Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 38
December 1, 2014
Montana's Winter Wonderland
Okay, I'll be the first to admit that the snow and I don't actually get along all that well. But, at least this early in winter I can't help but find it incredibly pretty. Over the holiday weekend, I managed to get out and take some photos. These are just the ones from my phone, but since I haven't done a picture post in ages, I figured I'd share (plus, if you're like me, getting back into the swing of things this Monday morning is a little bit like torture :). Sorry for the repeats if you follow me on instagram or facebook, but there a few new ones in here, too!
The little river trail that I run is all covered in snow now.
Footprints from hubby and I going for a walk (laden with camera gear, haha!).
I love barns. And I took a ton of really cool shots with my other camera that I haven't processed yet...Someday I'll share those.
Hiking--and that river looked like tea with water over the ice. Strange.
The side of the barn.
There was all this random farm equipment out by the barn. I was kind of obsessed with it.
I love how all the little posts looks like they're wearing hats!
A stone circle. Don't worry, I touched every one, hoping to go back in time (hellloooo Jamie!) but none of them were magic. Sigh. (Please tell me you get the Outlander joke??)
The wonderful Anna Soliveres is running a promotion on her books to help out the Nine Lives Foundation. Check out her wonderful books, and what it's all about, on her blog!
The little river trail that I run is all covered in snow now.
Footprints from hubby and I going for a walk (laden with camera gear, haha!).
I love barns. And I took a ton of really cool shots with my other camera that I haven't processed yet...Someday I'll share those.
Hiking--and that river looked like tea with water over the ice. Strange. 
The side of the barn.
There was all this random farm equipment out by the barn. I was kind of obsessed with it.
I love how all the little posts looks like they're wearing hats!
A stone circle. Don't worry, I touched every one, hoping to go back in time (hellloooo Jamie!) but none of them were magic. Sigh. (Please tell me you get the Outlander joke??)
The wonderful Anna Soliveres is running a promotion on her books to help out the Nine Lives Foundation. Check out her wonderful books, and what it's all about, on her blog!
November 28, 2014
Cephalopod Coffeehouse: My Favorite Read for November
Greetings to all! I hope you'll join us for the next installment of the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, an online gathering of bloggers who love books. The next meeting is set for Friday, November 28th. If you're interested, please sign on to the link list at the end of this post.
The idea is simple: on the last Friday of each month, post about the best book you've finished over the past month while visiting other bloggers doing the same. In this way, we'll all have the opportunity to share our thoughts with other enthusiastic readers. Please join us! More info here!
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving that celebrated, and you're not in a complete food-coma today!
This is my first time joining the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, but I couldn't resist sharing my favorite book from this month again :) It's not much of a competition, as I only read about four books this month, but I completely adored EVIL LIBRARIAN by Michelle Knudsen. It was hilarious, full of spooks, and kept me up late reading. You can check out my review here.
Also, a major huge Thank You to all those who read my release this month and posted reviews! Makes my author heart overflow, and An Absence of Light a very happy little book baby!
What about you? What was your favorite read this month?
Check out the other entries here:
November 24, 2014
After Reading: THE ALLIANCE by Shannon Stoker
Happy Thanksgiving week to those of you celebrating! I'm going to be a bit MIA this week and trying to relax before the end of the semester, but I thought I'd post a book review today, and I'll be popping around the blogosphere too!
Mia Morrissey fled to Mexico to escape the government marrying her to someone she did not love. Now, she’s going risk everything so that the rest of America can be free.
Going undercover as part of a diplomatic mission, Mia returns to America. But life there is more dangerous than ever as the walls grow ever taller, and the forgotten country faces its most ruthless leader yet, Grant Marsden…a shadow from Mia’s past. With the help of Andrew, Carter, and other members of the subversive group Affinity, she embarks on a perilous journey to defeat Grant, bring down the government, and destroy the Registry once and for all.
When a terrible betrayal exposes the operation, Mia discovers that her enemies have used her—and so have her friends. Alone and frightened, she’s uncertain who to trust—or whether the mission is worth what she’s sacrificing.
With the fate of her friends and the future of her country on the line, Mia knows that her next step may be the last for her . . . and America. (Goodreads)
Thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this series and provide an honest review.
I've read this entire series and found it both interesting and entirely freaky. It's hard for me to read about what happens to the United States in these books and not be concerned that there's a real chance that something similar could happen today. While the shift toward viewing women as property is facilitated by a massive plague in the series (a side story that I wish got more attention), I don't think it's far-fetched that, given the right set of circumstances, it could totally happen today. This was something that had me thinking quite a lot while reading and long after I finished. It's a terrifying thought--and while I may sound like I'm paranoid--those things going on with our government right now make me so frustrated that the denigration of women's rights even more wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Okay, I'll get off my soap-box now, but if in any way you're interested in this sort of thing, I recommend this series. The writing itself leaves something (okay, a lot of things) to be desired, though the story is nearly compelling enough to carry it. Stoker isn't much for showing, so the story itself is really all telling (it's a good example of the difference, actually), but it's interesting and while Mia's a bit hard to believe or relate to, I did find myself rooting for her and her cause. Basically, I'd recommend these books to those who have a bit of a political bent and enjoy a particularly dark dystopian.
Thoughts? Have you had a chance to read any of these books?
Mia Morrissey fled to Mexico to escape the government marrying her to someone she did not love. Now, she’s going risk everything so that the rest of America can be free. Going undercover as part of a diplomatic mission, Mia returns to America. But life there is more dangerous than ever as the walls grow ever taller, and the forgotten country faces its most ruthless leader yet, Grant Marsden…a shadow from Mia’s past. With the help of Andrew, Carter, and other members of the subversive group Affinity, she embarks on a perilous journey to defeat Grant, bring down the government, and destroy the Registry once and for all.
When a terrible betrayal exposes the operation, Mia discovers that her enemies have used her—and so have her friends. Alone and frightened, she’s uncertain who to trust—or whether the mission is worth what she’s sacrificing.
With the fate of her friends and the future of her country on the line, Mia knows that her next step may be the last for her . . . and America. (Goodreads)
Thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this series and provide an honest review.
I've read this entire series and found it both interesting and entirely freaky. It's hard for me to read about what happens to the United States in these books and not be concerned that there's a real chance that something similar could happen today. While the shift toward viewing women as property is facilitated by a massive plague in the series (a side story that I wish got more attention), I don't think it's far-fetched that, given the right set of circumstances, it could totally happen today. This was something that had me thinking quite a lot while reading and long after I finished. It's a terrifying thought--and while I may sound like I'm paranoid--those things going on with our government right now make me so frustrated that the denigration of women's rights even more wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Okay, I'll get off my soap-box now, but if in any way you're interested in this sort of thing, I recommend this series. The writing itself leaves something (okay, a lot of things) to be desired, though the story is nearly compelling enough to carry it. Stoker isn't much for showing, so the story itself is really all telling (it's a good example of the difference, actually), but it's interesting and while Mia's a bit hard to believe or relate to, I did find myself rooting for her and her cause. Basically, I'd recommend these books to those who have a bit of a political bent and enjoy a particularly dark dystopian.
Thoughts? Have you had a chance to read any of these books?
November 19, 2014
THE ATTIC OF SAND AND SECRETS by Medeia Sharif Book Blast
A quick note before getting started with Medeia's fabulous book: I'm over on Shari Green's blog today, chatting about our swap topic of strong female characters, so please come say hello! And I have a really fun post over on Melissa Petreshock's blog about Writing Scary!
THE ATTIC OF SAND AND SECRETS
by Medeia Sharif
Amazon| Featherweight| OmniLitVendor links will be updated on Medeia’s site. Middle Grade Historical and Fantasy, Featherweight Press, November 2014
Lily, a learning disabled girl, attempts to unravel the mystery of her abducted mother using supernatural clues from an ancient stranger, even when it means posing a danger to herself.
Learning-disabled Lily desires to prove herself, although her mind freezes when presented with big problems - such as her mother's abduction. With a French father and Egyptian mother, Lily worries that her mother hid her ethnicity from her French in-laws. However, there's something deeper going on. Lily finds a way into an attic that's normally locked and encounters a mysterious, moonlit Egyptian night world. There she finds Khadijah, an ancient stranger who guides her to finding clues about her mother's whereabouts. Lily becomes a sleuth in both the real world and magical desert, endangering herself as she gets closer to the kidnapper.
The book takes place in 1976. Every host for this book blast is going to post one fun fact for that year. For some of you, this will bring back memories. For younger blog readers, you'll learn something new. Both Viking 1 and Viking 2 space probes landed on Mars.
Find Medeia – Multi-published YA and MG Author
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 18, 2014
Guest Post with Shari Green on Strong Female Characters
Shari and I are doing a little blog-swapping today and tomorrow! Check out her post here, and be sure to drop by her blog tomorrow and say hello to me! :)
Thanks for having me here today, Meradeth! I’m happy to have this chance to chat about strong female characters.
With the theatrical release of Mockingjay (Part 1) nearly upon us, it’s probably no surprise that the first character who came to mind when I starting thinking about “strong women” was Katniss Everdeen. She’s truly kick-ass, right? But beneath the obvious strength—the hunting, surviving, revolution-leading strength—Katniss possesses quieter strengths, too. Things like determination, intelligence, and fierce love for her family.
Recognizing these non-physical strengths in Katniss got me thinking about other strong female characters. Hermione, for example, is totally kick-ass intellectually, and she’s brave, and loyal, and has the inner strength to do what’s right, even when it’s heart-breakingly hard. (Come to think of it, Luna is an incredibly strong character, too—imagine having the confidence and courage to be completely yourself and truly not care what others think. *happy sigh* I love Luna.)
I think all characters, if they’re going to be believable, need a mix of strengths and weaknesses—and not just a single strength and a single weakness. We humans are complex, and so are the best characters.
Anna Richards, the main character in FOLLOWING CHELSEA, doesn’t seem that strong—not at first. I think her natural strengths were beat down by all the negative stuff that happened to her (abandonment, betrayal, heartbreak). Life can do that to a person. It can do it to you, or me. Our strengths are still there, though, somewhere deep down—but, somewhat paradoxically, it can take real strength to find them again. I think that’s true for any of us who’ve been through difficult times. And it was true for Anna.
No spoilers here—suffice it to say Anna digs deep and finds remnants of strength. Strength that’s terribly misdirected at first, but then, in the end, makes all the difference.
--------------
Blurb:
Walking in the footsteps of a dead girl isn't easy...
After her social life flatlines, seventeen-year-old Anna Richards wants nothing more than to lie low at her new school. But it seems Anna looks an awful lot like Chelsea, the sweet and popular girl who recently died, and Anna finds herself stepping into the void created by Chelsea's absence.
Anna is determined to make the awkward situation work in her favor, because Chelseadidn't just leave a spot open with the in-crowd; she also left a gorgeous—and now available—boyfriend. But it turns out that following Chelsea might be a lot more complicated than Anna expected.
Bio:
Shari Green writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction and occasionally masquerades as a poet. When she’s not glued to her laptop, she can often be found wandering in a blissful daze on the beach near her home on Vancouver Island, BC.In her non-writing life, Shariworks as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She’s married to her high-school sweetheart and has four children.
Links:
Goodreads Giveaway: Enter to win 1 of 2 paperback copies of FOLLOWING CHELSEA (closes Nov. 30)
Find Shari online:Website: www.sharigreen.comTwitter: @sharigreenInstagram: shari_green
Buy FOLLOWING CHELSEA at Evernight Teen, Amazon, or Create Space, or add it on Goodreads.
Thanks for having me here today, Meradeth! I’m happy to have this chance to chat about strong female characters.
With the theatrical release of Mockingjay (Part 1) nearly upon us, it’s probably no surprise that the first character who came to mind when I starting thinking about “strong women” was Katniss Everdeen. She’s truly kick-ass, right? But beneath the obvious strength—the hunting, surviving, revolution-leading strength—Katniss possesses quieter strengths, too. Things like determination, intelligence, and fierce love for her family.
Recognizing these non-physical strengths in Katniss got me thinking about other strong female characters. Hermione, for example, is totally kick-ass intellectually, and she’s brave, and loyal, and has the inner strength to do what’s right, even when it’s heart-breakingly hard. (Come to think of it, Luna is an incredibly strong character, too—imagine having the confidence and courage to be completely yourself and truly not care what others think. *happy sigh* I love Luna.)
I think all characters, if they’re going to be believable, need a mix of strengths and weaknesses—and not just a single strength and a single weakness. We humans are complex, and so are the best characters.
Anna Richards, the main character in FOLLOWING CHELSEA, doesn’t seem that strong—not at first. I think her natural strengths were beat down by all the negative stuff that happened to her (abandonment, betrayal, heartbreak). Life can do that to a person. It can do it to you, or me. Our strengths are still there, though, somewhere deep down—but, somewhat paradoxically, it can take real strength to find them again. I think that’s true for any of us who’ve been through difficult times. And it was true for Anna.
No spoilers here—suffice it to say Anna digs deep and finds remnants of strength. Strength that’s terribly misdirected at first, but then, in the end, makes all the difference.
--------------
Blurb:Walking in the footsteps of a dead girl isn't easy...
After her social life flatlines, seventeen-year-old Anna Richards wants nothing more than to lie low at her new school. But it seems Anna looks an awful lot like Chelsea, the sweet and popular girl who recently died, and Anna finds herself stepping into the void created by Chelsea's absence.
Anna is determined to make the awkward situation work in her favor, because Chelseadidn't just leave a spot open with the in-crowd; she also left a gorgeous—and now available—boyfriend. But it turns out that following Chelsea might be a lot more complicated than Anna expected.
Bio:
Shari Green writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction and occasionally masquerades as a poet. When she’s not glued to her laptop, she can often be found wandering in a blissful daze on the beach near her home on Vancouver Island, BC.In her non-writing life, Shariworks as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She’s married to her high-school sweetheart and has four children.Links:
Goodreads Giveaway: Enter to win 1 of 2 paperback copies of FOLLOWING CHELSEA (closes Nov. 30)
Find Shari online:Website: www.sharigreen.comTwitter: @sharigreenInstagram: shari_green
Buy FOLLOWING CHELSEA at Evernight Teen, Amazon, or Create Space, or add it on Goodreads.
November 17, 2014
After Reading: EVIL LIBRARIAN by Michelle Knudsen
He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil. He’s . . . the librarian.
When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body! From best-selling author Michelle Knudsen, here is the perfect novel for teens who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety). (Goodreads)
Thanks to LibraryThing and Candlewick Press for this awesome read!
This book would be so easy to sum up as: just go read it!!! Seriously, it was utterly awesome. As in, I stayed up into the wee hours, laughing my rear end off, and LOVED it. The main character, Cyn, has the best voice I've read in a very long time, and I was completely captivated by it. The story was spooky, and while being rather sinister (there are definitely demons of the hellish variety), it was almost farcical in some regards just because of the main character's voice. I don't know if that's the best way to describe it, but honestly, I loved it. I would have liked to see a bit more about a particular random guy, Adam, who played a small role and felt a little, well, convenient in places, but otherwise, I just got a real kick out of the story. And Ryan? (Yeah, partial to the name for obvious reasons...) Totally swoonworthy. And I enjoyed watching Cyn's attraction, and reaction, toward him. To top things off, I was really gratified to see an awesome friendship between Cyn and her BFF. Cyn wasn't willing to just give up on her friend and was willing to go to hell and back (literally) for her. That won major points from me! Basically, if you're up for an awesome teen voice and great read, this one's for you!
And if you think you like the sound of Evil Librarian, definitely check out An Absence of Light--I definitely think the two have a similar market. Oh, and there's this giveaway still going on, so go enter, spread the word, and make this author very happy! :)
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
An Absence of Light by Meradeth Houston Giveaway ends November 18, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
November 14, 2014
Five on a Friday
I haven't done one of these posts in AGES, and I'm feeling chatty, so here's my random five from this past couple of weeks:
BRRR! Can we get a reprieve from the winter? I mean, seriously? Also, did we have to go from the pleasant 50's, to negatives in less than a day? Because that was some seriously cruelty, Mother Nature. I've had some awesome work news these past few weeks, both in new projects to work on (yay for dead people! Yeah, I know, that's so wrong, but I need their DNA!), and some potential tenure stuff that would make me so relieved! Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed.I'm still basking in the awesomeness of everyone who helped with out with the release of An Absence of Light. Seriously, you are all so amazing.The semester is almost over!!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (although, currently it looks more like pumpkin pie, but that's cool), and that makes me utterly joyous!This is going on, and spreading the word is TOTALLY encouraged:
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
An Absence of Light by Meradeth Houston Giveaway ends November 18, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
BRRR! Can we get a reprieve from the winter? I mean, seriously? Also, did we have to go from the pleasant 50's, to negatives in less than a day? Because that was some seriously cruelty, Mother Nature. I've had some awesome work news these past few weeks, both in new projects to work on (yay for dead people! Yeah, I know, that's so wrong, but I need their DNA!), and some potential tenure stuff that would make me so relieved! Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed.I'm still basking in the awesomeness of everyone who helped with out with the release of An Absence of Light. Seriously, you are all so amazing.The semester is almost over!!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (although, currently it looks more like pumpkin pie, but that's cool), and that makes me utterly joyous!This is going on, and spreading the word is TOTALLY encouraged: .goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layo... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layo... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway
An Absence of Light by Meradeth Houston Giveaway ends November 18, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
November 12, 2014
After Reading: THE SIXTEEN by Ali B
There are people out there who don't die with their bodies. Their souls live on in the bodies of others. Some good, some bad-they are soul jumpers. Nothing in Iris Brave's world make sense anymore. Her father, Micah, is still alive-his soul survives in the body of a teenage boy. It is up to Iris and a group of soul jumpers called the Sixteen to save Micah. To do so Iris must take on the unscrupulous leaders of the Council. Can she save her father? Will she survive? (Goodreads)I reviewed the first book in this series, IRIS BRAVE, here!
The first book in this series really captured my attention, especially with the really interesting way it ended, so I was really happy to get to read the second book. It was a fast read, with all kinds of twists and turns that kept me guessing. Iris is a really sweet character and I enjoyed the insight into her world and perspective on things. I do think that this works better for older readers--particularly with some happenings toward the end of the book--and I often found myself imagining Iris as at least a teen, as opposed to a tween, but it wasn't enough to distract from the book. The author's created a really unique and interesting take on things, particularly with the Council and their methods, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Iris's story!
Anyone had a chance to read these? Ever come across a book where you find yourself imagining the character as older than what's written?
November 10, 2014
Guest post with Catherine Stine, author of DORIANA
Today's a fun little blog swap between Catherine and me, so be sure to say hello here, then swing by her blog to see my post on why I decided to write a thriller :) Also, there's this going on, starting today:
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
An Absence of Light by Meradeth Houston Giveaway ends November 18, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
The Strange Pleasures of Obsessive DreadVictorian and Contemporary HorrorBy Catherine Stine
Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley and Christina Rossetti—these were some of the greatest Victorian masters of horror. They wrote during a time of extreme suppression of the passions. Ironically, this repressive mood inspired a huge outpouring of dark, gritty, evocative literature. Passions manage to burst out of people no matter how buried!
In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, the quintessential misunderstood antihero. He was hideous and committed murderous acts, yet he had a human, breakable heart and sadly, understood how hideous he was. Shelley is credited with being the very first science-fiction author. Quite impressive for the time period when women were trussed in girdles and long, cumbersome skirts, and rarely had jobs much less illustrious careers.
Edgar Allen Poe is another master of mounting dread, with his ticking clocks, ghastly secrets, and moldering corpses in walled up sections of cellars. In his short stories The House of Usher and The Black Cat Poe wrote of an alcoholic’s nightmarish visions that might make even sane men murder cats and move crusty houses to snap to life.
Christina Rossetti’s brilliant poem The Goblin Market is my favorite dark Victorian gem. At first the plump little goblins selling fruits seem spunky and cute, but later, when the young women turn down their offers of treats, they become quite nasty. Many determine that the goblins’ aggressive behavior was a Victorian caution to women against considering sex with strange men! Here are some lines. See what you think:
No longer wagging, purring, but visibly demurring,Grunting and snarling. One call’d her proud,Cross-grain’d, uncivil; their tones wax’d loud,Their looks were evil.Lashing their tails, they trod and hustled her,Elbow’d and jostled her, claw’d with their nails,Barking, mewing, hissing, mocking,Tore her gown and soil’d her stocking,Twitch’d her hair out by the roots,Stamp’d upon her tender feet,Held her hands and squeez’d their fruitsAgainst her mouth to make her eat.
So, in Victorian times, people shared a dread of lurid, passionate sex, alcoholic-fueled visions, and creeping lunacy. In my young adult horror, Dorianna, I examine a very contemporary anxiety that emerged from social media: the dread of never having enough followers, enough Likes on Facebook, enough people Friending and following your Instagrams and Pinterest boards. It is also the hollow feeling that comes with sensing that the real problem lies way underneath—a psychological horror of alienation, loneliness, being left out of the party. With Dorianna, the problem also lies in what happens when she actually gets followers—a ton of them—but those rampaging followers have a very different agenda than she ever imagined. Here’s a snippet from Dorianna where she’s talking about her next party, organized online:
I spoon in a hunk of chocolate and let it slide luxuriously down my throat. Lately, I’m so famished. For food, for clothes, for fans. Nothing ever seems to fill me up.“Can’t wait to hear.” Bailey licks whipped cream off her spoon. “How many RSVPs do we have now?” she asks. The evite went out a week ago. “This morning we had three hundred sixty-two yeses.” “Holy Moly!” Bailey’s jaw drops. I study the oozy chocolate blobs floating on her tongue. “How will we cram all those people in my loft?”“It’s a good problem, right?”“Uh, yeah, if we had a stadium. Seriously, Mom will freak, and she’s normally very mellow. Where are they all coming from?”“Mostly from a friend who goes to a school in Fort Greene.”“Dorianna, we need to shut this thing down—take it offline.”“We can’t do that.” Five thousand fan page followers and three hundred sixty-two attendees is not enough. No way. I can’t wait until the third event, where I’m going to bust it wide open. As Simon Cowell of American Idol judge fame said: The ratings come in, you’re happy for five minutes, then the insecure madness comes.
What modern obession or dread do you think would make a good theme for a horror novel?
Fellow Evernight Teen author, Catherine Stine's new YA paranormal/horror, DORIANNA launches OCT 24! It's a fresh twist on the Oscar Wilde classic, A Picture of Dorian Gray for the Internet generation. If you like dark magic, get a tickle from nasty yet charismatic villains, a sizzling love triangle, if stories set in skeezy yet glitzy beach towns like Coney Island appeal to you, and you favor a breakneck roller-coaster ride in your read, then Dorianna just might be in your wheelhouse. Here's the lowdown:
Internet followers, beauty, power. It all sounded good. Until it transformed into a terrifying reality Dorianna couldn’t stop
When her father is jailed, her mother ships lonely, plain Dorianna to her aunt’s. There, Dorianna yearns to build a new identity, but the popular Lacey bullies her—mostly for getting attention from her ex, Ander.
Ander takes Dorianna to Coney Island where Wilson, a videographer, creates a stunning compilation of her. She dreams of being an online sensation, as she’s never even had a birthday party, and vows she’d give anything to go viral. Wilson claims he’s the Prince of Darkness and warns her the pledge has downsides. Dorianna thinks he’s joking. She has no idea of how dire the consequences might be.
Shop for Dorianna at Amazon, B&N, iTunes
Catherine's Author Central page
Catherine is having a Facebook release & Halloween party,
and she'd like to invite you to stop on by.
There will be two guest authors,
games and prizes galore. It takes place on OCT 29,
from 8 to 10 pm (EST), and here's the link.
About the Author:
Catherine Stine’s novels span the range from science fiction to paranormal to contemporary. Her futuristic thriller, Fireseed One won finalist spots in YA and Sci-Fi in the 2013 USA News International Book Awards and an Indie Reader Approved notable seal. Its companion novel, Ruby’s Fire was a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her paranormal YA, Dorianna launches with Evernight Teen in October. She also writes new adult fiction as Kitsy Clare. Her new adult Art of Love series includes Model Position and Private Internship. She enjoys all things spooky, exotic and edgy, including travel to unusual locations. She also loves hearing from readers and meeting them at book cons.
Subscribe to her newsletter for the latest books, tours, giveaways, sales!
Find Catherine here: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads
Enter the Rafflecopter for a huge array of great dark fantasy and prizes! a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
An Absence of Light by Meradeth Houston Giveaway ends November 18, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
The Strange Pleasures of Obsessive DreadVictorian and Contemporary HorrorBy Catherine Stine
Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley and Christina Rossetti—these were some of the greatest Victorian masters of horror. They wrote during a time of extreme suppression of the passions. Ironically, this repressive mood inspired a huge outpouring of dark, gritty, evocative literature. Passions manage to burst out of people no matter how buried!
In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, the quintessential misunderstood antihero. He was hideous and committed murderous acts, yet he had a human, breakable heart and sadly, understood how hideous he was. Shelley is credited with being the very first science-fiction author. Quite impressive for the time period when women were trussed in girdles and long, cumbersome skirts, and rarely had jobs much less illustrious careers.
Edgar Allen Poe is another master of mounting dread, with his ticking clocks, ghastly secrets, and moldering corpses in walled up sections of cellars. In his short stories The House of Usher and The Black Cat Poe wrote of an alcoholic’s nightmarish visions that might make even sane men murder cats and move crusty houses to snap to life.
Christina Rossetti’s brilliant poem The Goblin Market is my favorite dark Victorian gem. At first the plump little goblins selling fruits seem spunky and cute, but later, when the young women turn down their offers of treats, they become quite nasty. Many determine that the goblins’ aggressive behavior was a Victorian caution to women against considering sex with strange men! Here are some lines. See what you think:
No longer wagging, purring, but visibly demurring,Grunting and snarling. One call’d her proud,Cross-grain’d, uncivil; their tones wax’d loud,Their looks were evil.Lashing their tails, they trod and hustled her,Elbow’d and jostled her, claw’d with their nails,Barking, mewing, hissing, mocking,Tore her gown and soil’d her stocking,Twitch’d her hair out by the roots,Stamp’d upon her tender feet,Held her hands and squeez’d their fruitsAgainst her mouth to make her eat.
So, in Victorian times, people shared a dread of lurid, passionate sex, alcoholic-fueled visions, and creeping lunacy. In my young adult horror, Dorianna, I examine a very contemporary anxiety that emerged from social media: the dread of never having enough followers, enough Likes on Facebook, enough people Friending and following your Instagrams and Pinterest boards. It is also the hollow feeling that comes with sensing that the real problem lies way underneath—a psychological horror of alienation, loneliness, being left out of the party. With Dorianna, the problem also lies in what happens when she actually gets followers—a ton of them—but those rampaging followers have a very different agenda than she ever imagined. Here’s a snippet from Dorianna where she’s talking about her next party, organized online:
I spoon in a hunk of chocolate and let it slide luxuriously down my throat. Lately, I’m so famished. For food, for clothes, for fans. Nothing ever seems to fill me up.“Can’t wait to hear.” Bailey licks whipped cream off her spoon. “How many RSVPs do we have now?” she asks. The evite went out a week ago. “This morning we had three hundred sixty-two yeses.” “Holy Moly!” Bailey’s jaw drops. I study the oozy chocolate blobs floating on her tongue. “How will we cram all those people in my loft?”“It’s a good problem, right?”“Uh, yeah, if we had a stadium. Seriously, Mom will freak, and she’s normally very mellow. Where are they all coming from?”“Mostly from a friend who goes to a school in Fort Greene.”“Dorianna, we need to shut this thing down—take it offline.”“We can’t do that.” Five thousand fan page followers and three hundred sixty-two attendees is not enough. No way. I can’t wait until the third event, where I’m going to bust it wide open. As Simon Cowell of American Idol judge fame said: The ratings come in, you’re happy for five minutes, then the insecure madness comes.
What modern obession or dread do you think would make a good theme for a horror novel?
Fellow Evernight Teen author, Catherine Stine's new YA paranormal/horror, DORIANNA launches OCT 24! It's a fresh twist on the Oscar Wilde classic, A Picture of Dorian Gray for the Internet generation. If you like dark magic, get a tickle from nasty yet charismatic villains, a sizzling love triangle, if stories set in skeezy yet glitzy beach towns like Coney Island appeal to you, and you favor a breakneck roller-coaster ride in your read, then Dorianna just might be in your wheelhouse. Here's the lowdown:
Internet followers, beauty, power. It all sounded good. Until it transformed into a terrifying reality Dorianna couldn’t stop
When her father is jailed, her mother ships lonely, plain Dorianna to her aunt’s. There, Dorianna yearns to build a new identity, but the popular Lacey bullies her—mostly for getting attention from her ex, Ander.
Ander takes Dorianna to Coney Island where Wilson, a videographer, creates a stunning compilation of her. She dreams of being an online sensation, as she’s never even had a birthday party, and vows she’d give anything to go viral. Wilson claims he’s the Prince of Darkness and warns her the pledge has downsides. Dorianna thinks he’s joking. She has no idea of how dire the consequences might be.
Shop for Dorianna at Amazon, B&N, iTunes
Catherine's Author Central page
Catherine is having a Facebook release & Halloween party,
and she'd like to invite you to stop on by.
There will be two guest authors,
games and prizes galore. It takes place on OCT 29,
from 8 to 10 pm (EST), and here's the link.
About the Author:
Catherine Stine’s novels span the range from science fiction to paranormal to contemporary. Her futuristic thriller, Fireseed One won finalist spots in YA and Sci-Fi in the 2013 USA News International Book Awards and an Indie Reader Approved notable seal. Its companion novel, Ruby’s Fire was a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her paranormal YA, Dorianna launches with Evernight Teen in October. She also writes new adult fiction as Kitsy Clare. Her new adult Art of Love series includes Model Position and Private Internship. She enjoys all things spooky, exotic and edgy, including travel to unusual locations. She also loves hearing from readers and meeting them at book cons.Subscribe to her newsletter for the latest books, tours, giveaways, sales!
Find Catherine here: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads
Enter the Rafflecopter for a huge array of great dark fantasy and prizes! a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 7, 2014
Last day of An Absence of Light blog tour and PRINT books!!
Can we get a standing ovation for the fact it's Friday? Because, wow, it's amazing how much I really want to take a nap :) BUT, there are fun things to have happen before I can do that:
First off: An Absence of Light is in PRINT!! Woot! Check it out here, if you're interested! Oh, and it's on Barnes and Noble, too! (And of course Amazon.)
Second: The blog tour continues. Check out all the tour stops here, or the stops I'm at here , here (an interview with Adam--trust me, he's swoon-worthy!), here, and here today. There's a giveaway (with not a ton of numbers) going on, so be sure to enter.
Last, but the most important: THANK YOU a million times over to the amazing people who have helped me out. Seriously. There's no way I could have kept my sanity recently without you :)
