Magan Vernon's Blog, page 36

Writerly Wednesday: Character Hopping

When I read books by certain authors, it seems that all their characters are the same. Even if they have different names, they still feel like it's the same character over and over. But for my two different series, I tried not to do that.
Alex Bianchi and Libby Gentry are obviously two completely different characters. Alex is a fiesty teen with a penchant for alien beings who wear guy liner. Libby Gentry is a sorority princess turned princess of the swamp. So the big question...how do I keep these two characters apart?
IT'S HARD.
Okay...maybe that was dramatic, but very true. I wrote My Paper Heart when I was at a different point in my life and then for a year focused in Alex's head. By the time I got out of Alex's head and tried to get back in to Libby's I felt like I was still thinking in Alex's head. So how do I get out?
Well here is what I'm trying.
Re-read the previous book.
This seems to be the most simple. Get to know that character again. Maybe even write down their weird quirks that they have and keep that in mind.
Listen to the play list.
When I wrote MPH, I was listening to A LOT of country to put me in that southern mood. So now it's time to dust off the Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and get my boots on. Note: Inbetween both novels I also ended up getting married and having a child. My feet grew another shoe size in that time. My boots no longer fit...so...
Go back through previous research
HTDA is science fiction and MPH is contemporary, but I actually did more research for MPH then I did for any of the alien novels. I have entire articles on the after effects of Katrina on St. Bernard Parrish, Creole dialect, recipes for prailines, and more about housing in the Chicago suburbs and New Orleans suburbs than anyone would ever need to know. Reading through those takes me back to Libby's world and hopefully will slowly add to the story.
Do you character hop? What do you do to get back in to your character's head?


The skinny bitch in YA

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Lovely topic, isn't it?

I've talked about many things with girl characters in YA and Hollywood alike that are focused on the pretty, skinny girl with the chubby sidekick friend. And today I'm here to say that I'm kind of thinking the skinny bitch is getting to this chubby author.

I recently read through the sample of a book because it was a pretty big seller and there were aliens in it. I was really excited that the main character was kind of geeky, a blogger, but then I read further. Oh she's kind of geeky, but she's REALLY pretty which means guys still find her hot (Bella anyone?). I immediately did not buy the book because it made me really upset. Why do all the girls in YA have to be skinny and pretty? Why can't I find a chubby girl kicking butt and the guy likes her for much more than that initial 'oh hot girl!'

In HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN, Alex is a bigger girl, but by no means is she obese. I describe her as being around a size ten with curves (as evident when Jen tries to sexify her up for Ace.) One of my early readers at one point said that my MC had too many flaws: glasses, big hips, being the non-white girl. I took these comments in and I toned down a little bit more of Alex's looks (she had crooked teeth and other things, but I let them go). But then I started to think about it...why is every main girl in YA literature end up being a skinny girl?

Sure, there are the girls that are gangly skinny, but for the most part they are svelt. Even in adult literature there are very few women who I think represent a "normal" size girl. This is one thing that Charlaine Harris actually does really well in the Sookie books. Sookie is a size 8-10 and she owns it. The girl is loved by vampires, fierce, and she rocks a size that isn't the same as a mannequin.

But then there are others in which there is the lead chubby girl, but she is almost whiny and constantly harps on the fact that she is the big girl, but still ends up finding a guy that loves her anyway. I used to read these books and then I just got tired of the big girl whining. Yeah, I may be chubby too, but I don't want that to be the focus of the book. Give me a character with curves that kicks butt like a Sookie Stackhouse!

The skinny bitch isn't just regulated to the main character, most of the mean girls are also stick figures with a big rack who harp on the main character. This is what I love about Awkward (the TV show on MTV). Sadie Saxton is a mean girl, but Sadie Saxton is actually a little bit bigger. There have been episodes in which they talk about Sadie's size, but the whole point of her being bigger isn't her identity. Sadie is a straight up mean girl and she owns it. She owns that she's a big girl and she owns the fact that she can take down other girls.

This is actually why in HOW TO BREAK UP WITH AN ALIEN I made the mean girl NOT a skinny bitch or a cheerleader. Gemma is a curvy rugby player with a gruff voice. She's a bit racist and has some snaps at Alex that are unnecessary, but Alex is a tough chick puts those to a halt (and hopefully the reader learns that derogatory names are not cool).

What do you think of the skinny bitch in YA? Do you think it's getting better and more progressive?

New Covers for Rashelle Workman

Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them. 


The Immortal Essence series revolves around Princess Venus of the planet Kelari, her guardian Zaren, and Michael, an arrogant boy from Earth. 
The first book in the series is "Exiled," which released in November 2011. It's been read on Wattpad over 1,000,000 times and can be downloaded for #FREE on Amazon  or any eReader.













Book 2 in the series is "Beguiled," which will release November 9th, 2012. You can add it to your Goodreads "to read" pile by clicking HERE.


***To celebrate the upcoming release of "Beguiled" author RaShelle Workman decided to give the covers a makeover. Cover artist, Steven Novak created them. Aren't they gorgeous?!? ***







Book 3, "Dovetailed," will release Spring 2013. Click to add to your Goodreads.



If you'd like to learn more about RaShelle, her series, or her other books, you can visit her Amazon page, her Blog, follow her on Facebook, chat with her on Twitter @RaShelleWorkman, or find out her latest interests on Pinterest. 

Stuck in a good book blog hop!

The Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop 
September 19th to 25th 
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Valerie from Stuck in Books And for my book choice?  The Peachville High Demons Series by Sarra Cannon! Because in Peachville, even the cheerleaders have a dark side. I met Sarra through an Indie author's group and after downloading her first book for free, I just couldn't stop! I've recommended this book to everyone I know, but now I need to be more proactive and give the series away! I'm giving away all FIVE Ebooks! Just fill out the linky below for your chance to win and check out other authors on the hop!



 a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Marry an Alien cover reveal and synopsis!

   Alex’s interstellar relationship has finally been sealed in the eyes of the human world, so now she can move on to hernext step: college. With Ace by her side and a new piece of jewelry on her finger, she thinks she is ready for anything. Well, almost anything. Her new roommate holds a dangerous link to her past that Alex isn't sure if she can handle. Then there is the whole alien fiancé thing. Every time she tries to get closer to Ace, he seems to pull further away. Top that off with a full summer class load and a few more alien attacks and it’s just another day for Alex. Except this time she isn’t sure if marrying an alien will be the happy ending she’s hoping for.   You can add it to your GoodReads now! And as a bonus, if I can get enough adds to GoodReads by next week, I'll post a deleted scene on the blog. (To make it more enticing, it involves kissing and alien abs!) Tell your friends!

I'm buried here!

 Hello! I haven't been around this blog in a while and I apologize. Where have I been? Oh nowhere special just... Training for a new job Being Sick Finishing Edits to Alien Book 3 before they are due to the editor Working on another Alien novella Potty training a toddler So you know...no big deal, right? Yeah, obviously I'm kind of burnt out. I will be participating in a blog hop on the 20th, but other than that this blog will be a little quiet until I can get some stuff done. Hugs and kisses. Magan V. 

My Paper Heart Blog Tour

Want more Libby and Blaine? Maybe to see my playlist or swoon over some deleted scenes?  Then this blog tour is for you!

And here are the stops!

August 13th:  Sana
August 14th:  Lovey Dovey Books
August 15th:  Ketch's Book Book
August 16th:  Step into Fiction
August 17th:  Froze 8

August 20th:  Crystal's book reviews
August 21st:  Susan Kaye Quinn
August 22nd:  Cindy Hogan
August 23rd:  Shawna LeeAnn
August 24th:  Rahelle Workman

My Paper Heart birthday giveaway!

IT'S HERE! My New Adult novel is here! Available for your Ereader ! Through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

At this time it is E-only but MAYBE I'll think about doing a hard copy...maybe.

Well I GUESS since you all want a hard copy I can give out hard copies of other New Adult books instead!

Here is the deal. I've found all these great New Adult titles(some of them signed) that I would like to give YOU. All you need to do is fill out the rafflecopter and the winner will get to pick TWO of these New Adult titles.

Tempest by Julie Cross (Signed)
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Flat out Love by Jessica Park
Easy by Tammara Webber
The Statistical Probability of Love at First by Jennifer E. Smith (signed)
Love story by Jennifer Echols
Naomi and Ely's No kiss list by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathin
Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper (signed)
Because of Low by Abbi Glines
The Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund
Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Day of Sacrifice Omnibus by SW Benefeil (signed)
Bound by CK Bryant (signed)
Where she went by Gayle Foreman (signed)
Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson (signed)
That Boy by Jillian Dodd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alex Bianchi's Coffee Talk with Libby Gentry from My Paper Heart

Alex:  Alright let's start this coffee talk out by telling me your favorite coffee drink?


Libby:  I can't say I'm much of a coffee drinker. The only thing I've actually ever enjoyed was Coffee Au Lait at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans and that was probably because I used it to dunk my beignets in.

Alex:  Moving on...A fellow Illinoisian rocketh! You had to move from ritzy north shore to a town I've never heard of in the south can you tell me what that transition was like?

Libby:  *Raises eyebrows* Really? You are going to talk about a town that you've never heard of? This coffee shop is out in freaking Winnebago, a town of 2,000 less than the population of Elsbury, Louisiana.

Alex: Hey! This isn't about me! Answer the question.

Libby: *rolls eyes* Okay, so it's definitely a huge leap to go from the Chicago suburbs to the swamp. The town is literally the size of my high school. It sucked at first, I mean, I had to deal with living with an aunt I'd barely knew and a little cousin I didn't know existed, plus I actually had to work for the first time in my life. I thought I would never survive.

Alex: But I take it there may have been a little bit of a southern romance to help out with that?

Libby:  Yeah Blaine's pretty great. At first I thought he was a total jerk, but there is something about a pair of blue eyes and southern charm that get me every time.

Alex:  Hold up, didn't your Facebook profile just say you were with some short dude with overly gelled hair named Beau?

Libby:  Yeah, let's not talk about my ex...

Alex:  Uh, hello? This is coffee talk, you agreed to this interview and now you have to.

Libby:  Ugh, fine. Beau's a guy I met in college...the college I failed out of. We sort of had a thing throughout the school year, but now he is an ex. No more and no less, no matter what he still tells people.

Alex:  Okay, enough about boys. Let's dig a little deeper. We know you failed out of college after one year, was it really that bad? Did you party that hard?

Libby:  Well, there is more to it than that.  But you will have to read My Paper Heart to find out *wink*

***************************************************************************

Coming August 2012


There are worse things in life than failing out of college- such as having your parents receive the letter that you’ve been kicked out.
Now to appease her parents self-proclaimed sorority princess Libby Gentry is packing up her Prada bag and heading to work for her great aunt’s newspaper in tiny Elsbury, Louisiana. She’s pretty sure she can tackle the swamp and deal with her great aunt and tom boy of a little cousin, but what she doesn’t know is if she can handle the local town playboy, Blaine Crabtree.

As Libby's feelings for Blaine grow, so does her need for acceptance and all of the insecurities she has kept inside are coming out. She may have survived the Louisiana swamp, but she may not survive Blaine's reluctance to say the 'L' word. When Blaine finally commits to the three words Libby’s been waiting for, she only hopes they haven’t come too late.

**This book does contain some mild language and sexual content. It is meant for upper YA readers**

Add it to your GoodReads now!

Are you an Alan?

(Picture from Wikipedia.org)

I've learned that I come off a certain way to people...kind of odd, a little brassy, and definitely the Alan of the group.

What do I mean by this?

If you've seen any of the hangover movies it's evident that Alan was not brought along by choice. Alan's sister was marrying the groom in the first Hangover, so they were forced to include him. He says off the wall things, thinks very highly of himself and dresses like a dufus.

*stares down at her own State Farm 'Can I geat hot tub' shirt* Kind of like me...

I've started to realize that this is how some people see me. To someone on the outside I'm great for a laugh, but to the people stuck with me they are wondering, "Ugh why did I get stuck with the girl that has to arrange her schedule around a TV show?"

I was never the knockout of my friends, the one that always got the boy, or even the one with the cool car or party house, so I made my statement by  being the funny one. But as I got older I realized that not everyone likes the funny one. Sure we look good on a movie screen, but then you realize how everyone acts around the comedic sidekick. You see all the eye rolls and how they really don't want to invite the comedic sidekick to Thailand, but they have to because he's been waiting for an invite and even keeping a set of vaccinations in the mini fridge.

I've learned that people don't actually like this character in real life and though it hurts, I have to come to terms that I am not the chubby girl from Winnebago any more and that people may actually listen to me. I have three books published and fans that actually want to hear what I have to say! I don't need to be the Alan of the group, I need to stop trying to just be funny to get people's attention.

People loved the other characters in the Hangover and maybe it's time for me to step down from my role as Alan and move on to another one...like maybe the dentist without a tooth.

Are you an Alan? What do you think of this character in real life? If you haven't seen The Hangover, why are you holding out?