Mentor Authors

What am I reading now?  If I Should Die (Amy Plum Revenants #3)
Annnd . . . what do I think of it so far?  Would you die to save someone else? How about someone you don't know? Since this is book three, I can't tell much without creating a spoiler for the other two books. That said, let me add that this is a great ending for a gripping series. I've enjoyed these characters so much and I hate to see them go, but I loved the ending. Here's a bit of the blurb from the first book. And since I'm telling you about them now that they're all out, you won't have to wait a year between each book to read the series. You're welcome!

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity. When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Mentor Authors: Read to Write

A few years ago I was sitting in a conference session, given by Leigh Bale, discussing how to write about a villain when it isn't a person, meaning it might be a thing, a place, a disease, a weather condition, but the thing that stuck with me is not a new concept about an antagonist, although the class had many insightful ideas that are still in my notes, but the idea I worked with this week was: If you are going to write you must read.

I heard that since that time--and I've got that down! I'm definitely a reader, voracious, relentless, nose in a book, book store addict.

However, she suggested that we read with a pencil and write down our impressions about what the author is doing to create the story and do this with a lot of books so we will be able to recognize and create our own stories from insights we glean from these mentor authors.

She was not advocating copying the story, only internalizing the craft.

I took the challenge these past couple of weeks and reread some of my favorite books. They are from different authors, different publishing houses although all national publishers, and they are all in different genres; high fantasy, romance, chick lit, paranormal fantasy, historical inspirational.

Here's a little sample of what I found:
•theme was apparent by chapter 2
•love interest was known by chapter 3
•romance started with admiring but noticing why it just wouldn't work
•antagonist/villain made an overt move by chapter 4
•inner demons made significant complications in each chapter from one or more characters
•one face-to-face confrontation with antagonist before the midpoint
•inner demons of 2 main characters collide just after the lowest point for the protagonist causing them to be forced apart
•all stories resolved the compelling story problem before resolving the relationship problem

These might be a coincidence or they might be what our society intrinsically wants in a satisfying story. I'm not saying that we need to write stories in a stilted way, using rigid guidelines, hitting predictable plot points with the precision of synchronized swimming. What I am saying is that while doing this exercise, I kept having HUGE ah-has about missing pieces in the stories Deanna and I have written and thoughts about how to strengthen those stories.

So, our stories are going back into revision, and this time I have some definite ideas how to focus my rewriting efforts thanks to these mentors!

OD'ing on Georgette Heyer

What am I reading now?  Venetia (Georgette Heyer)
Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  What a fun set of characters! Of course, that can be said of all the Georgette Heyer books I've read. She has amazing diversity of personality and backstory for the cast in each book.

Something I appreciate is that while the books are all historical romances set in Regency and Victorian times, the women protagonists are strong personalities (Yes, I've noticed a little chauvinism here and there and some very outdated stereotypes, but let's not assign this year's moral standards to decades or centuries past) and accomplished in their own right--hard to do considering the times those women are set in.

When I started reading these, I was only going to read one. But I couldn't stop. Here are my favorites in no particular order (Beauvallet, Venetia, Fredrica, Devil's Cub, The Grand Sophy, Arabella):

Writing Romance

1.  This genre has some very specific requirements and it's a good idea to check with the publisher or agent you want to pitch to for those expectations before you send in a finished manuscript. (Confession--I wanted to read The Grand Sophy because it was recommended to me when I asked how to improve a romance Deanna and I have and couldn't stop.) These guidelines will tell you the number of words to shoot for and how much physical intimacy is tolerated or expected.

2. Considering your future submission also gives you parameters for the ages of your lead characters (the ones who are "sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g")

3.  The beginning and the end are somewhat predictable: At the beginning they meet or see each other and although there is some kind of connection, they know it just wouldn't work. The end is when they get together and the reader knows they will be together in the future.

There are some great online resources for writing romances as well as national organizations like the Romance Writers of America.

To internalize this type of story structure, maybe the best advice in this case is read, read, read! And why yes, I do have some great recommendations.

Pirates and Raspberry Filled Cupcakes

What am I reading now?  A Change of Plans (Donna K. Weaver)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  Y'all know I don't often blog about adult romance books--like next to never unless it is chick lit, but this isn't and I'm blogging it. I try to stick with YA because I'm a teacher and connect with a lot of teachers through blogs and Goodreads, but this book would easily fit into a high school classroom library, so here it is!

I had a hard time getting into this book, but I'm recommending you buy it and stick with it. There's a great payoff if you do: several chapters are cry-worthy and the love story is sweet and memorable. I truly enjoyed it!

Author Interview

Tell us about your book in 30 words or less.

A pacific cruise. An intriguing guy. Pirates. What’s not to love?

Yeah. I know. It’s 11 words.

What inspired this story?

A dream. There was this guy and gal marooned on an island with a huge old tree and a tree house. Of course, in my dream, they found this concrete building full of dry toilet paper (don’t ask me how that happened on a tropical island) and bottles of shampoo. Yeah. Definitely a dream because that didn’t happen in the book. My challenge was figuring out how to get them on the island.

Where did you draw ideas from for the scenes?

Some things were based on experience, since I spent two years living in the Philippines as a girl. I’m too familiar with the humidity, torrential rainstorms, and huge bugs. I also lived through a typhoon—there was a ripping storm scene that was cut from the book. I’m going to have to figure out how to share that some time.

Which parts of the story did you have to research and how did you go about that?

Yes, you would remember some of my research issues, wouldn’t you? The catamaran and island, especially, were fraught with research issues. I watched YouTube videos, reached out to people I know with medical and geology expertise, and brainstormed with other authors. It’s funny where some (obvious) answers can come from. I tried actually talking with someone on the Coast Guard to help me verify some information, but their online guide answered my questions.

What else are you working on?

I’m currently editing a companion novel to A Change of Plans, where one of the secondary characters—a guy—will become the main character. He’s so broken (readers don’t realize just how much), and it’s been a lot of fun to write about his healing journey. When I’m finished with that, I have a YA fantasy duology that I’ve written but still need to edit.

Raspberry Filled Cupcakes
This is a hurry-up dessert (made from cake mix)

•Bake the cupcakes as directed on the box.
•Then cut the center out of the cupcake and hollow out a well.
•Place 1-2 raspberries in the well




•Fill with pastry cream (recipe below) and place the cap of the portion you cut out to cover the hole.
•Mix one small jar of marshmallow cream with purchased frosting.
•Frost cupcakes

Recipe for Pastry Cream
(The fluffy-happiness you suck out of Twinkies)

1 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter
1 egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla

Blend together until smooth then add:
2-3 c. powdered sugar and
1/3 c. hot milk, dribble this in slowly after mixing in the sugar. You don't need to add all the milk if the frosting looks like it is lickable smooth.

Keep this recipe around to fill Cream Puff too!

INK -- Fascinating Setting

What am I reading now?  INK (Amanda Sun)
*I like the UK cover better than the US one, so I used it here

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  This might be one of the most original stories I've read this year. And the setting, Japan, described in rich detail, captures the imagination. It's still a paranormal romance and fulfills the expectation of the genre, but the twists are so refreshing.

The little details call to the reader to join the story without interrupting the flow; bento boxes, cherry blossoms, cram-school, kendo, manju, calligraphy--oh, I need a vacation to Japan!

The story is Katie's, an American girl, sent to Japan to live with her aunt (who is teaching English) after her mother's death, but it's also Tomo's, who is tortured, believing he's a monster endowed with an ancient super-power. No, I'm not telling what it is--you could find it by reading about the book--but I loved reading the story as the revelation unfolded in the pages. It's part of the fascination.

This book gets 5 stars from me on Goodreads. You should know that if I read a book that I feel doesn't earn at least 3 stars, I won't rate it or review it on Goodreads, but I also don't throw 5s around. (It only looks like it because I've posted about two 5's in a row!) They are saved for stories or characters that stick with me for a while. This one qualifies, with much of the extra appeal attributed to the unusual paranormal element introduced and the unfamiliar setting, and I'll be waiting for the next in the Paper Gods series.

Something that I would have loved in this book would have been having two 1st-person POV characters. Tomo has so much going on in his life that it would have made the book amazing to have the conflict he experienced introduced into the plot, especially in the first hundred pages. But it wasn't, so I'd by the book from Tomo's point of view, if Ms. Sun would like to get right on that.    ;)

Just a thought:

Coverflips

What am I RE-reading now?  Mystic and Rider (Sharron Shinn Twelve Houses #1)
Annnd . . . what do I think so far? Yes, I'm re-reading this series, not only because I really, really love these books, but also because I want to learn how the author makes the characters so memorable. The series has magic, civil unrest, war, political intrigue, love, overwhelming odds, fights to the death...ahhhh a great book for relaxing. Oh, yes, I would highly recommend this series (and this author, who has many more books) to anyone who loves high fantasy and/or romance, but you have to overlook the Fabio-like cover on one book.

Here's the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the series. Can you guess which one I'm teasing as Fabio-esque?

The first four books follow six friends, each taking the spotlight in a book (I know--6 friends, 4 books not adding up! But trust me this is literature not math--and it works.) The fifth book follows a minor character and while a good story with excellent writing, it just seemed like a very long epilogue to the series and ties up some loose ends.

So, you've had a minute to think it over--if you guessed Book 3, Dark Moon Defender, you're right. I think the romantisized pose is kinda (read: extremely) out there for the series and nothing at all like the character! And that brings me to my post:

COVERFLIPS

Maureen Johnson (Author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, a great YA book) has a fun idea--COVERFLIPS. Sometimes books get saddled with covers that don't really belong with the story. They aren't always distractors but they misrepresent the content. For example: once I read a book with a ornate antique necklace on the cover--but no necklace in the whole book! I kept waiting, thinking it would be important. Nope. Nada. The "contract" the book cover set up with me when I chose the book was unfulfilled, and I kind of felt jilted.

COVERFLIPS grew from the idea that books should have gender neutral covers so anyone would feel comfortable buying and reading the book. This is a big concept in schools. Kids stand at the library shelves and look at covers without even reading cover copy to decide if they'll give it a chance.

Recently a book I love (and kids like to read) was given a cover make-over for the release of the paperback version. The hard back cover suggested a classroom scene while the paperback cover was definitely a romantic moment. And the thing is--the romantic moment doesn't capture the theme, problem or main character arc--that book was not about romance. But it did stop boys from picking it up.

Maybe a book is about the romance and it would be appropriate for the cover, but if it's not then readers can feel manipulated and disrespected by such prominent placement. I think there is a lot of public comment on it right now because covers are veering off what consumers want and expect, and in some cases being viewed as gimmicky. Trust matters. Even on book covers.

Maybe this would be a fun activity with students next year (as part of book reports), ask them to design a cover that matches the story. I think I'd be able to see what the students understood as the main ideas in the books, the character traits or arc or the metaphors and the themes presented in the book, as well as have an outlet for their own creative expression.

Goodreads Rants

What am I reading now?   The Elite (Kiera Cass, The Selection)
Annd . . . what do I think so far?  Yes, I love this series!
This is the second book in The Selection series with the next book out in 2014; that is a year from now.
A whole year--12 months--365 days!
AHHHHHHH!

I can't say much about this book without spoiling the first book so I'll just say: The king has to die.
Those of you who have read this book agree, right?
My rating on this book?

Goodreads Rants
In the spirit of science, I like getting my own facts about books, so I try to avoid reading the comments people make about books before I read them. Oh, don't get me wrong--I stalk Goodreads a lot, but I only look at the number of stars the books I'm interested in are getting. And even then, I'll look at a few of my friends that have similar reading tastes and weight their stars more heavily than even the average listed for a book. After I read and rate the book, I might scroll through and read some of the comments.

Something I noticed--the longest rants about a book, the rants that get a lot of press from other people commenting back on their rants--are not the comments I agree with. Full disclosure--I've read some of them to see what it was that was so heinous to deserve only one star.
Hmm.
It seems to me that many times the reader is rating themselves and not the book.

I mean
1. The person admits they don't really like or read that genre. (so don't)
2. The person says they don't like the character. (so what)
3. The person says (of an ARC) they would never buy that book. (so don't)
4. The person says they would never want a relationship like the one in the book. (so what)

In the case of most rants, the reviewer is ranting about what they like, what they want, what they would do, not about the merits of the book. And knowing that helps me find book recommendations that someone else might rant about, but I loved.

Start Here

What am I reading now? An Unlikely Match (Sarah Eden)
Annd . . . what do I think so far?  I think I've said it before, but this is one of my favorite authors! She writes lovable, witty, funny characters in situations that seem impossible to reconcile, with surprising twists that bind the characters all together into a story that will stay with you long after you close the cover on the last page. This book is not an exception either. I definitely recommend it!

In this story, Nickolas Pritchard, a penniless Englishman, inherits a fortune and an ancestral home in Wales. Upon taking possession, he finds the resident ghost, Gwen, who has been bound there for four hundred years, gives the final word on what will be acceptable in the home--and it's best for everyone not to cross her. Over days and weeks an attraction between them grows.
How can a man and a ghost have a happily ever after?

Start Here

Wouldn't it be great if, when we wrote novels, we knew right where the beginning of the story was, and equally great, if we knew where the ending was? I know it seems like something that should be obvious. But it's not. There is no magical story map that takes your characters and story concept and identifies the start, end and important plot points in between.

Here's some advice I've been given (more than once and by different people, so it seems like it might be good):

•Start on the day when everything is different
•Start when your character must make a life changing decision
•Start when your character is avoiding a change

Ultimately, story is about change, starting with the need for change and ending when change has been completed.

Having a Game Plan

What am I reading now?  Also Known As (Robin Benway)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  When you pick your first lock at the age of 4 and the first name you write is a forgery of someone else's, you're a spy. At least  Maggie, a 16 year old daughter of two spies (that specialize in languages and hacking), who has 12 identities in passports and spends only enough time in a city to finish a job, until she gets her own assignment, is. Now she has to enroll in high school and get to know Jesse Oliver before his dad reveals her family, and other spies who work for the Collective, publicly, placing them all in danger!

I really enjoyed this book. I think a lot of teens will like it too! ENJOY!

Characters' Game Plans

Coaches don't go into a game without thinking about which plays to run, which team members to use in a scoring or assisting roles and which opponents to guard and in what way by whom. So I was thinking how the same thing could give the scenes we write more focus and impact. What if, in designing scenes, Deanna and I do the same thing?

We always ask what motivates our characters--what do they want and what lengths will they go to to get it? But we've considered this as the scenes unfold, wondering what does the character wants in this scene. The conflict designed to move the plot along might not be within the overall plan the character would experience. We have utilized this on the whole-story level, but not enough on the scene-level.

If we reconsider how to develop the scenes from a coaching perspective, I think I'd like to try having a "play book" for my characters set out and see the conflict that arises from the intersection of those plays, looking closely at offense and defense. Isn't that how it is in real life--like--I have this goal. My first step (play) is to do this. Then this. And finally this. Our characters would think the same way. *epiphany*

Yeah, what if?
I think I'll do that.

Books used in the classroom

What am I reading now?  School Spirits (Rachel Hawkins)
Annnd . . . what do I think so far? This is a spin-off from the Hex Hall series, following Izzy Brannick, who is now 15 and gets her first assignment at a high school--not a cool paranormal one--the regular kind, well except that it is haunted. Throw in a love spell and things get interesting.

It's a fun story for a first book in a series. I'd like to see the storyline get more complex, and I really didn't care for the ending, not that it was bad or anything, I was just like, "Huh? Really?" Enough of the story was good that I'll read the next in the series though. I see a lot of possibilities for interactions with Torrin--hope it goes that way!

Books Used in the Classroom

"Word carpentry is like any other kind of carpentry: you must build your sentences smoothly." ~Anatole France

Because I work as a literacy specialist, I often get asked why some books get used in classrooms while others don't. One of the reasons is that publishers and teachers have different criteria for what makes a good book. There are a lot of current books that do get used in classrooms, but many, many more that don't.

Publishers put out books hoping for a broad consumer base, possibly leading to many books that are not complex in text structures or sentence structures so readers of varying proficiency can access them. Often the message and story in those books are good for recreational reading, but not useful for instruction for how to become a better reader.

There is a new emphasis on developing the understanding of underlying structures of the language in the new Common Core State Standards for schools in the US. As an educator, I love the new curriculum! The fact is, to meet these standards, many teacher look toward books published in the past or in the UK because the level of sentence, vocabulary and concept complexity is more challenging for students and fits the curriculum better. It isn't just about story grammar or sentence grammar, but about how an author constructs emotion, tension and inference through using the chosen language structures. 

The books I love to read feel like music in my brain. The words are combined in a complex way that moves me into the meaning and feeling the author is creating. What can I teach from complex sentence construction? Appositives, participles, absolutes, prepositions, openers, subject-verb splits, parts of speech ... the list goes on, but here are some examples of sentences I could use:

•Ally Condie, Matched

"His lips move silently, and I know what he says: the words of a poem that only two people in the world know.”

•Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

"In the garden, the Captain of the Guard stared up at the young woman's balcony, watching as she waltzed alone, lost in her dreams."

•Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races

"Finn, valiant soul that he is, vanishes, leaving me to it."

"Style means the right word..."

What am I reading now?  Elemental #1, #2, #3 (Brigid Kemmerer)

     Storm

Spark

                                     

Spirit

(yup--got an ARC)






Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  The series revolves around 4 brothers, the Merrick brothers, orphaned when their parents fought for the right for them to live. They are all Elementals, each landing directly on a point for Earth (Michael--oldest and the legal guardian of his younger brothers), Air (Nick--the good one, a twin), Fire (Gabriel--bad boy hot-head, twin) and Water (Chris--the youngest). When an Elemental lands on a point, they are extremely powerful, think devastate a city with an outburst. These characters would make a great tv series!
      I've finished books 1 and 2, almost done with 3 and I like the family dynamics, seems real for young men trying to raise themselves. Their favorite word begins with F, so if that bothers you, don't read these. If it doesn't, you're in for a crazy ride, action packed page-turner. I do have some reservations about the series though. It seems like authors get all caught up in the "war" in paranormal (and dystopian) books and turn them into blood bath video games. Book 3 seems to be going there. I'll probably stop this series at book 3 although a 4 & 5 are listed on Goodreads. Book 2 was my definite favorite of the group.

Quote on Writing...

Making a Love Match

What am I reading now? My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (Rachel Harris)
Annd . . . what do I think so far?  Buy it--Buy it now!

     Nothing can be worse for Cat than the plans her evil-step-mother-to-be has in mind. She's throwing her a party. Not just any party, but a sweet sixteen extravaganza! Complete with hundreds of guests and MTV cameras roaming the event.

What do you mean you don't get it?
A PARTY!

      Cat spends her time trying not to be noticed or recognized. Too much of her life is public because of her famous parents--well, more because of her movie star diva (in every sense of the word) mom than her behind-the camera movie director dad. Her mother left when she was just 5, and has produced one scandal after another that Cat hides from. She is into art, especially the Italian Renaissance, not the social life Hollywood offers.
    While site-seeing in Florence, Italy, she stops at a gypsy's tent (tea leaves, chanting, and candlelit shadows) and is thrown back in time, five centuries back to an ancestor's home and family. Yup, real gypsy with real time-travel mojo skills.  Long story short, she falls in love but not with the man she is supposed to marry, who is creepy and nearly old enough to be her father, ewwww. She had to find a way back to her own time--quick!

Making a Love Match

Maybe there are stories out there that don't have at least a love-subplot, but I'll probably never buy one. This basic human need, looking for that special person who complements your unique life, struggling to find a balance between each other's desires, sharing the deepest intimacies, is the core of creating societies and families. Ahhh.
      So how do we know then, as authors, when we throw two characters together that they will have a spark that ignites love or war?
      For love, just like in real life, the couple needs to have similarities and difference. Something brings them together; love of music, sports fans, life's goals. But they are not so much alike to be boring to each other. His strengths complement her needs, just as hers will do likewise for him. They have enough differences too to maintain their own identities--that keeps the other partner discovering over and over new facets to admire.

A couple of examples...
Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy
Similarities: They both value family highly and are fiercely loyal to them. They were peers, though Darcy believed her family to be beneath him. Differences: He is used to having people fall all over him but he keeps strict protection over his private life. She is self-assured, outspoken and witty. He needs to learn to put others needs without getting something in return. He wants to be loved without judgment. She needs to be loved for herself and not held to the collective judgement against her family's actions.
= Love Match

Beauty and the Beast 
Similarities: Both are ostracized from the community, though he's a litter further out being under a magical spell that makes him less than human. Each will sacrifice their own lives to save someone they love. Powerful--his is physical and hers is from her heart Differences: He is ugly. She is beautiful. He is stagnant in his life. She is vibrant with insatiable curiosity. He needs to be reminded how to love, really love, not just need someone. He needs to find his own vulnerability. She needs someone who needs her but also recognizes her strengths. She wants to direct her own life.
= Love Match

Skinny Fresh Jumble-berry Pie

What am I reading now?  The Secret (Taryn A. Taylor)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  Seventeen-year-old Delanie Hart has a past she wants to keep hidden. Moving to a new state and attending a new high school seems to be just the thing — until she accidentally sees a mark exactly like her own. When the people she is running from come after her, Lanie is left with a choice — give up what she wants or save her friends.

Here's the book trailer:

April's recipe is for Skinny, Fresh Jumble-berry pie that is lower on carbs than many.

And here are the secret ingredients.

It's easy. Begin with a purchased graham cracker crust.
Make a glaze for the berries:
Mix together 1 package (the kind that usually makes 2-quarts of drink) of Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light, 1 cup water, and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Boil and let it thicken. Chill and stir now and again until it reaches room temperature.

Meanwhile, Mix together 2 cups nonfat milk and 2 packages instant (sugar free, fat free) white chocolate pudding mix. Pour into the crust and chill this too.

Cut up 8 large strawberries and stir together with 1/2 cup of each: blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Mix into the cooled glaze and spoon atop the pudding. Chill again until you serve.

Magic Systems

What am I reading now?  Spellbinding (Maya Gold)

Annd . . . what do I think so far?  It wouldn’t be such a big deal to be descended from the witches killed in Salem, Mass in the 1600’s, unless you were also a witch and it could cost your life too. Well, some things never change.

Abby definitely thinks the upside of the witchy-thing is the ability to cast love spells—one in particular—to land the hottest date to Prom. (Admit it. You've wished you could do that.) Another downside—because Abby knows very little about witchcraft and the people who govern that world she could be at risk from the very people she needs to trust to teach her about it.

Enter gorgeous, green-eyed Rem. Not only does he know about magic, he knows Abby, at least she thinks he does. And he’s starred in her dreams more than once before she ever met him.

This book gets bonus points for being a clean read. Teachers can put this book in their classroom libraries without worrying. 

Magic Systems

Fiction is telling lies that you want to believe and sharing those lies with readers who go along with the fibs. Why? As the author, the reader's  contract is that they won't call you on the make-believe unless you break your own rules or you fail to make your rules believable. Here are a few questions I'm using to help me consider the magic system in one of my current stories:

1. Who can do the magic? Why? Who can't do the magic? Why not? What are their reactions to it?
2. What is the source of the magic?
3. How strong is it?
4. Is it always available and the same strength? If not, what makes it change?
5. Who knows about the magic?
6. What are the limitations?
7. What is the "cost" of using the magic?
8. Is it socially or morally acceptable? Why?
9. How does the magic work?
10. What is the history of the magic?
11. What at the uses and abuses? Can it be controlled? For good? For evil?
12. Are there artifacts or objects involved?
13. Is there another book that has used this type of magic recently in your genre? How is this different?
14. Who are the supporters? Who are the enemies of the magic system?
15. What is disruptive to the magic?
16. What strengthens the magic or magic system?
17. When and where is the magic wielded? How is it tied to that time and place?
18. How does the magic system create the plot, characters, and setting issues of conflict in the story?
19. What are the variations in its use among the characters who have magic?
20. Is it permanent or temporary? Why?

Best Sugar Cookies Ever!

What am I reading now?  Fangtabulous (Lucienne Diver)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far? Do you have some time to kill and want to have a fun read? This series might be worth a look. This the is 4th book in the Vamped series (maybe I should say 4th installment--since there is no end in sight.) Gina is the main character and although she is undead her fashion sense is still very much alive. There is a lot of action in Salem, MA when she and her group settle into the community. Also enter ghosts, witches, FBI agents, and TV celebrity Ghost (or paranormal) Hunters. She has to fly under their radar and solve a two-hundred year old mystery.

Don't these look yummy? 
I made these for Valentine's Day, but there's a secret in the recipe that makes them adapt to other special occasions too. I'll give that tip at the end of the recipe:

White Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2 cups softened butter

4 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 teaspoons white vanilla 

Mix together until smooth

Add 3 packages white chocolate pudding and mix again.

Stir together: 

10 cups flour (I know this is a large recipe--it makes 4 dozen large cookies)

2 teaspoons baking soda

Add to wet mixture alternately with 1 cup of sour cream

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (at least an hour) overnight.

Roll dough and cut. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

Raspberry Marshmallow Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.

3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla (I used raspberry this time) extract

up to 4 tablespoons milk (I use heavy cream)

1 large jar marshmallow cream

1/4 teaspoon red food coloring

Mix together first 4 ingredients alternately with cream as needed to soften. When smooth add marshmallow cream and food coloring

TIPS:

•Change the flavor of the sugar cookie by changing the pudding mix you use. Want lemon? Easy! How about pistachio? Okay.

•If you half the recipe, use 2 boxes of pudding.

Feeding the Senses

What am I reading now?  The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater--pronounced Steve-Otter, in case you want to know)

Annnd . . . what do I think so far?  Okay, the opening image is a little ewww with the water horses eating the riders, but when you get past that it's an exciting book. I'm always a fan of Maggie's and this book is no exception.

Her stories are well written from the story line to the way she crafts scenes and even sentences! Beautiful.
Listen...
"Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown. I watch the ever-changing patterns in the sand as it's pummeled by countless hooves."

"The next morning finds the island ghostly quiet. Though the frenzy of last night seemed to suggest the training would begin in earnest today, the stables are still, the roads silent...I cast a glance toward the sky; a dimpled quilt of cloud hides the sun, and below it, smaller clouds race by, in a hurry to get on their way."

"It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."

"The breeze blows across my closed eyelids, scented with brine and rain and winter. I can hear the ocean rocking against the island, a constant lullaby."

This book started a little slowly for me (well after the first scene) but I was committed by then and found it picked up about a quarter of the way in. So don't give up--and the end bytheway is a thrill ride!

Feeding the Senses

Look back at the sentences I pulled from the book and read them over again, but this time look for and listen for how she engages the senses of the reader with her word choice.

Sight: bright sun, colors, ever-changing patterns, stables are still, clouds race by

Sound: ghostly quiet, roads are quiet, hear the ocean rocking against the island

Taste:

Touch: frigid autumn, breeze blows across my closed eyelids

Smell: scented with brine and rain and winter

Emotion: pummeled, someone will die

I want to be able to do that someday--purposefully engage the reader with sentences they want to read again, just to be filled.