.

We have mages, dragon shifters, plots and spells.

I was thrown straight into the story and given no opportunity to get bored or draw breath. But what I liked most was that because we are being told the story by Zoe there is no iffy-but-y-ing to get to the dragon aspect of the story.

Flying Blind is set in the year 2024 but right now this doesn't seem to have much of a bearing on the story line the only bit of technology is that everyone seems to have something that sounds like an i-pad.

Zoe is a real and likable teen character who faced everything that was leveled at her in the way she thought was best. It was refreshing to have a character not complaining constantly about wanting to be normal. Zoe wanted to be a dragon and live up to the expectations of those around her. I loved that!

The twists and turns were at times surprising. Just when I was starting to think everything was settling down and allys and enemies had all been sorted it blew up in my face - that definitely kept me reading.

One problem that I had was that I would have liked there to have been more description. I couldn't see clearly what was going on - especially with the transformations.

Also on a character stand I didn't really like the other teens who were meant to  be Zoe's friends. I understand that they couldn't really help their actions as they were under a spell but they seem to be too easily manipulated by it - surely they could have put up some kind of a  fight. And they were also trying to pressure and bully Zoe into doing things she wasn't capable of.

And last but not least Zoe's parents - I am beginning to think that I have a serious issue with parental figures in books. (What do you mean I'm projecting?). Zoe has problems getting her powers to work and has not been able to transform until she gets angry at a girl who was picking on her best friend and part transforms in front of her. Her parents aren't very happy with this. Now that got me angry. Her mother did the whole 'what were you thinking' thing and then her dad did the let-her-stew thing. This really irritated me. In fact, no one in this book seemed to be fully supportive of Zoe other than the basic stranger who appears on the scene.

Rant over.

All in all a fun read - despite the character thing. I am looking forward to the second book to see how all of the characters grow and develop.

Maybe it had been different in the olden days, when avenging knights had to be barbecued and damsels plucked from danger.

I wanted to be serious eye candy in dragon form. 

Thank you to Allison and Busby publishing for the review copy of this book :)

NaNoWriMo Post 5

How is everyone's NaNoWriMo prep going as we all have less than 3 days to go?

I had a slight story melt down a few days ago but I am starting to glue everything back together again - sorta. The problem seems to be that I can't get everything laid out in a way that I am comfortable and happy with following - yes something like that is enough to throw me (I've been the same since school).  I had started to put everything on cards and I was happy with that for about 2 days and then my head did a total 180. So yeah, I am trying to avoid writing anything down right now and keeping stuff in my head until I can look at a sheet of empty paper without getting agitated - weird and wonderful I know.

Anyway, onto the more practical stuff I have been doing.

I tidied the car - but I have already told you that. Proud of THAT achievement.

I hated doing this one but I returned a bunch of books to the library so I don't end up freaking out about getting them finished and returned for the right date.

Bunged a load of books, a few DVDs and CDs onto Ebay in hopes of
a. making some room on my shelves and
b. getting some extra pennies so that I can get 2 books I have had my eye on for AGES and that I will be hopefully getting come December 1st as an end of NaNoWriMo celebration.
I love ebay :)

And coffee! I am a bit of a coffee fiend at the best of time but I figured that this called for something special. The mother of all jars of coffee. Look at it. It is the size of my kettle!

Yeah, the bottom of the picture got cut off.

Yum, yum, yum. Normally I get cheaper coffee so I can't wait to dig into this stuff. Mmmmmmm...

Right I shall love you and leave you.

Oh, one more thing. Writing buddies is now up and running on the NaNoWriMo site, so if you are interested in being buddies you can find me here

Talk to you all soon :)

In My Mailbox (11)

Yip, as you will be able to tell, this isn't a book IMM.

Wanna know what one of my weaknesses is?

Anime!

Anime is my guilty pleasure.

And look what arrived through the post this morning. *SQUEEEEE*

The Ouran High School Host Club!

I stumbled across this on YouTube ages ago when I was looking for something else - I can't remember what I was trying to find...it might have been a song and a fan vid had been made to it (knowing me that is probably what it was).

*Happy dance*

The first series of 'The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya' and (possibly) 'Noein' too are the next on my list.

Anyone else seen these? Like them? Hate them? Or have any recommendations for me?

Sad it is Only a CD Cover...(12)

I'm back to regular Sad it is Only a CD Cover posts. Woohoo. Sorry about the week before last.

So here we have this weeks pick.

I am thinking fairies, possibly apocalypse, alternative realities...

What do you think?

NaNo for the New and Insane by Lazette Gifford

Yes, I admit that I am a nerd in every sense of the word. When I buy something I read the instructions – only member of my family that doesn’t just leap in head first and see what happens I will add. When I have to put together a bit of furniture I count the screws, nuts and bolts. And, when I decide that I want to do NaNoWriMo I nosey around various blog posts on preparing and jumped at the chance to read this when I saw it mentioned in in a blog post.

Nano for the New and Insane.

This was a free, quick and informative read that filled in some gaps and also spoke about the time before and after November and also listed some useful links to various sites that may come in handy (name sites etc).

Great insight into what to expect during the month of November.

Quick read and once again FREE.

I also found it that I can get books straight from the swashwords site to my kindle via the kindle browser – I had no idea that I could do that.

Link is here for the book if you would like to check it out for yourself. 

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/84837

Jane Eyre 2011

I have finally seen Jane Eyre (well months ago actually but lets forget that for the time being ;)) – Well in all honesty I saw it at the beginning of last month but who’s being picky ;).

Anyway, moving on…

It was ok…I suppose. Ok, FINE, it was a bit of a let down. Which was a major bummer as I have been looking forward to it for nearly a year. My main gripes are with the story – well the way that the story was chopped up.

*****THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!*****

#1 – we are not told who Adele is. Yes we find out that she is Mr Rochester’s ward and that Mr R knew her mother nut that is it! Mr R at no point has the ‘mistress’ talk with Jane.

#2 – The Rivers aren’t Jane’s cousins! I know right! What’s with that?

 #3 – Richard Maison (Bertha’s Brother) looked WAY too young. He looked around Jane’s age when he is supposed to be nearer Mr R’s  age.

#4 – the editing struck me as being really choppy and disjointed at points.

#5 – Mr Rochester was sarcastic to the point of being rude! I didn’t like that.

#6 – The relationship between Jane and Rochester just happened. There was no building - but then I can semi-sorta forgive them that as this was only 2 hours. 

Right, I think that is all of my complaints. Sorry.

But now onto the good stuff.

#1 – it was very gothicy and I loved that feeling.

#2 – Judy Dench as Mrs Fairfax, need I say more.

#3 – I loved the relationship between Jane and Adele. It is something that has never sat right with me in the other version floating around but I think that it was nailed here. They had Jane telling Adele stories on the floor with Adele on her lap and Adele cuddling up to Jane… I just loved it.

#4 – that bit in the library. This is a bit that seems to come and go in Jane Eyre adaptations. After the wedding explosion and Jane comes out of her room to find Rochester waiting for her and he takes her to the (I think it is) the library and gets her a drink, yada, yada, yada. Yeah remember?

Well in this we have THAT happening. We don’t have Mr R telling Jane all about his younger years, brother, father etc but we do have his emotional meltdown. BINGO!

I loved it!

Yeah I know I’m weird, but there was so much emotion and pain as he was holding onto her and crying and burying his head in her stomach as she stands up to leave … this just hit it on the head for how I have always imagined this scene to be.  LOVED IT!

#5 – When Jane comes back to Thornfield she meets Mrs Fairfax and Mrs Fairfax asks her why she ran away, telling Jane that she had some money saves and Jane should have come to her. So TOTALLY fictional – in that it wasn’t in the book – but I loved it. It was a lovely moment.

And last but not least

#6 – Jane has a dream when she in in her own cottage and it is snowing – yeah you guys remember that bit form the trailer don’t you. That was gut wrenching to watch and see how she still loved him.

So all in all. OK. I still though it was disappointing but alright. It annoys me that they had so much to work with and they still come out with what they did, but never mind that is just my personal opinion.

If you have seen it what did you think?

Good?

Bad?

Ugly?

Oh and one last thing. The CUTE moments between Jane and Rochester in this version were at an all time high - just thought i'd add that.

Toodles :)

Giggle Time - Kinda :)

Missed 'Giggle Time' again. Sheesh my brain is having a melt down I think.

I have something for you all now but first, want to know what I did today?

Not Really. 

To bad. Mwahahaha

So world, today I tried to scratch of some of those chores of the to-do list so they wouldn't be hanging over my head come November. I tidied out my car - I think I may have scared myself for life doing that one by the way. My car used to be spotless (well...nearly spotless) until I started babysitting 2 kids and now my car is a regularly in a mess - I mean MESS - and one of the little monsters has broken my car radio. Grrr. From now on there will be no consuming of flaky, crumbly food in my vehicle. It is tidy and it is staying that way *nods head*

And I dragged one of our folding chairs from the garden - yeah, want to know why it was in the garden? The monsters doing. So I dragged it in, got the marigolds on, got the sponge, near to boiling water and disinfectant and started scrubbing. Thankfully the chair is plastic..well plastic and metal so it didn't require much elbow grease - until the spiders started dropping from the edges and hollows of the plastic like freakin' ninjas.

HaaaaaaaaYA!

I think they were after me because I had squished one in my room the other day. Well it would seem that I will be having more eight legged ghosties haunting me...

So, moving on.

This weeks funny. Is *scurries off to find it*

Yeah I am running on empty for the funnies right now. I haven't really seen anything and said WOE gotta share gotta share! But this is...amusing. Actually I found it Laugh-Out-Loud hilarious the first time I saw it but then again I am easily amused.

Enjoy




I hope you enjoyed that :)

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow if I can get my act together on the blog front.

TTFN :)

250 Things You Should Know About Writing by Chuck Wendig

Finally a book review for you all guys. Well...kinda. Yeah, I've been very very lazy with the review lately. My BAD. :)

250 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING is a booze-soaked, profanity-brined, Zen-lacquered look at the craft and art of writing, one list of “25 Things” at a time.

Featured within this book are the essays “25 Things You Should Know About…”

…Being A Writer, Writing A Novel, Writing A Screenplay, Writing A F**king Sentence, Storytelling, Character, Plot, Dialogue, Description, Editing/Revising, and finally, Getting Published.

(And yes, that’s actually 11 lists, which means the book actually has *275* things you should know about writing, but let’s be honest, 250 sounds much cooler. Let’s just go ahead and call that, “25 bonus tips,” shall we? Boom. Value added.)

The book features sections such as:

“The Transubstantiation of Trope,” “Why Bad Decisions Are A Good Decision,” “Nobody Sees Themselves As A Supporting Character,” "I Want To Buy The Semi-Colon A Private Sex Island," and “Plot Is Promise.”

Contained within are things you should know about plot holes, self-publishing versus legacy publishing, "on-the-nose" dialogue, story versus plot, metaphors, copy-editing, killing darlings with a claw hammer, cursing like an undead pirate, and generally being a cranky and irreverent creative type.

This is another fun read. This was kinda linked to my NaNoWriMo reading. I read a ‘25 things’ list on the authors website and thought I would check out the cheapest of his books at the same time.

And I will say that this was an enjoyable and often giggle worthy little book. It is a collection of 10, ’25 things lists’ that the author has (I assume) posted on his blog.

One thing that I did find a little disappointing is the language throughout the book and also the authors mind seems to be focused on sex a heck of a lot *shrug*. Despite this though the pages are full of useful writing advice but be warned the language is a bit…salty.

The author’s site is here if you want to check out the posts and his writing.

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/

In My Mailbox - IT LIVES!!

I have an In My Mailbox. Like an actual In My Mailbox, these came by postman to my house. Been a while since I have posted one of these huh.

Moving on. Picture time!

 I won 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know through twitter :-)

And I received Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke for review this morning.

*Skips away followed by the birds and squirrels of the forest*

NaNoWriMo Post 4 - Talking to My Inner Self (Also Known as Going Mad)

Hit a block in my planning, started typing to myself. Here are the crazy wacky results. 

Yesterdays Ramblings

So how are you today?

Oh I am fine, how are you?

I’m  good, been a bit stressed though, you know how it is? This and that and the next thing, they all add up don’t they, makes you glad to get home and climb into bed with a Horlicks and a good book.

So how is your planning for nanowrimo going?

Och ok. It could be better I suppose, but that is just being picky isn’t it. I wish I could think of a better idea though it is getting a bit depressing hitting all of these dead ends constantly.

How come?

Well I can’t think of a way to get the 'hero' of the story actually into the story you know. He is there I know he is there but i don’t know why he would need to be there to begin with you know. It is driving me mental!

Well, why do you need him to begin with?

Because this is my story and I want an older dude love interest involved.

Why does he have to be older though?

Because young guys bug me stupid that is why!

Why do they bug you?

What are you? A shrink? 

No I am not a shrink. I am asking you these questions for your own good. So why do young guys bug you?

Because of the way that they are portrayed in fiction! Well, the fiction I have been reading lately anyway. It is like they are being constantly ruled by their emotions. I mean, don’t get me wrong I am sure that some of them are able to control themselves but is it just a guy thing that all they can think about is sex? I am hoping that by having an older male in the lead male role I will be able to paint the relationship on more of an emotional level.

Why emotional?

Because not everything is physical! Everything is shown to be too physical. I want the little things to be why my characters care about each other. I want them to love each other because of that funny snort one of them does when laughing. Or that way that they try to stay in the background all the time, or bark louder than they normally do when they are worried. I don’t want it all to be hormones and biology.

I can see where you are coming from…

Thank you

But you are going to have to put some kind of physical stuff into this story you do realise that don’t you.

Well, yeah, I’ll have them kissing.

Kissing?

Don’t look at me like that.

Is that all?

YES!

And you expect to be able to sell this book do you.

This book is for me thank you.

Who are you kidding? Everyone who writes a book has the hope that one day they will be discovered even if they don’t admit it to themselves.

You are a shrink aren’t you?

This is about you not me.

Yeah whatever, avoiding the subject much?

So you expect to be able to sell this with ONLY kissing.

Ummm why not? Jane Eyre is considered a classic and you don’t get the bedroom/couch or whatever scenes in THAT do you? It is all emotional.

Sorry honey but you ain’t no Charlotte Bronte. And you’ve read all the study guides to that book. You know that there was sexual tension bubbling hotter than Vesuvius under the surface.

Today's Ramblings

So, how is it going?

YOU again! What do you want?

I'm just here to see how the planning is coming along? You know keep up the prep and all that.

I am sticking my tongue out at you right now – just so you know.

Hey that isn’t very nice I am only here to help.

Well maybe you can go somewhere else to help, have you ever thought of that?

Nope can’t say I have. I am your little annoying voice. Not anyone else’s.

Give me strength.

Oh man up already!  Tell me how you are doing and let’s get this over with.

Wow you seriously need to take some customer care courses.

I am ignoring you right now just so you know –

Are you trying to be funny?

- now where did we leave of yesterday? Ah yes, the hero of the peace.

Hero! I think I am going to chuck him out of the story and have her hook up with the freakin’ squid if he doesn’t start cooperating. Why can't more YA books have older dude to younger chick ratios and then I would have some kind of idea how to do this.

Want to know what your problem is?

Not really but you are going to tell me anyway aren’t you?

Now you really need to work on your attitude, it’s not my fault your make believe characters aren’t playing nice with you.

Fine, I’m sorry. Now what’s my problem oh mighty one?

You are too concerned about what other people are going to be thinking of this story.

What! Only yesterday you were getting at me because I wasn’t going to put any sex in the story and now you are telling me that-

Yeah well that was yesterday. Today I am telling you that you are worrying too much about what other people will think. About what their views would be. You need to write this how you would want it to go and not like you mother is hanging over your shoulder while you are writing.

I am still not putting any sex in the book. Kissing yes, sex NO!

Fine, whatever. But you really do need to start having this the way you want it to go. Make is Mary-Sue-ey if you want, have bits that have fan-fiction-yeah-right-like-that-would-ever-happen written all over it, if you want you can go back and fix it all afterwards. Have the dude proclaim his undying love to MC - have you named her yet by the way?

No

Ok. Well have dude – have you named him yet?

Um, if I say no will you hurt me?

Have you named any of them?

Well I’m thinking of naming someone who dies –

Someone dies in this story?

No but if I name one of them Neville he will!

Do I want to know why?

I was bullied at school by a kid called that. I think it is time for some pay back don’t you?

Swiftly moving on. Have XY proclaim undying love to XX on the first page if you want.

I am not doing that.

I am trying to make a point here. No one is going to be judging you while you write this.

You are a shrink aren’t you?

Let it go already and listen will ya!

Fine. Write like my mother isn’t hanging over my shoulder. Got it.

You’re hopeless...

So the idea was to give myself 10 minutes to try and talk it out with myself - I do this all the time. I usually write this out long hand but as the typing is going to need to be up to scratch I decided to WP it instead. 

My head is a scary place isn't it. Mwaahaahaaahaaaaa! *choke, splutter,cough*

Yeah probably plenty more to come in the next few days.  :-)

Sad it is Only a CD Cover...(11)

I can't believe I missed showing some CD Cover love last week. *bad Alex*

I think that the slip up last week may just deserve 2 this week you know.

Hmm so what do you guys think of this one?
I'm thinking...aliens, end of the world, alien take-over (maybe)...

And next

I am not entirely sure about this one but it definitely has a cool, freaky fae vibe to it don't ya think :)

Author Interview - Robert Marston Fanney

I am doing the dance. Yip you know the one. It’s the author interview happy dance! Yay.

Everyone say hello to Robert Marston Fanney!

*Clap clap clap*

Did you find the jump from being a writer to being a published author a difficult one to make? 

I started writing Luthiel's Song while in college and continued to work on it over the next ten years. During this time, I held various full-time jobs that added a lot of stress to my life. I think the least stressful of these was my work as a police officer! 

By the end of this time, I'd written a book that my reading group assured me was finally good enough to be published. I submitted it to about one hundred publishers in all. And, in all, I received about one hundred rejection letters! Many of these were kind and encouraging. A few were not. One rejection slip bore the name Robert Finney. I wondered if this was a suggestion for a pseudonym. Finally, after more than a year of rejections and no sign of hope, I decided to start an indie publishing venture. 

Dark Forest Press was born. Over the next six months, we hired editors, artists and designers. Then, we published the first book on our own. That year was tough. But we found a thousand little ways to reach readers and, over time, have done far better than I ever expected.

Has the fantasy genre always been something you have been interested in? 

Absolutely! The first novel I read was 'The Hobbit.' At age 9 I loved it! Bilbo was certainly a character a nine-year-old boy could relate to. After that, I picked up Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain and many, many more. 

What were your emotions when you first held the completed, printed and bound book in your hand? 

It's like holding a magical sword you've forged over years and years of labor and hard work. 

I love that Luthiel is such an independent young woman! What influenced you to write her the way that you did? 

I've been blessed by having strong, positive women in my life. My mother was born in 1947 with Spine Bifida. Her doctors told my grandmother that my mother was ugly and would die. There wasn't much help for Spine Bifida babies back then. But my grandmother didn't give up. She searched and searched and finally found someone to help my mother. A doctor who was working on a new spinal shunt to help Spine Bifida babies performed an experimental surgery on my mother. She recovered from the surgery and is alive and thriving to this day. 

This extraordinary event was just the beginning of an amazing and a heroic life. So I was inspired, in many ways, to write novels that expanded on the heroic qualities I saw in her and in many, many other women. As for my mom, to me, she was the girl who lived.

Do you have a fear of spiders? 

Yes. Ever since I was a small child they've been an object of horror to me. Too many long legs. Too fast. Too predatory and alien. They represent both dominance and a malign intelligence to me. I suppose these notions aren't entirely grounded in facts but I find the idea of spiders and of what they do very unsettling. 

Did you intend Luthiel’s story to span more than one book or did it just grow? 

At first, I wrote it as a short story. Then I wrote a book that was entirely inadequate. Then I settled on the notion of a trilogy. But that didn't seem to be enough either. In the end there will probably be seven or eight books, but with a number of back-stories and tales about characters mentioned in the series. 

I think the story keeps growing because I enjoy the characters so much and because I believe in what they represent, in their struggles. I think it is a reflection of what's going on in this world, and, in part, a reflection of my own hopes and fears, if only fantastically portrayed. 

Hopefully I can finish all that I plan to write! 

If you could walk in one of your characters shoes for a day who would it be? 

Probably Luthiel. She's the one to which I have the least psychic distance (without the obvious exception that she's a woman, which, I'm sure, would take some getting used to). I'd also like to live as Othalas for a day. 100% primal badass. 

Did you have a message that you wished your readers to have got once they had finished your books? 

Follow the good in your heart and believe in the good in others. Love nature, avoid harm, and find balance with your world. If you love someone, don't hold back, give them your all. Don't be afraid to make the right choices or to help those less fortunate, even though everyone around you may be against it. And last of all, don't let the powerful determine your life's path. 

Do you have any further ideas for books once Luthiel’s journey is complete? 

Absolutely. I'm working on a few right now. One series is about Luthiel's father. Another is an urban fantasy. More on that soon! 

Which of the Luthiel books has been your favourite to write?(maybe that’s a little unfair to ask ;)) 

I love them all for different reasons. But the current book -- The Nightmares of Winter -- has been the most difficult due to the situations Luthiel finds herself in. It's a tough story to write because Luthiel's in a lot of tough spots! 

Anything else you would like to add at all? 

May the moonshadow never fall on you... 

Check out luthielssong.com for more information on the series. 

My reviews can be found here - 

Book 1 - Dreams of the Ringed Vale

Book 2 - The War of Mists