Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 9

After Reading: ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? (Goodreads)

I read this over the summer while sitting on a train, speeding across Italy during my travels, and that made the whole experience of this well-loved novel all that much more fun. I swear this has been on my TBR for years! I've heard so many good things that I'll admit, I was a little wary of starting the book--what if it didn't live up to my expectations? Thankfully I had nothing to worry about. I really loved the experience of stepping into Paris in Anna's shoes, and all that went on with her family and friends. The characters lept off the pages and I thoroughly loved the story. There were definitely a few time that I wished Anna and St. Clair would just have a decent conversation because, well, that's just one of those pet peeves of mine--people should just talk! But that would relieve the tension for about every romance novel ever written, haha! Still, the atmosphere, the characters, and the intriguing setting, delivered a wonderful novel that I deeply enjoyed.

Have you caught this one? What about the companion novels--were they are good?

Release of SPIRITS IN THE WATER Anthology! #amwriting #shortstories #flashfiction

Hey, hey, I've had a short story release! That's always loads of fun :) Spirits in the Water is chock full of fab stories that are all kinds of fun from the amazing authors at Untethered Realms. Check out here for the full list. And, if you feel like snagging a copy, it's only ninety nine pennies :)

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords
Add on Goodreads!
Read some excerpts from Spirits in the Water.
And, even though I've shared this before, here's a little excerpt from my story:

The Flood

“Do you think my ability is just to repel men?” I asked Kristen. She was sitting at my counter, glass of wine in hand, the other perusing through a wedding magazine and making the occasional grimace at the photos.

Abilities. The kind where someone’s lucky in one particular little thing: they never hit a red light, they always remember where they left their keys, their toast never falls butter side down. Generally, special abilities are insignificant and a little dull. It would totally be my luck to have the ability to repel every possible eligible bachelor.

Of course, that would be better than the really lousy abilities. I once read about a kid that blew up milk every time he got close to it. And milk’s in everything.

Some poor souls are just screwed.

“You do not repel men, Kelly. Not even a little. And why is it that all of these women have to look like emaciated waifs with horrible hair? This is a damn classy magazine, isn’t it?” She swept her long, blonde ringlets back from her face and took another sip from her wineglass while flipping to the front of Modern Bride, as if to make sure it hadn’t turned into Redneck Bride on its own.

“Sure, it’s a classy magazine. The whole boho-chic thing is in right now. But, yeah, that dress would look better on a beat up Barbie doll.” I pointed my string cheese at the offending article in question. Wedding dresses shouldn’t have patches. Or swatches. Period.

“Well, it’s ugly,” Kristen insisted. “I’m going to have to find something else to use for inspiration.” When she sighed like this it was the most annoying thing on the planet. Her giant engagement ring (“Ten damn karats!”) caught the lights in my kitchen.

There were days when I kind of wished she’d cut herself on that ring. I mean, I was happy for her, but also all kinds of green with envy. Davy was a total hottie, and head over heels in love with Kristen. The two of them kind of made me ill. But, besties are besties, and Saturday morning wedding planning was going to be a tradition for the foreseeable future.

Logically, I wasn’t going to have to do this forever. I mean, it couldn’t be that long until they got hitched, right?

God, I hoped not.

Kristen, already a bit tipsy from the wine, went to gather more magazines from her bag while I turned to my sink. The plates from last night’s meal were still there, and I sighed and decided to rinse them before dropping them into the dishwasher.

Which was when the nozzle on my sink broke off.

I stared at it for a long moment, the weird angle of the wand of metal in my hand not translating in my brain for a long moment.

That seemed to be the cue for my sink to start gushing water.

“Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t.” I tried to re-attach the handle but managed to make the spillage worse. It nearly filled my sink, and I could envision it flooding my kitchen.

Keeping up a steady stream of curses, I dropped to my knees and yanked open the cupboards I’d hand painted robin’s egg blue. Under the sink I’d stashed about a year’s worth of grocery bags and just about everything else I didn’t use in my kitchen. Chucking things out onto the floor, I managed to reach the cut-off valve for the sink.

It took all my strength to twist it. The water stopped. I took a deep breath. And then the water started to seep around the nozzle under the sink.

“You’ve got to be sh*tting me.” I wanted to close the cupboard door and pretend this hadn’t happened. Instead, I snatched a stack of hand towels and after sweeping out the last of the crap under there, jammed them around the base of the sink.

“What are you doing?” Kristen asked, her arms laden with magazines and her too-tall platform sandals giving her an odd appearance from my position halfway under my sink.

“I broke my kitchen,” I groaned.

Kristen dumped the magazines, which slid across my white countertops and slinked to the ground. She came to scoot in next to me for all the world like she’d figure out how to fix it herself.

“That looks bad.”

Because Kristen and I had been friends since third grade when I’d made her eat her own booger, so I let that slide. “Any idea on who I can call to fix it?” I asked with a groan.


***Hopefully that's a bit of fun to get you thinking of what more may come in the anthology!

Five Fun Ideas on Conference Attendance

I definitely don't get to attend enough conferences, but those that I do I completely LOVE. There's a special place in my heart for MisCon (my hometown book/comic conference), and there are several others that are totally on my *someday* list: The Frankfurt Book fair, ComicCon, Love N. Vegas, and many more. I love going and talking with other authors, discussing theories with fans, and generally just getting to bask in the feeling of mutual enjoyment of good books and stories. That's the best! And while attending, there's a few things I've picked up that make this sort of thing easier--especially if you're anything like me and kind of hate talking to strangers. So, whether you're an author or a reader, here's my thoughts:

Bring cards/bookmarks/something to hand out. This is more for authors, to give out to people curious about your work, but it's also handy for when you want to share quick information. Book blogger? Get a card with your URL. It makes it much easier to find later when when you're not as busy.Wear that name tag. I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of walking around and flashing my name to everyone--it feels sometimes like I'm in grade school. But, it's a quick way to help remember people's names, and break the ice when you want to talk to someone new.Attend with a friend. I know sometimes this makes it difficult, especially if tickets are pricey, but I love being able to be there with at least someone I know well. We can discuss all the cool things we just heard in a panel, and somehow it makes it easier to approach new people. Just don't let yourselves get too sucked into each other--reach out to make new friends, too!Bring books! Not too many, obviously, but if you're an author, have a copy or two on hands to sell/give away. If you're a reader, have books to get signed!Remember to recharge. For me, this means I take some time to myself when I need it, and also I end up drinking a lot of caffeine (helps with talking to new people, for me at least ;). Get something tasty to eat, and if you can, find some other conference goers to chat with about the interesting things you've seen so far!I am sure there are plenty of other great tips out there--these are just my personal ones that help me navigate the fun and craziness of a giant conference :)
Attending Love N. Vegas? Check out Las Vegas travel deals for the best flight and hotel packages!
How about you? What's your favorite conference attendance tip?

Release Day #Giveaway: CARRY ME HOME by Jessica Therrien

Carry Me Home Release Day Party! CARRY ME HOME is AVAILABLE TODAY for $0.99!


To celebrate the release of her latest novel, Carry Me Home, author Jessica Therrien is hosting a HUUUGE BACK TO SCHOOL BOOK GIVEAWAY! The giveaway includes nearly 50 books, all from different authors. Keep scrolling for prize info and how to enter the giveaway.


~*PRIZES*~PRIZE #1 (5 winners)WINNERS of this prize will take home one of FIVE 10 Book Bundles.
*Each 10 book bundle is guaranteed to have at least 1 paperback book.

















PRIZE #2A signed hardcover ofCARRY ME HOME
by Jessica Therrien
PRIZE #3A signed hardcover ofOPPRESSION (Children of the Gods #1)
by Jessica Therrien

~*HOW TO ENTER*~*AKA...the hugest RaffleCopter EVER*Support an author by subscribing to their newsletter, liking them on Facebook or following their Twitter account. You can literally follow each author and EARN UP TO 45 CHANCES TO WIN!

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Early Autumn in Missoula, Montana #PicturePost

So, this weekend, we went out for a nice, long (9 miles!) hike up Rattlesnake Canyon. It was a beautiful day, after rain (and even snow in the mountains--welcome to Montana!) that finally knocked the smoke down. After months of hazardous air that kept us inside, it was so lovely to get out. Plus, the first hints of fall color were peeking out here and there. I LOVE the fall colors, even if I'm very much a summer person :) Anyhow, here are a few shots of the scenery right out our door here:





Not my best photos, but just a taste of western Montana in mid-September. I hope that we have some good weather for the rest of fall, and it doesn't snow really too soon, so that I can get out more.

Has fall started to show its colors where you are?

After Reading: HOUSEWITCH and WICKED

Former foster child, now a stay-at-home mom of three, Allison Darling desperately wants to fit in with the latte drinking and hundred-dollar-yoga-pants wearing moms that run Monrovia, her charming seaside town. Constantly feeling like an outsider, Allison dreams of more for her children.

When Allison's estranged mother passes away, her previously dormant special talents emerge. Soon she is reunited with the family that abandoned her and learns of their heartbreaking legacy.

At the same time, the Glamour Girls, a soap-selling company run by the most popular women in Monrovia, recruits Allison to join them. They have a monopoly on everything in town, from bake sales to businesses deals. But once you're a Glamour Girl, there's no going back.

Suddenly caught between the rag-tag, hippie relatives she once so desperately wanted and the rich, charismatic Glamour Girls—Allison is unsure where she fits in. Could she come to trust the strange outcast family that abandoned her, or really hang with the most powerful, glamorous women in town?

For Allison, it's like high school all over again, except this time, the mean girls have more than killer manicures and the nobodies aren't sulking in the band hall. They're adults. They've got husbands, children, and livelihoods on the line. And they also happen to be witches.

Allison's decision to lend her powerful magical talents to either group will change Monrovia—and Allison—forever. (Goodreads)

This was SUCH a fun read. I really, really loved it. The history, the characters, the way the whole thing was wound together. Allison was an interesting character in a situation that felt quite relatable (I mean, other than some magic, but who hasn't imagined getting back at the little annoying kid in the neighborhood at some point?). I did find myself wishing that the emotional context of Allison's experiences were better explored--at times it felt like she should of been having a richer internal life with basically everything falling apart around her. For example, upon meeting her long lost aunt, I wanted to see and feel her tortured mixed feelings more. There just felt like a wall was there, keeping the reader back from whatever she was going through. But, seriously, I did enjoy the book and had a blast ripping through it. Definitely one I'd recommend to anyone who loves a good female mystery coupled with a little twist of magic.

***
Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul. (Goodreads)

I have always enjoyed Armentrout's books. They're fun, have some great characters (especially strong women), and a twist on reality that I enjoy. The only thing is that they do tend to have a bit of a formula--one that works, because I devoured this book--but it's not too hard to substitute, say, aliens, for fay in the book. Again, not to say that I didn't enjoy it. There were some very hot scenes in this one (which made me glad I was reading on the train on my phone so no one could see me blushing...and being unable to put down the book), so it falls solidly in the adult category, but the plot itself could easily be YA (or at least New Adult, which I think fits better here). Anyhow, an interesting world, a great cast, some yummy men, and great pacing. Definitely a fun one and I can't wait for the next one! Oh, and TINK! Hahahahaha, he made the book worth it for sure :)

#InkRipples: World Building

#InkRipples  is a themed meme hosted by Mary Waibel, Katie L. Carroll, and Kai Strand. We post on the first Monday of every month. If you would like to participate compose your own post regarding the theme of the month, include any of the images displayed on this page, and link back to their three blogs. Feel free to post whenever you want during the month, but be sure to include #inkripples when you promote so readers can find you. The idea is that we toss a word or idea into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There is no wrong interpretation.

Woah. Look, I'm actually managing to get this post out on the first Monday of the month :) And, ahh, this is a topic that I absolutely love: building new worlds. Because while we live in a pretty interesting one, there's something to be said for creating a place where the fantastical, the magical, or sometimes just the very different (think, alt-history) happen. While I'm focusing more on the sci-fi/fantasy trajectory here, because that's what I write, really all novels have another world in them, even if it's entirely built upon the one we live in; different things happen, and no matter how close to 'reality' something may be, it doesn't mean that it's entirely fact.


So, what I love most about world building is thinking about all the little details that might be different. While creating the world of the time-travelers in Travelers, I loved thinking about how their lives would be different. What would it mean to be able to always have a do-over if you wanted it? But what if that do-over had to happen much later in your life? And what would you do if you could travel and live in any era that you wanted? How would that change you? I imagine in all sorts of interesting ways--and also alter the relationships with all those around you. I ended up trying to create a situation where most of the young travelers didn't have much experience changing things, as I quickly realized that was an out of control situation if I let them just do what they wanted whenever :)


In the current book I'm working on, people have Talents--almost all are little things (their toast always falls butter side up), but sometimes talents can be much, much bigger (like, a person is always charismatic...to the point of being able to talk anyone into anything). What does this mean about their society? How would their jails work if they arrested someone with the talent to melt metal? How might their schools be different to accommodate students who were just plain good at memorizing? And what about romantic relationships? Would there be ways to test and tell what a good match would be, based on your talents? All sorts of fun little details come from this kind of study.

Maybe it's because my day job is as an anthropologist--those who study humans--that I find all the little components come together to make a richer, fuller whole. One that I enjoy working with when writing, and especially love while reading. I think this is one of the reasons Harry Potter will remain such a popular tale: the world itself is superb, with all kinds of details and fun little nuggets that allow a reader to see it as a real place, with real occupants, where, someday, if you're very lucky, you might be able to visit. Because, that's what we're doing while reading, right? Visiting the worlds we've built, and hoping to take our readers there, too :)

What are some of the worlds you most like visiting?

A quick shout-out to S.R. Johannes and her recent release: ReWired!!

Sixteen-year-old Ada Lovelace is never more alive and sure of herself than when she's hacking into a "secure" network as her alter ego, the Dark Angel. In the real world, Ada is broken, reeling from her best friend Simone's recent suicide. But online, the reclusive daughter of Senator Lovelace (champion of the new Online Privacy Bill) is a daring white hat hacker and the only female member of the Orwellians, an elite group responsible for a string of high-profile hacks against major corporations, with a mission to protect the little guy. Ada is swiftly proving she's a force to be reckoned with, when a fellow Orwellian betrays her to the FBI. To protect her father's career, Ada is sent to ReBoot, a technology rehab facility for teens...the same rehab Simone attended right before killing herself.

It's bad enough that the ReBoot facility is creepy in an Overlook-Hotel-meets-Winchester-Mansion way, but when Ada realizes Simone's suicide is just one in an increasingly suspicious string of "accidental" deaths and "suicides" occurring just after kids leave ReBoot, Ada knows she can't leave without figuring out what really happened to her best friend. The massive cyber conspiracy she uncovers will threaten everything she cares about--her dad's career, her new relationship with a wry, handsome, reformed hacker who gets under her skin, and most of all--the version of herself Ada likes best--the Dark Angel.

With a deliciously twisty plot, the topical bite of Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER, ReWired delves into technology addiction, internet privacy, and corporate/government collection of data, as it vividly illuminates the universally human questions about ethics, privacy, and self-definition that both underpin these socio-political issues and dovetail with classic coming-of-age themes. Ultimately, ReWired is about the daily choices we all make about who we want to be, how much of ourselves we choose to share with others, and the terrifying risks and exhilarating rewards of being ourselves, online and off. (Goodreads)

After Reading: ABDUCTED LIFE by Patricia Josephine

Savannah Janowitz’s perfect life was destroyed the night she and her boyfriend vanished without a trace. When she reappears a year later––alone––she’s a shell of her former self. Robbed of her popularity and her boyfriend, she has no memory of what happened to her. Savannah struggles to move forward as strange, new abilities manifest. 

Evan Sullivan never gave extra-terrestrials much thought until the night he and Savannah were abducted. While Savannah’s memory was wiped clean, he remembers every horrific detail. Constantly reminded of the experiments that made him less than human, Evan hides in the shadows and watches Savannah rebuild her life without him. 
But neither can let the other go. When their paths cross, Savannah and Evan finally see a glimmer of their old lives return. As they face what happened to them, they soon discover they aren’t safe. There’s more to fear than what’s hiding in the stars. (Goodreads)

This was one of those incredibly quick reads that I got through on one of my recent flights. It was quick, fast-paced, and interesting. I did find myself wanting to see more of Savannah's life in the years intervening between her return and when we meet up with her in college. There's a lot that goes on there that seemed a bit glossed over. She's certainly got some weirdo side-effects of what happened to her, some of which I would have liked more explanation for (such as why on earth does she turn into some crazed sex-maniac once a month?). Also, the ending with the other type of alien kind of dropping in from nowhere did leave me with an ex deus machina taste. It was okay, I guess, but felt a little forced. Anyone, overall, an interesting story, but a few places I would have loved to see a bit more into the character's, and alien's, world. 
Have you had a chance to read this one? What do you think about alien abductions?

I'm BaaaAaack! #PicturePost of my Travel Adventures

So, I'm not sure how many photos I should spam out here. I took...a lot. As in, 1000's. Because I love photography and nothing is better than some of the fabulous vistas I was able to experience. Really, if you want to see the majority of my favorites (at least from my phone photos), check out my Instagram page.

But, because I can, I'm going to post a few new ones here. Don't be surprised if there are duplicates down the line on Instagram or Facebook :) But here's from my time hiking in the Italian Dolomites then exploring northern Italy! It was amazing and honestly a trip of a lifetime (and one I feel like I spent a lifetime saving up for...).

These decided to rearrange themselves in an order that makes no sense to me, but oh well...

Just to give you an idea of the tall spiraling peaks the Dolomites are famous for.  Small huts dot all the major trails, many of them with these little shrines included, for travelers on the sometimes treacherous paths.  The bright landry against the peaks caught my eye.  It may be a bit hard to see, but that valley goes VERY far down.  The lake below the hut we stopped at on the first day for lunch. 
The main square of Bolzano (where Otzi now resides!).From the small village of Portofino, which was fabulously beautiful, if not incredibly ritzy. 

An obligatory selfie in Verona, home of Romeo & Juliet, at least in the fictional world. One of the lions that guards the main Cathedral in Genoa. I love his expression. 
Another view of Verona. 
The morning clouds burning off of the tall peaks near where we stayed the first night.
Those same peaks without the clouds. If you zoom in, there's a tiny little village WAY down on the green part of the valley.  Anyhow, these are just for fun--I can't resist posting them. Definitely not meant to rub in the awesome opportunity I had to go (made almost entirely possible by friends I had in the area). But it was a trip I'll never forget!

After Reading: HOPE'S FOLLY by Linnea Sinclair

Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a ragtag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be if he can get his command ship-the derelict cruiser called Hope's Folly-functioning. Not much can rattle Philip's legendary cool-but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She's the daughter of his best friend and first commander-a man who died while under Philip's command and whose death is on Philip's conscience.

Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly minted rebel leader, once she learns the truth about her father's death? Or will her passion for revenge put not only their hearts but their lives at risk? It's an impossible mission: A man who feels he can't love. A woman who believes she's unlovable. And an enemy who will stop at nothing to crush them both. (Goodreads)
Okay, not to be a total jerk, but that cover is UGH. As in, I wanted to cover it while reading on the plane. But, the book itself was awesome! So, that did make up for the eye-roll-worthy cover ;) Sinclair does a great job bringing this world to full and detailed life, and her characters are fully capable of leaping off the pages. And while, yes, this was technically a romance novel, it was so much more. I loved the interplay of the mounting tension outside the ship with the coming war, and that within it between the characters. It was very well done. There were a few times when I just wanted to say to either Guthrie or Rya something along the lines of "just TALK TO THEM" instead of assuming all sorts of things that created trouble in their budding relationship. Still, that's a pretty normal trope in romance, and really, all novels, so it didn't bother me too much. Overall, a very fun read and all kinds of interesting. I really need to read more sci-fi like this!
Have you read anything by this author?
Also, fair warning, my blog might be a bit quiet over the next few weeks as I go backpacking here: Bonus if you know where this is! :)