Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 92

Giveaway: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Claire or a Gift Certificate!

Guess who finally got her galleys? ME! Woot! And because I'm a seriously happy author right now, I think it's time to do another giveaway here. Sound good to you? Because Colors Like Memories is coming out on May 11th, I thought it might be fun to get some thoughts on history. Julia, the main character, has lived for a long time and seen some pretty crazy stuff. I love writing scenes set in the past because I'm always imagining what it would be like to live in certain eras and places (this might have something to do with why I became an archaeologist and spend a lot of time studying ancient populations...). Anyhow, the question for you all today is: what historical figure or event do you most wish you could go back and see? I'll be posting my answer later in the week :)


Would you want to see the pyramids being built? Paul Revere's ride? Meet Einstein? The possibilities are endless! Let me know in the comments!

Of course, the real question is, what can you WIN? Well, here's what I'm thinking: THE CITY OF LOST SOULS is coming out on May 8th. This contest ends the 9th. I will use 2-day shipping for those in the US and have this much anticipated book in your hands very soon. Living internationally? I'll get you an e-copy even faster :). Now, some of you may have never gotten into The Mortal Instruments series (in which case, this should be remedied post haste), but I do understand. I'll happily donate a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Nobel giftcard to this person to use on a purchase of their choice.

Annnd, because I am celebrating my book, I will also be giving the main winner an e-copy of my book, along with one additional winner. Sound good?

In sum:
-2 winners
-City of Lost Souls (or $10 giftcard) + Colors Like Memories for 1 lucky person
-Colors Like Memories for another lucky person
-Open internationally for e-books only
-Dates: 5/3/12 until 5/9/12
-Answer the question: what historical person or even would you most like to go back and see?

Easy, yes? If you have any questions, sing out in the comments! Rafflecopter is offering many, many ways to win this!

After Reading: Spellsinger

by Alan Dead Foster

In a world of sentient animals and humans, the hardheaded (and hard-shelled) wizard Clothahump searches across the dimensions for another kind of wizard to help defeat the looming threat posed by the armies of the Plated Folk. What he gets is Jonathan-Thomas Meriweather, part-time would-be rock guitarist and janitor, who finds that with the use of a unique instrument called a duar, he can perform magic by playing and choosing from his well-worn repertoire of rock. Trouble is, while the lyrics he sings may be righteous, the magic they spawn is all too often something else.


You know, this is one of those cases where the blurb doesn't really give an accurate picture of the book. That's fine, really, but reading it on goodreads I was like "wait, was that what I read??". Anyhow, I haven't read any adult books in a while and was thinking I should probably do something about that. I picked this one up thinking it sounded kind of interesting, and it was pretty fun. Not exactly riveting, though. I enjoy high fantasy from time to time, but this didn't quite hit the mark. The talking animals kept making me think of picture books, haha! Also, things never really went anywhere. Like, the main character wandered all over, gathered a crew, and arrived at the city, but the impending invasion by the enemy wasn't even close to happening. Strange, but I like my books with a little more action :) Anyhow, it was well written, and entertaining at points, but I'll be returning to YA with pleasure!

Interview with Kathleen Allen, Author of LORE of FEI

I'm very happy to bring to you today a fello MuseItUp author, Kathleen S. Allen, author of the awesome-sounding LORE of FEI books! Released April 27th, you can find the book here! 


Ariela is a mutant faerie, born without wings. No wings means she has no magic. Her faerie parents hide her deformity from the humans in Hege, especially from Kel, the Warlord of Kel’s Lair. But, when rumors of a human child living in Fei reach his ears he sends his warriors in to rescue her. In one horrific night her faerie parents are murdered and she is brought to Kel’s Lair to live. It is there she learns the truth about her parentage. The Veil of Enclosure that separates Fei from the human world is dissolving allowing the humans to enter Fei and kidnap the faerie children in order to enslave them and take away their magic by clipping their wings. In the faerie Book of Lore is a legend that a silver-winged faerie will be born to save Fei but no such faerie has been born. The Faerie Council asks Ariela to free the faerie children and restore the Veil before it’s too late. But, Ariela has no magic, or does she?



(Q) Thanks for stopping by my blog! Let’s start with the basics: where are you from? Is there any place online you’d like to direct us to learn more about you?
I am from Michigan but I’ve lived on both US coasts.
Here is my online presence:LORE OF FEI-YA faerie book website: www.loreoffei.weebly.com
On Twitter: @kathleea
Website: www.gaelicfairie.webs.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Witch-Hunter/142372955812353
Guest blogger every 5th and 19th of the month on: www.downtownya.blogspot.com
Books available online and in print
Book trailers available on You Tube

(Q) I always love hearing about how the idea for a particular book came about. Please fill us in on how you got the idea for LORE OF FEI.
I got the idea when I wrote my first two faerie books, AINE and FAERIE FOLK. I actually wanted to write a longer faerie novel for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month-30 days and nights of literary abandon). NaNoWriMo is the competition where you write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days during the month of November. I had an idea, what if a faerie was born without wings? What kind of a faerie would she be? Would she be shunned by her faerie race? What if the land of the faeries was just over the border of the land of the humans? I mean, haven’t you thought you could see a faerie if you just went down the right path in the forest? What would the humans think about the faeries? Would they be accepting or not so much? What if the wingless faerie fell in love with a faerie with wings? Would she be allowed to? What about humans and faeries, can they fall in love? As you can see, I did a lot of thinking about this book before I wrote it.
(Q) Which authors have most influenced your own writing?
Anne McCaffery is the top of the list. I’m a big science fiction/fantasy fan and have been reading it since I could pick up a book (I began to read at the age of three). I am a speed reader and I plow through books quickly. I also like to read Young Adult books, JK Rowling, Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare, to name a few. Oh, I also like Dave Duncan.
(Q) What do you do for fun other than writing?
Writing is my “fun” thing. When I am not writing I like to watch movies and BBC on TV. I love Masterpiece Mystery on PBS and my guilty pleasures are The Voice, American Idol and Castle on TV. I also like to listen to music on my iPhone and read, but not at the same time. 
(Q) If you could describe your ideal writing spot, where would it be? What music would you listen to (if at all)? What treats would you have on hand?
My ideal writing spot is somewhere overlooking the ocean. I love nature. To look at. Not to be out in. LOL. I tend not to listen to music when I am writing but I do have a playlist to get me in the mood to write. I listen to a variety of music, classical, jazz, rock, folk. My treats are almonds, Omega Trek mix from Trader Joe’s, and Jolly Rancher gummies. I can’t do chocolate because I’m allergic. (Ack, allergic to chocolate! I'd die!)

(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?
I’m more of a pantser as a rule but with a fantasy novel you have to plot it out because you are world building. I tend to write it all out and then go back and fill in plot holes etc. I typically do five edits. The first edit is timeline and plot issues, the second edit is character issues (does the description of each character match), the third edit is a read aloud (I use Natural Reader to have the computer read the novel aloud to me as I follow along), the fourth edit is more a line edit fixing any grammar/punctuation/spelling issues, the fifth edit is a final look-see of the entire book. And this is all before an editor sees it. (I am so going to go check out this Natural Reader you mention--sounds perfect!)

(Q) Do you have any new projects that you are working on? Care to share? 
Yes, I am working on Book 2 of the LORE OF FEI series. This one is called WAR OF FEI. The third book in the series is VEIL OF FEI and as soon as I finish the edits on book 2, I’ll start on that one. I am querying four novels to agents/publishers right now. A YA Dystopian, a YA zombie book, A YA historical fiction and an older YA space opera/paranormal fantasy. I have a YA historical fiction that is brewing in the back of my mind I will work on after Lore of Fei, book 3 is done.  
(Q) What kinds of marketing do you think are the most successful in terms of getting your name/book out there? (Curious minds are taking notes!)
Having a social media presence has helped me a lot, but I’ve also made lots of writer friends on Twitter/Facebook and they are helping me to get the word out about my books. Writing a good story helps! If you do all you can to promote but your writing isn’t up to par, a reader may read one book but not others. That’s why it’s important to make each book the best it can be with a great cover, editing and editing again. It’s also important to not just promote your books online, no one likes spam. Have conversations with other writers, find out what they like to do. Connect with blogs like this one!
(Q) If you'd like to add anything, please do so. 
I hope to be able to do a giveaway on Goodreads. I will let you know.

(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?LORE OF FEI Excerpt:“I am not a human girl, Duri. I am a faerie, like you. I was born without wings.” His eyes widened, but he still did not speak. “The Old Ones sent me to find a way to stop the humans. There can be no war on Fei. I need to know what the humans plan and when they will raid Fei again. You can help save Fei from extinction, Duri. Will you help me and be loyal to me and to Fei?”He nodded. It was a slight nod, but it was a nod. “Thank you Duri.” I sensed relief from him. “Sunvi, of the Old Ones has been captured and is ensconced in the food area. His wings have been clipped, too. He will help us restore Fei to the land it once was.” I moved away from Duri toward the dragons. Tashie spotted me and flew over. She gave me a look, and I laughed at her. I sensed hunger from her. I reached in my pouch and pulled a sweet out. She took it and gobbled it down. I scratched under her chin, feeling the happiness flowing from her into me. I looked over to where Duri had stood, but he had gone back to the Lair. I hoped I could trust him. Faeries were much harder to read than humans. 
Thanks so much for joining us here today, Kathleen! Best of luck with your awesome book!

How to create your own book trailer for $5 or less

Today I thought I'd talk a little about the creative process that went into creating my book trailer. (It's over there on my sidebar, if you want to watch it, like it, share it, ya know, all that kind of fun stuff :) There are a billion blog posts out there on this topic if you google it, but everyone has their own method, and considering I'm starting from scratch, working in a foreign country, on a netbook, with a limited budget, well, if I can overcome all these obstacles and still put something together, you can too! And because I'm a big fan of lists, here we go:Decide if you're willing to put in the time. There are so many places that will create a trailer for you for a minimal cost (ask me and I can direct you to a few of them). So if you're worried at all about doing this yourself it might behoove you to pay the money. BUT, I think you can do a better job if you're willing to invest the time. Why? Because it's your book. You know it inside and out. Therefore you can sell it best. It will take some time, so be prepared.Figure out what tone you want to convey. Is your book dark and mysterious? You might want something to show that in your trailer. Funny and amusing? Do something funny in your trailer. The best way to figure out what you want to do, and how to pull off that feeling is to WATCH A TON OF OTHER TRAILERS. Go to YouTube and start surfing. There are tons and tons. Decide what you think works best and put your thinking cap on!Plan out what you want to say. Basically, this is creating an outline. Write out a script, making notes on what kinds of images/video clips you are looking for. This may change later, as all drafts do, but you'll want to have something in mind before you start wading through the sea of clips and images out there.Start looking for images. Googling "free stock photos" and "free stock video clips" will give you tons and tons of sites. Many are not actually free. Many only have really crappy images/clips for free. What I actually ended up doing was signing up for www.VideoBlocks.com who gives you unlimited downloads for seven days before they charge your card. This is not generally something I like to do, but their website had tons of great clips and music. So long as you cancel your membership before the 7 days, you can keep everything you download. (It's super easy to cancel, too.) The other place I went was StockFootageForFree.com which had some really good images I pulled. I didn't pay for a single image I used in my trailers.Be sure to read the fine print! Using some clips or images requires citing the artist, so make sure you do that.Put it all together. You've gotten the basics of your trailer together, but how does that become the actual trailer? That's where Windows Movie Maker comes in, if you're on a window's machine. It's a great program and very easy to use (it reminds me a lot of working with PowerPoint). Mac also has some easy to use software that is either native on your system, or easily downloaded.What if you're on an old machine with limited computing power? Like, say, a netbook? I actually didn't even use Movie Maker, because my netbook couldn't handle it. Instead, I turned to some of the online websites that allow for movie making. YouTube has a program to make videos which works great by all reports I read. I used www.WeVideo.com for mine, which worked quite well. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a software package, but if you're coming into this without an experience, you may actually rather have something simple to make your life easier.Read the instructions for the program you use. Sounds obvious, right? Well, I'll confess that I started messing around and ended up having to make a bunch of changes later, which was really annoying. Read, watch the videos, learn a little before jumping in to explore the program.Spend the money for the extra storage space. This is where my $5 came into play. Video clips are huge in terms of memory, so I paid for some extra space on WeVideo in order to upload everything I wanted to use. You could probably get away without doing this, depending on what you're doing, but I didn't think $5 for a month of more storage and all was that bad of a deal.Don't forget the music! Music sets the tone, the feeling, the real oomph of your video, so pick something that not only conveys what you're trying to get across, but is also interesting. Don't be afraid to add in a few additional sound effects,  too.Don't get too fancy. There are tons of random transitions, fade-ins, effects, etc. that you can use. Just because they are there doesn't mean you should use them all. Pick a general theme that's simple and stick with it throughout the show. (This is the same thing that goes for PowerPoint--if your slides are doing random little tricks throughout, no one's actually going to read them.)Watch the video. Then watch it again. I think I must have watched mine from beginning to end at least a hundred times or more. Tweak it, fix stuff, make it as shiny as you can. Because once it's out there, that's it!Get a critique. Have other people watch your creation and make sure it all makes sense, flows well, has a font that isn't annoying as all get-out (*guilty*). Let someone you trust and respect help you out. Not someone that's going to just say it looks awesome and leave it at that, either.Let it marinate. Give it a day or two, or longer, to not look at it. Come back later to see if it works. You'll undoubtedly be making a few changes.Publish! Post your trailer on YouTube (be sure to tag it and write a description. Starting your own channel is a good idea, too), and the myriad of other sites that promote trailers. This is something I've only just started doing, but it's definitely the way to get the word out about your book through your trailer.There were several times during this process that I really wondered why on earth I wasn't just paying someone to create the thing for me. But, I stuck it out, got some help, and ended up pulling together something that, while not perfect, is kind of fun. And, in case you missed it the first time:

Sunday is for Photos x13

Today is the monkey edition of Sunday is for Photos. Hope you don't mind! I kind of love monkeys (has a lot to do with being an anthropologist). Hubby is well aware of this and took me to the Iwatayama Monkey Park this past week.It's a monkey research facility for Japanese macaques, but the animals area free to roam the countryside and are only around so long as they want free food (which, if you're a monkey, is all the time). Anyhow, it's a great facility, and we had fun roaming around the monkeys and going in the People Cage so we could feed them :) I did a lot of other exploring, too, so it was seriously hard to pick a few photos to share--soooo many this week!
Enjoy!
The wisteria is blooming in places, and this would have been the perfect spot for lunch if there weren't hundreds of inch long bees and wasps enjoying the flowers first.
"Stop tickling me!!" (Okay, it was a yawn, but it made me laugh)
Wild boar. It hangs out with the monkeys. Random, right?
These are what you want to see, I think! The 4 day old baby with its mom. Soooo cute. I took like a hundred pics of them, as they kept getting really close to me. In this one, I think the baby's telling its mom a secret :)
More baby cuteness. Gah, even looking at these pics I'm going "awww" all over again!
He has a hard life, being groomed.
So does this guy.
This is the river on the edge of Kyoto that we crossed to get to the Monkey park. Pretty, right?
Floating bridge, right by our house, with the incredibly green spring leaves.
This was part of the Zen Garden from the picture above. It was very, very zen. Like, I could have happily settled onto the grass and never left.
Fushimi Nari Ginga. There were huge long stretches of the red gates that were just like tunnels. It is an incredible place and we've been twice. So beautiful to explore. 
More of the red gate tunnels. 
I don't know about you, but I've been missing the kissy shots from Barcelona :) This will have to do today, a Japanese wedding we happened upon.
I'm sad to report that I booked my tickets home this week. Just a little while longer here in Japan before it's back to real life in California. I'm teaching summer school and all that kind of fun stuff. Also, my book will come out and it turns out I'll actually be state-side for that (which might make things a little easier, actually). Anyhow, I'll keep posting shots as long as I have new adventures to share, but does anyone have any ideas how to continue Sunday Photos? Want to do a guest post? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email!

Cover Reveal for BREAKING GLASS

I'm so happy to bring something totally awesome to you today: the cover and trailer for Lisa Amowitz's book, BREAKING GLASS! It looks incredible! Don't take my word for it though, check this out:

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

 Along with this incredible (haunting!) trailer:



Looks awesome, right? ANd Lisa's a kick-butt designer to boot (thanks to her for my beautiful tour banners!)

A little more info about the book:

Title: Breaking Glass

Author: Lisa Amowitz

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.SpencerHillPress.com)

ISBN: 978-1-937053-38-3

Release Date: July 9, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

Genre: Young Adult paranormal mystery 

After Reading: Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception

by Maggie Stiefvater

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .


Have I mentioned lately that I totally adore Maggie Stiefvater? Like, I'm afraid to meet her in real life unless I turn all fan-girly? (Okay, not really, I can be cool and chill and all, but inside I'd be going "OhMyGoshItIsMaggie!" Yeah, I know, I probably need professional help or something.) And back to the book: now, I don't read a whole lot of books on the Faerie. They're not normally my cup-o-tea. Sure, a few here or there (the Supernaturally series is a total exception), but for the most part the fay just don't do it for me. This book was an exception, perhaps because it didn't delve too deeply into the fay, but allowed for the story to unfold in the present world. I liked that. The book wasn't quite as good as the Wolves of Mercy Falls series (but, really, what is?) but overall it was a satisfying read. Also, I kind of hate to say this, but it really reminded me of Twilight with fairies and not vampires. Random, right? But there were a lot of similar elements. Thankfully, the MC was a smart girl with the ability to, ya know, think for herself and make decisions :)


 I will be picking up the next book shortly!


Oh, and random side comment on the book: the male lead, Luke, plays the flute. I finished reading this book and then went walking around Kyoto, only to run into a random guy playing a flute on the sidewalk not 10 minutes later. SO random. Gave me goosebumps. Anyhow, I tweeted it (of course) and Maggie responded saying not to pick up any four-leaf clovers! Hah! (See, this is my inner fan-girl coming out. I should probably not share!)


So, do tell, have you read Lament?

Colors Like Memories Book Trailers

Hi! Okay, so I think these are actually, finally complete :) I swear, I could sit here and tweak them little by little for hours, but I'm at the point where I am pretty sure it's not actually making a difference (there's a writing analogy in there, too!). Anyhow, without any further ado, here are my trailers for Colors Like Memories:


And here's the longer one that's a little more about the actual plot:

Thoughts? Care to share these someplace? (I will love you forever if you do!) And coming soon, a post about how to make your own book trailer for $5 or less!

Sunday is for Photos x12

Wow, how has it been another week? I honestly can't believe it! And it's been a pretty crazy one :) I'm really, really hoping that tomorrow I'll have my book trailer finished enough to post it officially here. I'm wondering--should I do some kind of fun contest to go along with it? Let me know in the comments!

Also, in other book related news, I don't have my galleys yet. I know. It's totally 100% out of my hands, and I've been sending emails and everything, but there's nothing I can do. I swear, as soon as I have them, I will be sending them to those awesome people who have offered to do reviews. Until then, well, all I can say is that I'm really sorry. I hope you know that I've tried...

Okay, on to some pics:
So, apparently this tree is famous. It's pretty, sure, but I was kind of shocked by the paparazzi  treatment it was getting.
I really, really want to see some monkeys while we're here. I know, random, right? Anyhow, I keep seeing these signs around for what to do if you happen to see monkeys. I get the first two, but really, what's up with throwing fireworks at them??
Japanese cemetery. Very interesting, and beautiful.
Kiyomizu temple (which you can hardly see with the cherry blossoms).
I love these things! They totally make me think of Princess Mononoke :)
Charms in a tree at Kamigamo Shrine.
Us out with a friend of ours who is studying traditional Japanese Kimono in school. I think I asked her about a million questions. 
Maiko (or, a Geisha in training). She's SO young. She started her training right after middle school, and decided this is what she wanted to do in elementary school. Wow! Beautiful dancing and amazing kimono.
Crap, just realized I picked the photo where she's blinking... Sorry 'bout that. It's still pretty cool to see all the headdress bits, and  her hair. Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Presenting: preliminary trailer!

Okay, I have two trailers I've been working on for the past couple of days. Honestly, this would have gone a lot faster if I'd known at the start what I do now about video editing software :) (Or, I had, ya know, something other than my little netbook to work on, haha!). Anyhow, of the two, this one is a little more fun, so I'm going to share it. It's just a teaser, really, with nothing about the story or anything.

Please, please, please keep in mind that this is still in "rough" form and changes still might happen (which, if you happen to notice some lovely glaring error I've missed, please let me know!). But, I hope you still have fun watching it!