Valia Lind's Blog, page 23

Road Trip Wednesday: NaNoWriMo Inspiration

Hello lovelies,
So how you doing there? Freaking out yet? It's day 14 of NaNo and let me tell you, I'm still having a blast! YA Highway has been such an awesome picker-upper during my morning routines with their Carpool emails, I don't even know how to thank them!
Life has been rocky for me with a death in the family, but NaNo has really helped me find a way to focus on something other than grief and I'm kind of thankful for that. And today's topic is kind of perfect:

Topic: Tons of writers are in the midst of NaNoWriMo, trying to stay inspired as we reach the dreaded middle. Share your most inspiring and/or motivational video, book, or quote on writing.

Road Trip Song of the Week: Some Nights by Fun.

So here are some inspiration for you Nanoers:

There is all the goodness on Tumblr:
 Then there is Youtube:




Or you know, this is always helpful :)
 
I'm kidding. I love Nick! :-)

Basically, anything that's not writing my NaNo words inspires me to write. Is that weird? It's just taking that step away from trying to figure out my character's lives recharges me. How about you?

How's NaNoWriMo treating you?

Happy writing, 
Valia

Book Spotlight: Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. 

While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she's drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?
from goodreads.com

Mild spoilers for book one ahead!!!


This book picks up right where book one left us. Gemma is gone with the shapeshifting monsters and Harper will do anything to bring her back. She and Alex word hard at trying to figure out what those girls are and how to get their Gemma back. With the help of the ever gorgeous Daniel, they must do everything in their power to find Gemma. While the three do their best to find her, Gemma struggles with her housemates and her new found abilities. She discovers things about herself and those around her that make her that much more cautious. Will they be reunited? I’m really not sure how I feel about this series. I guess I’m just getting super picky with my reads lately or something. This book just wasn’t anything exciting for me. Harper is a fine character, a good sister with a world on her shoulders complex. Alex is a charming boy next door trying to save his girlfriend. Gemma is a newly supernatural being. Daniel is my favorite.  That’s pretty much how I sum up this book for you. I know this series is going to be four books, but I have no idea why. I really felt like nothing really happened in Lullaby. I mean, sure stuff happened, but it’s like New Moon and all those months when Bella just sits there. Maybe I just expected more, or maybe my reading slump is affecting me. I guess I just wanted more out of this book. I actually enjoyed book one, thinking this series will be fun, but now I don’t know.  While I say all this, the next person who reads the book may think it’s the best thing since sliced cheese, so don’t take my opinion too seriously. Especially if you love Amanda’s writing. I do. I really do enjoy her stories and after all of this I’m still going to say I’m reading the next two books in the series. I’m just hoping the next book gives us more character development and story. Also, more Daniel.  Lullaby hits shelves November 27th. Let me know what you think!
Happy reading,  Valia 

NaNoWriMo Shenanigans Week One

Hey guys, 
     Can you believe it? It's already been a week in the madness that is NaNo. Anyone else close their eyes at night and see words doing little dances? No? Oh then it's just me. 

     Anyway, I have to say I'm pretty happy with the way my NaNo is treating me. The idea I started with is the type of a story that you carry with you a while, letting it marinate, develop, before you actually pen it to paper. I've been thinking about my characters journey even before I knew I was writing this book. Now that I am, I'm having a blast. 
For example, I was writing this whole scene and I was thinking to myself, "Man, there's this character and he really needs to make an appearance already because I really like him." (but I had no idea what part he'll play in the story, just that he needed to be there). And then BAAM! He literally came out of nowhere and now he's definitely here to stay. 

     I laughed about that one, for a while. But in all honestly, aren't the characters that write themselves the best characters? 
It is challenging to sit down and write that 1667 a day just because my life is a bit stressful right now. However, when is life not stressful right? You just have to push through and reach for those goals and dreams. Which is exactly what NaNo is for me, just another step in the universe of writer things. 

     Now that week one has passed, it's time to dive into the "meat" of my characters and I can't wait. Most of what I've written so far sets up the story, but now is where the fun is. And I'm off!


Word Count: 17,729

How did you do? 

Much love, 
Valia

Road Trip Wednesday: Best Book of October

Hello lovelies, 
So I wasn't going to be participating in blogging as much in the month of November, but for some reason I decided I really wanted to today. I'm out of my NaNo cave for a few and here we are. 

This Week's Topic is: What was the best book you read in October?

Road Trip Song of the Week: I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift 


She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….




You guys have already read my raving review of this book, but I really felt like sharing it again. I don't know, I just had so much fun reading this book and I haven't had a lot of fun reading books lately. I'm not sure if I was in a slump or what, but this book definitely got me out of it so I wanted to give it some attention. 

Have you read it? What did you think?

And now, I'm heading back to my NaNo cave to get some words on paper. Anyone else participating? How is it going? 

Much love, 
Valia 

That Time I Went to a Book Signing

I love the writing community for many reason.        Seriously, if I start naming all the reasons I'll probably never stop. The support, the encouragement, the sheer awesomeness of the authors and bloggers is too overwhelming.  Last night I got to experience a bit of that awesome with the Get Real tour put on by Sourcebooks Fire for their wonderful authors. If you guys haven’t read anything by Miranda Kenneally, Lisa and Laura Roecker, and Janet Gutler, you should (no, seriously, you should).  Here are their books and here are their summaries. 
Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder..

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?



She Never Thought A Kiss Could Kill. . .

Samantha is new at school and just recently joined the swim team. She’s been flirting with one of her teammates, Zee, who invites her to a party and just as quickly dumps her for another girl. Hurt, but pretending not to care, she turns to his best friend, Alex, and gives him a kiss. And he dies—right in her arms. Alex was allergic to peanuts, and Samantha had eaten a peanut butter sandwich right before the party. She didn’t know. Overnight, Samantha turns into the school pariah and a media sensation explodes. Consumed with guilt, abandoned by her friends, and in jeopardy of losing her swimming scholarship, she will have to find the inner-strength to forgive herself for the tragedy.
        Awesome right?
Guys, I can’t even tell you how much fun I had with these awesome ladies. Miranda and Janet are so sweet, and Lisa and Laura are by far too fun for words. By far, my favorite advice from the night came from Miranda. She said,  “Find one person you’re writing to and keep writing.” - on how to keep writing after rejection.  Honestly, that’s amazing advice. Not everyone is going to love your books, but there’s going to be that one person who reads it and it changes that life and I love that. After the signing, we went out to Baskin Robins and basked in some robins (Ha, that makes no sense but I'm kind of tired so roll with it). 

We laughed so hard I think my cheeks are perpetually indented (not that I’m complaining). The encouragement from the evening is something I’ll always cherish. I'm beyond pumped to keep working on my NaNo project, you guys have no idea! 



Author friends are the best! You guys should check these fabulous ladies and their books and keep up with NaNoWriMo if you’re participating. 
Much love,  Valia 

Book Spotlight: The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns –and the heroines who use them all 

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.
from goodreads.com

This story follows three very different girls. Cora is a lab assistant, smart and capable, with lots of personality. Nellie is a magician’s assistant, quirky and fun, but with a heart of gold. Michiko is a Japanese fighter assistant, a little quiet, but with a heart of a warrior. The three girls meet at a chance encounter and soon as the city is plunged into panic, the three determine to do something about it. The plan leads them into the heart of danger, but together they do what girls do best, conquer.  The Friday Society was a very interesting read for me. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect going in considering the story revolved around three different characters. I’ve read multiple characters before, but they were usually stories alternating first person chapters between the three (or five). This book wasn’t the case which I found interesting.  I loved getting to know the characters. The girls are all very different, so to see how Ms Kress written them was a bit fascinating. It’s always great to see how authors tackle unusual points of view or ways of writing and I had fun reading about these three.  However, I wanted a little bit more of their personalities to stand out. I wanted to know a bit more about all three, but I guess that’ll come in later books. Can’t have it all in book one right? Also, more romance! I’d love to see all three of these girls develop relationships. The one that did, oh that was too cute! Also, the world Ms Kress created was believable and up front. I loved that I could picture what she was talking about.  Overall, this was a great read. I’ve fallen in love with the steampunk genre and want to read all things steampunk, so this was a good one for me! I’m not sure if there will be more books featuring The Friday Society, but I’m definitely up for me!  The Friday Society comes out December 6th, 2012. Let me know what you think! 
Happy reading,  Valia 

NaNoWriMo Pep Talk #1

Hello Darlings!

Happy Halloween to all! Can  you believe it's October 31st? Insane right? Anyway, National Novel Writing Month officially starts tomorrow so I decided to ramble, I mean talk, a little about some of the things I'll be doing this month. Be warned, I love to talk about writing so this video, yes, lots of talking. If you're participating, don't forget to add me!




Well, are you ready for NaNoWriMo? *Throws Confetti* (Ya, I'm not picking that up).

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Valia

Book Spotlight: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.
From Goodreads.com


You guys know I haven’t been reading a lot of contemporaries. I love them to pieces, I do, but recently I’ve been drawn to more paranormal/science fiction/steampunk adventures. Well, Meant to Be kind of restarted my whole love for contemporary. I read it months ago and I’m excited to finally share my thoughts with you!  For Julia, this trip is perfection beyond perfection. She get’s to go to London and work on winning the heart of childhood crush Mark Bixford, her MTB. However, Julia’s whole trip is ruined when she’s partnered up with Jack. Jack makes her life miserable and this is no exception. She thinks this is the worst thing that ever happened to her, especially after he drags her to a party against the rules. The next day, she begins receiving romantic texts and so the adventure begins. Together Julia and Jack must break a few rules in order to find Julia’s secret admirer. Will she who for it or will she stick to her ever guarded rules? Julia is crazy character to love. She’s klutzy, back straight, follow all the rules kind of a girl. She can be quite annoying if I do say so myself. Here’s the funny part though, I loved her for it. She’s so real in all of her quirks I kind of wanted to hug her for it. Her MTB (meant to be) search is hilarious and something every girl can relate to.  Now, there’s the other side of the story, Jack. He’s the class clown, let’s make Julia’s life miserable kind of a guy and super adorable while he’s at it. His personality was so much fun and games I loved when he showed up on the pages. Their relationship is fresh and exciting because it’s not all a bed of roses. Both are quite big on the thorns part, arguing more than talking. I want to hug both of them crazy kids.  Seriously guys, I’m a huge fan of this book. Have you seen the cover? It’s amazing right? Well, the words inside, just as awesome. Lauren does a wonderful job writing a story that’s not only fun, but sweet and exciting, all wrapped into one perfect package. If I wasn’t laughing, I was rooting for Julia and Jack. If I wasn’t rooting, I was yelling at them to get their heads screwed on straight. Now that’s the kind of response that makes for a great book! Meant to Be comes out November 13th, 2012! Get it, read it, love it! Let me know what you think! 
Happy reading,  Valia 

Book Spotlight: Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.
From goodreads.com


This is book three, so there might be tiny spoilers, but I'll do my best.

I can’t believe I’m writing a review for the last book in the Angelfire series. I have the most bittersweet feelings about this. If you’ve been following me for a while you know my love for Courtney’s writing and these particular characters.  Shadows in the Silence picks up where Wings of the Wicked left off. If you’ve read my review of Wings of the Wicked you know how many feels I had for that book. There was SO MUCH going on. It broke my heart, it really did. Ellie is on a mission to find a cure for Will and she goes to one person she knows will be able to help, Cadan. Ellie will stop at nothing to save the one she loves, even dealing with forces of the evil. But is Cadan really evil? In order to save the world, Ellie will have to push herself beyond anything she could’ve imagined. Is she strong enough?  Guys, I don’t even know where to start. I’m so conflicted about this review because I want to say so much but at the same time I can’t. 
I loved this book to pieces. Ellie stands as one of my favorite heroines in young adult literature right now. She’s strong and fierce. Real and emotional. She’s every girl and yet she’s not. I think Courtney created a persona that inspires and really pushes you beyond the norm.  Will. *le sigh* I can’t even talk about this boy without swooning. He’s everything a girl needs. Strong, capable, a hopeless romantic. I just want to hug him to pieces. I loved watching Ellie and Will together, their relationship so sweet and real. They are so not your typical YA couple. You should’ve heard Courtney and I discuss this particular topic *snickers*

I have the utmost love for this series and these characters. I adored Cadan, Katie, Marcus and every other character Courtney penned on that paper. Seriously, it’s hard to pick just one thing that I enjoyed about this series. I can’t wait to see what Courtney will come up with next. I recommend these books to anyone who loves good writing coupled with a strong breathtaking romance and action that keeps you on the corner of your seat. You did well Courtney, you did well!  Shadows in the Silence comes out January 29th, 2013. 
Happy reading,  Valia 

Book Spotlight: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….
From Goodreads.com


This is a story of Alice Bell, a girl who’s life changed in a span of a moment. Alice grew up in your average home with a bratty sister she adored and parent’s who were a bit eccentric. Maybe not your average family, because Alice’s dad could see monsters no one else could, and that did not sit well anyone. On Alice’s birthday, she talks her parents to venture out at night for her sister’s recital and that’s the night her life changes. Her family gone, and Alice is now seeing the same monsters that plagued her father. Is she going crazy or is this real? When she starts a new school and meets Cole, she’ll have to rethink everything she believes in order to survive.  Alice in Zombieland is the first book I’ve read by Gena Showalter and holy hotness why have I waited so long? Seriously, this book was just too much fun to read. Alice is a great character. She has a way about her that every person can relate to, but also something underneath that makes her the perfect heroine. Her emotions are right on the dot and her actions follow the craziness of her life. I loved seeing Alice develop as a character, coming to terms with the world outside of her comfort zone and taking that stand when needed.  Enter Cole. Oh Cole, where have you been all my life? This boy, umm, I have no words really. Well, maybe a few. Gorgeous. Dangerous. Fierce. Considerate. Protective. Did I mention gorgeous? He’s really the perfect example of all the best qualities mixed in with all the real ones. I mean, a guy can be perfect on paper, but not so perfect in “real life.” For some reason, I could totally see Cole walking down the street and that’s saying a lot.  Together Alice and Cole have to fight a lot more than just their growing feelings for each other. The whole book is action, friendship, and romance blended together for a great delivery. I absolutely adored this book, and laughed more than once at some of the craziness in it. I actually have a soft spot for a lot of the secondary characters which doesn’t happen often. At least not for me.  Alice in Zombieland is out now and is the first in the White Rabbit Chronicles. I can’t wait to see what else Gena has in store for us. I’m going to have to go read all of her other books now!  Have you read Alice in Zombieland? What did you think? 
Happy reading,  Valia