Lorijo Metz's Blog: ScifiWritermom, page 9
September 3, 2012
Win an eBook or Paperback copy of WHEELS! (one more chance!)
That’s it…back to the grindstone. Check back soon for my review of BITTERBLUE, by Kristin Cashore, and an interview with Walter Shuler about his short story, AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.
Also, starting next week I’ll be featuring some special posts just for writers!
August 31, 2012
Interview with Author Lorijo Metz at One A Day Y.A.
www.oneadayya.blogspot.com
Y.A. books, as they are popularly called, are one of the hottest growing genres of literature, with everyone from middle graders to grandma graders reading them. Take Twilight, for example… My neighborhood book club made up of 30, 40 and 50 somethings chose Twilight as their September pick last year.
My guess is that, no matter how old we are, we haven’t left that teenage/twenty something image of ourself that far behind. Anyway – Check out ONE A DAY Y.A. and find out the answer to the question: “If you weren’t writing, what do you think you’d be doing? (It’s not a pretty answer.)
Related articles
In Search of the Best Teen Novels Ever (theatlanticwire.com)
Tgif (55) (talesofbooksandbands.com)
Now Reading: Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore
Kristin Cashore is the author of one of my all time favorite books—GRACELING. Not only is GRACELING beautifully written, but I absolutely love the heroine of the story, Katsa. Katsa is everything a female protagonist should be: strong, smart and beautiful. In fact, I remember reading GRACELING shortly after I’d finished the Twilight series, and it was such a relief to find a strong female character to root for! (As I’ve mentioned many times, I enjoyed Twilight—but, oh, Bella was soooo annoying!)
FIRE is the second book in the trilogy—I take that back—FIRE is actually a companion to GRACELING. As I understand it, while companion books inhabit the same worlds, each book can stand alone (versus a true trilogy, such as The Lord Of The Rings, in which all three books are necessary to complete the story.) FIRE is very good; however, it didn’t have quite the same impact on me. I’m now reading the third “companion” book, BITTERBLUE, and should have a review for you soon.
From Amazon:
The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and FireEight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle–disguised and alone–to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Up Next:
At The Edge Of The World, by Walter Shuler. Not my usual fare, but I’m gonna give it a try! 
August 24, 2012
One A Day Y.A. Interview
Y.A. books, as they are popularly called, are one of the hottest growing genres of literature, with everyone from middle graders to grandma graders reading them. Take Twilight, for example… My neighborhood book club made up of 30, 40 and 50 somethings chose Twilight as their September pick last year.
My guess is that, no matter how old we are, we haven’t left that teenage/twenty something image of ourself that far behind. Anyway – Check out ONE A DAY Y.A. and find out the answer to the question: “If you weren’t writing, what do you think you’d be doing? (It’s not a pretty answer.)
Related articles
In Search of the Best Teen Novels Ever (theatlanticwire.com)
Tgif (55) (talesofbooksandbands.com)
Filed under: Musings Tagged: Arts, Books, children, Interview, Literature, Shopping, Young adult, Young-adult fiction
August 20, 2012
Now Reading: Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore
Kristin Cashore is the author of one of my all time favorite books—GRACELING. Not only is GRACELING beautifully written, but I absolutely love the heroine of the story, Katsa. Katsa is everything a female protagonist should be: strong, smart and beautiful. In fact, I remember reading GRACELING shortly after I’d finished the Twilight series, and it was such a relief to find a strong female character to root for! (As I’ve mentioned many times, I enjoyed Twilight—but, oh, Bella was soooo annoying!)
FIRE is the second book in the trilogy—I take that back—FIRE is actually a companion to GRACELING. As I under it, while companion books inhabit the same worlds, each book can stand alone (versus a true trilogy, such as The Lord Of The Rings, in which all three books are necessary to complete the story.) FIRE is very good; however, it didn’t have quite the same impact on me. I’m now reading the third “companion” book, BITTERBLUE, and should have a review for you soon.
From Amazon:
The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and FireEight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle–disguised and alone–to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Up Next:
At The Edge Of The World, by Walter Shuler. Not my usual fair, but I’m gonna give it a try! 
Filed under: What's On My Bookshelf Tagged: Amazon, BITTERBLUE, Book reviews, Fantasy, Graceling, Katsa, Kristin Cashore, Leck, Monsea, New York Times, The New York Times Best Seller list, Twilight
August 18, 2012
3 Reasons To Visit “Susan Heim On Parenting” (Even If You’re Not A Parent)!
Let me be perfectly honest—I’d never been to Susan Heim’s blog until I started researching places to submit my novel, WHEELS, for review. My kids are long past the diaper stage, so checking out parenting blogs isn’t part of my daily routine. (Blogs on wrinkle cream…that’s another story.) While Susan Heim didn’t have time to review my novel, she (kindly) offered to host an author interview and book giveaway.
So, yes, I’m admitting up front that this post is a shameless bit of self-serving book promotion. (Hey, I’m a starving artist.) On the other hand, it’s also much more. Here’s 3 good reasons why:
1. Everyone Loves Free Stuff!
Susan Heim’s blog is your source for great giveaways on the web. Not only does she post her own giveaways but she also lists and links to other sites hosting free giveaways and contests. (And you don’t need to be a parent to like free totes, books or olive oil!)
2. Are You The Parent of Twins?
As long as you’re not just seeing double, be sure to check out the link to Susan Heim’s blog, Twins Talk. Susan provides parenting advice for raising multiples, along with value links (including more giveaways) aimed at you, the parent of twins. By the way, Twins Talk was named the 2009 Mom’s Choice Award Silver Recipient in the category of Web Resources.
3. Writers and Readers
Click on Susan’s Author Site link, then hop on over to her blog on writing where you’ll find book reviews, literary hops and—you guessed it—more giveaways, all aimed at readers and writers like you (and me!).
Did I say 3? I meant 4…
4. Be the first person to win a paperback (or eBook, if you prefer) copy of WHEELS.
Click on the link below to surf on over to my author interview (In it, I give juicy details on my date with Brad Pitt—NOT!) at the bottom, of which, you will find the rafflecopter entry form. Enter, leave a comment, and then sit back in wait. You Too Could Be A WINNER!
Related articles
Top 50 Product Review Blogs (us.cision.com)
Author Interview and Giveaway: WHEELS, a YA Sci-Fi Novel by Lorijo Metz (susanheim.blogspot.com)
Write to Pub Wednesday: Give it Away Free for e-Book Market Visibility (ckgarner.com)
Filed under: Blogs I Love!, Contest Tagged: Author, Blog, Book review, Brad Pitt, E-book, Family, Giveaways, Lorijo Metz, parenting, Susan Heim, Twins, Wheels
August 13, 2012
5 Reasons You Should Attend Comic-Con At Least Once in Your Life!
If you’re like me, a movie must have at least two of the following elements for me to even consider shelling out big bucks to go see it in the theater:
Lots of Action
Huge Special effects
Aliens or Elves
Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp or Dr. Who (This last one may differ for some of you.)
The point is I’m a geek. Mention Hobbits or Star Trek and my heart starts pumping in overdrive. At the merest hint of aliens I begin to drool. However, until last year, I’d never been to Comic-Con. Why, you wonder…?
Because I’m not a geek!
X (loud buzzing sound)
WRONG!
Okay, so I am a geek. I just never considered myself a dress-up-in-spandex type of geek. Luckily, for the world, I still won’t wear spandex, but I can now say I’m a geek who has attended Comic-Con. And so should you…even if you’re only kind of a geek. Why? I’ll give you 5 good reasons.
1. Character Research
Writers and Artists: There’s no better place to research characters. I’m not talking about all the Superman and Batman toys and comic books for sale at Comic-Con. Nope, I’m talking about the characters walking around Comic-Com looking at all the books and toys. (Yes, I know, I fall into that category too. Feel free to use me in your next novel)
2. People Watching
Everyone else: You like to people watch? Well, forget the mall. There are people who go to Comic-Con just for the chance to dress up as their favorite superhero or super-villain. They expect to be stared at. They dress up, they walk funny and they like it when you ask to take their picture. Really!
That’s Kevin Sorbo, the star of Hercules. I realized too late that I probably wasn’t supposed to be taking a picture of him. Oh well…
3. Star Gazing
That’s right. There are stars at Comic-Con. Movie and TV stars, that is. Sure, you have to shell out big bucks to get close to them, but you can stand back and stare for free.
“Five Year Mission is the collaboration of five Star Trek fans who endeavor to write and record a song for each of the episodes of the original Star Trek series from the 1960s. We love the show, and we wanted to create something that we could share with other fans and something we would have a blast doing.”
4. Discover a New Hobby
Feeling bored? Comic-Con is a maze of creativity. While booths catering to comic book and action figure collectors abound, many booths feature people who have found some genuinely creative ways to spend their free time.
Elfhunter and Fire King by C.S. Marks. These look interesting…
5. Discover a New Book
Besides all the action figures, comic books and costumes, there’s a great selection of artists and writers displaying (and selling) their wares. I picked up a couple of good reads to keep me busy over the next month. Last year I picked up a poster that fulfills my love of Van Gogh and Dr. Who all in one.
Oh! And one more…
Free Hugs! Who could ask for more? (That’s my buddy, Becky, by the way. Super Fan and Super Church Organist.)
Related articles
Committed: My Giant, Dorky, Wonderful 2012 Comic-Con (goodcomics.comicbookresources.com)
Comic Con: Supermodel Superheroes (modelinia.com)
Comic-Con and the Transmedia Future: ‘Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture’ (Review) (popmatters.com)
Denver Comic-Con breaks first-year record, welcomes Stan Lee for 2013 (denverpost.com)
Filed under: Musings Tagged: 5 Good Reasons, Arts, Batman, Brad Pitt, Comic book, Comic-Con, Comics, Geek, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp, San Diego, Star Trek, Super-villain, Superhero, Superman
August 4, 2012
Everything Under The Sun, Including Squirrels Having…
Jedi Squirrels
(This is one of my favorite posts from just over a year ago. I’m reposting it because, well, I really like it.)
So, I’m sitting in front of my computer wondering what to blog about, and it occurs to me that I have nothing new to say.
Nothing!
And that’s when it hits me—the perfect idea for a blog. (Okay…not perfect, but at least an idea!)
Pirate Squirrel
It all goes back to a few summers ago when I was sitting outside the coffee shop with my coffee shop friends. It was beautiful summer day, and our dogs were out there with us too. Much as summer days go, we were all sipping our coffee and discussing things like world peace, whether milk was cheaper at Jewel or Walgreens this week and how to make the perfect peach pie.
Squirrel Drinking Coffee
Somewhere between peace and peach pie, and pausing to give our dogs a few more treats, it occurred to one of us that a person could probably Google just about anything and, sure enough, find something about it on the Internet.
I pause here to warn you: it was sunny day, we were all well into our second or third cup of coffee, and the subject we came up with to test this little theory of ours on wasn’t exactly PG. However, in the spirit of truth in journalism, I continue.
One my coffee buddies, who shall go unnamed (Larry), has a reputation as an avid animal lover and protector of all things fluffy; in particular, squirrels. Which is the only excuse I can think of to justify the subject we chose: Squirrels having sex. Actually, I’m pretty sure it went something like this:
“Yep, I bet someone’s even put up a website about squirrels having sex!”
So, we googled it and—OMG! —there were over 1,000,000 results, not to mention videos!
No, I didn’t watch any of them!
Well…maybe one.
My point is, I no longer need to ponder the meaning of existence—I can simply Google it. Don’t believe me? Look at these results:
Here’s my challenge to you: Think of the most unlikely topic you can imagine – something so crazy you can’t even imagine another human being thinking about it—and Google it. If you’re brave enough, let me know what you find out.
Drunk Squirrel
Filed under: Musings Tagged: Animal, Caribou Coffee, Coffee, Google, Humor, Internet, Jewel, Lorijo Metz, peach pie, Pie, postaweek2011, Recreation, Squirrel, Tree squirrel, Walgreens, World Peace
July 31, 2012
Blogs I Love: Kate Brauning – Now Reading: Shadow and Bone
That’s right, I’ve combined two categories. No wait–I’ve combined two categories and subtracted one. Let me explain…
A few nights ago, while watching the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics (not from the awesomeness of London, but from the comfort of my own living room), I happened upon the website and blog of writer and English teacher, Kate Brauning; whereupon, I also discovered my next read, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.
(Okay… so I was watching the Opening Ceremonies, tweeting, googling and reading blogs. Oh, and eating dinner.)
I’d heard of Shadow and Bone and seen its gorgeous cover posted several places across the Internet, but it was Kate Brauning’s review which finally convince me to read it. Kate’s review is so well written and informative, I’m not even going to attempt to write one. Hence, the subtraction of a category I alluded to above.
Blogs I Love + Now Reading - Reviews = This post, and only post.
What I appreciated about Kate’s review was how she analyzed the writing and discussed craft. The English teacher side of her obviously loves to give her readers something to take away that, hopefully, will improve their own writing. Check out Kate Brauning’s other reviews at: http://katebrauning.com/blog. She also has a page dedicated to Books on Craft (as in the craft of writing) and offers up a taste of her own novel: The Other Side Of Silence (A work in progress, I believe).
By the way: Shadow and Bone has a different title and totally different look in the UK. Check it out: The Gathering Dark: The Grisha: Book One
Related articles
Shadow And Bone (kaidamian.wordpress.com)
Review: Shadow and Bone (katebrauning.com)
Filed under: Blogs I Love!, Reviews, What's On My Bookshelf Tagged: 2012 Summer Olympics, Arts, Bone, Books, English as a foreign or second language, Kate, Kate Brauning, Leigh Bardugo, London, review, Shadow and Bones, Writing
July 29, 2012
July 30th and 31st – WHEELS is #Free on Amazon!
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO READ??
WHEELS, of course!
Better yet, WHEELS is #FREE for two days–July 30th and 31st–on Amazon.
Get your copy now and read what reviewers say is:
“…whacky, loads of fun and even has a touch of romance.”
“…an intricate world with fascinating characters and an original story that kept me turning the pages.”
“…one I know I’ll re-read…”
SFNetcast: Your Source for Indie Sci-fi on the Web! (scifiwritermom.com)
http://www.pocketfulofbooks.com/2012/05/ya-book-review-and-author-interview.html
Filed under: Musings Tagged: Amazon, Arts, Chats and Forums, Fiction, Free, Free ebooks, Kristen Stewart, Literature, Romance, Romance novel, YA Sci-fi, Young adult
