Daley Downing's Blog, page 34

Coming Up On The TBR

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Good morning, all! Today I’ll be waxing a bit nostalgic about what will happen when NaNo is finished and I have more free time to read again. Also, I’ll be complaining a little about how I cannot afford new books very often. Okay, I just did. There, we can comiserate. I feel a bit better.

So, fall has been a big deal for new YA releases. And as usual, this is a time of year when I am not doing so hot on the wallet part of life (you know, back to school expenses and getting ready for the holidays). (So everybody go buy a copy of my short story collection, just released on Barnes & Noble.com. Wait, did I say that out loud?)

An-y-way… I am very lucky in that I live in an area with a really good public library system, and therefore I do not have to wait approximately 7.8 years to acquire titles that I am currently drooling over. Here are some of my major recent anticipated releases:

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater:

I honestly am game for trying absolutely anything Maggie Stiefvater publishes. While she just misses my list of top favorite authors, I do love the hibiscus out of The Scorpio Races and Shiver, and hence All The Crooked Saints makes this post, without a doubt.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green:

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of John Green (maybe I haven’t hit the right one yet?), but White Fang has expressed an interest in trying his books, so I figure this would be a good way to get him started.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao:

See this cover? With the lovely flower being molested by the snake? I *hate* snakes. I want to defend the flower. I will just manage to read this (despite needing to turn it facedown every time I’m not actively tackling the content), because I want to know if the flower makes it. (Hush, I know Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is about Asian-mythology-inspired fantasy, and this is a subject I am very interested in. So I *do* want to read it, although I will genuinely hope and pray for a cover change, quite soon.)

Warriors: A Vision of Shadows: Darkest Night by Erin Hunter

The latest installment in the Warriors: A Vision of Shadows series we’ll absolutely be buying. White Fang already owns most of these books, so we’re trying to complete his collection. Pre-orders are so easy for this series, and I am very grateful for that.

Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore:

I was extremely on the fence about this author’s previous works (I did try them both and was not a fan). But the premise of this one sounds very much up my alley, and I totally cover judge, and THIS COVER alone is worth swooning over and grabbing ASAP.

Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popovic:

I haven’t a single clue what this book is about. Yup, you read that right. Do I want to? Eh, kind of? I am 100% cover judging, and sincerely crossing my fingers that my impulse pays off with a great story.

So, what new releases are you looking forward to, moths? Any of these on your TBR this season? Can we all survive until they arrive in our libraries/bookstores/on our Christmas lists?

Autistic Readers and Writers: Discussion and An Interview with Paper Fury

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Hello all! Today we have a special event — I’m co-hosting a joint interview with Cait from Paper Fury (also known as the Dragon Queen, Her Royal Scaly-ness). Today she and I both are answering these amazing questions (cobbled together by yours truly), and you can find the interview on her blog, too!

We’re both book bloggers and occupational writers, and we both fall on the autism spectrum. So this fact of life (for us, but not for everybody) creates interesting twists on our favorite things of reading and writing. Today we’re going to natter just a little about that.

1.What are your favorite genres to read, and why?

DALEY: Fantasy and YA. Sometimes historical fiction. Mostly it’s because I don’t have a very strong attention span, so I really prefer shorter novels (300 or so pages) and styles that don’t include 17-letter words that I constantly have to look up. Also I like to be able to pronounce the character and place names, so I’m not huge on high fantasy or sci-fi.

CAIT: My truest love is also fantasy, everything from magical realism to high fantasy. Basically = please let there be knives and dragons. But lately I’ve really fallen in love with contemporary YA too. I’m finding the new releases to be really emotional, raw, diverse, and prone to breaking your feels and dancing the polka on them in glee. Books are so nice. I mean.

Favorite authors?

DALEY: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Erin Hunter, JK Rowling.

CAIT: Maggie Stiefvater and VE Schwab win for BEST OF BEST…but I also adore Cassandra Clare, John Green, Leigh Bardugo, Scott Lynch, Adam Silvera, and Jay Kristoff! (Yes I’m sorry but I’m allergic to minimizing my answers to this kind of question.)

Which genres do you prefer to write, and why?

DALEY: Fantasy, for sure, but also contemporary. (I have created my own genre, called suburban fantasy – since my plot/characters are generally set in small town communities in modern times.) It’s so much easier for me to keep up with the language and technology and fashion of an era I (more or less) understand, than trying to go back a hundred or more years.

CAIT: I’m with Daley in that my top 2 genres are definitely fantasy and contemporary. I write a lot of epic fantasy, but I’m dying to try magical realism. The idea of having WiFi and chocolate ice cream BUT ALSO faeries and dark magic just is pleasing. I also write just YA contemporary, which is 50% me being able to make a shameful amount of puns and add in Tumblr humour and 50% me trying not to let everyone get murdered because apparently that’s not normal for contemporaries. Who knew??? Amazing. I have written sci-fi before but HAHA NEVER AGAIN. I DO NOT KNOW SCIENCE.

What particular aspects of writing do you struggle with, as an autistic author?

DALEY: Making sure my NT (neurotypical) characters behave in ways non-autistic people would behave. (Depending on the scene, that can be really hard.) Also not cutting short dialogue (because I can’t come up with the corresponding emotional reactions), and explaining action sufficiently (my brain likes to get ahead of my fingers).

CAIT: I’ve always struggled with writing characters, particularly relationships…ok fine, particularly romances. (JUST KISS. WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT.) Since I wasn’t diagnosed with autism until a few years ago, I didn’t know why I this was so hard for me and it genuinely freaked me out that my characters couldn’t seem to move beyond sassing each other to death. (Though I still see no downside in that. My aesthetic.) But I’ve put a heckin’ lot of work in with a lot of research through reading and it pays off! As a writer, I think it’s our duty to write from perspectives and work at it!

I also write a lot of neurodiverse characters but not intentionally. Recently I finished a book with my first canon autistic character and my sister read it and said, “OK so who isn’t autistic here?” WHOOPS. So it slips in. Just like it’d take conscious effort for a neurotypical (non-autistic) author to write an autistic character, it’s the same for us vice versa. We have to translate and analyze. I’ll be asked by betas to explain myself more and put more emotional connection on page. “Make them touch!” I’ve been told for my romances and then realised with absolute shock that I hadn’t done that because I, unintentionally, avoid writing contact since I hate it. And just like Daley, I find myself doing a double take on how I’ve made my neurotypical characters act. It feels like a big messy puzzle and one I didn’t even know I was putting the pieces in backwards until recently. But do I enjoy the puzzle. #Yes.

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As an autistic reader, do you have specific triggers or extreme dislikes that you try to avoid when you choose books?

DALEY: I don’t like explicit, graphic violence or sexual content or lots of profanity. Too much info-dumping really bores me and makes me not invested in the story. And I’m not one for 5-paragraph descriptions of how the character’s shoes were made.

CAIT: I also hate info-dumping! My mind glazes over SO FAST. I’m opposite to Daley though in that I love dark books. Darker the better yessss. (I’m sure I’m fine, shh don’t fret.) But some of my biggest triggers are: (1) talking flippantly about suicide, and (2) actually reading bad representation of autism in books…which happens a lot. When you see “your people” in books but they’re constantly belittled or forced to change or just written with condescending stereotypes, it gets to you. I’ve finished YA books about autism and felt anxious and ill afterwards. So that’s what problematic representation does to those in the minority, peoples.

Do you feel that finding NT (neurotypical) characters in books that you can relate to is hard?

DALEY: Sometimes, yes. Often I like to read about protagonists who are introverts or who have traits that put them closer to the autism spectrum (even if they’re not actually on it), because I simply can’t connect with people who have 345 friends and are always going places and like having a 9-5 job. And finding narrators/protagonists who experience sensory issues (like a fear of crowds or loud noises and the ensuing physical responses) is very rare and precious.

CAIT: Again I’m so with you, Daley! I love finding characters who have a lot of autism traits because I instantly connect. Sometimes they won’t be diagnosed on page, but I will headcanon that they are and it IS SO NICE. (Especially in fantasy! Where are my fantasy autistics?!) However? The average protagonist…no I don’t relate to them. I actually freak out over this and all my low-star ratings on books I review. Is it because I don’t relate? Am I doing the book a disservice because my brain + that book = aren’t compatible? I CAN enjoy a book and not “relate” but honestly it’s like a 1 in 10 chance that I’ll find a character to emotionally connect to in a book.

Do you feel that writing from an autistic perspective will make your own novels difficult for most people to connect with?

DALEY: I do worry about it a little. Since I have 2 characters on the spectrum, they’re really easy to write; and yet, I truly hope I can describe their experiences in a way NT readers will understand and get something from. There are certain things about myself that I just can’t alter or adjust to seeing in a purely NT way, so I do A LOT of editing before I consider my manuscripts complete, hoping to achieve a good middle ground.

CAIT: Again, I hadn’t thought about this till recently…but it is a worry for me now. I also worry that if I write “too many autistic characters” people won’t be as interested in my work. Is that worry unfounded? Maybe??? But I see SO MANY reviewers on Goodreads reading a book with an autistic character and their first comment is: “Well I didn’t relate obviously because I’m not autistic.” It makes me sad. Then it makes me worried. I don’t think it SHOULD be a problem because if I can relate to a neurotypical, why shouldn’t you relate to an autistic? But so far, any betas I’ve had have all found my books delightfully stabby and relatable. OK fine they didn’t say “delightfully stabby” but I’m sure they think that deep inside.

How do you prepare to write? What’s the environment you need to be productive?

DALEY: I like it quiet, not many (or any) people around. The cat is fine. Sometimes I like to put on music, or a movie I’ve seen 14 million times, so it just becomes background. Definitely I need to have been thinking tons about my next plot point or moment in the character arc. Usually I handwrite my first draft, then take everything to the computer from there for easier revising and editing.

CAIT: I need 100% silence. I have noise-cancelling headphones to help with this. I also need a very tight schedule to be fully productive. So I write in “binge sessions” and will put in 8+ hour workdays with every minute accounted for (WITH RESTS OK I’M NOT A MACHINE). People often ask me how I even focus for that long and…well I literally can’t focuse like that for ANYTHING else. (I have the attention span of a gnat.) But writing? Dude, I just don’t stop. I get into hyper-focus and I’m gone.

Are you pursuing traditional publishing or self-publishing, and what were your reasons for this choice?

DALEY: Self-publishing, because I got really tired of sending out queries to agents and getting this response: “We feel your work is promising, but…” The “but” always related to something autistic I’d done (often without even realizing it) in the manuscript, and most people aren’t well-educated on ASD, so they didn’t even consider that the writer was ASD or even close to that possibility. So it boiled down to they liked my premise and my style, but they didn’t get the plot points or MC’s motivations. Through self-publishing, I have total creative control, and no one telling me “not to be autistic.”

CAIT: I’ve been so lucky to land a really lovely and understanding literary agent in the UK. I honestly don’t think I’ve had any hiccups that a non-autistic writer pursing traditional publishing wouldn’t have had too…it’s long and hard and YOU GOTTA BE PATIENT even when you want to eat a brick wall and edits are beasts. But my agent is extremely understanding and there has been 0% problems with the facts that (a) I’m autistic, (b) I can’t do phone calls because of social anxiety and I’m not good at speaking out loud, and (c) the way I think and write stories. I occasionally get my edit feedback “translated” by my family, though, to be sure I’m not misunderstanding.

What do you want people to know about being an autistic writer and reader?

DALEY: That we frequently won’t see things the way you do – we may never like the same authors you do, or the same genres, for very valid reasons. And it doesn’t mean we’re being stubborn or extremely judgemental. Often I’ve read books that weren’t for me at all, but I still considered them to be well-written and even recommended them to other readers. Also that as writers, we work REALLY, REALLY HARD to craft a tale that can be enjoyed by a variety of people (I can guarantee harder than most authors, and many of them do work their tails off). And that you shouldn’t worry that you won’t be able to relate to our writing; lots of NT readers have really enjoyed my debut novel. (You may even learn something about how we think and why we act the way we do, and that’s all good.)

CAIT: I love what Daley’s said there! I also think that it’d be nice if NT readers didn’t go into a book by an autistic author or about an autistic character with the assumption they’re not going to relate. Just enjoy the story. Don’t put up mental-roadblocks yourself. Our brains are having a slightly different party to yours, but it’s still a freaking cool party.

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Dreamings and Muses Now On Sale!

Well, it took a little while (don’t we all love formatting issues?!), but my complete short story collection is now available!

If you click on the link below, you’ll find the information towards obtaining your own copy!

Massive thanks to Alea Harper for the wonderful cover (and putting up with all the re-formatting we had to do)!

This is a nice little collection of 4 stories that I penned a while back, and now have compiled for print. I also included author’s notes on my influences and writing process.

The contents are “Just Pretend,” “Me and You,” “Primitive,” and “Tad Fallows and the Quarter Pints.” The first and second are basically romance, with elements of speculative fiction; the third is my only attempt at sci-fi; and for those of you who think the title of the fourth sounds familiar, yes, you’re right. This short story actually sparked one of the clever little plot points in Masters and Beginners.

The sale price is $6.55 (USD), plus shipping in most cases. (Remember, Barnes and Noble has free shipping options sometimes!)

(Okay, awkward self-promotion moving onwards… Still hoping it encourages some of you to place an order — your support is always the best, moths!)

I’m afraid I can’t offer any free review copies this time. I do plan to add this anthology (cool word, huh?) to Goodreads, and if anyone wishes to post a review in the future, that would be lovely!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreamings-and-muses-daley-downing/1127168779?ean=9781538036631

The New 5-Star Rating System

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How many of us have been frustrated by the fact that Goodreads and other book review sites do not include the option of half stars in their rating systems? Yup, I see those hands, and I’m raising my own. It’s a constant source of grating on my nerves, because I very rarely have a straightforward, solid number-star view of a book. There are so many factors at play when we review! In the interest of bookdragons everywhere, I have decided to create my own system, which takes half-stars into complete account.

(By the way, if you don’t agree with my new system, Toby will stare at you in his ultimate cuteness until you collapse from the overload of adorbs.)

Half-star: Yes, I actually think less than one star is important to include. Sometimes a book just wrangles you in such a wrong way, and you’d like to express that in your opinion. For example, how many of us had to read a textbook for school/college that was so one-sided, or under-researched, or condescending, and you felt it was necessary to inform the professors of what a bad choice they made? (Not that they’d listen, but that’s a topic for another time.) The half-star can represent the fact you appreciate the proofreaders/editors/printers had to make a living somehow, and you support their struggle.

One star: This would be pretty much what it says on the tin — you thought the book was just so poorly written (either for typos or content, bad characters or lack of plot, or lack of research, or a combination of all these elements) that you just can’t give it a good rating. But, again, you want to recognize the sacrifice made by those who stay employed by publishing.

One-and-a-half stars: It’s not so horrific that you just totally abandon it. Maybe there was a particular character that you actually liked, or the premise was really promising, and you’re hoping the author can learn to grow their creative skills.

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Two stars: It’s pretty bad. You’re not even sure you’d recommend it to others. But there was some redeeming feature. For example, when I tried to read Allegiant (I got through part of it, skipping major chunks until the end), there was so much about the “science” behind the factions that really didn’t make sense and didn’t sit well with me. But the ability of Veronica Roth to imagine intricate worlds and a conspiracy theory that didn’t simply boil down to “the aliens did it” or something so trite made me hopeful that her later novels would/will be more enjoyable and cohesive.

Two-and-a-half stars: It’s definitely not your cup of tea, but you may recommend it to other readers who like the genre/style. (I automatically think of authors like Stephen King and HP Lovecraft, who I cannot touch with a ten-foot pole — even a 10-mile pole — but I have been encouraged to try something by an author whose typical genre, in this case, literally scares the hisbiscus out of me, in order to appreciate the writing style and insights. I did complete “The Eyes of the Dragon” by King, because it’s not his usual fare. While I enjoyed it more than I expected, I still am avoiding pretty much everything else on the man’s bibliography.)

Three stars: It’s fun, there are some minor niggles, you’d suggest it to friends, you might not re-read it, but you don’t feel like, “Good grief, what did I just waste my evening doing?” I think of the first Jackaby novel by William Ritter, which had an easygoing style and fun characters and lots of humor. The historical content was inaccurate in so many ways, but I could put that (mostly) aside for the duration of the (blessedly not too long) novel.

Three-and-a-half stars: It was definitely fun, you really liked most of the characters, the plot generally made sense, and you enjoyed yourself while reading. Maybe there were some flaws in the research, the setting, or the dialogue (like a little too much swearing or flirting, for your taste). (By the way, in this blog, it usually means my taste.) You’d certainly tell fans of the genre, “Try this one!” Maybe you’ll even purchase your own copy. (Remember, I get almost everything from the library.)

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Four stars: It’s just about perfect. You fell in love with the characters. You didn’t think the action was too violent. The setting made you want to be there. You proceed to log onto Barnes & Noble.com and order your copy, because you know you’ll be re-visiting it in the future. The next time somebody puts on Twitter, “What do I read next?”, you type in this title in all caps. (My prime examples are the first Warriors series, the Beaumont and Beasley fantasies by Kyle Shultz, several of the Discworld books, and a few of Neil Gaiman’s short stories and children’s tales.)

Four-and-a-half stars: You believe the only flaw in these selections is that they may not appeal to everybody, yet you shamelessly push them on anybody you encounter. (Some of mine are The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Mort, Thud!, and Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett.)

Five stars: Pretty much you feel the world will end if not every living soul on the planet read these immediately. You know you’ll not only re-read them several times before you die, but your own copies are like priceless, sacred artifacts. (There are very few titles I reserve this designation for, because I am picky. By the way, for those of you who gave Masters and Beginners 4.5-5 stars, you have my everlasting gratitude.)

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Announcing My Spiraling Into Writerly Madness: NaNo 2017 and Volume 3

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Well, that will probably go down as one of my most creative post titles yet! Anyway, I have officially declared a project for NaNoWriMo (whatiswrongwithme), and if you’re also participating and wish to comiserate  help cheer each other on, you can find me on NaNo’s website as The Invisible Moth. (Fancy that…)

Although I have not yet finished Volume 2, I am going to begin work on Volume 3 as my NaNo project this year. I figure this is a good way to keep the flow going, since I do hope to complete at least drafts for the rest of the series in the very near future. And I needed to do another blog post, to let you all know I’m still alive (more or less, in the midst of drowning in revisions), so I’ll be following the prompts provided by Paper Fury’s “Beautiful Books”…

1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

Well, I’ve had the idea for quite a while for this series; mostly I was inspired by indulging too much in Warriors, Warehouse 13, Supernatural, Harry Potter, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.

2. Describe what your novel is about.

This one will pick up soon after the events of Volume 2 (you’ll just have to wait to find out what those are, mwhahaha), and build more on the character interactions and growth of Flynn, Sophie, Alex, Gwen, their families, and the new characters I introduce in Volume 2. And there will still be mythical creatures, faeries, magic, and of course the talking cat sith!

3. What is your book’s aesthetic?

Toby, naturally. And these clouds/this rainbow were considerations for the cover, way back when (about 8 months ago). (Although that will probably completely change by the time I actually get this document to the pre-printing stage. Sorry, Kyle!)

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4. Introduce us to each of your characters.

Well, since many of you have already met Sophie and Flynn, Alex and Gwen and their families, I think I’ll bring up some of the new folks that you’ll soon meet in Volume 2. There’s Avery McKinnon, who has a past connection to the Annex, and her husband, Crispin, who is the Crown Prince of the Seelie Court. (Go ahead, start drooling now…)

5. How do you prepare to write?

I think way too much about my themes, try to imagine my characters in certain scenes, their reactions, their motivations, and usually glare at the blank page or screen for approximately 2.3 hours.

6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

That in Volume 3 there’s going to be a MAJOR secret revealed, and I’m excited to write it.

7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

Ohio. London. The faery realm. (Yes, that’s it, keep drooling, I won’t judge you.)

8. What’s your character’s goal, and who or what stands in the way?

Well, if we’re talking about Sophie and Flynn, it’s trying to uncover secrets that they feel are preventing them from being able to help their friends. Their parents and other relatives are actually standing in their way, though it’s not intentionally to stop them from helping; it’s more a case of the adults wanting to protect their kids.

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

In terms of Emma (yes, I couldn’t forget about her!), it’s to learn more about her background, her family, and her own magical abilities. This is an ongoing journey for her, and my hope is for her to feel much more confident by the conclusion of Volume 3.

10. What are your book’s themes? What do you want readers to feel?

My themes mostly focus on sacrifice and redemption, on what’s worth fighting for and knowing when to pick your battles. When readers survive the trauma — ahem, finish, I want them to better understand some of the things I’ve only hinted at or kept under wraps, and the motivations of the characters involved. Also I want them to be sobbing uncontrolledly, and demanding that someone get them cheesecake. Or, at least saying they really enjoyed the book.

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The Totally Should’ve Tag

Hello, all! What, another tag, you may say? Well, yes, it is — I’ve been tagged by the lovely The Orangutan Librarian — and, truth be told, I am pouring all my creative energy into Volume 2 and 3, so here’s to having no ideas left over for blog posts!

Totally Should’ve…Gotten a Sequel:

I’m so going with The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater here. It’s interesting, because on the one hand, I appreciate a YA author actually determining to write a standalone and stick to it. However, since I also honestly feel that The Raven Cycle could have been condensed into a duology (no one hurt me!), and that The Wolves of Mercy Falls seriously could’ve been a standalone (just Shiver), it shows that while I like this author, I don’t always agree with her choices. Whereas in her other series I thought she got too long-winded, in The Scorpio Races there was SUCH a rich and vivid worldbuilding that I wanted to know more about. I think a sequel, say, in 10 years or something, maybe with an adult Kate/Puck or with her kids, would be great. It could explore things like, do the Races continue indefinitely or will they eventually get shut down? Did Kate and Sean stay together? Did anybody who intended to leave the island ever come back? All the good stuff.

Totally Should’ve…Had a Spinoff Series:

Definitely Harry Potter! I would happily read anything about Hogwarts, more about secondary characters like the Weasleys, the history of Voldemort’s war on other wizards and the start of the Deatheaters, what happened to people like Neville and Luna after school… (Sorry, Ms. Rowling. I do actually respect her decision to write about other subjects. I know that if I felt ready to wrap up a series, I wouldn’t want folks bugging me for more.)

Totally Should’ve…Ended Differently:

       

All right, John Green fans, don’t throw stuff at me. These are the only two novels of his I’ve read, and I think it’ll stay that way, because I take issue with how he chose to end them. This author apparently has a real talent for twisting the last 50 pages, so that what I anticipate will happen so does not, and not in a good way (in my view).

I know this will be a bit controversial, but I seriously thought it would be Hazel who died in The Fault in Our Stars, and in Paper Towns I really wanted Quentin to tell Margot to go bleep herself after he went through all this stuff to find her and she was just like, “Oh, hey, what the heck are you doing here, go away.” I’m very aware that most people who read John Green think he can do no wrong; but this is just my opinion, so, there you go.

Totally Should’ve…Had a TV Show:

Given alllll the information about the Faction System that’s only hinted at in this trilogy — especially the massive twist on its origins — I think a TV series could’ve done better justice to explaining all the complexities of this than squeezing an action-based plot into 2-hour movies.

Totally Should’ve…Had a Film Franchise:

White Fang and I are of one mind on this — a set of Warriors movies would be awesome.

Totally Should’ve…Had One Point of View:

This is a novel I really struggled with, anyway; the multiple POV did not make it any easier. I don’t think Auggie’s POV should even have been focused on; I would’ve liked to read the whole thing from, say, his sister’s perspective, or one of his classmates.

Totally Should’ve…Had a Cover Change:

Yes, I know I am The Invisible Moth. But the little flitty things on the U.S. cover for Strange the Dreamer just made my skin crawl. Why can’t we have the more elegant and mechanical drawing-ish UK version here, too? That I wouldn’t have felt the need to hide every time I tried to read more of this title.

Totally Should’ve…Stopped Reading:

Yup, this is me, bashing the Shadowhunters series. I simply felt it’s gone on too long. I finished City of Glass and loved the resolution — Jocelyn was awake, she and Luke were finally getting together, Clary and Jace were free to be a couple, Valentine was dead, Simon would’ve been a great nerdy vampire and Izzy was fantastic with him, Alec and Magnus were established — BOOM, perfect, wrap it up. The 4th, 5th and 6th books weren’t necessary at all, in my view, nor the spinoffs. Sorry, fans.

Totally Should’ve…Kept the Cover:

Okay, this is an old book, that I don’t know if it’s even still in print in the USA *sobs*, but this is the original cover on the copy I first read from a library *cough, cough* a long time ago. I like the almost art deco look to it, because it perfectly fits the 1950s setting of the story. But when I tried to order a paperback from Amazon a few years back, this is what arrived:

In my opinion, too cheesy, too modern, too trying to make it a YA Mills and Boone (which this story is not). Big sigh.

Totally Shouldn’t…Have Pre-judged:

After getting about 75 pages into this and returning it to the library (twice!), finally I finished it, and was super glad I did. The first few chapters of this novel are kind of plodding, and a bit depressing, and I really wasn’t hooked. But when I embarked on the re-read-to-the-completion, the style got me going enough to continue (personally, I love Holly Black’s style, even if most of her subject matter isn’t to my taste), and in fact that the dark and dreary setting serves well to set up all the twist-to-positive-character-growth by the end. I’m really glad that I went back to The Darkest Part of the Forest in spite of my earlier misgivings.

And there we have it! As usual, I won’t be tagging anybody specific, but if you’d like to tackle this, go for it!

 

 

Discussion: Presenting What We See Versus What We Hope For In YA Fiction

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So, last night we watched the movie version of “Everything, Everything,” and while I haven’t read the book (and realistically, I wouldn’t, because it’s a contemporary and a romance and I don’t read those), I’m certainly capable of reading reviews and finding out if the book was different from the movie.

Now, after doing some research, I have a bunch of “interesting” thoughts to share. (Cue a big rant.)

Alert: Massive spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I will ruin it all for you. Hey, at least I warned you.

Okay, here is the premise of the story: Meet Maddy, nearly 18 and stuck in her house, because she has an autoimmune disorder, meaning that she’s allergic to the world (and, yes, this is a real, complex condition). Her mom is a doctor, she gets all her treatments at home, via a visiting nurse, and she takes online classes. Then one day a lovely young lad moves in next door, and attraction happens, and of course they try to find ways to have a relationship in spite of Maddy’s situation.

(My first thoughts as we watched the early scenes of the film were comparisons to an episode of the TV show “Scorpion,” but we’ll get to that in a minute.)

Maddy’s mom is super overprotective — yet, can you blame her? The mere fact that her daughter will probably get pneumonia just by going outside and being exposed to germs would be enough to make most parents in those circumstances overprotective. However… This is where the spoilers start. As the movie progresses, you begin to get the idea that something is up.

You never see any of the medicines Maddy must have to take. You never see a list of her food restrictions, which there must be. She doesn’t have an oxygen tank or an epi-pen or protective medical gear anywhere in her house. All the nurse has to do, apparently, before examining Maddy, is wash her hands. This does not seem to make much sense.

The episode of “Scorpion” I mentioned earlier had a girl “in a bubble” — the poor thing was so autoimmune that she wasn’t allowed human contact (they had to wear those CDC suits to get close to her), her room had to be temperature controlled, she couldn’t be in direct sunlight, etc. From the criticisms I’ve read of “Everything, Everything” it sounds to me like “Scorpion” has the more accurate portrayal.

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Well, there is a very good reason for this — SPOILERS DON’T GET BIGGER THAN THIS — it turns out Maddy isn’t actually sick at all. Her mother is a complete whacko who has been keeping her daughter trapped in a clean house, because after Maddy’s dad and brother died suddenly, she couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to Maddy.

Now, from a writer’s point of view, this is an incredible twist, and as a viewer/reader, I thought it was such an impactful choice for plotting. And I thought that the ending — Maddy abandoning her mother after she learns the truth, to go live the life she’d never had and deserved — was perfect.

But on the other side of the coin, I was also furious. To say that what Maddy’s mother did was unethical is merely the tip of the iceberg. Not only should she lose her medical license and go to jail, but it would also be fitting for Maddy to never speak to her again. And for someone to start a foundation for kids who really do have the autoimmune condition that crazy witch faked for Maddy. (If I was the author, that’s what would’ve happened.)

I can see why this novel has garnered extreme criticism from people who actually are ill with what Maddy is supposed to have. It’s like this story is trivializing such a serious medical issue because, surprise!, Maddy’s in fact healthy and can just run out of her house to go live a normal life. Although I imagine this was not the author’s intention, I can totally understand how this perspective could be misconstrued. And I get why it would make people mad.

As White Fang and I watched the movie, we kept expecting something to happen to Maddy, basically that she’d quickly pass away, and we were ready for that to be the ending. And the point would be, “Hey, she took a chance and died with no regrets, and hopefully her mother would see that.” (And for anyone who has issues with that, yeah, I get you, too.) But for the big reveal to be what it actually was…

Well, that makes me bring up this: Why is it that the parents in YA fiction always have to be such complete !@#$%^&*. (You can mentally fill in your impolite word of choice there.) This story is a MESS on steroids when it comes to the adults. Maddy’s mother is certified mentally unstable. Olly’s father is drunk and a wife-beater, and his mom is too afraid to leave, so she stays in a situation that threatens her own kids’ safety. Maddy’s nurse — well, the movie didn’t make it clear whether she knew the truth or not, but if she did, OH MY GOD, why didn’t she tell Maddy and turn in Maddy’s mother to the authorities?!?! As a parent myself, I simply cannot imagine what the point is of having such horrific role models presented to the very impressionable audience of teenagers.

Yes, there are some adults in the world who are piss-poor examples of adults. I know that, but I don’t accept it. If we’re really going to teach our kids how to be decent adults, we have to give them good role models to follow.

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When did it become totally okay for fictional parents to be everything from low-key neglectful to downright vile, sub-humans, with none of the other characters calling the police, contacting Social Services, going to teachers or ministers for help? In real life, we tell kids all the time that if they’re being abused to go to a trusted adult. Well, how are they going to do that if they think there are no trustworthy adults?

When did it become the gold standard in publishing for 16-year-olds to have to save the entire world? I’m specifically thinking of dystopias like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, in which anyone over the age of 20 is a complete schmuck (or gets killed if they’re not). Compare this to Harry Potter, where the kids are indeed going forth to battle evil — but their parents and teachers are right there beside them.

There are major reasons I don’t read contemporary YA romances — this is one of them.

This is also why I write parents who care, who can be trusted, who make sure the kids finish their chores and homework and eat their greens.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. We need MORE adults like this in YA. Period.

Okay, rant over. Any thoughts, fellow readers and writers?

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Okay, There Is No Way It’s The End Of September…

First, the requisite part of the monthly recap where I scream into the void for approximately 5.6 minutes about how it is possible that time moves so bloody fast.

All right. Now, onto actual things.

So, not a heck of a lot went on here or on social media during the month of September, due to the fact my whole family came down with some horrific cold/virus that did not want to go away. The boys each missed a week of school (luckily not exactly all the same days), and between taking care of my smol ones and being sick myself, I did hardly any editing on Volume 2, housework, or really anything else. I was extremely not pleased with this situation. Yes, I got some reading done, but mostly because that was all I had the energy for. These circumstances are not recommended.

Anyway, other than that, I did manage to get a few posts out there, and provide you all with at least a bit of information on how the revisions were going once I was finally able to tackle them. So, here is the news on Volume 2…

It’s a very slowgoing process, but I have gone over all of the beta-read feedback, and am revising/editing (meaning, delete a lot of words, enter a bunch more, repeat), chapter by chapter. My plan is still to have the final manuscript ready to go to printing before November 1st. There are a couple of reasons for that. Keep reading after the cat to find out specifically what they are.

One is that I may participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for those of you who are staring at your screen blankly), which takes place the whole month of November. I won it last year, by the skin of my teeth, but it was worth it, as that document turned into the final draft of Masters and Beginners. And realistically, this year I’ll have more time each day to put into NaNo, meaning I could possibly finish earlier. And I certainly have writing projects I could enter. BUT, in the interest of my head not exploding (it already has about 4 times this calendar year), I may bow out gracefully and happily. We’ll see.

The other major reason I want to have Volume 2 ready to bring joy to readers’ lives no later than the commencement of November is that I am itching to move on to other work. For example, finishing the canon series of The Order of the Twelve Tribes. And there will be a prequel! And a field guide! Anticipate both sometime in 2018!

In the meantime, I’m getting ready to release my short story collection for purchase! Some of you may remember that ages ago (like, last spring, I think?) I posted a few short stories I’d written at random points over the last couple years. It was always my intention to put them all together and compile author’s notes on the influences that shaped them, and now I am so doing! Expect a formal announcement about this new project in the very near future!

So, as I was whinging earlier, not a lot of other stuff got accomplished in September. Including, actually, reading. That’s because, while I was lying around trying to get better, I only finished a few books — and they weren’t even on my TBR. That’s right, my brain was so foggy I didn’t even remember to check my TBR before I went to the library.  It’s why it took me a while to get started on A Clash of Kings, and to recall that Maggie Stiefvater’s new novel is out soon, and new Warriors publications are forthcoming. I am a bit of a mess. Hopefully I’ll be all caught up by the holidays.

I’ve also made some decisions regarding further marketing, based on time and what it will not do for me. I shall not attempt a Wattpad account at the moment. Nor a newsletter (maybe next year?). Nor shall I even select a subscription box (that could be my Christmas present to myself?).

Okay, and in the interest of progressing forward, I am going to focus much more now on promoting Volume 2, and the rest of the series. To all of you who have so far read Volume 1 and loved it and helped me promote, THANK YOU. This literally cannot be said loud enough to show how much I appreciate all your support and help in getting this little passion of mine off the ground.

To celebrate, I am hosting a book club on the blog! We’ll go through each of my publications, starting with Masters and Beginners, and on October 30th all you have to do to join in is read the discussion post I’ll put up that day, and comment your thoughts! Obviously you’ll have to have read the book, but that’s the only requirement.

In other, non-writing-non-reading-related news, both my boys are officially in school. White Fang is in 9th grade — that means high school — and apart from the sickness, doing pretty well so far. Muffin is attending a special needs preschool, where he receives all his physical/speech/occupational therapy, as well as the basics of numbers/shapes/colors/letters and working with others. Yesterday his class went to the swimming pool at one of the local colleges, where the kids were paired up with students in Special Education. Muffin is loving every minute of it, including riding the bus and trying new foods at lunch.

I have survived reconciling the fact that I now have a high-schooler and a pre-schooler, and that I’m not as young as I used to be. Trust me, that was the hardest part.

Otherwise, things are finally reaching something resembling normal after the great illness. So I wouldn’t call it exciting, but also feel we’ve had enough excitement lately.

You’ll all be relieved to hear that Toby made it through this trying time completely unscathed.

Here’s to a healthy and productive fall!

The Rise of Aredor/The Wildcat of Braeton Blog Tour

So today I am on the blog tour for the relaunch of this fantasy series by indie author Claire Banschbach. This is a MG-YA duology set in a fictional world of ages gone by (12th-14th centuries or so, I’d reckon).

Summary: 

Lost in a foreign land and separated from his family, Corin does his best to survive as a slave in the household of a Calorin lord. With newfound friends he fights for survival in ambushes and wars. For one act of bravery, he is awarded his freedom and returns to a home that has been invaded and ravaged by the Calorin armies. When Corin sets foot on Aredor’s shores, he has one goal in mind: find his family. He is driven into the forest, where he is reunited with childhood friends. From the shelter of the woods, they begin a spirited rebellion against Corin’s former cruel master, who now holds sway over Aredor. Follow Corin’s path in his quest to free his imprisoned brother, find a father who has vanished, and ultimately free his country in The Rise of Aredor.

My thoughts:

This is a story with a lot going on. The action certainly delivers. My only concern is that the plot seems to be taking center stage over building a character voice that the reader can really get attached to. While there is definitely is character development between the beginning and the end, I didn’t quite feel connected to them. Corin is on quite the quest — I’d classify this as an archetypal coming of age story before any other genre — and the other characters are for sure invested in his choices, and that comes across well.

Summary:

His term of service to Lord Rishdah now complete, Aiden returns to his home in Braeton. As he travels he hears rumors that trouble plagues Braeton. Clan Canich is being attacked from within. He arrives, determined to save his father, his brothers, and his Clan from the treachery of one man.

A year has passed since the Calorins were driven from Aredor and Corin is struggling to rebuild his country. Despite the peace, a fear haunts him that the Calorins aren’t far away. The Hawk Flight takes to the forest again to defend the borders against a possible attack from the neighboring country of Durna and its Calorin ally. 

As Aiden and Corin struggle to adapt to their new lives they know one thing for certain – war is coming to the North! 

My thoughts:

Set at what feels like a more moderate pace, with more flow to the style, and certainly following the growth of the characters, separately and together, the sequel seemed a bit more grounded in achieving a world that the reader cares about. The themes of overcoming your demons and what’s worth fighting for are timeless.

The only thing that was rather different was the epilogue detailing the specifics of each main character’s life after the official end of the story. Honestly, I thought this was a really nice way to tie up any possible loose ends readers may have been wondering about.

About the Author:

Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen while obtaining degrees in Kinesiology from Texas A&M and Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University.

She talks to fictional characters more than she should while struggling to find time for all their stories. She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.

The Giveaway:

From September 28th until October 4th, Claire will be running a giveaway.

The prizes: E-books of  The Rise of Aredor and The Wildcat of Braeton, a set of 4 notecards of the series’ artwork, and a paperback set of the books with one notecard of choice.

Here is the link — http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp...?

Happy reading, everyone!

 

The Masters and Beginners Book Club!

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So, my apologies for not making the official announcement a little sooner — sickness swarmed in, as some of you may know, and my whole house was down for a week and a half. It was a miracle the cat got fed and the dishes got done, never mind editing and self-marketing.

Anyway, now we are more or less better, and I’m trying to get back to normal in my writerling ventures. One of these is the book club I’ll be hosting for each of my own books here on the blog!

We’re starting with (makes sense) Volume 1 of The Order of the Twelve Tribes. To join, all you need to do is have read or be currently reading the first novel, Masters and Beginners. Either cover/edition works (it’s the same story), and both are available for purchase. The most recent edition (new cover seen below) can be obtained through Barnes & Noble.com (the link is working on my Goodreads author page, or you can email me, per the sidebar/top menu, for details). Or I have copies of the original Toby cover as well (again, contact me by email).

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Okay, the awkward please-buy-my-stuff moment is moving on to what the actual discussion will consist of.

On October 30th (see, plenty of time to join in!), I’ll be posting an open conversation on the following questions:

What were your favorite parts of the story?
Which characters were you drawn to the most, and why?
Did you identify any particular themes?
Who would you like to see cast as who in the movie version?
The Order is a secret organization stretching back about 3,000 years. What historical figures do you think could have belonged to the Order?

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See, easy! Just post your comments on October 30th, engage with your fellow commenters, and get ready for Volume 2!

Happy reading, all!

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