Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 28
September 6, 2015
Weekend Blog Tour Posts!
It's the weekend, and things tend to get a little quiet around here. That's cool. I know you are all up to fun and interesting things :) But I'm hanging out a bit online at a few different places. Come say hello if you get a second:
http://beautybooksandbabble.blogspot.com/--Review
http://verbositybookreviews.wordpress...
http://www.kaylasplace.com/--Spotlight
http://www.selenityjadebooks.blogspot.com/--Review
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/--Guest post on staying motivated while writing
And, just for fun:
http://beautybooksandbabble.blogspot.com/--Review
http://verbositybookreviews.wordpress...
http://www.kaylasplace.com/--Spotlight
http://www.selenityjadebooks.blogspot.com/--Review
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/--Guest post on staying motivated while writing
And, just for fun:
September 4, 2015
#flashfiction: Group Work (on getting schooled!)
It's the beginning of September, so that means it's time for some more flash fiction over at the Lightening Quick Reads blog. This month's theme was Getting Schooled, and well, today's hero does just that :)
Oh, and the Travelers blog tour is going strong! Come catch me here:
http://www.susherevans.com/--Guest post on why sci-fi is the best
http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/--Guest post on what I'd change if I could time travel
http://www.medeiasharif.com--Spotlight
***
SourceClasses began three days ago. There was already homework. And not just the “read chapters 2-8” in
your textbook kind. Not here. Some of the students seemed excited about this. It wasn’t as if the assignments were boring. Far from it. But it was also difficult. Tedious. And left him feeling drained.
Hah. Drained. He’d have to remember that.
Tonight’s work involved something that made him distinctly uncomfortable. His professor, the older one with nose hair that needed trimming, had squawked about “the eternal need to belong, to integrate.” So tonight, they were supposed to do just that. Find a group, and using what they’d learned over the past two lectures, figure out how best to infiltrate the group.
The girl sitting next to him, the one who took copious notes and who wouldn’t even look at him, even when he dropped a pen—on purpose—under her chair, smiled as she made a large note in her planner. That was probable what got their teacher to keep assigning things like this, decade after decade. Girls like her. Who liked this kind of thing.
Weirdo.
He hadn’t been the only one to wonder about the assignment, listening in on other students as they filtered from the classroom. Quite a few were already bemoaning the assignment. Several were attempting to figure out a way to lie and pretend they’d done the work. Not that they’d succeed. Not here.
He’d heard stories of students who’d tried to cheat. Someone said there was a plaque with their ears stapled to it somewhere in the office. Urban legend, for certain.
But now, with evening darkening the windows and every other possible task for the next two days of class completed, there was no other choice but to figure out how to best complete the assignment.
Grabbing his wallet, and ensuring he wasn’t wearing anything that might give him away, he made his way out of the dormitories. Campus was mostly dark between the ivy-coated buildings (“Oh, it’s so nice! Very collegiate,” his mother had said when they’d toured the campus when he’d been dropped off last week. His dad had given him a half-hearted shrug. It was his fault he was here, anyhow.). The gates opened to the street, and after some time exploring the internet, he’d found several coffee shops nearby.
Chances were that most of those had already been staked out by his classmates.
Staked out. Hah. Another one to remember.
He figured he’d head a little further away. Google said it would take fifteen minutes to get there, but after two wrong turns, it took more like a half hour.
The restaurant/bar had advertised live music tonight, with the promise of no cover and a good time. Hopefully enough people would be present to try out his skills. That was all he had to do, right? Try? Or would his grade be based on how well he managed to Infiltrate? Why hadn’t he thought to ask that before?
The front of the little place lit up the sidewalk and posters plastered the glass. The thrum of music sounded from inside. Outside, enough smokers congregated to ensure there would be people inside.
His lungs constricted in the cloud outside the door and he decided against his first thought to try and work them. Nope, no smokers. He couldn’t imagine asking for a cigarette anyhow—it would be such a poser move.
Okay, so this whole exercise was about being a poser. But still. It was different.
Inside, he looked around, sizing up the sea of faces, the band on the small stage on the back left. They were belting out something that at least had a decent beat. The woman singing, well, he’d heard worse.
Infiltrate. Infiltrate. How was he supposed to do this again? The lectures over the past few days had covered finding common ground with someone. Starting a basic conversation.
It had all seemed so simple in principle. Now the detailes felt hazy and the purpose even more ridiculous.
Then his stomach rumbled. A hand over it, almost by instinct. No, not ridiculous. Necessary.
Want to know what happens next? Check it out here!
Oh, and the Travelers blog tour is going strong! Come catch me here:
http://www.susherevans.com/--Guest post on why sci-fi is the best
http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/--Guest post on what I'd change if I could time travel
http://www.medeiasharif.com--Spotlight
***
SourceClasses began three days ago. There was already homework. And not just the “read chapters 2-8” inyour textbook kind. Not here. Some of the students seemed excited about this. It wasn’t as if the assignments were boring. Far from it. But it was also difficult. Tedious. And left him feeling drained.
Hah. Drained. He’d have to remember that.
Tonight’s work involved something that made him distinctly uncomfortable. His professor, the older one with nose hair that needed trimming, had squawked about “the eternal need to belong, to integrate.” So tonight, they were supposed to do just that. Find a group, and using what they’d learned over the past two lectures, figure out how best to infiltrate the group.
The girl sitting next to him, the one who took copious notes and who wouldn’t even look at him, even when he dropped a pen—on purpose—under her chair, smiled as she made a large note in her planner. That was probable what got their teacher to keep assigning things like this, decade after decade. Girls like her. Who liked this kind of thing.
Weirdo.
He hadn’t been the only one to wonder about the assignment, listening in on other students as they filtered from the classroom. Quite a few were already bemoaning the assignment. Several were attempting to figure out a way to lie and pretend they’d done the work. Not that they’d succeed. Not here.
He’d heard stories of students who’d tried to cheat. Someone said there was a plaque with their ears stapled to it somewhere in the office. Urban legend, for certain.
But now, with evening darkening the windows and every other possible task for the next two days of class completed, there was no other choice but to figure out how to best complete the assignment.
Grabbing his wallet, and ensuring he wasn’t wearing anything that might give him away, he made his way out of the dormitories. Campus was mostly dark between the ivy-coated buildings (“Oh, it’s so nice! Very collegiate,” his mother had said when they’d toured the campus when he’d been dropped off last week. His dad had given him a half-hearted shrug. It was his fault he was here, anyhow.). The gates opened to the street, and after some time exploring the internet, he’d found several coffee shops nearby.
Chances were that most of those had already been staked out by his classmates.
Staked out. Hah. Another one to remember.
He figured he’d head a little further away. Google said it would take fifteen minutes to get there, but after two wrong turns, it took more like a half hour.
The restaurant/bar had advertised live music tonight, with the promise of no cover and a good time. Hopefully enough people would be present to try out his skills. That was all he had to do, right? Try? Or would his grade be based on how well he managed to Infiltrate? Why hadn’t he thought to ask that before?
The front of the little place lit up the sidewalk and posters plastered the glass. The thrum of music sounded from inside. Outside, enough smokers congregated to ensure there would be people inside.
His lungs constricted in the cloud outside the door and he decided against his first thought to try and work them. Nope, no smokers. He couldn’t imagine asking for a cigarette anyhow—it would be such a poser move.
Okay, so this whole exercise was about being a poser. But still. It was different.
Inside, he looked around, sizing up the sea of faces, the band on the small stage on the back left. They were belting out something that at least had a decent beat. The woman singing, well, he’d heard worse.
Infiltrate. Infiltrate. How was he supposed to do this again? The lectures over the past few days had covered finding common ground with someone. Starting a basic conversation.
It had all seemed so simple in principle. Now the detailes felt hazy and the purpose even more ridiculous.
Then his stomach rumbled. A hand over it, almost by instinct. No, not ridiculous. Necessary.
Want to know what happens next? Check it out here!
September 3, 2015
Thankful Thursdays
(Random aside: am I the only one who looks at the above word--not it's meaning--and thinks "wow, that's a lot of letters and kind of a mouthful to say"? No? Okay, just pretend you didn't read this.)
I just want to send a giant shout-out to all the awesome people helping me out this week, and during my cover reveal and release day events. You've really helped me out SO much with this book, and I am deeply grateful! I couldn't have done this without you and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me! (And if ever I can help you out in return, don't hesitate to ask!)
And for today, I'm hanging out here:
http://www.melissapetreshock.com/dragon-blog.html--Review
http://t.co/7GHZfQ4r1Y--Spotlight
http://www.thebestbooksever.com/--Interview
http://racheltsoumbakos.wordpress.com--Spotlight
September 2, 2015
After Reading: Impervious (Ascension #1) by Heather Letto
The blog tour continues! Today, come find me here:
http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/--Can you guess the lie?
http://www.readwritelove28.com--Spotlight
/http://www.freshcoffeeblog.com/--Review
The residents of Impervious are the remnant—the survivors of the War of Annihilation. And though the city is chockfull of pleasures to tantalize and entertain, a beast lurks in the corners, haunting the residents with its presence.
The Beast—a mysterious and terminal illness killed off most of Generations One, Two, and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage, a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death incites a cultural rage.
But Fran lives counter-culture, off the grid in true rebel fashion. With a life far from opulent, she scurries through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals with Pete while ditching the holographic security team. To her, it’s a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can’t steal her sliver of hope―a belief that she’ll see The Epoch arrive before The Beast can pull her into its fetid embrace.
After losing her mother and then her Rebel mentor, Fran stumbles upon a miraculous discovery that may save the residents of Impervious. That is, if she can outrun The Beast… (Goodreads)
It was a treat to get to read this, especially after meeting Heather while she was in my out of the way neck of the woods :) She's an awesome lady and her writing reflects that! I'll admit that I don't read much Christian fiction, as it's not my cup 'o tea, but that's the really nice this about Impervious--it's not overbearing, nor is it necessary to view it through that lens. I really appreciated that. And the story itself is interesting. And underground world? Global nuclear annihilation? A maniacal ruler bent on keeping everyone from the truth? It was a lot of twists and turns and fun times! Fran's character was feisty and strong and I appreciated that. Overall, I'm looking forward to the next one!
http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/--Can you guess the lie?
http://www.readwritelove28.com--Spotlight
/http://www.freshcoffeeblog.com/--Review
The residents of Impervious are the remnant—the survivors of the War of Annihilation. And though the city is chockfull of pleasures to tantalize and entertain, a beast lurks in the corners, haunting the residents with its presence. The Beast—a mysterious and terminal illness killed off most of Generations One, Two, and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage, a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death incites a cultural rage.
But Fran lives counter-culture, off the grid in true rebel fashion. With a life far from opulent, she scurries through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals with Pete while ditching the holographic security team. To her, it’s a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can’t steal her sliver of hope―a belief that she’ll see The Epoch arrive before The Beast can pull her into its fetid embrace.
After losing her mother and then her Rebel mentor, Fran stumbles upon a miraculous discovery that may save the residents of Impervious. That is, if she can outrun The Beast… (Goodreads)
It was a treat to get to read this, especially after meeting Heather while she was in my out of the way neck of the woods :) She's an awesome lady and her writing reflects that! I'll admit that I don't read much Christian fiction, as it's not my cup 'o tea, but that's the really nice this about Impervious--it's not overbearing, nor is it necessary to view it through that lens. I really appreciated that. And the story itself is interesting. And underground world? Global nuclear annihilation? A maniacal ruler bent on keeping everyone from the truth? It was a lot of twists and turns and fun times! Fran's character was feisty and strong and I appreciated that. Overall, I'm looking forward to the next one!
September 1, 2015
Day Two of the TRAVELERS Blog Tour!
Okay, so, today's my first day of classes. Somehow everything managed to get bunched onto Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester (trust me, not complaining, it's pretty nice to have the rest of the week to be in the lab). So, for today, I'm going to be getting a bunch of kids pumped up (haha, I hope) about human biological variation, as well as molecular anthropology. Awww yeah!
And I'll also be hanging out here (which probably is more interesting than the genetics quizzes I'm springing on a bunch of unsuspecting people today :)
http://www.teenagebookwormreviewing.blogspot.co.uk/http://www.valleygirlgonecountry.com/http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/
Come say hello?
Also, the awesome Jessica Therien has a re-release of a book I truly loved today. Check out her fabulous new cover and be sure to grab a copy!
Title: OPPRESSION (Children of the Gods #1)Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Series Release Dates:
UPRISING (Children of the Gods #2) - October 2, 2015
REDEMPTION (Children of the Gods #3) - November 2, 2015
Links:Amazon | Barnes and Noble | ibooks | Kobo | Goodreads
Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's well over eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Some are waiting for her to put an end to centuries of traditions that have oppressed their people under the guise of safeguarding them. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning-and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.
And I'll also be hanging out here (which probably is more interesting than the genetics quizzes I'm springing on a bunch of unsuspecting people today :)
http://www.teenagebookwormreviewing.blogspot.co.uk/http://www.valleygirlgonecountry.com/http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/
Come say hello?
Also, the awesome Jessica Therien has a re-release of a book I truly loved today. Check out her fabulous new cover and be sure to grab a copy!
Title: OPPRESSION (Children of the Gods #1)Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Series Release Dates:
UPRISING (Children of the Gods #2) - October 2, 2015
REDEMPTION (Children of the Gods #3) - November 2, 2015
Links:Amazon | Barnes and Noble | ibooks | Kobo | Goodreads
Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's well over eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Some are waiting for her to put an end to centuries of traditions that have oppressed their people under the guise of safeguarding them. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning-and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules. August 31, 2015
Kicking off the TRAVELERS Blog Tour!
Oh, Monday. The first day of the semester. All the little freshman and other students are crowded back in smokey Missoula. Time for some fun to start. (Muahahaha! *please note: evil laughter must always be used by professors at this time of year--it's mandatory*)
And, with that, I also have some other awesome fun starting today: the Traveler's blog tour! This whole week a bunch of fantastic people are helping me spread the word! I have guest posts and reviews and spotlights and all sorts of fun going on. And, there's some awesome giveaways happening too :) So, for today, I'm hanging out here:
http://www.heathervanfleet.com/blog
http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/
Come say hello?
And, with that, I also have some other awesome fun starting today: the Traveler's blog tour! This whole week a bunch of fantastic people are helping me spread the word! I have guest posts and reviews and spotlights and all sorts of fun going on. And, there's some awesome giveaways happening too :) So, for today, I'm hanging out here:
http://www.heathervanfleet.com/blog
http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/
Come say hello?
August 26, 2015
After Reading: Jackdaw Hammond #1 & #2 by Rebecca Alexander
In modern day England, Professor Felix Guichard is called in to identify occult symbols found on the corpse of a young girl. His investigation brings him in contact with a mysterious woman, Jackdaw Hammond, who guards a monumental secret--She's Dead. Or she would be, were it not for magic which has artificially extended her life. But someone else knows her secret. Someone very old and very powerful, who won't rest until they've taken the magic that keeps her alive.... In Krakow in 1585, Dr John Dee, the Elizabethan Alchemist and Occultist, and his assistant Edward Kelley have been summoned by the King of Poland to save the life of his niece, the infamous Countess Elisabeth Bathory. But they soon realize that the only thing worse than the Countess' malady, is the magic that might be able to save her...
As Jackdaw and Felix race to uncover the truth about the person hunting her, it becomes clear that the answers they seek can only be found in the ancient diary of John Dee's assistant, Edward Kelley. Together they must solve a mystery centuries in the making, or die trying. (Goodreads)
***Following her showdown with Elizabeth Bathory, Jackdaw Hammond is running from her past, hiding from her future, and hoping to contain her newfound thirst for blood. Buying an overgrown home in the middle of nowhere seems like the perfect place to escape…at least until she finds herself in the sights of a murderous family with a terrible secret and a penchant for dark magic. Meanwhile, her old ally Felix Guichard has gone to New Orleans to conduct his own investigation into the nature of blood magic, but is soon sucked into the intrigues of the city’s occult underworld. But Jack will need Felix more than she knows, for the battle for her soul is set to begin.Her only salvation may lie with the secrets of 16th century master occultist Edward Kelley, and a dangerous mission he undertook in Venice to confront the Inquisition, the darkest deeds of his own past, and the fearsome power of Elizabeth Bathory. (Goodreads)
Okay, I'm going to get caught up with some reviews here today and figured these were in the same series, therefore lumping them wouldn't be a bad thing :)
I went into these novels with a whole lot of excitement, as they're quite different from my normal fare, but looked fantastic! Plus, because my writing has been veering in the "adult" direction more and more lately, I have been feeling remiss that I haven't been reading as widely in that area. Anyhow, both books were intensely interesting, with a really fascinating slant on magic and both vampires and werewolves. I rather liked the characters, especially Sadie, though Jackdaw (who goes by Jack), always felt a step removed from the reader--I still don't feel like I have a good sense of her personality or really anything beyond her condition. Interwoven in both books is the story of Edward Kelley, while he either starts or is involved in some of origins of what Jack is facing in the modern portion of the book. This is a clever was to tell the story, though Kelley himself doesn't draw me in as much and I found myself wanting to skip those chapters (I didn't) to get on with Jack's tale. I imagine this is always the hazard with dual narratives--one is always more interesting than the other :) Other than that, I did find the pacing to be a bit off in both books, but I do wonder if that's because I have been reading quite a lot of YA where pacing it expected to, well, keep up. Here, the beginnings were good, but the middle lagged, often up until the last couple of chapters. It made for some sleepy reading a few times, I'll admit. Anyhow, this is a long-winded reviews, mainly because the books were complex with a lot that both drew me in and left me wanting more.
Have you heard of these? Had a chance to read either?
August 24, 2015
Monday Mishmash
How on earth did it get to be the end of August? No, seriously, I am not pleased about this. *sigh* Life is about to be invaded by hundreds of college students again, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if, well, it's not a bad thing, but I do love summer. Okay, the first question here is something I need help with!I'm putting together guest blog posts for my Travelers blog tour coming up shortly (yay!), but I'm running really short on topics. Which is kind of tricky! What do YOU like reading about in guest posts? Seriously, I'd love to hear 'em, because I've got 4 left to write and no ideas left :/Have I mentioned that classes start in a week? No? Because *sob* it's the end of summer. How is everyone else faring in the smoke this year? Is anyone else dealing with it? Because holy smokes (hehe, see what I did there?) it's terrible here. I have honestly contemplated breaking out my work gas mask and wearing it around. (Now wouldn't that be embarrassing?)I'm plugging along on my new WIP. It's been quite a trip so far. Something completely new and different, which is both fun, and kind of terrifying. I don't read a ton in this genre and feel a tad bit unprepared to write the book, but I kind of can't help following where the characters lead me. I've been calling it my Sherlock/Orphan Black/Bond mash-up, haha!That's about it from these parts, hope you all have a great week!
August 21, 2015
Release Day Giveaway for HOT PINK IN THE CITY by Medeia Sharif
HOT PINK IN THE CITY, Prizm Books/Torquere Press, Release Date: August 19, 2015
Ebook
Purchase from Prizm, Amazon (vendor links will be updated on the author's site)
Asma Bashir wants two things: a summer fling and her favorite '80s songs. During a trip to New York City to stay with relatives, she messes up in her pursuit of both. She loses track of the hunk she met on her airplane ride, and she does the most terrible thing she could possibly do to her strict uncle... ruin his most prized possession, a rare cassette tape.
A wild goose chase around Manhattan and Brooklyn to find a replacement tape yields many adventures -- blackmail, theft, a chance to be a TV star, and so much more. Amid all this turmoil, Asma just might be able to find her crush in the busiest, most exciting city in the world.
Find Medeia – YA and MG Author
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon
Enter the HPITC book blast giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 19, 2015
After Reading: ALLIANCES by S. Usher Evans
Piracy is a game. Whom do you trust?Lyssa Peate has found a tenuous balance between her double lives - the planet-discovering scientist and space pirate bounty hunter named Razia. No longer on probation, Razia still struggles to be thought of as more than a chocolate-fetching joke, and Lyssa can’t be truthful to those closest to her. But both lives are turned upside-down when feisty government investigator Lizbeth Carter shows up to capture the same pirate Razia is after.
Lizbeth’s not interested in taking Razia’s thunder; rather, she convinces the caustic bounty hunter to help solve a mystery. Somebody’s hiring pirates to target government ships, and there’s a money trail that doesn’t make any sense. From the desert planet of D-882 to the capital city on S-864, the investigation leads them deeper into a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of the Universal Government - and to one of the most painful chapters in Lyssa’s past.
Alliances is the highly anticipated sequel to Double Life, Book 1 in the Razia Series. (Goodreads)
I will, at some point, get caught up with reviews....really. I really, really will! :)
Okay, heartily enjoyed the first book in this series, DOUBLE LIFE, and the second book in the series did not disappoint. Razia, as headstrong and difficult as she is, is portrayed very well and we get a good sense of why she is the way she is (holy mother of all family backgrounds, that's for sure!). There were still a few times I wanted to reach into the pages and shake her by the shirtfront, but she is definitely growing throughout the books, which is something I really appreciate seeing. Lizabeth is an interesting character, and she had a great deal of chemistry with Razia (of the platonic sort...though I did wonder a few times ;). There were a few times when the details of all they were doing kind of bogged down the storyline, even if they were necessary to seeing what they were doing, but I just ended up skimming them. Anyhow, their exploits and undertakings kept me glued to the pages and I can't wait for the next book in the series!
