Selene Castrovilla's Blog, page 9
November 2, 2014
My Daily Meltdown: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
Hello everyone,
Please forgive me. Tonight, I’m having a literal meltdown. As I previously told you, my computer files were shanghaied, and today I couldn’t use my little laptop either for fear it was also corrupted. Now, I can finally communicate with you on this site – but my body is shutting down. My eyes are literally closing. I MUST sleep! I will do my best to make it up to you tomorrow.
Bye for now.
Selene
November 1, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: The Emotional Burden
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I countdown to the Nov. 6 release of MELT with insights into the writing of this story.
I did a school visit yesterday, and one of the students asked me how I can handle the burden of writing. How can I deal with the task, and know that I’m up to it? Do I ever doubt myself?
I told her that I know I can handle the task of writing when it comes to the “technical” aspects. After writing so many books, I’m confident that I can “get the job done.”
But the emotional burden is another matter. Sometimes I feel like I’m being crushed by the weight of my characters’ pain.
Writing some scenes in MELT were so upsetting that I wept as I wrote them, and in a couple of cases I had to go take a nap before I could write any more.
Here’s a snippet of one such scene:
“I’m in the closet.
Seven
years old.
It’s dark oh
god it’s so
dark in here it’s so hard to
breathe mashed against all these coats
sweaters
Pop’s uniforms wrapped in
plastic
the smell of moth balls makes me
dizzy
it makes me
sick.
I’m crying coughing choking on
snot I’m trying to
breathe I’m
begging
Please please
please
Pop
let
me
out.”
Writing a scene where a character gets hurt hurts me. It’s horrible to not be able to help them – they have to find their own way. I don’t feel responsible, but I feel helpless.
I don’t have the control over the story that you might imagine. The story controls me. The process is exhilarating, and terrifying – like my own personal thrill ride, different every time. It takes a lot out of me — but it gives to me as well.
Bye for now.
***************
Join me and four guest authors as we host a virtual launch party for MELT on Sunday, November 9, 5-11 pm. Flash prizes, a grand prize, laughter and great conversation! #BYOB
https://www.facebook.com/events/15289...
************
My street team Castrovilla’s Crusaders is an awesome Facebook group earning rewards while spreading the word about MELT!
October 31, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: Standing the Test of Time
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I countdown to the November 6 release of MELT with insights about my process! We’re getting close, which is great because I’m running out of things to say 
Previously I mentioned a few things I had to change in the story because times had changed since I wrote MELT ten years ago.
Now I will show you a couple of things that have surprisingly stayed the same.
Joey says this about Dorothy when he meets her:
“She’s new
here
she’s from New
York, she said. You could tell she had class she was wearing a top that actually fit her it
covered her not like these girls who let their stomachs hang out all over the place like that’s
supposed to be attractive.”
Sadly, many teenaged girls still wear shirts that are too small for them. (And let’s not even get into how short their skirts can be! Sometimes I think they shopped in the lingerie department by mistake.)
———-
Joey and his brother are playing Halo when Pop comes home in the opening segment:
“Grim music drifts from our video game low
chilling
sounds like any second the reaper’s gonna
strike. Me and Jimmy we’re playing Halo on X-Box, least we were ‘til
he
came
back. It’s like we’re paused
we’re all on
pause whenever
Pop
comes
home.
We ain’t putting down the controls cause if we look at him if we act like we’re paying attention to what he’s doing then he
might
come
after
us
next.”
The video game Halo has stood the test of time. It’s still popular, available in different versions. I find its music to be quite unsettling, and I’m glad I can still use it as a backdrop for the horror which unfolds nightly in front of Joey and his brothers.
By for now.
———–
Join me and four guest authors at my MELT launch party Sunday Nov. 9, 5-11 pm! There will be flash prizes plus a grand prize, fun conversation and cyber laughter! #BYOB
https://www.facebook.com/events/15289...
————–
You can earn rewards for helping me spread the word about MELT when you join Castrovilla’s Crusaders!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Castr...
————–
If you live on Long Island, please come celebrate my launch day at my release party/signing/reading! The “real” Joey will be there: my boxing coach, who inspired MELT!!!
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-melt-by-selene-castrovilla-tickets-12302742835?aff=efbevent
————–
Thanks for your continued support! I apologize for this scaled-down post. My computer files have been shanghaied – encrypted and held for ransom. I’m using a different computer with none of my links at my fingertips. Hopefully tomorrow I will gather things together anew.
October 30, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: Guys & Dolls
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I count down the days until the Nov. 6 release date for MELT with my reflections and insights, which I hope you find interesting! We’re in the home stretch!!! One week from tonight is my launch party, and Nov. 9 is my virtual launch party!
Today’s post is low-key because some villainous creatures hacked into my regular (purple Dell!) computer through a sinister back-door, and I cannot use it at the moment. Thank the lord I have Carbonite – but though my files are safe, I am not savvy enough/am way too tired to try and figure out how to access them on this mini computer which I’m grateful for, but am also squinting at the tiny font which I can’t figure out how to enlarge. Yeesh. Don’t I sound like someone’s granny? These new-fangled computers!
Anyway, don’t open any e-mails supposedly from your electric company. I’m pretty sure that’s how they hacked me.
But today brought good news as well. I received my first copies of MELT! Sorry I don’t know how to share pictures from my phone here. I did manage to post one to Instagram, which shared with Facebook & Twitter – I hope.
Tonight I want to mention Joey’s nickname for Dorothy: Doll.
I’m sorry I can’t paste a quote here, but when he sees her he says that she looks like one of his mom’s porcelain dolls which were high on a shelf to be kept safe and which he was never, ever allowed to touch: they might break.
When he speaks to her he calls her “Doll,” and then he apologizes.
But he does it again, and she asks him why.
He explains, but then promises to stop.
When my manuscript was being published by Westside Books, my editor insisted that I have Joey apologize and never do it again, because it’s “sexist.” That bothered me, because he wasn’t doing it for a sexist reason. He was doing it for a sweet reason.
Since Westside went out of business, it doesn’t matter what they think any more. I debated about the name – and even invited advance readers to chime in. I decided to keep “Doll.”. He apologizes and promises not to do it again – and she says now that he’s explained, she likes it.
So, there are some advantages to your publisher going out of business just as your book is about to come out. But not many
Bye for now.
October 29, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: Metaphorically Speaking
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I count down to the release of Melt with commentary and insights into what went into its creation.
There has been some discussion about the connection between Melt and The Wizard of Oz. Some people are confused because it’s not a re-telling. I do state in the description of the book that Melt is set against the metaphorical backdrop of The Wizard of Oz.
To clear things up, this is one definition of a metaphor:
met·a·phor
/ˈmedəˌfôr,ˈmedəˌfər/
Noun
a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract.
This is a definition of metaphorical:
met·a·phor·i·cal
/ˌmedəˈfôrik(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: metaphorical
characteristic of or relating to metaphor; figurative.
synonyms:
figurative, allegorical, symbolic
The relationship is figurative, defined by the passages from The Wizard of Oz set in front of each section. This is a literary trope. As a matter of fact, The Wizard of Oz itself is a metaphor for other things. Most famously, it is a political allegory, about populism.
To me, it’s a symbol of the search for home, only to find that it’s inside each one of us.
I’m sorry to the people who are limited in scope and only understand narrowly defined things. I have nothing against retellings, but there’s more than one way to incorporate a “classic” story into a modern one. Some readers don’t like to think about what they’re reading, but my books are more suitable for those who like to ponder about the implications set forth in the words. This is the beauty of literature! It’s a shared experience, between the author and each reader. It’s meant to broaden minds. I heartily recommend that if you don’t understand Melt, you stay away from the classics – which are also layered with implications for the reader to unearth. I don’t mean this unkindly, but it does seem strange to be criticized for something that is clearly stated.
***I thank the many readers who have embraced MELT in all its metaphorical glory! You rekindle my spirit.***
Hope this clears things up!
Bye for now.
…………
Come to my MELT virtual launch party November 9, 5-11pm EST!
Prizes, guest authors, FUN!!!
October 28, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: Oz in Recovery
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I countdown to Melt’s November 6 release with tidbits and insider information about the creation of Melt.
Today I’m addressing why the themes in The Wizard of Oz resound so heavily with me:
“Baum acknowledged the influence of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, which he was deliberately revising in his “American fairy tales” to include the wonder without the horrors.”-Wikipedia
I guess we can say that I re-introduced the horrors.
I just researched the themes of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz¸ and came up with grandiose explanations of social satire, and long explanations about how Baum took concepts from fairytales and created the first American fairytale.
For me, the themes are much simpler. The search for home, for love. The long journey only to find that it existed in oneself all along.
The idea that no one can save you but yourself.
Really, The Wizard of Oz sounds like a recovery meeting.
Maybe that’s why it fits so well with Joey’s story.
Funny how things all fall into place.
Random bonus fact:
“In a 1903 interview with Publishers Weekly, Baum said that the name “OZ” came from his file cabinet labeled “O-Z”.”-Wikipedia
Bye for now.
———————-
I invite you to join my street team and help spread the word! My fans are my secret weapon I will bestow great rewards for your efforts, because I appreciate you so very much!!!
You can see the prizes to be won on the Facebook group, but here’s one big incentive:
You can win exclusive access to read the sequel to MELT months before it’s available to the public!!
Here’s how you join Castrovilla’s Crusaders:
Step 1: Fill out sign up form: http://goo.gl/forms/xcs5OaHlVD
Step 2: Request to join the Castrovilla Crusaders Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/CastrovillaCrusaders
Step 3: Review the list of potential tasks and point levels, and check out the amazing prizes (in files section of FB group)… then get started!
Step 4: Submit completed tasks to earn points to win prizes! Submission form: http://goo.gl/forms/bTQjGOP7oT
————
Don’t forget to pre-order Melt on Amazon for $2.99 to get your $2 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card! Just contact me at SCastrovilla@yahoo.com with your receipt now through Nov. 5, and I’ll e-mail it to you! Have a cup o’ Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts while reading about Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4CWKQW
Have you seen the amazing MELT book trailer created by a teen??? Here it is:
October 27, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: Off to see the wizard
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I explore tenets and threads woven into my creation of Melt. And today, a tie-in.
Yesterday I went with my sons on a walking tour of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
Green-Wood Cemetery entrance
There are many fascinating things about this particular final resting place, which was also part of The Battle of Long Island, which I wrote By the Sword about.
The sign leading to Battle Hill
Sign marking The Battle of Brooklyn (aka The Battle of Long Island.) This was our first battle – and would have been our last, if not for the brilliance of George Washington. If you don’t know the story, read By the Sword! (Animal lovers: this is also a horse story.)
There’s even a statue of Minerva, which I mention in my places to visit – and I took a picture with it!
Me and Battle Hill’s monument to Liberty (waving to The Statue of Liberty, in direct line.)
The Statue of Liberty faces Minerva from the harbor.
George Washington’s dentist is also buried there – the man who provided George with his famous teeth (not made of wood, but llama and camel, our guide claimed.)
The tombstone of George Washington’s dentist, who was also a fife for The Continental Army
And we also encountered the grave of the woman who was performing the night President Lincoln was shot. John Wilkes Booth ran across the stage past her – and she recognized him. She went up to the balcony and cradled Lincoln in her arms. Later, she tried to comfort Mary Todd Lincoln as Lincoln lay dying. It was Laura Keene’s 1,000th stage performance, and the entire house proceeds were supposed to go to her that night.
The tombstone of Laura Keene, the actress who cradled the mortally wounded President Lincoln.
Another totally wild thing was that we encountered the grave of the guy who wrote “It’s Raining Men” – which I must confess is my go-to request song for the dance floor. It’s so ridiculous it’s awesome! Our guide said one of The Weathergirls came and paid her respects once. This man, Paul Jabara, also wrote “Enough is Enough” and “Last Dance.” (So most brides and grooms have him to thank at their weddings, though I opted for “I’ve Had the Time of my Life.”)
The man who wrote “It’s Raining Men.”
We even got to go into the underground catacombs – which were pretty creepy, though nothing compared to the Paris ones we visited five years ago, with piles of skeletons and skulls!
My sons, Michael and Casey, in the underground catacombs. Michael was trying to look appropriately sober, but Casey felt no such compulsion.
But the goal that was first on my mind as we tromped over pavement, dirt and questionable brown orbs that looked like massive poop balls or some sort of humungous pods that fell from trees was to see the wizard.
That’s right: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
He was “billed” as one of the people buried at Green-Wood. How could that be, I wondered, when the wizard is a fictional character?
I asked our guide this, as we approached “the wizard’s” grave. He looked at me questioningly, as if he didn’t understand my inquiry. Then another person on the tour said, “It’s the actor who played him.”
Aha! Duh!
Not as cool – but cool enough.
Funny how that possibility never occurred to me – I guess I’m just too literal. If you say it’s a wizard – then I expect it to be a wizard.
Our guide reveals the grave of The Wizard of Oz – at least, as close as we can get to one.
His last name was really Wuppermann, but his stage name was Frank Morgan.
Another interesting fact: The wizard was actually a traveling salesman who purveyed interesting “remedies” – and Frank Morgan’s family made its fortune by selling an elixir (again, according to our guide.)
Frank Morgan received second billing on the movie poster under Judy Garland, even though he appeared in many less scenes than other actors billed beneath him. That’s because he was a famous actor at that time.
Yesterday was the latest chapter in my fascination with things associated with The Wizard of Oz. Years ago, my sons were in a dance show at a festival, and I met one of the last surviving “munchkins” – Jerry Maren, an actor who is three feet four inches tall, and who has spent years going to fairs and selling autographs. He said two interesting things that I remember: the movie was not expected to be a hit or in any way memorable, and Toto was paid a bigger salary than he was.
I was thrilled beyond reason to meet this munchkin, who is apparently now the last surviving one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Maren
Why? I liked the movie well enough – but I’m not one of those people who watch it over and over. As a matter of fact, I was just informed by a blogger on my upcoming tour that I got a reference wrong in Melt. I mentioned “The Lollipop League” – but there’s actually a “Lullaby League” and a “Lollipop Guild.” (Jerry was in The Lollipop Guild.) I want to apologize for the mistake, which my copy editor also didn’t catch. It’s too late for me to correct this in the book – but I will in future editions.
You see, I carry the story in my heart – of not the exact details. (I’ve been singing the song wrong all these years!) There’s something about The Wizard of Oz that struck such a chord in me that I referenced it in my previous novels as well. I knew it meant something to me – I just didn’t know exactly what – or how deep that what went.
What is it about The Wizard of Oz that means so much to me?
I’ll explore that question tomorrow.
Bye for now.
PS: It’s nice to know that in 2013 Jerry Maren had a footprint and handprint ceremony at Gruman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
——————–
I invite you to join my street team and help spread the word! My fans are my secret weapon I will bestow great rewards for your efforts, because I appreciate you so very much!!!
You can see the prizes to be won on the Facebook group, but here’s one big incentive:
You can win exclusive access to read the sequel to MELT months before it’s available to the public!!
Here’s how you join Castrovilla’s Crusaders:
Step 1: Fill out sign up form: http://goo.gl/forms/xcs5OaHlVD
Step 2: Request to join the Castrovilla Crusaders Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/CastrovillaCrusaders
Step 3: Review the list of potential tasks and point levels, and check out the amazing prizes (in files section of FB group)… then get started!
Step 4: Submit completed tasks to earn points to win prizes! Submission form: http://goo.gl/forms/bTQjGOP7oT
————-
Don’t forget to pre-order Melt on Amazon for $2.99 to get your $2 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card! Just contact me at SCastrovilla@yahoo.com with your receipt now through Nov. 5, and I’ll e-mail it to you! Have a cup o’ Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts while reading about Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4CWKQW
Have you seen the amazing MELT book trailer created by a teen??? Here it is:
October 26, 2014
Seizing the Moment: Tonight’s Beautiful Sunset!
I had to share photos of tonight’s sunset with you! Isn’t a sunset nature’s message to us to seize the moment – and to enjoy every moment? It’s also further proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!
It reflected into my deck window!
There’s no place like home.
My Daily #Meltdown: Insta-love Happens!
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I discuss some of the details and decisions that went into writing Melt, counting down to my Nov. 6 launch!
Today I will address the insta-love.
I never heard of that term before some of the reviews of Melt.
Much has been said about the fact that Joey and Dorothy fall for each other at once. Here is my response: Have you met any teenagers? Have you been a teenager?
Maybe not all teenagers fall in “insta-love” – but certainly many do. I did – over and over (of course, it was unrequited – sob.) Although I did meet a boy outside a deli in Brooklyn, and we held hands all day, went down to my aunt’s barge, sat on her couch & kissed, and then we cuddled until evening. But I didn’t live near there, and this was before cell phones and e-mails. Alas, I never saw him again.
Thinking about him now, though, I feel that rush of attraction just as I did that day. Where is he???
We can argue about what is love, lust, infatuation and chemical reaction: but instant attraction is a real thing.
And anyway, the point of my story is not how they fall in love – but if their love can survive. Who wants to spend pages and pages before getting to the point?
Truthfully, this was how they told their story to me. I just wrote it down. I never thought about prolonging their courtship, because I never contrived it in the first place.
And, the “real” Joey had an attraction to the “real” Dorothy in much the same way. She was a “good girl” who ignored all his “bad boy” warning signs, too.
If you’d like to explore a long courtship – I invite you to read The Girl Next Door. Sam and Jess were best friends since toddlerhood, and they don’t realize they’re in love until they’re seventeen – and he is diagnosed with cancer.
Once again, I didn’t think about it. I dreamed the whole thing. What can I tell you?
I just saw the movie Gone Girl (and previously read the book.) Guess what? There was insta-love in that, too( maybe you didn’t realize it, because the story is told out of sequence.) It happens. It may not last, and it may not really be love – but insta-love happens – even to “adults.”
Does love even exist? If so, can it endure?
Up to you, the reader, to decide.
Bye for now.
———
I invite you to join my street team and help spread the word! My fans are my secret weapon I will bestow great rewards for your efforts, because I appreciate you so very much!!!
You can see the prizes to be won on the Facebook group, but here’s one big incentive:
You can win exclusive access to read the sequel to MELT months before it’s available to the public!!
Here’s how you join Castrovilla’s Crusaders:
Step 1: Fill out sign up form: http://goo.gl/forms/xcs5OaHlVD
Step 2: Request to join the Castrovilla Crusaders Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/CastrovillaCrusaders
Step 3: Review the list of potential tasks and point levels, and check out the amazing prizes (in files section of FB group)… then get started!
Step 4: Submit completed tasks to earn points to win prizes! Submission form: http://goo.gl/forms/bTQjGOP7oT
———-
Don’t forget to pre-order Melt on Amazon for $2.99 to get your $2 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card! Just contact me at SCastrovilla@yahoo.com with your receipt now through Nov. 5, and I’ll e-mail it to you! Have a cup o’ Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts while reading about Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4CWKQW
Have you seen the amazing MELT book trailer created by a teen??? Here it is:
October 25, 2014
My Daily #Meltdown: The Fleetingness of Beauty
Welcome to My Daily Meltdown, where I count down the days to my Nov. 6 launch with tidbits about how I created Melt – and in this case, revisions that needed to be made.
Yesterday I shared one cultural reference that didn’t stand the test of time in the ten years since I wrote Melt. (Funny how I almost didn’t catch it!)
Today I’m sharing the second one – which was actually changed twice – because the first change also went “out of style.”
When Dorothy sees Joey’s room for the first time, he apologizes for the poster of a scantily-clad girl hanging on his ceiling, over his bed. The person I originally mentioned in the poster was Jessica Simpson, in her Daisy Duke outfit. Dorothy said something to the effect that she didn’t mind – even though Jessica Simpson is pretty brainless.
The book was supposed to be published a few years ago by Westside Books, who published my first two novels: Saved by the Music & The Girl Next Door. Unfortunately, WestSide went out of business just as Melt was going to press. At that time, I changed the reference to Kim Kardashian (I was able to keep the brainless line – lol.)
Now however, although she’s still in the news these days, I don’t think Kim Kardashian is on the top of teen boys’ fantasy girls lists anymore.
Seeing how fast these girls’ appeal “expires,” I changed the poster image to a generic model, and made a reference to her unnatural seductive pose.
I don’t have to worry about seductive poses going out of style!
There you have it.
The things writers have to consider besides writing well are considerable, and may help explain why we’re famous for drinking
Bye for now.
———–
I invite you to join my street team and help spread the word! My fans are my secret weapon I will bestow great rewards for your efforts, because I appreciate you so very much!!!
You can see the prizes to be won on the Facebook group, but here’s one big incentive:
You can win exclusive access to read the sequel to MELT months before it’s available to the public!!
Here’s how you join Castrovilla’s Crusaders:
Step 1: Fill out sign up form: http://goo.gl/forms/xcs5OaHlVD
Step 2: Request to join the Castrovilla Crusaders Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/CastrovillaCrusaders
Step 3: Review the list of potential tasks and point levels, and check out the amazing prizes (in files section of FB group)… then get started!
Step 4: Submit completed tasks to earn points to win prizes! Submission form: http://goo.gl/forms/bTQjGOP7oT
————
Don’t forget to pre-order Melt on Amazon for $2.99 to get your $2 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card! Just contact me at SCastrovilla@yahoo.com with your receipt now through Nov. 5, and I’ll e-mail it to you! Have a cup o’ Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts while reading about Joe in Dunkin’ Donuts!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4CWKQW
Have you seen the amazing Melt book trailer created by a teen??? Here it is:
