Kristi Chestnutt's Blog, page 7
July 28, 2012
Pardon my rant
Okay, those of you on Twitter may be tired of hearing about it by now...because I certainly wasn't alone in my NBC feelings regarding the Olympic Ceremony in London yesterday, but after a night spent reflecting (and still very much annoyed) on exactly WHY I was so bothered, for me, this was/is the best way to GET IT OUT.
Because normally I'm a pretty optimistic person, usually I'm glass-half-full, normally I can ignore trivial bothersome things (okay, that might not be accurate...I can be a little OCD) BUT, my point (I swear I have one) is that this whole broadcast pestered me to the point that my tweeting became more vicious (in my mind) than I'm comfortable with. (As sarcastsic and vicious as I get anyway...trust me, it was tame comparatively.)
SO, here's what I've concluded after a night of thought:
First off, let me state the obvious: NBC dropped the ball BIG time. I wasn't thrilled about the delay, but I understood it, it was LOGICAL, and I could deal. They were allowing for the majority of us to be able to watch it together. If only.
Truth is, they cut out bits and pieces of the ceremony that they didn't air, which still confuses me. I mean, if you're on a delay, the advantage (in my mind) would be that when you go to commercial, you don't have to miss anything. It's all a GIANT RECORDING at this point, right? But no, that would be crazy. And it wasn't just the fun, action packed parts they cut out either, but some of the Parade of Nations as well. You'd leave for commercial on one letter and come back on another later on down the line, and they'd say something like, "while you were gone, we saw XXX and XXX, and here we are at XXX."
SO WEIRD.
But it got worse. Way worse.
The commentating was horrible in a way that's just, well, AWKWARD.
It was unintelligent at best, something that, during the beginning of the Opening Ceremony, as they explained what was happening on stage, made you cringe. I'm not sure if it was intentionally dumbed down or if that's just how they roll, but the vibe was more of a Macy's Day Parade broadcast than an Opening Ceremony Broadcast. There was a level of respect and awe, that for me, was vacant. It lessened the experience.
But even that wasn't the worst. The worst was reserved for the highlight of every Opening Ceremony, the Parade of Nations. Here's this huge moment of unity, of peace, of the WORLD coming together with all our differences, united, for one reason. Sure, at it's heart, it's to compete, but it's MORE than that. It's beautiful to see so many different cultures, so many different languages, all under one roof.
It's beautiful. And moving. And we should all be in awe of it.
But not NBC. No. They're commenting was more pageant style, with random facts being shouted out as each country passed, and none of the facts were given in a respectful, loving manner. None. The undertone was "We are America and we are awesome, aren't these other countries who don't have a chance cute." And that's being nice. Because none of them actually think anyone is cute. I don't know...it's hard to explain, it was just....SAD.
And the saddest part is that I don't believe it was intentional at all. I don't think NBC or the commentators themselves were trying to be offensive. I think they were clueless, and that their comments, given without much thought, embodied what is so wrong with our country.
It should've been beautiful. It should've been respectful. It should've been commentating about how great it is to have all these people come together, how great a job London was doing with the whole thing, but it just wasn't. And that was BEYOND DISAPPOINTING.
I was embarrassed. For all of us. For our country.
Okay, rant over.
The Opening Ceremony itself (sans US interference/commentary) was amazing. It was fun, it was moving, and have you seen that torch? So gorgeous, so creative, so awesome to see all those construction workers lining the hall as it was carried past. So many aspects came together for one night of beautiful entertainment. And now the games begin.
I can't wait to watch.
And next year? Maybe I'll switch to viewing the Opening Ceremony live on my computer instead of my own tv.
Anyone else watch it? Did you have a strong reaction? What did you think?
Because normally I'm a pretty optimistic person, usually I'm glass-half-full, normally I can ignore trivial bothersome things (okay, that might not be accurate...I can be a little OCD) BUT, my point (I swear I have one) is that this whole broadcast pestered me to the point that my tweeting became more vicious (in my mind) than I'm comfortable with. (As sarcastsic and vicious as I get anyway...trust me, it was tame comparatively.)
SO, here's what I've concluded after a night of thought:
First off, let me state the obvious: NBC dropped the ball BIG time. I wasn't thrilled about the delay, but I understood it, it was LOGICAL, and I could deal. They were allowing for the majority of us to be able to watch it together. If only.
Truth is, they cut out bits and pieces of the ceremony that they didn't air, which still confuses me. I mean, if you're on a delay, the advantage (in my mind) would be that when you go to commercial, you don't have to miss anything. It's all a GIANT RECORDING at this point, right? But no, that would be crazy. And it wasn't just the fun, action packed parts they cut out either, but some of the Parade of Nations as well. You'd leave for commercial on one letter and come back on another later on down the line, and they'd say something like, "while you were gone, we saw XXX and XXX, and here we are at XXX."
SO WEIRD.
But it got worse. Way worse.
The commentating was horrible in a way that's just, well, AWKWARD.
It was unintelligent at best, something that, during the beginning of the Opening Ceremony, as they explained what was happening on stage, made you cringe. I'm not sure if it was intentionally dumbed down or if that's just how they roll, but the vibe was more of a Macy's Day Parade broadcast than an Opening Ceremony Broadcast. There was a level of respect and awe, that for me, was vacant. It lessened the experience.
But even that wasn't the worst. The worst was reserved for the highlight of every Opening Ceremony, the Parade of Nations. Here's this huge moment of unity, of peace, of the WORLD coming together with all our differences, united, for one reason. Sure, at it's heart, it's to compete, but it's MORE than that. It's beautiful to see so many different cultures, so many different languages, all under one roof.
It's beautiful. And moving. And we should all be in awe of it.
But not NBC. No. They're commenting was more pageant style, with random facts being shouted out as each country passed, and none of the facts were given in a respectful, loving manner. None. The undertone was "We are America and we are awesome, aren't these other countries who don't have a chance cute." And that's being nice. Because none of them actually think anyone is cute. I don't know...it's hard to explain, it was just....SAD.
And the saddest part is that I don't believe it was intentional at all. I don't think NBC or the commentators themselves were trying to be offensive. I think they were clueless, and that their comments, given without much thought, embodied what is so wrong with our country.
It should've been beautiful. It should've been respectful. It should've been commentating about how great it is to have all these people come together, how great a job London was doing with the whole thing, but it just wasn't. And that was BEYOND DISAPPOINTING.
I was embarrassed. For all of us. For our country.
Okay, rant over.
The Opening Ceremony itself (sans US interference/commentary) was amazing. It was fun, it was moving, and have you seen that torch? So gorgeous, so creative, so awesome to see all those construction workers lining the hall as it was carried past. So many aspects came together for one night of beautiful entertainment. And now the games begin.
I can't wait to watch.
And next year? Maybe I'll switch to viewing the Opening Ceremony live on my computer instead of my own tv.
Anyone else watch it? Did you have a strong reaction? What did you think?
July 24, 2012
The Heat! The Conference! The Shopping! Part II
Ready for more Texas photo tour?!?
Because I'm ba-aack from vacay and all motivated, and if there's one thing I've learned about my motivation, it's to go with the flow when it arrives. Know what I mean?
So, where were we?
Oh yeah, DAY 2:
The girls and I went to San Antonio for the day, where we
visited the Alamo:(how cute is KM? seriously.)
saw this awesome tree:(I'm thinking of framing it. Pretty, no?)
did a river boat ride down the San Antonio River Walk:(my favorite K-Rae photo, so cute! I totally meant to swipe borrow that owl necklace while I was there but came home empty handed. *sob*)
we ate dinner with some seriously aggressive ducks at our feet:(which Katie Marie kept feeding, thankfully distracting them from my exposed toes, which they seemed determined to nibble):
Exhibit A: Aggressive Duck
Best Guacamole Ever:
That was Friday in a nutshell.The rest of our night consisted of practice pitching for the conference the next morning and getting some much needed rest. Oh, and rhyming via Twitter.You know, cuz that's how we roll. ;)
Here we are at the conference on Satuday, looking all conferency:
The conference itself was great, and we were all lucky enough to meet a super cool agent, who was not only super-friendly and helpful, but willing to give a revise & resubmit right there at the cocktail party, which was beyond cool. It made our first ever conference experience a great one to remember.
As for the agent pitch session: I won't lie. It was a bit nerve-wracking until I was there, in front of said agent-of-awesome, with the nerves behind me. It certainly doesn't help that the whole process felt like some kind of acting casting call, with the elevator ride to the 17th floor, the door with stairs leading to the 18th floor, where you check in and wait for your name to be called, complete with escort, into the room where eight agents sit at round tables, all waiting and receiving pitches from everyone, all together. Totally NOT what I imagined. Luckily, with the agent of awesome I was paired with, it all melted away once we started talking, but had it not, I may have possibly died.
Interesting that us private writer types, who spend most of our time alone with a computer, go through a process such as this one. I have never been more thankful for my outgoing personality. I can't imagine being shy and making it through. It was/is so daunting.
Everything post-pitch was much more chill and the girls and I met so many cool people and new writerly friends. I even got a new crit partner out of the deal, which is something I never expected.
All in all, the whole week was jam-packed full of FUN.
We went shopping on Sunday with Kim, saw the Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter movie that night (hello gory, but good), and on Monday it was time to fly home.
I couldn't have asked for a better trip to Texas to meet my critique girls for the first time. The conference was great, and the company was beyond comparison.
I was even able to meet these lovelies before flying home, and they are absolutely PRECIOUS!
(don't you just want to hug them?!?)
Because I'm ba-aack from vacay and all motivated, and if there's one thing I've learned about my motivation, it's to go with the flow when it arrives. Know what I mean?
So, where were we?
Oh yeah, DAY 2:
The girls and I went to San Antonio for the day, where we
visited the Alamo:(how cute is KM? seriously.)
saw this awesome tree:(I'm thinking of framing it. Pretty, no?)
did a river boat ride down the San Antonio River Walk:(my favorite K-Rae photo, so cute! I totally meant to swipe borrow that owl necklace while I was there but came home empty handed. *sob*)
we ate dinner with some seriously aggressive ducks at our feet:(which Katie Marie kept feeding, thankfully distracting them from my exposed toes, which they seemed determined to nibble):
Exhibit A: Aggressive Duck
Best Guacamole Ever:
That was Friday in a nutshell.The rest of our night consisted of practice pitching for the conference the next morning and getting some much needed rest. Oh, and rhyming via Twitter.You know, cuz that's how we roll. ;)
Here we are at the conference on Satuday, looking all conferency:
The conference itself was great, and we were all lucky enough to meet a super cool agent, who was not only super-friendly and helpful, but willing to give a revise & resubmit right there at the cocktail party, which was beyond cool. It made our first ever conference experience a great one to remember.
As for the agent pitch session: I won't lie. It was a bit nerve-wracking until I was there, in front of said agent-of-awesome, with the nerves behind me. It certainly doesn't help that the whole process felt like some kind of acting casting call, with the elevator ride to the 17th floor, the door with stairs leading to the 18th floor, where you check in and wait for your name to be called, complete with escort, into the room where eight agents sit at round tables, all waiting and receiving pitches from everyone, all together. Totally NOT what I imagined. Luckily, with the agent of awesome I was paired with, it all melted away once we started talking, but had it not, I may have possibly died.
Interesting that us private writer types, who spend most of our time alone with a computer, go through a process such as this one. I have never been more thankful for my outgoing personality. I can't imagine being shy and making it through. It was/is so daunting.
Everything post-pitch was much more chill and the girls and I met so many cool people and new writerly friends. I even got a new crit partner out of the deal, which is something I never expected.
All in all, the whole week was jam-packed full of FUN.
We went shopping on Sunday with Kim, saw the Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter movie that night (hello gory, but good), and on Monday it was time to fly home.
I couldn't have asked for a better trip to Texas to meet my critique girls for the first time. The conference was great, and the company was beyond comparison.
I was even able to meet these lovelies before flying home, and they are absolutely PRECIOUS!
(don't you just want to hug them?!?)
July 16, 2012
Monday Music Muse...
It's been quite a while since I posted a music monday, so how about we bring it back, old school style, with Eve 6?
This song (Inside Out) is a favorite of mine that I've been listening to alot on the treadmill lately. Good beat, great lyrics, full of mood...everything I love in a song. I bought the video a few weeks ago (already own the album) and the first thing that came to mind was that it could totally be the theme song for a YA book.
Check it out...what do you think? Do you remember it? Like it? Hate it?
This song (Inside Out) is a favorite of mine that I've been listening to alot on the treadmill lately. Good beat, great lyrics, full of mood...everything I love in a song. I bought the video a few weeks ago (already own the album) and the first thing that came to mind was that it could totally be the theme song for a YA book.
Check it out...what do you think? Do you remember it? Like it? Hate it?
July 12, 2012
In which Lauren Oliver makes me smile...
So, I'm a little late in posting this, but I denitely wanted to share a recent *SQUEE* moment with all of you. (We're all a fan of happy, fun writerly news stuff, yes?!?)
Before I left for Texas and the writers conference I'd been preparing for, I was in that weird writer place, where you've worked hard on your latest novel, edited it, obsessed over it, written every synopsis and log line you can imagine for it, often deleting and retweaking each version for a single word~that was all I'd been doing. Once it was done, I fell into the oh-my-gosh-time-to-think-of-something-new phase. BUT I wasn't ready for new. Not until the conference was over, you know?
And then I stumbled upon a writing challenge on Lauren Oliver's blog. Most of you know by now I'm a huge fan of her work and I try to keep up with her blog from time to time as well. So, I read the writing prompt, and BAM, it was like, YES.
The prompt was fun and inspiring enough that my brain automatically went into creative mode, and after so long on working on the same thing, it felt AMAZING.
So, for the first time ever, I sent something in for a writing challenge, and then feeling good at having written NEW words, proceeded to forget about it amidst all the excitement of meeting the girls and going to Texas.
That is, until I got up early one morning (I could never sleep in...I'm totally an early bird!!!) and scrolled through Twitter to see her announcement that finalists were up.
And then I proceeded to (very quietly) do a happy dance right there in the living room.
To be chosen by an author I admire so much for my writing was one of THOSE MOMENTS. It was uber cool and just felt really, really good.
You can check out the amazing prompt HERE.
The resulting winners HERE.
And Lauren Oliver's soon to be released (October 2012) Middle Grade Book, The Spindlers, HERE.
The whole process taught me even more as a writer. Sometimes I'm so focused on my projects, on the novels I'm writing and my own worlds, that I forget about how freeing and inspiring these types of contests can be. It was an awesome experience to do something different, something short, and something final, in such a short amount of time.
Going forward, I'll probably look for more of these kinds of opportunities while I'm in the awkward between-books phase of writing.
NOT that a new shiny idea hasn't popped up. But it's brewing. :)
What about you? Are you a fan of writing challenges/blogfests? That's another thing I've never participated in. A blogfest. DO TELL.
Also-I *promise* to put up more photos/journaling of my Texas trip soon...I haven't forgotten, have just not gotten around to organizing photos and what-nots.
Coming Up: The return of Monday Music Muse!
Before I left for Texas and the writers conference I'd been preparing for, I was in that weird writer place, where you've worked hard on your latest novel, edited it, obsessed over it, written every synopsis and log line you can imagine for it, often deleting and retweaking each version for a single word~that was all I'd been doing. Once it was done, I fell into the oh-my-gosh-time-to-think-of-something-new phase. BUT I wasn't ready for new. Not until the conference was over, you know?
And then I stumbled upon a writing challenge on Lauren Oliver's blog. Most of you know by now I'm a huge fan of her work and I try to keep up with her blog from time to time as well. So, I read the writing prompt, and BAM, it was like, YES.
The prompt was fun and inspiring enough that my brain automatically went into creative mode, and after so long on working on the same thing, it felt AMAZING.
So, for the first time ever, I sent something in for a writing challenge, and then feeling good at having written NEW words, proceeded to forget about it amidst all the excitement of meeting the girls and going to Texas.
That is, until I got up early one morning (I could never sleep in...I'm totally an early bird!!!) and scrolled through Twitter to see her announcement that finalists were up.
And then I proceeded to (very quietly) do a happy dance right there in the living room.
To be chosen by an author I admire so much for my writing was one of THOSE MOMENTS. It was uber cool and just felt really, really good.
You can check out the amazing prompt HERE.
The resulting winners HERE.
And Lauren Oliver's soon to be released (October 2012) Middle Grade Book, The Spindlers, HERE.
The whole process taught me even more as a writer. Sometimes I'm so focused on my projects, on the novels I'm writing and my own worlds, that I forget about how freeing and inspiring these types of contests can be. It was an awesome experience to do something different, something short, and something final, in such a short amount of time.
Going forward, I'll probably look for more of these kinds of opportunities while I'm in the awkward between-books phase of writing.
NOT that a new shiny idea hasn't popped up. But it's brewing. :)
What about you? Are you a fan of writing challenges/blogfests? That's another thing I've never participated in. A blogfest. DO TELL.
Also-I *promise* to put up more photos/journaling of my Texas trip soon...I haven't forgotten, have just not gotten around to organizing photos and what-nots.
Coming Up: The return of Monday Music Muse!
July 9, 2012
The Heat! The Conference! The Shopping! Part I
Okay, so remember how I thought Texas would be uber-hot?
Yeah. It was.
Like, sweltering.
Not that the girls and I let it put a damper on our weekend. The heat may have made us glisten (read: melt) a bit (read: a ton), and the GINORMOUS crickets may have freaked us out a little (read: almost peed my pants a few times) but we didn't let either one slow us down!
With Kristin, our fantabulous hostess at the wheel, KM and I were on the move!
Besides seeing cactus along the road (seriously, cactus in the WILD...wish I would've gotten a photo of THAT),
we visited the lake:
went to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory (really cool):
went antique shopping in the precious little town of Bourne:
where we saw these beauties:
and these:
and had lunch in this cute little cafe:
saw this apparently very alive but sleeping owl (I was about to touch him when someone thankfully warned us they'd seen him move and he was alive)
And all of that was just Thursday!
I'm still trying to get caught up on photos and writing and reading, and you know, STUFF, so stay tuned for The Heat! The Conference! The Shopping! Part II...which will be the San Antonio part of our trip...
What about you? Any fun trips you've taken this summer? I'm a photo tour addict, so feel free to leave me links in the comments. I love living through other people (hello, I'm a book addict!).
Hope this post finds you keeping cool...wherever you might be!
Yeah. It was.
Like, sweltering.
Not that the girls and I let it put a damper on our weekend. The heat may have made us glisten (read: melt) a bit (read: a ton), and the GINORMOUS crickets may have freaked us out a little (read: almost peed my pants a few times) but we didn't let either one slow us down!
With Kristin, our fantabulous hostess at the wheel, KM and I were on the move!
Besides seeing cactus along the road (seriously, cactus in the WILD...wish I would've gotten a photo of THAT),
we visited the lake:
went to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory (really cool):
went antique shopping in the precious little town of Bourne:
where we saw these beauties:
and these:
and had lunch in this cute little cafe:
saw this apparently very alive but sleeping owl (I was about to touch him when someone thankfully warned us they'd seen him move and he was alive)
And all of that was just Thursday!
I'm still trying to get caught up on photos and writing and reading, and you know, STUFF, so stay tuned for The Heat! The Conference! The Shopping! Part II...which will be the San Antonio part of our trip...
What about you? Any fun trips you've taken this summer? I'm a photo tour addict, so feel free to leave me links in the comments. I love living through other people (hello, I'm a book addict!).
Hope this post finds you keeping cool...wherever you might be!
July 4, 2012
Happy Independence Day!
...and thanks to all those who have served~past, present, and future.
Coming Up: The heat! The Conference! The Shopping!
Coming Up: The heat! The Conference! The Shopping!
June 13, 2012
Texas? Yes, please.
In a week, I'll be there.
In Texas.
What should I pack? What should I wear? What's the weather like?
Will my friends love me as much as I love them?
These are the thoughts running in a constant loop through my head right now, so I ask you, blogosphere, do you live in Texas? Is it hot? Because I imagine it's HOT.
Besides entire vats of sunscreen, what should I bring along? (Have you seen me? I'm pale. Like pasty white. I burn walking to my car. For reals.)
And are YOU doing any summer traveling? Do tell.
In Texas.
What should I pack? What should I wear? What's the weather like?
Will my friends love me as much as I love them?
These are the thoughts running in a constant loop through my head right now, so I ask you, blogosphere, do you live in Texas? Is it hot? Because I imagine it's HOT.
Besides entire vats of sunscreen, what should I bring along? (Have you seen me? I'm pale. Like pasty white. I burn walking to my car. For reals.)
And are YOU doing any summer traveling? Do tell.
June 7, 2012
Conference Countdown!!!
It's very, very, very HARD to believe, but it's true.
The time for my very first writer's conference is almost here (and also the very first time I get to meet my critique partners face-to-face....squeeee!)
Over the last few weeks I've been busy researching and preparing, and as I'm scouring the internet for nuggets of wisdom, I thought maybe, just maybe, some of you were finding yourselves in the same position right now too. Maybe not MY conference per se, but maybe YOUR first writer's conference. (Mine is the Writers' League of Texas 2012 Agents Conference...please DO tell me if you'll be there too so we can meet up.)
With all my beta reader and critique feedback already threaded into my novel and my edits and synopsis done...this week has been all about the ONE SHEET.
Heard of it? My awesome friend Charity was sweet enough to share hers with me and give me some tips and things to think about when going to my first conference.
Here's a few other helpful links I found about preparing One Sheets and what to bring to a conference:
http://stevelaube.com/conquering-conference-jitters/
http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/08/what-should-i-bring-to-a-conference/
http://writerinterrupted.com/2011/09/12/what-goes-on-a-one-sheet/
Other great conference advice I've found:
http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/08/writers-conference-tips-10-dos-and.html
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/interviews/a/rhinterview.htm
http://www.yahighway.com/2012/05/theme-week-conference-tips-for-writers.html
http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/03/25-ways-to-rock-writers-conferences.html
http://annieneugebauer.com/2012/05/22/10-tips-for-attending-a-writers-conference/
Thanks to all the amazing help/advice out there on the internets, there's no reason not to be *somewhat* prepared, right? A HUGE THANK YOU to all the above people/sites for sharing all these tips/tricks. I know there's tons more out there, but for now, I'm off to tweak my One Sheet for maybe the millionth time. Because clearly, obsessing is something I do well.
Anyone else going to their first conference this summer? Feel free to share thoughts/tips/advice in the comments. Or just say hi. I occasionally like to know I'm not talking to myself. *waves*
The time for my very first writer's conference is almost here (and also the very first time I get to meet my critique partners face-to-face....squeeee!)
Over the last few weeks I've been busy researching and preparing, and as I'm scouring the internet for nuggets of wisdom, I thought maybe, just maybe, some of you were finding yourselves in the same position right now too. Maybe not MY conference per se, but maybe YOUR first writer's conference. (Mine is the Writers' League of Texas 2012 Agents Conference...please DO tell me if you'll be there too so we can meet up.)
With all my beta reader and critique feedback already threaded into my novel and my edits and synopsis done...this week has been all about the ONE SHEET.
Heard of it? My awesome friend Charity was sweet enough to share hers with me and give me some tips and things to think about when going to my first conference.
Here's a few other helpful links I found about preparing One Sheets and what to bring to a conference:
http://stevelaube.com/conquering-conference-jitters/
http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/08/what-should-i-bring-to-a-conference/
http://writerinterrupted.com/2011/09/12/what-goes-on-a-one-sheet/
Other great conference advice I've found:
http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/08/writers-conference-tips-10-dos-and.html
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/interviews/a/rhinterview.htm
http://www.yahighway.com/2012/05/theme-week-conference-tips-for-writers.html
http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/03/25-ways-to-rock-writers-conferences.html
http://annieneugebauer.com/2012/05/22/10-tips-for-attending-a-writers-conference/
Thanks to all the amazing help/advice out there on the internets, there's no reason not to be *somewhat* prepared, right? A HUGE THANK YOU to all the above people/sites for sharing all these tips/tricks. I know there's tons more out there, but for now, I'm off to tweak my One Sheet for maybe the millionth time. Because clearly, obsessing is something I do well.
Anyone else going to their first conference this summer? Feel free to share thoughts/tips/advice in the comments. Or just say hi. I occasionally like to know I'm not talking to myself. *waves*
May 30, 2012
Wednesday Book Recommendation
The Scorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Description:My thoughts:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
Easily my favorite read of 2012, and possibly, I don't know, ever.
It deserves more than 5 stars.
I wasn't sure what to think of this book before diving into it, because you have to admit, man eating water horses are a tough sell. But if anyone can do it, it's Maggie. And she does.
Her world building is dead on and each page drips with her often lyrical writing style, plunging you into the world of Thisby from the very first page.
Her characters are full of heart and she takes time to really showcase each of them, to explore their relationships with each other.
The whole thing is magical. The worst part about a book like this is reaching the end. It was well done, a journey I truly loved, and one I hope to visit again.
View all my reviews
Other random ramblings from moi (having nothing to do with above review and spectacular book you must read)....is it just me, or does Goodreads reminding you how far you're behind on your 2012 goals depress anyone else?!?
I've read a TON this year, more than usual, but there's not really credit for the length of the book you read and so far in 2012 I've been addicted to some lengthy ones. Note to self: Must. Start. Reading. Smaller. Books.
Random rambling #2--I've missed you. It's good to be back and even better to have my latest round of edits behind me.
It's going to be a glorious summer!
Did I miss anything while I was in the writing cave?
May 7, 2012
A to Z: Reflections
This is a post I've been looking forward to doing, because while the A to Z challenge definitely (for me) took a lot more effort and planning than I'm used to putting into my blogging, I learned so much about myself in the process.
A few QUICK highlights:
*Being a consistent and daily blogger takes more time, work and planning than I have on a weekly basis.
*Scheduling several blog entries at a time is like blogging gold. It saves time, allowing you to visit and comment on other blogs, which is something I thorougly enjoy doing.
*Meeting new people and reading their posts was a huge HIGHLIGHT of this challenge (to me). Made so many new friends that I hope to keep in touch with.
*I refuse to give up. I kind of already knew this about myself but it was nice to be reminded. When I was worn out and we were only half way through the challenge, I'm not going to lie: I was a little worried and the last thing I wanted to do was let anyone (including myself) down.
*While posting every day isn't something I can manage with my current workload, I think I can certainly do a better job of being consistent, and once this MS I'm working on is shiny enough, I plan on doing just that.
*Doing any kind of challenge that requires effort while your full time job is busy-busy-busy AND you have a manuscript you're polishing for a conference on your off time (which you don't have a lot of already)...yeah, kind of NOT A GOOD IDEA.
So, all in all, the A to Z challenge was a total success and a great concept. I, on the other hand, might be a bit of a failure in the taking-on-too-much arena.
With that thought in mind and some stress and panic that no matter how hard I try recently, I can't seem to quell, I might be silent for a few weeks, hiding in my writerly hole of revisions.
I'll probably post from time to time, though I suspect (read: know) that it will be sporadic at best.
I promise once the insanity of these last revisions is over, to do better. Will you hold me to it? Keep me accountable? :)
A few QUICK highlights:
*Being a consistent and daily blogger takes more time, work and planning than I have on a weekly basis.
*Scheduling several blog entries at a time is like blogging gold. It saves time, allowing you to visit and comment on other blogs, which is something I thorougly enjoy doing.
*Meeting new people and reading their posts was a huge HIGHLIGHT of this challenge (to me). Made so many new friends that I hope to keep in touch with.
*I refuse to give up. I kind of already knew this about myself but it was nice to be reminded. When I was worn out and we were only half way through the challenge, I'm not going to lie: I was a little worried and the last thing I wanted to do was let anyone (including myself) down.
*While posting every day isn't something I can manage with my current workload, I think I can certainly do a better job of being consistent, and once this MS I'm working on is shiny enough, I plan on doing just that.
*Doing any kind of challenge that requires effort while your full time job is busy-busy-busy AND you have a manuscript you're polishing for a conference on your off time (which you don't have a lot of already)...yeah, kind of NOT A GOOD IDEA.
So, all in all, the A to Z challenge was a total success and a great concept. I, on the other hand, might be a bit of a failure in the taking-on-too-much arena.
With that thought in mind and some stress and panic that no matter how hard I try recently, I can't seem to quell, I might be silent for a few weeks, hiding in my writerly hole of revisions.
I'll probably post from time to time, though I suspect (read: know) that it will be sporadic at best.
I promise once the insanity of these last revisions is over, to do better. Will you hold me to it? Keep me accountable? :)
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